My weekend is going splendidly. I got in 6 hours of gardening yesterday and today I'm preparing my "processed food." I make my own mayonnaise, yogurt, cheese, and canned goods and generally make a month's worth of products the last weekend of the month. I love productive weekends, so I'm excited about how much I've gotten done.

I don't celebrate Memorial Day. I lost too many friends and family in the war in the Middle East, so my family spends Memorial Day in reflection and quiet appreciation for the sacrifices made on our behalf.

Went over on calories yesterday, because we had a small family reunion with a lot of yummy food. Not too much over, though, because I still got some exercise that night. I didn't beat myself up over it and throw in the towel because of one "bad" day. Today was good, because I did a lot of landscaping again. I enjoyed a few toasted marshmallows at our bonfire tonight without feeling guilty. The downside to all the landscaping is that my knees are killing me. Maybe as I get more weight off, they won't be so sore...

I didn't go to any parties or BBQs...as my first weekend post-thesis, I just wanted to stay home and relax. I binged. I always lose control on the weekends. I lack structure on the weekends. I'm surrounded by food. I'm left to my own devices rather than just sticking to what I packed for myself. But I did do a few good things, despite the binge.

1. I shared a whoopie pie instead of eating the whole thing myself.
2. I continued to exercise even after the binge. Which makes me not feel as horrible this morning.
3. I binged on unhealthy and healthy foods. Don't get me wrong, eating two bowls of bran flakes when you're already over your calorie goal is still an excess of calories, but it is better than chewing on a bag of candy.

Why did I binge?

Well, I think I've been letting stress get to me without trying to talk myself down. Also, this long weekend wasn't very productive. I just sort of worked out and watched TV. I had planned to hike, but the weather was bad and I couldn't go. We didn't do the spring cleaning that we'd planned. And knowing that I wasn't doing what I'd wanted or intended to do really bugged me, and my way of coping with that has always been to eat rather than tackle the problem I'm mulling over.

I was supposed to weigh myself this morning, but refused knowing that I'm still recovering and digesting the binge and that the number would be too high. Will probably weigh myself tomorrow instead.

I've spent some time this morning reading up on weekend binge eating, and so I'm implementing a few strategies.

1. Plan meals and snacks for the weekend and place in a lunchbag, like I do for work.
2. Add some extra cardio on the weekends.
3. Really try supplementing unhealthy foods with healthy foods between.
4. Get out of the house, even if it's just to sit outside. I won't binge in my lawnchair.