Weekends kill my diet

redwngs13

During the week (M-F) I live alone and have a full time job. I have a good routine going where I work out in the morning, bring a healthy lunch to work, and make healthy dinners when I get home. But on the weekends it is a different story... My boyfriend usually comes to visit and my visits to the gym go out the window. We like to eat out at restaurants and drink alcohol and have a good time together. Does anyone have any advice so that I will still be able to enjoy my weekend without over-indulging and ruining my progress from the week? I'd like to still be able to go to restaurants and drink.

princesslmc2

Try starting small with walking into the restaurant prepared... Look up their nutrition facts ahead of time and choose some "healthier" options. As for drinks, research that too and find something you think you'd like and drink those instead.

From there, you can add more... like suggesting more meals at home or maybe cutting back on the number of drinks or being motivated to get to the gym. But baby steps... :-)

Thorneapple

I think weekends are hard for a lot of people. It is so much easier to maintain a set schedule during the week because we have this set routine.

On the weekends, try getting your BF to go out with you and do some sort of physical activity: Go for a long walk, skiing, hiking, bowling, etc. That way you can get your exercise in. When you go out to eat, limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage and then have water the rest of the meal. Many restaurants have there nutritional info available on line. Maybe you could try pre-planning what you want to eat and where you want to go.

mjd1980

If you go to restaurants at weekends ask for sauce on the side so you can limit how much sauce you have- try tomato based sauces in stead of cream based ones as they are lower in fat, ask to make sure your food is grilled not fried, and - swap lager/cider for spirits and mixers...

Small changes but could make a big difference

HTH

aanaya56

I have the same issue... But what I have found is that normally I try eating something at the house so when I go out I can eat smaller.. ALSO, if you go out to a restaurant always go for the meals that have more veggies...

BigBoneSista

You need to stop sabotaging your success. Who wants to work all week but never get a real payday? Thats what you are doing.

You can go out and enjoy a healthy meal at a restaurant without going off plan. You just have to put forth the effort to do so. They will cook your food to your specs if you instruct them to. 1 glass of red wine doesn't hurt.

If you are serious about your goals them you have to learn how to incorporate your healthy eating habits into every aspect of your life. Period.

All of this is being said to you in love. I had to learn to do the same thing...we all do. You can to.

gmattach

I'm right there with you! I found that it helps a great deal if I look up either on MFP's food database or the restaurant's website what the nutritional info is. I usually know before I get to the restaurant what I will be ordering. A lot of times, my hubby and I will split an entree, it's not only cheaper, but healthier as well. I don't drink very often, but I would assume you could also look up the calories on your favorite drinks and make wiser choices there as well. Good Luck with it!

branuat

I live in the real world. Weekends are hard especially for dieters. I say cheat, I give myself cheat weekends. 500 calories more than i usually allow myself. I do work out on saturdays but give myself sunday and tuesday off to recuperate. This is a life style that has to carry on after the wieght is gone so maybe I am wrong but I cheat (small).

katbass

I am the SAME way! I drink wine every weekend, and then inevitably "forget" about my plan to stay healthy. I have committed to NO ALCOHOL until I lose 10 lbs. I am down 5 in just 2 weeks, so it wont be long before I will treat myself to a glass (or 3).
Its really hard for me to order water while my husband orders a beer, so I asked him to skip the alcohol with me for a few weeks. He was happy to save the money and the calories, so we are doing okay so far.
Also, Ive started asking servers to bring me a box when they bring my meal. Then, as soon as the plate hits the table, I put half of it in the to-go box and save it for lunch the next day. I eat enough to be satisfied and dont miss the extra calories that typically come in a restaurant serving.
I dont go to a restaurant without first looking up their nutrition info on their website. That way I am prepared and have two options in mind. If you look it up early enough in the day, you can plan a workout or activity to burn some extra calories to allow for the extra yummy meal!

Good luck! KNow youre not alone I have to say, I was NOT thrilled about skipping my relaxing glasses of pinot grigio, but I havent had any wine in 2 weeks, and I dont really miss it. Of course, I probably drank my weight in pinot over the holidays....so I might still be detoxing haha

redwngs13

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!

@ Desirai - Your post really hit me. Thank you for your encouraging words!

@ katbass - I love the idea of getting a box as soon as the meal comes out. That would definitely help curb my overeating that always tends to happen at restaurants!

jrtuckerbb

Everybody has this problem... If you know you are going out this weekend then do plan ahead, Think about that as you workout and add a extra few minutes to each workout and eat a little less a couple of days ahead of time. And as others have said plan ahead and think of things to eat at your favorite restaurant that are better for you and lower in fat and calories, Also its important to know that within reason its o.k. to splurge once in awhile this has to be a new way on life and you can not always just eat low fat. If you get in the mind frame that you are depriving yourself all the time you will be less likely to stay with it. The best advice I have is to plan ahead and workout harder to compensate for a night out on the town.

msamcoates

Well the best advice I can give is workout early in the morning on the weekends prior to your boyfriend getting up. Then moderation, plan ahead with meals and alcohol. Vodka is lower in calories then say Hennessy. Choose your meals wisely. Relax, enjoy, and never forget that your trying to loose the weight. If your boyfriend is supportive, then it shouldn't be that hard. Best of luck.

wannabehotmomma

I had the alcohol question when I first joined? Someone advised me on the "Skinny Margarita" 1 shot tequila, club soda, 2 limes. I think it has something like 150 calories? I think one or two on the weekend is Okay! Just workout a little harder and drink lots of water!! It's important to enjoy time with BF!! wink ! wink!

mwar056

For Beer, Bud Select 55 tastes pretty good and it's only 55 calories a bottle.

Sasssy69

I have the exact same issue with the boyfriend on the weekend and work during the week. He knows I'm trying to lose, and is very supportive. Here's what we've been doing.

Friday night is my cheat meal. I get one meal a week. I get what I want...but we share some of the worst stuff like fries.

Saturday we eat in - I cook so I can control what we eat. If we go out Saturday night, we decide on a restauraunt that I KNOW I can eat right - Applebees is great in that they have that under 600 calorie menu.

Sunday, same deal. But we both skip breakfast (shhhh...don't tell), and then we have a late lunch - and this is where most of our calories come in. Later in the evening, I'll make popcorn, no butter. This tends to make up for the crap I ate Friday night.

As for beer - go light. I hate light beer two, but there are two that I enjoy: Michelob Ultra Amber and Corona Light. The Amber is about 95 calories and the Corona light is about 99, I think.

I also exercise before he gets up, so I don't have to do it in front of him. Or we go for a walk or a hike. Sometimes I skip exercising, and then I know I have to eat less.

I gained most of my weight when we started dating, so I hear you. It's hard to keep on track. I think the greatest thing for you will be having him support you in this. I often times say, "No, I don't want to eat there because I can't eat anything there." If he says, "Just don't eat as much or get a salad," I say, "YOU get a salad or try eating only a few bites of something really yummy." You need your guy's support. I just remind my guy of how I looked when we first started dating. That helps!

Xenzu

Ask for their nutrition food guide. Most places have them now. That way you know what you are putting into your body and you know how to adjust.

X-

ChuckgM3

The problem is that you're a redwings fan... GO DUCKS!

I kid, I kid... for me, the hardest and probably most effective thing I've done is cut out beer all together. I love beer, it's fantastic, but the more I read about it, the more i realized it was holding my weight loss back.

I suggest moving to a cocktail (vodka and soda water with lime works for me) and avoid beer at all costs.

MercuryBlue

Aw, I completely understand!

This has been- no lie- my NUMBER ONE barrier to weight loss since the beginning. Monday thru Friday it's easy (um, well.... easier!) to eat within my target calorie range. My weeks are structured because of work, and I really can only eat what I pack in my lunch. There's no option to just sort of 'graze' throughout the day.

I don't have a set weekend routine- and it's been my downfall on many occassions.