How do you survive the weekend by not over eating?

How do you survive the weekends? Do you struggle at the weekends keeping with in your calories and healthy eating?

Lots of phys

Weekends are a good opportunity for a long run or long row

On the weekends avoid snacking and tell yourself "Only three meals". If you're less active on weekends, you may not need snacks!

I know! I wanna eat all day... I do two major workouts each morning. Saturday I run this mountain, 1000 cals and Sunday is my 2 hour or longer long run , lose 2000 cals. They both take up time too.

I'm in the same boat, working during the week and then come the happy but dangerous weekends...

I actually tend to have an easier time on the weekends because I'm not up as early and therefore not as tired all day. I make sure I have plenty of healthy snacks around no matter what day or where I am though since I do better with small frequent meals and snacks. Try portioning out your snacks ahead of time so you don't eat the whole bag.

I used to worry about the weekends, but I don't anymore. I have learned that I need to allow myself some "fun" time. The difference between before I started watching what I ate and now is that if I want chicken wings at a tailgate party I only have a few as opposed to however many I wanted. I also try and premake as much as I can for meals and snacks so that I don't have to be bothered with the temptation of over indulging.

If possible, I make all the healthier foods I love but haven't gotten a chance to eat during the week. Today I've had a bowl of cheerios and frozen blueberries; a "jalapeno popper" egg white omelette with jalapenos, bacon, fat free cream cheese, and cheddar cheese; and baked sweet potato fries. I already have a cheesy black bean quesadilla planned for dinner! And 300 calories left for dessert/anything else.

I also make sure to exercise! I usually do a longer run on the weekend or multiple runs. Today I did some strength training and then a short run. Tomorrow I will probably do a longer run.

However, this is a chill weekend because my boyfriend is working all weekend and I have nothing major planned so I can cook at home the whole weekend. I usually end up going out to eat and going over Friday and Saturday and making up with a lot of exercise and less calories on Sunday. It's a constant struggle, not going to lie. Using the time for exercise has worked the best consistently for me.

Yip, I know exactly what you mean. I have now been on MFP for approximately two months and I am very proud to say that this is the first weekend I have tracked! I always start out really well, but usually either don't get around to tracking or I don't want to put down what I have eaten. It was tough yesterday (Saturday here - I am in New Zealand) because I have been having a lot of problems with my back and unfortunately I took a painkiller on Friday night that made me so out of it yesterday I didn't think going to the gym or doing a bike ride was a good idea. I took my dog for a walk in the evening but my calorie count was higher than it should have been. I filled in my diary (one eye closed!) and although it wasn't great, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought.
However ... it is only Sunday morning now - and it's a long weekend. But I will do it.

Weekends are also challenging for me. The lack of the "usual" (M-F) structure sends my body into a "hey, let's lay down in front of the TV with snacks" mode from the moment I wake up. In addition, going out to dinner can be a calorie bomb for my otherwise great week.

I deal with it by:

1. Sticking to my normal wake/sleep cycle. That means on Friday and Saturday nights I go to bed the same time I do during the week. I also wake up at the same time. If some great programme is on TV, I record it to be watched later.

2. Sticking to my normal eating times. I eat a mini-meal on waking, then work out, then eat a second mini meal. Lunch and dinner are at the usual times that I eat during the week.

3.Sticking to my usual workout schedule. I am a morning workout gal, and stay one on the weekends.

4. Scheduling something to do to keep me active between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner. Yesterday, I visited a friend and helped out in her garden in the morning, then did my weekly shop in the afternoon. Today I reorganised kitchen cabinets in the morning, and will do some cleaning in the afternoon. Later, I'll do my batch cooking for the week (cooking up veggies and chicken breasts and other bits and pieces to assemble into lunches and snacks for the week).

Tomorrow (this is a holiday weekend for us), I'll be meeting friends for a hike in the bush... and I'll take a low carb protein bar, a piece of fruit and plenty of water with me in case hunger strikes.

If I can't find any 'projects' to tackle in my free time, I've been known to work out a second time with a gentle walk, some yoga, or a bike ride

5. I always budget my calories to include 100-200 'fun' calories for the evenings... either a glass of wine, or a special snack. I enjoy that in the evening with a movie, or eat a lighter lunch (salad and lean protein) if I'm going out that night so I can have a bigger supper or a light supper with a dessert.

Thanks for posting a great question. Am looking forward to hearing how others navigate the potential pitfalls of the weekend!

I, also, find the weekends very difficult to NOT overeat...I try to make up for it by getting a lot of exercise...I don't know...It is tough for me period...



Reaan

I eat whatever I feel like as long as it fits in my macros because this is a lifestyle and I know for the rest of my life I wouldn't be able to avoid junk foods or bad for you foods. Moderation is key!

I find this hard too. I can't get to the gym on weekends as my husband works, and by the time he gets home it's too late to do anything. I allow myself 1300 cal through the week and on the weekend can go up to 1800cal, so can have some wine, ice cream or chips. Sometimes I flip out and overdo it, and other times the 'want' to eat it just disappears. I figure as long as I put the effort in during the week and the scales and measurements keep moving down then it's doable.

I don't particularly want to give up all the indulgent stuff either so I think that if I can re-train myself to enjoy them in moderation then the need to overeat them will lessen over time.

I only watch weekly totals. I don't view the weekends any differently than a week day. The biggest thing is if you go over every weekend - you're letting all your hard work each week slip away. That would motivate me to watch totals every day!