Getting Through the Weekends

ReneeJ814

Hey everybody!
I'm currently a full-time graduate student and I live away from home. During the week I do great on my diet and exercise. I work out 4-5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and I usually burn 600-900 calories each time. My calorie goal is 1260, but on the days I work out I don't go over 1400.

I go home on the weekends and my diet is not what it should be. I know the main problem is eating out, but I try to make smart choices. Of course, Saturday all forces worked against me and every attempt to make a better choice failed due to the restaurants being out of the healthy stuff. My family is very supportive of my attempts to lose weight and are willing to eat whatever/whereever I need. Unfortunately due to certain circumstances, we have to eat out some. My question is how do I get through the weekend without ruining my diet? Is it ok for me to splurge on the weekends, or do I need to stick to a strict diet?

MissJenn33

Personally I think it is ok to go off a bit on weekends. I, too, am super strict during the week. it's sooo much easier to be that way when I'm on a schedule and have my food all packed up. There's no room to deviate. The weekends are a lot more difficult to stay on track because everyweekend varies and there are 2 children and a husband to contend with, not just me. I work out twice on saturdays which is usually the day we eat out. I eat more to my schedule on Sunday but there may be a coulple of adjustments. So far I've been doing fine with this. I've lost 7lbs in about 5 weeks.

side note. This saturday we went to cheesecake factory. I ate the skinnylicious turkey avacado sandwich and took off most of the bacon and chipped away some of the bun. I splurged on the most delicious cheesecake I've ever had. I had half a slice and logged it (575 cals in a half slice people!) As long and as when you eat out you choose wisely still focus on portions you will be ok.

Oh...and if we eat out, when we decide where we're going I'll look online for their menu and plan ahead. Just about every place on earth has a "lighter" menu. AND you can always alter or customize your order. I got my sandwich above with no mayo and salad dressing on the side. You can be more in control of your calories than most people realize.

cmriverside

You will have to deal with restaurants for the rest of your life, and you can't give up every time you go to a restaurant. I find it hard to believe the restaurants were all out of the healthy stuff. If that is true, I wouldn't go back there.

Going over by a couple hundred once a week is not big deal. Lots of people plan for days like that.

But a couple hundred (or up to whatever your maintenance calories are) is a lot different than 1000 over.

texna

It's very hard for the weekends for me too, but what I try and do which is not to good but I don't feel to guilty is skip breakfast and dinner and just enjoy a good lunch, sometimes naughty meal but that kind of adds all my 1200 calorie but I am happy. Then on Monday - Friday I stick to my plan.