4/3 cycle - how to control on weekends

Joramaisi3

I’ve restarted MFP 3 weeks ago and I haven’t lost nor gained anything. I’ve been the same weight for over a year which mean I’m maintaining. I may lose a 1-2lbs bit gain it back the next week.

I eat really good and track Monday - Thursday and go for walks. Then Friday - Sunday I lose motivation and don’t track and tend to eat out since I don’t cook Friday/Saturday. I also don’t work out those days. Im normally busy with the family whereas Mon-Thurs I work from home so a stricter schedule.

I need to break this cycle.

How do you all combat the weekends?

AnnPT77

Some people "calorie bank", i.e., eat somewhat fewer than goal calories on some days, to have a bigger calorie budget on other days. You could consider that. (I do it, but not weekday/weekend patterns - more random, because I'm retired and don't have weekends, or maybe it's all weekends? 😉)

There's an intermittent fasting (IF) approach where people eat very low calories (maybe 500ish) two days a week, and maintenance calories the other days. You could consider that.

Some people make it a point to be more active on the weekends (i.e., exercise, but by doing things they find to be active fun with the family, maybe biking, playing tennis or frisbie or somesuch, etc.), to earn more calories to eat.

I'm sure other people will have other options. You'll need to figure out what works best for you: Personalization is key to success, IMO.

Alatariel75

This is me also. I combat this by, as Ann says, creating a calorie bank. My goal is just shy of 1500, and during the week I eat around 1200 and don't eat any exercise calories back (I do not exercise at a level that I believe requires it, yet). On the weekend, I still mind my P's and Q's (no calorie bank will be big enough to save my deficit if I didn't still make the best choices possible) but I can go for 1800-2000 a day and still have the same calorie deficit as if I had eaten to goal all 7 days, and then the buffer of still not having eaten exercise calories absorbs the rest of the impact.

As a mental thing I found it helpful to officially weigh in on a Friday morning, so I had the whole week of lower cal (and, for me, carb) eating to get rid of salt and carb bloat from the weekend before weighing in again.

Also - aim to increase your incidental exercise on the weekend, it doesn't need to be structured, but stand when you could have sat, walk when you could have stood, put extra energy into chores, it all sounds a bit silly but it adds up.

I previously followed this method for just over 2 years and lost over 80lbs without feeling deprived or missing out of weekends. (which, in full disclosure, I then regained, but that was due to major extenuating circumstances, and I'm now back, repeating what worked for me last time).

Joramaisi3

Thanks so much. I like the idea of eating lower Mon-Thurs which is doable since I eat at home a lot those days and then saving calories for the weekend.

I need more discipline. So by Friday I’m tired and so maybe that’s the day I drive to a park after dropping of the kids and go for a walk. A change of scenery and I’m out cause once I’m home I’m home.