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

dlyeates

My family and I eat out a lot but I make sure I know where we are going and look up the nutrition online (if they don't have one I search and figure out approximates). Because I know my sodium intake is higher on the weekends even if my calories are under I don't weigh in after a weekend.....I spend the week being better and then weigh in on Friday.

This is why FRIDAY is my weigh in day!!! That way I can get back on track.

But go out and have fun, make positive choices and you don't have to drink that much. It's a lot of calories and not that healthy to overindulge on alchol. You can have much fun sober and having a healthy meal vs getting drunk and grazing on nachos, chips, appetizers, etc.

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!!

SwannySez

Heh. I faced a similar dilemma when I decided to quit smoking and drinking back in July: how am I EVER going to have fun again? I grew up in bars! I've been drinkin' and smokin' on and off since I was nine! WTF am I gonna do??

You learn that there's options. Sure I had to insult some of our biggest Chinese clients by refusing to do shots with them, "How do you say alcoholic in Mandarin?"

But if you're dedicated to what you're doing to find ways to enjoy things.

When it comes to food and parties, I just try to maintain my limits. Granted, the not drinking thing makes that easier since without the booze calories I can eat more and actually have my wits about me.

It takes perseverence and sacrifice this path we've all chosen.

People say to me, "Oh, I bet you love the feel of taking a long walk or a good run."

No. I ****ing hate it. It's a ***** each and every single time. God, I would SO much rather eat a whole bag of jelly beans and veg out on the sofa. But I have reasons for doing what I am doing and they are important enough to me that I push myself to do things that I know are good for me whether I like them or not. People keep saying how the exercise will become an addiction. I'm not gonna ****ing hold my breath waiting for that.

I tell myself a lot, 'You don't have to like it. You just have to do it."

it took me twenty-some years of doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted with no thought to the consequences to get my body this out of shape. It's going to take a fair bit of time and effort and sacrifice to get it back to some semblance of healthy.

I'm 42 years old and I've got a three and a half year-old daughter. That means that I'll be well-over 50 when she's getting to her dating years. I want to be able to keep up with her all the way through to that. That's my motivation. That and I want to be able to rip the heads off of any suitors I find unsuitable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some pushups to do.

Keesh400

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!!!!

Very realistic answer! I am social person and I have weekends where I drink. I don't drink a lot, but I love my wine! I will stick to a strict diet on the week days, and only have 1 night of fun during the weekend. I should still reach my goal with this plan. Thank you!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

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... )

Yep, this. If it's a get together at someone's house and you're concerned about options you just take something(s) to share so that you have options. Exercise, planning, and self control.

iluxoxo211

Hello, I found myself having the same issue when I first started.. I would go out and binge all weekend and come sunday night feel terrible about everything I ate all weekend...I eventually told myself that this isnt a diet for me..I needed to change the way I thought about food..it took a long time to come to the point I'm at today but I finally dont need to be eating to have a good time..It's perfectly fine to treat youself but you need to know when to stop..moderation is key in being successful at losing weight...If you dont treat yourself sometimes then you will fall into thinking your deprived & you will want it even more and when you do eat it you will eat more then you should or would have.

sabified

I end up blowing it on the weekend too But some really great advice in here, will definitely try to follow some of these.

jillsusanne

I agree with so many of these comments...eat a snack before you go, make healthy swaps, try to enjoy conversation rather than food, and drink water or sparkling water to have something in your hand that is zero calorie!

One other random (somewhat related) thought: I have been a runner for years and a long time ago I read an article about how runners have higher rates of heart disease. They said this was due to the fact that we burn so many calories through exercise we believe we can eat whatever we want (and we "can" get away with it while looking thin). Remember, skinny doesn't always equal healthy. The goal is to put healthy foods in your mouth, hopefully shedding some pounds along the way, but overall improving your health. I'm ok with using exercise on occasion to burn a few extra calories but if it is a regular thing you aren't doing yourself any favors. So, if going to social events and parties is part of your lifestyle you have to find a way to incorporate healthy eating into that lifestyle (if that is truly your goal). Maybe you could bring along a few healthy options to share for birthday parties/social gatherings where it is a appropriate? Find a few healthy recipes that make your friends say "wow, that is good!" and you can inspire others to adopt your lifestyle too!

HauteP1nk

Ensure you still workout on the weekends...get up a bit earlier and go for a run, or do a class at the gym....this can give you a little freedom to have a bit more fun ont he weekend.

Also, remember, everything in moderation! Allow yourself to have fun - to have one cheat day, but only if you are able to control yourself. If you can't control yourself when it comes to food or drink then maybe you shouldn't be surroundnig yourself with it every weekend...you have to pick what is most important to you at this stage in your life.

wlgreen379

I'm in the same boat. I need to work on getting my cheat day down a little bit to something more manageable and be only one day a week of going over calories. I do great during the work week when my schedule is set, but I do struggle on the weekends when I don't have a normal schedule. I just try to make sure I exercise a bit longer since I have the extra time in the mornings.

gp79

You can diet and be social together, but it takes a little more discipline and planning ahead.

If you know you're likely to have a weekend out where you want to eat at a surplus, then you need to create a bit more of a deficit during the week either by eating less or increasing your activity. You could do this by postponing your breakfast until closer to lunch or increasing your knowledge of food a bit to find lower calorie alternatives.

yoovie

If you MUST make food the centerpoint of your social circle- then decide to turn into a lil foodie or get your food on knowing that what you are eating is special and worth taking the time to enjoy. Keep a journal of all the beautiful and interesting places you eat with your friends this year, take a lil picture, make it something you record - if its something you enjoy so much, leave notes about who you went with, what the occasion was- and love the entire experience of the night. I use the Foodspotting app- not sure if youre in a major city or something- but its helpful.

I found that when I first had to start watching what I eat... it help more to LOOK at what I was eating. Being a photographer, I found that healthy food usually is more beautiful anyway- and I started keeping a blog of my food. You dont have to give up having fun, in fact you can open up an entirely new interesting dimension of yourself

Food is not the only way to celebrate and if it is- try bringing your own food along or going somewhere you can order healthy food that is served BEAUTIFULLY.
Good luck!

miacycler

Wow thanks everyone! So many good reminders (lots of things I think i know but I need to maintain the importance of!) I really like the idea of trying to maintain weight over the weekend and lose m-fri. Instead of my being like "oh well I only gained 1 lb this weekend thats not so bad." I am so close to my goal and because of that it is getting really hard to see results. I also like the idea of an anchor or reminder.. so I am going to print out all your responses and take it with me this weekend when I go out of town for my friend's Bday party and see if that helps me keep in check. I will def. report about the results on Monday so I will be held accountable!

Amelia ;-)

miacycler

I love that idea. I too am a photographer (shoot weddings and such) and looking at the art of the food is important. Maybe I can notice that the Chips thrown on the table at the party are not nearly as beautiful as some of the other more healthy options!

miacycler

See I thought that was working for me, but I am finding it makes me want to eat even more over the weekend then if I had eaten more stable during the week? Not sure it seems like a balancing act.

miacycler

great idea ;-)

Kayla165

I make snacks ahead of time like trail mix i make my own granola bars that I can easily stick in my purse and go. That way I am not as tempted to eat fast food while out and about.

jseeke

The weekends are hard for a lot of people. I honestly believe that planning is the secret to living a healthy lifestyle. If you know you are going to a party, work out the day of the party for longer than a normal work out. I always eat a ton of heathly things throughout the day before leaving for the event.
Also, I make sure to eat fruits and veggies just before the party, so that I am basically full when I get there.
Sometimes the food is too good to resist and I eat it, but I would eat a smaller portion than if I went to the party hungry.

I also always allow myself a cheat event. If I have a bunch of events in a row, I will pick one to eat whatever I want at (I usually pick the one I am looking forward to the most). I also plan on talking to a bunch of people. I try to concentrate on talking with people rather than eating.

I agree that food should not be the center of any social event. But everyone knows if there is any type of social event there will be food. Hopefully you can put some of these great ideas to work for you.
Good luck!!

flong1975

If I am out with friends and they all want ice cream or some other sweet desert, I have sorbet. If it's not available, I pass. Also, I will take my own snacks such as baby carrots or raw almonds in a little baggie. Then I am not tempted to get soft pretzels, onion rings, nachos or what ever other crap vendors/resturants are selling...

ninerbuff

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.

I'll disagree here. You DON'T have to eat healthy everyday to avoid stalls and plateaus. You just have to make sure that the calories you intend to indulge in are comped.
I go to family parties practically every weekend and trust me when I say that the food (even the healthy ones) are high calorie. I comp with exercise before going and usually skipping breakfast.



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

bcattoes

I was having the same problem. So I upped my workouts a little and try to eat under my calories 2 days a week. That seems to have done the trick.

cdpm

I have this problem as well.
I get into a routine during the week, meal times are the same, portion sizes stay similar and then at the weekend, I have lie-ins and see the temptations everywhere.
I found sticking to the same breakfast, lunch and dinner times the same at the weekend hard, but helpful.
As long as you do the exercise and take everything in moderation (maybe cutting down on courses or on the alcohol), then this should be alight. You can have a treat every now and then, but just don't make it every weekend

ValMcB

Lots of good info here! Hope it helps you.

If I am around lots of snacks and dips then try to eat half of it in veggies without (or very little) dip. And substitute either lemon water w/ice or a no calorie soda for everyother drink.
Fills you up, you are doing exactly what everyone around you are, and yet you are cutting the intake by half.
;D
ps Instead of a glass of wine, I have taken to making a wine spritzer, half wine and half no calorie soda of my choice. Yum!

lizziebeth1028

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??

:-)

Weekends are the hardest for me too. Unfortunately there's no easy fix for it either. Portion control, will power and smart choices. A couple huge sweaty workouts on the weekend doesn't hurt either.

kati37

This is what I do... I log my meals to make sure it will keep w/ in or reasonably close to my calorie goal. If what I am wanting is to much I try something different. Then stick with it when I get where I am going. I am not always under calories and this is only my second consistent week of being on here so I'm still learning. Good luck to you!!! Weekends are hard for me as well. We will get this!!

bcattoes

I must say some of these responses are unrealistic and unnecessary. There is no need to give up going out and having a good time with friends to be thin and healthy. Thin healthy people do not just sit around the house avoiding parties and gatherings. Nor do they make healthy choices 100% of the time. Go, be sensible, have fun. Work it into your weekly plan. Losing weight and keeping it off isn't all about deprivation. It's about correctly choosing when and how often to splurge.