How do I get through weekends and still have fun?!?

miacycler

I am having SO MUCH trouble staying on my diet over the weekends. I do really well during the week and then gain it all back on the weekends. I am such a social person and I love to go out and every single weekend for the next 2 months I have either a party, birthday, trip or event. Can you all share some tips please??

:-)

Photoology

Don't make food the reason you are having fun. Eat smaller portions and pick healthier options. Suggest planning social events that are full of activity vs just sitting and eating. Workout a little more before heading out .

Anomalia

Portion control and try to make the best choices available. Just because everyone else is eating/drinking it doesn't mean you have to too.

Mommawarrior

You shouldn't be on a diet, you should change your lifestyle. If you want to be healthy you just choose to be healthy. Choose not to put the crap in your mouth. I am a very social person and I just don't eat crap. It is easy if you just decide to be in control of yourself.

(Don't mean this to sound mean, just straight forward... )

JeNn45nFiT

I just plan ahead, exercise, eat smaller portions, maybe save a little extra calories so you don't have to stress so much.

melsinct

Workout a little more before heading out .

This. I try and earn my alcohol and food splurge calories via exercise.

Brunner26_2

It'll be hard, but you can train yourself to know that fun doesn't have to mean food. You can still enjoy those events without overeating. Enjoy the conversation and don't hang out near the food table. Drink water instead of soda or alcohol, and go ahead and enjoy a piece of cake! Just watch the portion.

amybrauch

If I know I am going to be eating/drinking more than usual I will try to go to the gym that morning and burn some calories so I have more calories to work with that day. Also, portion control.

jacksonpt

You can talk and be social and have fun while dancing, walking, etc. Doesn't have to be at the bar surrounded by crappy food and alcohol.

Stacyanne324

The weekends are my favorite time but I'm following the Spike diet so Sunday is my day to eat whatever I want and rest. The rest of the week I eat lower calorie so I am still able to lose and not feel deprived. It helps that my husband works Saturdays so I really only have one true weekend day. I have always had some for of cheat day on the weekends through this whole process or I wouldn't have made it through it's just that I wasn't doing it correctly before and maintaining an overall defecit for the week so I had stopped losing. Back on track now!

LCarney64

People talk about taking weekends off from exercise, but I work my butt off on weekends because my wife and I are also very social. I blew it this weekend as far as what I ate, but I made up for it, and at LEAST broke even by working out even more than usual.

hyde1977

It is all about portion control and I go out and drink/eat every weekend as well! I get up in the morning and do good work out.

I work out to eat and drink! You don't have to stop living. Don't think of it as a diet. The word die is in diet!

To gain over the weekend you are would have to be consuming large amounts of food and alcohol. Not sure how much you are drinking!

If you are eatting out, get the sauces on the side (if applicable). Whatever you order, cut in 1/2 and ask for a take out box for the other 1/2.

Drink lots of water still! You are probably just retaining water/salt if you are not flushing your body on the weekends.

It is very possible to continue losing weight! we are all different! I have lost over 70 pounds and I never stopped eatting and drinking. I love my Beer!!!!

msmayor

I feel your pain and I workout extra hard before then follow it by lots of water and another tough workout the next day.....not the greatest but I'm realistic in my approach - may not work for others but this is what I do.......

beccyleigh

this is why I like to zigzag my cals throughout the week. I give myself highest allocation over the weekend then eat less over the week.

So example, I have a total of 13,625 cals per week. Sunday,Monday & Tuesday I have 1928 cals, wed 1735, thursday 1672, Friday 2313 & Saturday 2120.

When you know you have an event, eat light before hand (fruit for breakkie, lean meat & salad for lunch etc) then have your meal without feeling guilty. You still need to have some self control, which is no bad thing but changing your eating habits shouldn't be a chore also when out, make smart choices, jacket potatoe instead of fried, share a small dessert instead of having your own. Lay off the dressings & sauces, have them served on the side & then use half. If at a party with poor choices then just keep control of portion sizes & again, make the smartest choice avaiable.

Basically though, it comes down to your own self control & how badly you want to succeed.

rainbowbuggy

You can talk and be social and have fun while dancing, walking, etc. Doesn't have to be at the bar surrounded by crappy food and alcohol.

I love this response. So true! But for some, that is what they consider fun.

Lojsen

I have the same problem every week-end, but I know the solution!! WORK OUT!

If you know your're going to a party in the evening, do a work out in the gym or go for a long jogg or something during the day. That way you will keep your calorie goal even if you have a few coctails or some wine and a lot of food in the evening.

Then you also have to ask yourself - is it worth it? All this alcohol and food? Do I really have to eat it or do I want to loose the unwanted weight a.s.a.p?

kgchisholm

Another thing I do is bring something healthy! I always bring a treat to a party anyway, now it just ensures that there is something I can snack on without dying BUT be sure it is something good others will like too.

I like . . .

fruit trays
veggie trays with dip and yummy hummus (I just avoid the dip and stick to hummus)
tortilla chips (whole grain, if I can get them) with homemade salsa

Yummmmmmmm

ninerbuff

The key to weight loss is consistency. If you're not consistent on the weekends compared to the weekdays, don't expect huge results. What it really boils down to is what is more important to you................socializing with food and drink, or losing weight and reaching goal?
That's not to say that you can't socialize, but you need to set boundaries so you don't keep regaining what you've worked hard for all week.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

LastSixtySix

"Food is fuel NOT a reward."

Write that in a big sharpie and post it whereever in house or car that you feel the most vulnerable. You can have more than one posting of it!!!

Once you get that message, it won't matter where you are - food will not tempt you unless your body needs the fuel. And, the more you learn how to provide the best fuel to your body, the less you will be likely to fuel it with junk.

Good luck! - Debra

Tari_D

I've taken to following a weekly calorie goal (so just my daily allowance x 7) and then I'm super good and do lots of excersize during the week and then at the weekend even though I may be in the red on my daily calorie goal I know that overall for the week I haven't gone over. It seems to be working for me so far and it helps me feel like my life doesn't have to be restricted without me instead feeling guilty for going over.

If you want to stick to daily goals though just, as other people have said, do a lot of excersize that day to earn more calories before you go out and choose the healthiest options in terms of food and drink (it may not be sound health advice but in terms of calories vodka is better than beer for example )

Emancipated_Tai

Try to pre-log your weekends. Find out where you’re going or what's on the menu at your event. This way you can put it in your journal to view how it will affect your intake for that day.

You can still enjoy what everyone else is eating, but eat half that portion or ask for a more healthy option.

cakuni

Here's some advice I've received:

Eat something healthy before you go to the party. You'll be less starved and less likely to be tempted to overindulge.

If you're at a buffet type event: Look over everything that is available. When it comes to less healthy options, choose foods that you have less often. Like on holidays I might have a slice of apple or pumpkin pie because I have it so rarely. But I pass on pudding or cookies that I can have any ol' time.

Try to load up on veggies and fruits first if they are available. (Veggies should be half of your plate whenever possible.)

If you're eating out, ask for a to-go box up front. Put half of your food in there.

I hope some of the advice on the forum here can help you out. Good luck!

kaetmarie

My husband and I are very social also, and always go out at least one night on the weekends. I make sure to get some exercise in that day and then make healthy swaps where I can ... like if everyone is getting wings and beer, I'll get grilled chicken skewers (most places have something similar and they're good!) or a salad and a vodka water or red wine. Also, drink water between alcoholic drinks to keep hydrated and limit calories. When I first started doing that, I felt weird ... so I got a lime in it so it looked more like my drink :drinker:

I also agree that it's good to pre-log, so you can make choices the rest of the day that will permit you to have a few drinks that night. In my opinion (and many will disagree), I need to be able to continue going out with my friends and having fun ... so I make sure that I make it fit in my new lifestyle. If I cut it out altogether, I would no doubt fail and then totally give it up. It's gotta work for you and your life! Good luck!!

ArroganceInStep

Some combination of:

1) Eat fewer/burn more calories during the week to build up a buffer for the weekend
2) Eat fewer/burn more calories that day to build up a buffer for the party
3) Setup your diet to incorporate a cheat day or cheat meal and have the party fall on that day (which is basically 1 and 2 formally)
4) Control portions at the party
5) Go to fewer events, but give yourself more freedom at the ones you do go to

That's what I've found works for me.

rllewell

You shouldn't be on a diet, you should change your lifestyle. If you want to be healthy you just choose to be healthy. Choose not to put the crap in your mouth. I am a very social person and I just don't eat crap. It is easy if you just decide to be in control of yourself.

This. If you cannot put forth the effort to eat healthy EVERY day you will have a lot of difficulty and plateaus in losing weight. Plan ahead for events. My most calorie burning work-out is often Saturday morning. I'll often eat healthy at home before I leave for an event. Set a goal to drink more water than alcohol (think about that one!). If you must eat at the event pick the healthiest items only and use portion control.

Personally, weekends are the hardest too so my goal is to have my weight stay even on Saturday and Sunday and lose my weight Monday-Friday.

slayerdan

Never ceases to amaze me how people can be aware that they will be overeating and eating badly as much as two months out, but cant plan to eat for two days healthy.

It boils down to if you want to be a certain weight or healthy level or not---thats it.Why is it Saturday is always different than a Tuesday to people? Its a day like anything else. If you know you are going to do poorly somewhere, dont go. If all of these plans were on the evenings during the week, would you still eat badly? Or is it just on the weekends?

Learn to say no. NO. People will tempt you at first but will eventually respect your choices. If you cant do this, then you are more content where you are than you think---so accept it.

runningdiva77

Eat before you go somewhere- make your freinds the reason you hang out with them, not food

i_miss_donuts

I am in the same boat - any loss from previous week evaporates over the weekend. I exercise to earn all my calories, never eat over my allotment and work out 5-6 days per week. Even on off days I manage to accumulate 10,000 - 16,000 steps from walking the dog, running errands and doing stuff around the house. The only thing I can guess is that drinking on Fri-Sun (2 glasses of wine - accounted for in my calories and not putting me over) jacks with my metabolism or results in water weight gain. It is truly frustrating to have stayed within calories and worked out hard for over a month (intervals running and circuit training) and only register a 1.4 lb loss total. Maybe I am adding muscle. I will measure again Thursday in hopes that this is why the scale isn't moving.

kaetmarie

This. If you cannot put forth the effort to eat healthy EVERY day you will have a lot of difficulty and plateaus in losing weight. Plan ahead for events. My most calorie burning work-out is often Saturday morning. I'll often eat healthy at home before I leave for an event. Set a goal to drink more water than alcohol (think about that one!). If you must eat at the event pick the healthiest items only and use portion control.

Personally, weekends are the hardest too so my goal is to have my weight stay even on Saturday and Sunday and lose my weight Monday-Friday.

Great advice!!

ShellyShuey

Try to pre-log your weekends. Find out where you’re going or what's on the menu at your event. This way you can put it in your journal to view how it will affect your intake for that day.

You can still enjoy what everyone else is eating, but eat half that portion or ask for a more healthy option.

This is what I do -- I find out if we're eating out, go online to find the menu, and preselect the meal. Keep trying.

satchattack

I usually try to eat a healthy meal before going out. That way, I won't be hungry when I'm faced with the temptations, and I'll be less likely to give in! I also make it a point to work out on the weekends if I expect to indulge in food or booze.