messing up on weekends

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kmichelle1821
kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
in Health and Weight Loss
i do really good during the week. i eat healthy and work out monday thru friday. i think i do a good job coming from eating fast food everyday at work and NEVER exercising. what i am really bad about is the weekends. i tend to go out with my friends and drink beer friday and saturday and also eat whatever i want. i figure sense its 2 days a week i could get away with and and still loose weight. but im not thinking that too much anymore. do you allow yourself cheat days? if so how many?
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Replies

  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Like you - I do fine during the week and then blow it on the weekends and sabotage any good I did during the week.

    Some here will tell you that the weekly average is more important and that a cheat day or 2 won't kill you as long as your weekly average is within your goals. For me, it's too easy for a cheat day to turn into a cheat weekend, and then spill over into the week. So if I have a cheat meal I try to keep it to just one meal, and not let it turn into a whole day.

    Take a look at what your cheat days are really costing you in calories. Thinking abour the actual calorie count is and what I'll have to do to counteract it usually what stops me from overdoing it.
  • kmichelle1821
    kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
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    Like you - I do fine during the week and then blow it on the weekends and sabotage any good I did during the week.

    Some here will tell you that the weekly average is more important and that a cheat day or 2 won't kill you as long as your weekly average is within your goals. For me, it's too easy for a cheat day to turn into a cheat weekend, and then spill over into the week. So if I have a cheat meal I try to keep it to just one meal, and not let it turn into a whole day.

    Take a look at what your cheat days are really costing you in calories. Thinking abour the actual calorie count is and what I'll have to do to counteract it usually what stops me from overdoing it.

    yes my weekends are usually full of eating out and drinking beer so it turns into just a cheat weekend but on monday i start all over again. i think keeping it to one meal is a good idea!
  • TimothyIrvine
    TimothyIrvine Posts: 16 Member
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    You have to just not cheat, I'm afraid. (At least not every single Friday and Saturday)

    Here's what I do - when everybody orders that first round....I order seltzer water, and I make myself do this by deciding way before I get there. That action sets the mood for the rest of the night, where I am at LEAST one drink behind. That means I'm at least 100+ calories safer.

    I try and eat a salad or bulky veggies before I go out, so I'm not AS hungry when the rounds of fried foods come out.

    When tho fries do show up, if I order something, I'm going to order either another salad or a meat dish - not just fried carbs.

    I comes down willpower, yes, but a huge part of that (for me at least) is planning it out before I go. Once I've resolved in my mind to not drink a six pack and eat a whole basket of fries, its easier to execute. And once you get in the habit of that, it's easier to repeat each weekend.

    I really have to go into it with an intention of "I'm going to not pig out" even though that might be the general mood. People will respect you for it, and you'll respect yourself, too. Your bank account and body will be thankful!




    Also, while it might seem at first like "Man, I'm not gonna be as drunk or have as much fun," I can guarantee that the tolerance will go down and after awhile those fewer beers will still get you tipsy.
  • Riemersma4
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
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    remember: it is a journey. You have to live, based on your priorities. Your friends, partying, etc are clearly still a priority. maybe find a little moderation.

    However, there are still 5 other days in the week to find your balance.

    As far as cheat days: for me, that creates too much license. I do cheat meals. I also try to plan my cheat meal by looking ahead. That way, if i know i am going out for a 5,000 calorie meal on wednesday night, i can make sure that I am under my daily calorie counts for a day or two before and plan to work out like crazy the 2 days afterwords.

    Relationships with your friends are as important as shaving a few calories. And NOTHING beats a good bottle of red wine with my wife!

    The journey that you are on has to be able to handle all of the variations, the ebbs and flows, the wins and losses. It NEVER comes down to one meal or one day. It is all about the trend.

    Good luck!
  • kmichelle1821
    kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
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    You have to just not cheat, I'm afraid. (At least not every single Friday and Saturday)

    Here's what I do - when everybody orders that first round....I order seltzer water, and I make myself do this by deciding way before I get there. That action sets the mood for the rest of the night, where I am at LEAST one drink behind. That means I'm at least 100+ calories safer.

    I try and eat a salad or bulky veggies before I go out, so I'm not AS hungry when the rounds of fried foods come out.

    When tho fries do show up, if I order something, I'm going to order either another salad or a meat dish - not just fried carbs.

    I comes down willpower, yes, but a huge part of that (for me at least) is planning it out before I go. Once I've resolved in my mind to not drink a six pack and eat a whole basket of fries, its easier to execute. And once you get in the habit of that, it's easier to repeat each weekend.

    I really have to go into it with an intention of "I'm going to not pig out" even though that might be the general mood. People will respect you for it, and you'll respect yourself, too. Your bank account and body will be thankful!




    Also, while it might seem at first like "Man, I'm not gonna be as drunk or have as much fun," I can guarantee that the tolerance will go down and after awhile those fewer beers will still get you tipsy.

    very helpful! i agree that it has to do with will power. this weekend i think i will try and plan ahead and also eat something before i go out. it is very hard though to order a salad when everyone else is ordering cheeseburges and fries but in the end its mind over matter!
  • kmichelle1821
    kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
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    The journey that you are on has to be able to handle all of the variations, the ebbs and flows, the wins and losses. It NEVER comes down to one meal or one day. It is all about the trend.

    Good luck!

    love this! thank you
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Try to find activities that get you moving, but don't feel like exercise. You and your friends can share these activities or you can do them before going out with your friends:

    Kayaking
    Hiking
    Volleyball
    Soccer
    Dancing
    Hula hooping
    Trampolines
    Free running/ parkour
    Rock climbing
    Water polo
  • GenesisandEden
    GenesisandEden Posts: 338 Member
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    I used to have a cheat day. As I got healthier, I didn't want it anymore.
  • dearly4ever
    dearly4ever Posts: 61 Member
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    I try to make it more a cheat meal vs a cheat day. If I have 2 cheat days I usually really mess myself up and find it hard to get back on track. So the last few weeks I have been sticking to 2 cheat meals (Friday dinner and Saturday dinner, the breakfast and lunches are healthy). Both days I also work out extra hard to burn more calories so I have extra calories to eat as well. Good luck!
  • amyk225
    amyk225 Posts: 154
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    i do the exact same everyweekend, i always f**k up:(
  • lkplibra
    lkplibra Posts: 147 Member
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    Sorry to be a Debbie Downer and not to disagree with the other posters great suggestions which I really do encourage you to try. But I would suggest that you implement their suggestions and then watch for several weeks. If you find that you are not as successful with losing weight as you want to be come back to this topic.

    Based on my own experience, the first 3-4 months I was on MFP I did the same thing. I was really good Monday through Friday but then on the weekends I would eat the same meals and fast food as my husband and then all the progress I had made would be lost by 9 pm on Sunday night. I lost the same 2 lbs over and over again in a cycle for 3 months. Needless to say that was incredibly discouraging. It was only when I stopped "cheating" on the weekends that I finally started making progress. Just a thought...

    No matter what, I do wish you the best of luck!
  • Corruptkitten
    Corruptkitten Posts: 157 Member
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    This was/is my issue too. At first I stopped going out as much until I am more motivated then I resume activities. I am not currently drinking and always DD just to avoid the temptation. If I get an appetizer I always opt for the healthiest one (seared ahi, edamame, salad w/dressing on the side, etc.,) even if I am not feeling it. By the time it gets to the table I am tired of waiting and hungry and enjoy it more than something bad anyway. No more weekend self sabotage for me, food just isn't that important to me anymore. Don't cheat this weekend and weigh yourself this Monday and see how much better you feel ;)
  • kmichelle1821
    kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
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    Sorry to be a Debbie Downer and not to disagree with the other posters great suggestions which I really do encourage you to try. But I would suggest that you implement their suggestions and then watch for several weeks. If you find that you are not as successful with losing weight as you want to be come back to this topic.

    Based on my own experience, the first 3-4 months I was on MFP I did the same thing. I was really good Monday through Friday but then on the weekends I would eat the same meals and fast food as my husband and then all the progress I had made would be lost by 9 pm on Sunday night. I lost the same 2 lbs over and over again in a cycle for 3 months. Needless to say that was incredibly discouraging. It was only when I stopped "cheating" on the weekends that I finally started making progress. Just a thought...

    No matter what, I do wish you the best of luck!

    thank you! i think i am going to try for a month straight to not go out and drink and keep up my healthy eating on the weekends so i can see better results!
  • sovannac
    sovannac Posts: 445 Member
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    I used to think that the weekends were hard too but as I got healthier I made smarter decisions. I haven't had a cheat day or meal in over 30 days and I'm completely fine with it. I make sure I get a morning run in if I know I'll be exceeding my calorie intake.
  • Arexxx
    Arexxx Posts: 486 Member
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    I tend to go out a few times a week. At least once. And I just eat as healthy as possible, save some calories for alcohol, and if a greasy hangover curing burger is in order, I induldge and don't feel bad about it. Just dont let one day turn into a week.
  • kmichelle1821
    kmichelle1821 Posts: 44
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    This was/is my issue too. At first I stopped going out as much until I am more motivated then I resume activities. I am not currently drinking and always DD just to avoid the temptation. If I get an appetizer I always opt for the healthiest one (seared ahi, edamame, salad w/dressing on the side, etc.,) even if I am not feeling it. By the time it gets to the table I am tired of waiting and hungry and enjoy it more than something bad anyway. No more weekend self sabotage for me, food just isn't that important to me anymore. Don't cheat this weekend and weigh yourself this Monday and see how much better you feel ;)

    thats the thing i have a dinner date with a friend this weekend so i will try to order something healthy and a baby shower on saturday where there will be tons of food. but i am doing a kick boxing session this weekend so that will burn a lot of calories!
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
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    You will get a lot of opinions on both sides. Although i would guess that even those that are in favor of 'cheating' its a cheat "meal" not day or two on a weekly basis (as in cheat days are for when you only do one a month maybe). It is just to hard to stay at a deficit for the week calorie wise when you have no accountability 2 of the days. It is also hard to get your body to stop craving some of the sugar and carbs and get your stomach accustom to smaller meals if you are going crazy on the weekends. Maybe start by for the next couple weeks cut it down to one day on the weekend. Then cut it down to one evening a weekend, and eventually just a meal. Meanwhile make deals with yourself - Ok, I don't get to have that 2nd/3rd beer tonight unless I go for a 45 min run (or whatever) - you start rethinking your choices when you have to 'pay' for them. Also, this applies more to going out with friends side of things... I'm afraid the fastfood you really just need to be tough on yourself and at minimum cut that down to one meal - that is just about being honest and accountable with yourself as there is no social part to that.
  • TheDarlingOne
    TheDarlingOne Posts: 255 Member
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    This time around (1st time ever and there's been MANY times mind you lol) I seem to be finding more success having "casual days" as oppose to "cheat days" or "cheat meals"

    I dunno the word "cheat" just psych's me out I guess - like wow we're cheating let's go buck wild let's start over Monday woohoo! lol

    I guess I process the words "casual day" as "let's not beat ourselves up. tonight when we go out with the girls - if they want to have an appetizer sampler for all of us to share - what's say we just have 2 of the 4 selections?" - or "going shopping with mom on saturday afternoon? let's have starbucks, but go home later in the day for lunch" - that kinda mindset.

    hope that helps some :)
  • Riemersma4
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
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    i do the exact same everyweekend, i always f**k up:(

    There is comfort in predictibility! but it looks like you can afford it.

    Enjoy it now. I am 48.... you have to be more careful later!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Wekends are tough for me too! Between beers and wanting to go out with friends (usually for dinner), it is hard to be good!

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