How do you offset an indulgent weekend?

I was away this weekend and went a little overboard....:)

What do you do when you have weekends like this? Do you just continue with what you normally do? Or do you try to balance the overages out across the week by not eating back exercise calories, etc.?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,422 MFP Moderator
    exercise... but i generally dont sweat it. I go back to eating like I should or have a few days at 200 less calories than my goal so I am not starving myself.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    I actually got in quite a bit of exercise while I was away and was back at bootcamp bright and early this morning! lol

    My plan was to scale back my calories a bit each day for the next few days just to balance out the last few days and hope that I can get back on track right away....I was curious to see what others do. :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,422 MFP Moderator
    I actually got in quite a bit of exercise while I was away and was back at bootcamp bright and early this morning! lol

    My plan was to scale back my calories a bit each day for the next few days just to balance out the last few days and hope that I can get back on track right away....I was curious to see what others do. :)


    They way I look at it too, it's good to exceed your TDEE sometimes so your body can fully repair and minimize the hormonal responses created by a calorie deficit. I wouldn't stress it though.
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
    Just keep on rolling. Unless you really go crazy, a weekend won't erase what you've done during the week. Sounds like you're already back on track, so just keep that ball rolling.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I do absolutely nothing different. Monday is a new day.
  • cpaman87
    cpaman87 Posts: 193 Member
    I weigh in on Monday mornings. This gets in my head and keeps me from misbehaving too much on the weekend.
  • brenkruss
    brenkruss Posts: 14 Member
    bump
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Forgive yourself and move on toward your personal goals. Put your effort and thought into moving forward :smile:
  • What matters most is how you eat most of the time. Don't kick yourself over it. Keep being positive and look at the weekend as a learning exercise. I remind myself of how I slowed my progress the last time I binged, and it keeps me on the straight and narrow. Sometimes, however, we all need to let loose a little and have a time of feasting. Just get back on the wagon on Monday. I'm usually very vigilant after a slip up. I do exercise a bit more, and really watch my intake carefully. I don't punish myself, however.
  • SorchaRavenlock
    SorchaRavenlock Posts: 220 Member
    I'd probably try to drink plenty of water since an indulgent weekend probably involved plenty of sodium, but besides that I'd just go back to my normal routine.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    I just keep right on going and right on losing. In fact, I now make sure to go over once a week. I think it keeps the body guessing. In any case, considering your calorie goal at 1 lb lost a week is 500 cals under maintenance, you have more wiggle room than you think.
  • bookwormwendy
    bookwormwendy Posts: 112 Member
    I sometimes intentionally go over on the weekend. Why? Because I don't want to become obsessive compulsive and make myself miserable. And believe or not, sometimes the bump in calories aids in me in losing the following week. Do I do this ALL the time? No but my goal is to eat right ninety percent of the time. Monday morning, get up and act as though you never strayed, just keep going like you've always gotten it right. That's my advice. I am losing at a steady rate of about a pound to a pound a half a week without being constantly miserable and hungry- that works for me. I eat right far more than I eat "wrong"- that's my goal.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    The one thing I DON'T do is stress over it!

    How I get over an indulgent weekend:

    Drink lots of water
    Exercise-Work up a great sweat!
    Eat Clean(Fruits, veggies, granola, dairy, etc)
    Drink a cup of mint or green tea-Boost's the metabolism
    Yoga (Whenever I indulged a little too much, a great yoga session always has me feeling better!)

    Also, don't starve yourself. If your craving something not too good, and going hungry because you know you indulged on the weekend, just make some healthy swaps. Ice cream for Yogurt, Chips for Air-popped Popcorn, etc.
  • drewbird911
    drewbird911 Posts: 117 Member
    :drinker: I went over this weekend as well, but just going back to regular routine is my 'make up' plan.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    Since the past cannot be changed just take it as a learning experience. Put your mind in check and everything else will follow with eating right and exercising. I always ask myself how bad do I want this. Mind over matter.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I just get back on track the next day. If I try to offset, I'll usually feel like I'm punishing myself so I don't. Enjoy the excess and then get back into your good habits.
  • willhare
    willhare Posts: 44 Member
    Just stay the course. There's no need to yo-yo to make up for it. Chalk it up to being human and enjoying life. One bad weekend or a bad day won't offset anything in the long run. Just do your best to keep those weekends to a minimum and you'll be fine. Good luck!
  • kentmac
    kentmac Posts: 101 Member
    Just hop right back on the bandwagon.

    Trying to offset by over exercising and under eating another week will set you up to burn out and overeat again in the near future... a pretty nasty cycle.

    Just go back to your regular healthy eating and training routine and keep forging ahead!
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    I was away this weekend and went a little overboard....:)

    What do you do when you have weekends like this? Do you just continue with what you normally do? Or do you try to balance the overages out across the week by not eating back exercise calories, etc.?

    I just pick up where I left off when Monday comes. In the real world, there are going to be birthday parties, holidays, family gatherings, and Mexican food. So my 1240 calorie diet isn't gonna cut it when these occur. But I would argue that MOST of us aren't on here because occasionally we overindulged. My problem is I was doing it all day every day. Separating myself from others because I can't eat what they eat is a way I have sabotaged myself in the past. That is not a sustainable lifestyle for me. So this time around I'm still going out to dinner with friends, only this time I'm looking ahead of time at the menu online and seeing what my best options are, and then trying to stick with it.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
    I exercise and just pick up where I left off. What else can you do? You can't change the past, and you can't hate yourself for being human and overindulging once in awhile...we all do it.
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
    I usually go under about 100 calories a day for a few days but mostly because after I've indulged like that I'm not as hungry. It's like there was something my body specifically wanted when I do that and it's over it. I keep on working out like I normally would.
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
    Since I’m not within 10lbs of my goal weight I have an apple for lunch on Mondays after a weekend.
  • CDG1013
    CDG1013 Posts: 106 Member
    Just pick back up with your routine. One weekend of overindulging is not going to derail the progress you have made over many months.
  • been285
    been285 Posts: 99 Member
    accept what you did.

    try and make good choices today.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    My meals for the next few days will look like this:

    Breakfast - Yogurt or fruit. Perhaps if I'm really hungry, yogurt and muesli.
    Lunch - Big-@$$ salad with grilled meat
    Snacks - Maybe some nuts or a banana
    Dinner - Healthy soup/chili or grilled meat and steamed vegetables

    I'll also make sure I go for a run or a long bike ride.
    Then I feel damn good within a day or two.
  • EmilyGetsSkinny95
    EmilyGetsSkinny95 Posts: 54 Member
    bump
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    I don't track my calories on the weekends. I need that time to be guilt free about what I eat or drink (gotta have my microbrews). The weekend is also when I am the most active (biking, hiking, yardwork, etc...) so I usually burn it off anyways. I am very careful about what I eat during the rest of the week. You need to have a day of excessve calories as well as a day of fasting everyonce in awhile. Your body needs the variation or your weight loss will hit a plateau.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    thanks for all the posts! I'm not feeling guilty at all, was just curious what everyone did. I was actually away for 4 days, and it resulted in a 3.5 lb gain. I know most of that is water so I'm not stressed about it....the only minor disappointment was that I had gotten within 8 lbs of my goal before I left and I know it will take me most of the week to get back to the same. LOL Oh, and then I've got a big Italian wedding coming up this Saturday!! :D

    I guess I'll just keep doing what I normally do without jumping all over the place with calorie counts, etc. Keeping it simple has been the best way for me to move towards the goals I have set in place for me!

    Thanks everyone!