weekend eating

jessrenee347
jessrenee347 Posts: 3 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
For some reason I get this thought in my head that anything I eat between Friday evening and Sunday evening won't hurt me, but I think that is the very thing that is getting in my way of losing weight and making me gain a little here and there. Does anyone have any tips on how to stop weekend eating.

Replies

  • karriecook
    karriecook Posts: 84 Member
    try making out a meal plan before the weekend hits and stick to it.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Make a meal plan. Log every bite you eat, just as you would during the week. Watch your sodium and drink plenty of water. Stay busy, and don't snack mindlessly while you're doing something else. All the same things that keep you from overeating during the week. :)
  • bossmodehan
    bossmodehan Posts: 210 Member
    Try to do as much exercise as you can (not necessarily hitting the gym - the weekend is a great opportunity to try new activities). This will help by suppressing appetite, keeping you busy so you don't eat out of boredom, motivate you into not undoing all that hard work, and earn you back some of those calories!
  • beautymkt
    beautymkt Posts: 60
    Meal plans are all great and exercise, however for myself personally.....what to do when your weekly routine is off. Alot of driving one child here and there, outside errands, dinner out with friends or family.....stuff like that kinda throws off your schedule and hard to stay on a meal plan. What do you do then? it's my first week using this site to help me out and already i'm over my calories by a litle first weekend. Help me too :love:
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Meal plans are all great and exercise, however for myself personally.....what to do when your weekly routine is off. Alot of driving one child here and there, outside errands, dinner out with friends or family.....stuff like that kinda throws off your schedule and hard to stay on a meal plan. What do you do then? it's my first week using this site to help me out and already i'm over my calories by a litle first weekend. Help me too :love:

    You can still meal plan. You know you're going to be doing those errands and that dinner out. So, look at where you'll be eating, and check out the restaurant's online menu to find their nutrition info. If you'll be in the car and aren't going to have time to stop and eat, take along some fruit or a tuna sandwich. Carry a water bottle with you (stainless steel is best, IMO) so you can stay hydrated, and refill it anytime you see a water fountain or if there's a soda fountain around with ice and water.

    You can do this! Don't let yourself make excuses! :) It's one thing if an emergency comes up and you really don't have time to plan, but in that case you're probably not super concerned with counting cals anyway because there's likely a problem. It just takes some forethought, and you'll get used to that in time. It takes 28 days to build a habit, so start building those habits now! :)
  • Ally_Clare
    Ally_Clare Posts: 355 Member
    When you go grocery shopping don't be tempted by the biscuits or ice cream, plan out your week so you have only healthy and nutritious food in your house. I know on weekends i try not to go out to dinner so much and usually cook a dinner for my family sunday nights.
  • beautymkt
    beautymkt Posts: 60
    the weekends is the only time we have to go out for dinner, lunch or appetizers and drinks with friends. It's not easy on the weekends for me. during the day i'm doing great with my calories, etc. however the evenings on the weekends are not great! i was over in calories both Saturday and Sunday.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    this has always been one of my biggest obstacles too. My bf is home on weekends. we usually have a drink or two or three. More snacks. You get the picture. This week I was just firm and said I didn't want to be offered anything and he bought some beer for himself which I'd normal want but I'm just not wanting beer lately. worked out for me this weekend.

    It's about finding a way to say what is making me eat more during the weekends and trying to divert those routines to keep forming whether it's picking up a new hobby that takes up some time or not surrounding yourself with that temptation.
  • johnnya2
    johnnya2 Posts: 40 Member
    I tend to munch on broccoli, carrots and cauliflower when I am in mindless eating mode on a weekend. I budget in alcohol consumption so I am not depriving myself. When I was in major lose mode I would allow 6 drinks per week. Now that I am 5 pounds from my goal, i have upped the number to 10. If you are a person who has an oral fixation, i suggest chewing gum. Another major piece of advice I would give is to eat and drink as slowly as possible. It allows you to enjoy the flavor of the food, and to eat less.
  • beautymkt
    beautymkt Posts: 60
    thanks for the suggestions. I am going to pace myself with my calories throughout the weekend days when i know going out to dinner or fun with cocktails. I think that may help. I am not a weekly drinker anyway and don't go out every weekend either. So when i do, i will stick to pacing my calories better. :love:
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    I'm glad you posted this. This is my exact problem. I am great during the week; always under calories with lots of exercise and then the weekend hits and all that hard work is thrown out the window. I tend to snack on sweets, eat junk food and pretty much lay around all weekend. I have lots of stuff that needs to get done, but I just lack the motivation on the weekends. I think I'll be using some of the advice that's been given so far.
  • Higglyjiggly64
    Higglyjiggly64 Posts: 136
    One strategy when I go out to eat is to divide the food in half right when I get it and put that portion in a "too go" box. The half I saved then becomes a meal for later or the next day. Same with dessert. Today the hubby and I "split" a piece of chocolate cake. I had 4 bites which more than satisfied my chocolate fix. Also, I have learned there's always a chance for some exercise. March in the shower while you wash your hair, do side/back kicks while you brush your teeth and do "horse stance" squats while you curl your hair. Or whatever, you get the picture. Not a total fix, but better than nothing!
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
    It is so funny that the weekend means over-indulgence for so many, including me. I notice that instead of set meal-times when I am at work, I tend to pick at things, without realising how much I am really putting in my mouth. I'm especially prone to having too many carbs.

    The last couple of weekends have been better, because I am forcing myself to drink more water, and only sticking to eating at meal times, which is working for me. As always, no magic cure, just finding what works for me, and when it stops working, trying something else.

    Julie
  • jessrenee347
    jessrenee347 Posts: 3 Member
    thanks, everyone for the suggestions. I think i will try to just eat at meal times. that may be a big part of my problem. on weekends we tend to just grab whatever is available because it is time off for everything(work, cooking, cleaning, exercise.) maybe i need to reevaluate and relax but not too much. thanks
  • mlwhite570
    mlwhite570 Posts: 1
    I always struggle on the weekends too. If I get up and get a good workout in first thing Saturday morning and Sunday morning, I stay motivated a little more. I let myself snack as much as I want on the weekends, but only on fruit and vegetables. I don't track them. It really helps a lot. Or if I do real good through the week, I will let myself have one cheat meal (not a whole day). But I always have to workout that same day or I sometimes can't control it.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Be active during the day. Weekend overeating tends to result from boredom and the mere proximity of food. Get outside for a good portion of the day, if you can. If not, go somewhere where you won't have food in your face. And do things that burn calories so that when you do eat, it won't be that big of a deal.
  • david6111
    david6111 Posts: 7 Member
    I wouldn't worry too much about it to be honest. I'm nearly always over my calorie allowance on Fridays and Saturdays, but as long as you are under your target calories for the week then it doesn't matter. To me it's easier to succeed that way and is more sustainable in the long run.

    The weekend provides good opportunities for extra exercise though!
  • wshultz14
    wshultz14 Posts: 63 Member
    I had an exercise instructor tell me that she diets and exercises 5 days a week. On Saturday and Sunday she would eat what ever she wanted... She gained 2 pounds a weekend doing this. It took her 5 days a week to loose it.
  • newmanthereasa
    newmanthereasa Posts: 5 Member
    Boy am I glad to see I am not the only one!! I am so good during the week--but the minute Friday night hits I am "over" indulging or eating things that I KNOW are not good--like deep dish pepperoni Alfredo pizza from pizza hut. Yikes! lol. I love seeing all the tips and knowing that I am not alone. Eating better is a lifestyle change not just a diet fad--so for me if I cant stick with it on the weekends I feel like I'm letting myself down. I feel like if I can stick with it even when its not easy like its easier during the week then I will really have made a change inside myself. I'm great about eating out now--whenever I know I'm going somewhere I always look up the menu and decide on a healthy choice before I even get there. Then I don't open the menu again--order what I had decided upon and leave happy!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    try making out a meal plan before the weekend hits and stick to it.

    I agree with this.

    Also, try to limit restaurant meals. If you're anything like me, I get very busy sometimes on the weekend and my husband and I (who are great about cooking at home during the work week) just grab stuff here and there.

    While we don't do the traditional fast food junk, we do consume too much sodium and overall too much food when we do that often. It is tempting, because there are great places nearby for breakfast, Thai, sushi, and Mexican for basically the same price as cooking at home. It just isn't worth it to undo the "damage" later. So we try to just go out 1-2 times each weekend instead of practically every meal. It has really helped.
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    If you find that you overindulge on the weekends, move your weekly weighin to Saturday or Sunday morning. If you know that you have to face the scale it should help you be more mindful.

    If you are a planner/type A person, the others who've mentioned planning in advance have a good idea as well. If you know you're going out Friday night (especially if you expect to be having alcohol with dinner or that evening), make a "preemptive strike" by going lighter on breakfast/lunch and/or bulking up on the workout earlier in the day. Honestly, I've found that going over my macros one day isn't going to keep me from dropping weight during the weekly weighin unles I string several of them together.

    TLDR: Weigh in mid-weekend, plan extra workouts or lighter meals before high calorie day, if you fall off, fix it the next day.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    You could just give yourself an extra 500 calories when you know you'll really appreciate it. Even if you did that once or twice a week, you're still eating at a deficit. Then try to get in a little extra activity.
  • battybecks
    battybecks Posts: 147 Member
    I tend to 'save up' for the weekends. During the week I'll only eat back a little bit of my exercise calories, and at the weekend I eat back all of my exercise calories. People say that mfp tends to overestimate calories burned, so I average out at eating back about half.

    Work for me!
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    I actually eat way better on weekends. I focus on high protein and good fruity snacks, and Since each wednesday I think of the amazing dishes I'm going to cook. With everything planned it is much easier not to throw the week's success out of the window. Do you track on weekends?
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