I calorie cycle (zig-zag), knowing I'll probably have a night out on the weekend, and maybe even a Sunday brunch, too -- so I save some extra calories to make up the difference.

For instance, last week my goal was to average 1350 calories a day. My week looked like this:

Mon 1003
Tues 1414
Wed 1288
Thurs 1276
Fri 1815
Sat 1463
Sun 1242

Average for the week = 1357

The other magic bullet for me is to look up the menu before I go out and plan what I'm going to order. I also go prepared to ask the bartender to make my drinks without added sugar or mixers. I know my recipes and I'm happy to share!

I agree, looking up menus online before going out to eat is a *lifesaver*! We only eat out about once a week, if that. Meals out tend to make me anxious that I'll mess up my plan, since most of the choices are big portions and/or are loaded with sodium. But you can almost always find healthy choices. Looking at the menu at home, when you're not starving, really helps you weigh the pros and cons of the available options.

Another thing I do is move some of my exercise logging from earlier in the week to a weekend day if I left hundreds of exercise calories uneaten on a day earlier in the week.This gives me an extra cushion of calories to either 1) take a rest day and still eat normally or 2) have an extra indulgence. What really matters for results is your food and exercise over several days or a week.

Unstructured time is always a challenge. So tempting to nibble/graze the day away. Things that help head that off:
1. Brush your teeth.
2. Have a piece of sugarless gum, especially mint flavored.
3. Drink more water.
4. Have a cup of your favorite herbal tea. Berry, orange spice, mint, chamomile, whatever floats your boat.