DOES ANYONE ELSE FALL OFF THE WAGON ON THE WEEKENDS?

Funny, I was struggling with the same thing myself this weekend, and the weekend before that....you get the idea. I was going through some old notes and came across the following:


It takes 6 – 8 weeks for something to become a habit and if you take a break every weekend that becomes the habit

Make the Weekend Work for You!

If you spent 1/3 of the time off of your plan how well will you do?

That’s what you’re doing if you take weekends and holidays off. You spend a total of 120 days annually not on plan.

You’ll become frustrated if you take too much time off.

Look at the weekend as an opportunity rather than a challenge –
What are the challenges opportunities that come up on the weekend?
• Special parties
• Out of town trip
• Eating on the run

Skipping your plan on the weekend forms a bad habit.

• What are some new habits you know you should develop that would be beneficial?
• What are new habits that you have already developed?
• What has been the hardest about giving up old habits?
• Are you a label reader now?


Why do you take the weekends off?
• friends are around and things center around food more
• Routine Interrupted
• Different activities
• Lack of structure
• Use food and drink for relaxation
• Reward yourself after a long week
• Eating as a response to what weekend brings
• Can’t control others or environment as week

What habits should you be extending into the weekend that you aren’t?
• Pack lunch in advance
• exercise
• Pre think it will be a challenge and self-fulfill the prophecy

Tips for a healthy weekend
• Grocery shop on weekend or close to
• Plan and prep meals for week
• Try a new recipe
• Keep water bottle with you
• Watch your alcohol intake
• Read a health magazine or a book
• PLAN for a treat
• Keep mind and hands busy
• Lengthen exercise time
• Set goals for week

I do! I'm on a good routine during the work week and then weekends are busy and crazy and I just can't seem to stay focused and on track like I do during the weekdays. It is a huge challenge for me! I don't get totally out of control with my eating but I'm not as good as I shoud be....

The only reason I fall off the wagon on the weekend is I normally don't exercise, so I'm limited to the 1337 calories I have daily, or there's an event of some type (like my 15-year reunion this past Saturday).

ME

I actually have just started telling myself that I am taking weekends off. Since doing this, I have discovered that by "allowing" myself to have anything I want to eat, it doesn't seem all that appealing and I tend to do better. If I do want something sweet or if I want to go out to eat with my hubby, then I just go and don't worry about it. But overall I seem to do better by just taking a break on the weekends.

If it wasn't for alcohol...I would do GREAT on weekends!....Typically I eat much less on weekends than I do weekdays due to the fact I'm awake far less hours and doing less boring tasks than sitting at work thinking about food The problem comes from alcohol, I do 1000+ calories in alcohol on the weekends....soooooo yeah...there goes my weekends. Instead of exercising to get more food calories in like I do on the weekdays...I'm finding I have to exercise to get more liquid calories in.

Oh well...I'm losing well....until that is no longer the case....I'm keeping to this way of life.

I read something once that I try to tell myself when a fall off the wagon feels close at hand... "I am determined to go to bed as determined as I woke up- I will NOT go to bed mad at myself"

I then remind myself all day this is how I WANT TO FEEL about myself. Saturday and Sunday I went over - but I did it eating whole wheat pretzels and an apple =/ A giant juicy honey crisp apple with probably around 150 calories. Even tho I was around 40 cals one day and over 100 another day over my limit I CAN NOT beat myself up for choosing good snacks and trying pretty hard to not snack. When I gave in I ate a proper amount- not the whole bag of pretzels and there is NO guilt in fruit- dont care how much 'sugar' or cals it has.

Try these tips maybe. Make a deal with yourself to not get mad at yourself then follow thru. Have healthy snacks around and continue to avoid social situations that make you fail. Sometimes thats just not possible- then take a bad meal, and roll with it- dont then also have dessert and 10 frozen drinks cuz 'you blew it anyway' - STAY DETERMINED!

I do! I eat pretty well during the week and workout just fine, but the weekend comes and I eat junk. I don't want to put blame on my husband because I'm the one who puts it in my mouth, but he is a big part of influence on me. He doesn't eat healthy at all so it makes it that much harder for me.

I'm about 50-50. I tend to keep my cardio in check but my eating & drinking set me up for gains.

I avoid the scale til tuesday or wednesday. by then I'm where I was on friday.

I'm the exact opposite. I sit around all day during the week, so when I sit, I eat. On the weekends I always keep busy, cleaning, doing things. Weekends are always good weight loss wise.

I "fall off the wagon" on random days. "Hey, it's Tuesday, I think I'll eat a whole box of cereal!" Lol! The important thing is to pick yourself up, and get back on that darn wagon! I know it's hard, but don't beat yourself up, just try again tomorrow . If you don't lose, maybe you at least maintain. I like to think about all the weight I would have gained if I stopped trying, instead of all the weight I'm not losing because I had a bad day.

This is a great perspective, and one I desperately needed today. I have fallen hard the past two weekends and held steady but was really down on myself for it.

My diary is a mess lately, I have been sick for a while and am struggling with having the energy to cook so my meals haven't been all that spectacular. That said, I tend to be more lenient about what I eat on the weekends but I really still try to stick to my calorie goals. I am eating at maintenance right now so this is a little easier to do than when I was losing, but ultimately you have to realize that the only way you will be able to maintain your weight in the future is if you fully change your habits.

I try to do good through the week and on the weekends I always have one thing I want on Saturday and one thing I want on Sunday. So if I do go over my calories it's usually only around 100 more or so, and I usually sleep in on the weekends so I don't have breakfast just coffee, by the time I wake up and get motivated to move around it is well after noon. Most of the time the weekend is the best time for me to go to the gym, through the week I work 12 hour shifts and don't get to go to the gym after work, but my two days a week I work 8 hours I try to go to the gym one of those days. You have to pace yourself on the weekend, try to only have that one thing you would love to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner and satisfy that craving.

Funny, I was struggling with the same thing myself this weekend, and the weekend before that....you get the idea. I was going through some old notes and came across the following:

great, great, tips.

I know on the weekends, i could probably exercise more, because I don't during the week.

I do my weekly weighin on monday which helps motivate me over the weekend to eat well. Also, try scheduling some active stuff on the weekend to get you out of the unhealthy routines.