Oh the weekends!

moidyn

So it seems that I do great through the week. I can resist chocolate at the office, the little packets of snacks we have everywhere, no problem.
And then the weekend hits. No will power what so ever!!
What do you guys do in order to stay on track for the weekend? I have heard some people say they have a cheat meal, but that turns into a cheat weekend for me!!

moidyn

So it seems that I do great through the week. I can resist chocolate at the office, the little packets of snacks we have everywhere, no problem.
And then the weekend hits. No will power what so ever!!
What do you guys do in order to stay on track for the weekend? I have heard some people say they have a cheat meal, but that turns into a cheat weekend for me!!

alf1163

I hear you!!!! It is so hard for me as well!!! I always try to exercise more since I have more time on the weekends to make up for eating more or having some cocktails. Since it is usually dinner that does it for me or my husband grilling on Sunday afternoons I try to eat a healthy but low calorie breakfast and have healthy snacks throughout the day if hungry. This weekend I am REALLY going to try to stick to my goals!!! It is about time!!!! :happy:

songbyrdsweet

Hmm....I don't know, I just don't give any thought to a 'cheat'. I don't need them anymore. I don't view the weekend as free time either...that's my homework/great workout/clean the house time. Plus I never have any junk in the house, can't afford it.

babyhippo

If you go out to eat on the weekends. Ask for a box with your meal. Cut everything in half and put it in the box before you start to eat. Portions at restaurants are huge. (You'll end up with 1/2 the calories and 2 meals for the price of one. )

My worst problem on weekends is eating out of boredom. :indifferent: Keep busy! Or read a book!

Also, my family (my skinny family:grumble: ) likes to snack alot. They constantly have a open bag of chips, or pretzels,....on the counter. I've been encouraging them to put some in a bowl, and put the bag away, and refuse to share with Mom!:noway:

And...plan your meals for the entire day out in the morning if you can. Keep it within your calories. It's much easier to delete the food if you go over. Once it's in your stomach, it's too late. Stick to the diary.

amylousgar

With the exception of a few alcoholic beverages, I usually do better on the weekends. At work, it's hard for me to resist the temptation to eat lunch out and I don't always make the best choices. On the weekends, I have more time to prepare good, healthful meals. I also am more active so I burn more calories. I'm still working to find a good balance.

Jenna423

I hear ya... Weekends are the death of my diet every week. Me and my fiance go out to eat with our best friends friday and saturday nights..and my meals are never healthy when I eat out! I can do it through the week, but as soon as they say, "lets eat mexican!" I can't resist! AH... I don't know, I feel like dieting through the week is a waste when I get to the weekend! Thats where I always fall off the diet wagon.. I get discouraged very easily. :grumble:

melathon

I also love food, but when I'm faced with restaurant choices I use the following strategies:
Make smart(er) choices - for Mexican (my absolute favorite, too!), for example, instead of fried tortilla chips with a ton of cheese and sour cream, I go for veggie fajitas with guacamole and lettuce/tomato instead of cheese or sour cream (and I ask them to go light on the oil). Or, take a handful of chips out of the basket, put them on your plate, and make that your allotment - no more. I also eat smaller portions and take some home to eat later or the next day.
You can also start meals with soup/salad and then you end up eating less of the main entree. Or make the soup/salad your entire meal! The last time I went to a bar and was surrounded by onion rings (ain't that an image!), I ordered a cup of minestrone and a Miller Light. I sipped my soup slowly (say that 5 times fast...) and same with the beer and I felt so proud of myself afterwards.

Also, I use the weekends for long workouts - runs, usually. During a long run you can burn 500-1000 or more calories and then you know what - that means you can eat the nachos, or whatever. Just keep an eye on portions.

As many others have said, it's all about modifying your lifestyle to a healthier one; not "dieting." Isn't it sad to think about "dieting" for the rest of your life? I know that makes me feel anxious and discouraged. I just prefer to think of it as making smarter choices. (Like the other day - someone brought in cupcakes and I cut one in half and just ate that and boy, did I get made fun of, but WHATEVER, I did not eat the whole cupcake, but I did get to participate in the "celebration.")...

rem1979

It's all about self control. Just because there is a big bowl of chips in front of you, DOES NOT mean you have to eat them. If you know you will be face with a challenge, eat some healthy options before you go out so you won't be forced to stuff yourself. Also, what works for me is checking out the nutritional content on line before I go to a restaurant so I am prepared. I find that weekends are no different than weekdays. It's all about enjoying yourself and your food in smaller portions and healthier options.

I don't allow a cheat day. If there is a party or get together, I will plan for it. I think it's crazy to say "Saturday I will eat whatever I want." I think since I have started, I have had 2 "cheat" days because they were a get together I couldn't fully control what was being served. I just plan ahead, exercise and usually don't go over my calories by too much and I never end of beating myself up over it.