Maintaining meals on Weekend

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Hi All,

During the week I work 9-5(ish) in an office so I can have my meals and snacks regularly, and usually get to around about my targets.

But on weekends I'm hopeless at eating a decent amount usually coming in well under, it's mainly because I just don't feel as hungry.

Does anyone else have a similar problem or not work regular hours, and how do you deal with it? Do you change what you eat or just make sure you do eat the same?

Replies

  • telecoffeesaur
    telecoffeesaur Posts: 12 Member
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    I have a similar problem, but instead I tend to go way OVER on the weekends. My new strategy is to save as many as my calories as I can throughout the day so I can indulge for dinner/drinks/etc.

    I think the overall issue is the lack of structure on the weekends. When you're working a 9 to 5 office job, you know when to eat breakfast, when to eat lunch-- you have an internal clock. That goes away on the weekends. Maybe try setting up an eating schedule for yourself for weekend days and see if that helps!
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
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    Think of your calorie goal as a weekly goal instead of daily. For example if you're supposed to eat 2000 calories per day (just using this for a round number), your weekly goal would be 14,000 calories. If you want to eat slightly more during the week, and less on the weekends, if you eat 14,000 calories per week, your results would be the same.

    Obviously you would figure this out with your calorie goal, not necessarily 2000 calories per day.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    It's O.K. to under eat on the weekends. It will be balanced out with the rest of the week.
  • GinaMaye
    GinaMaye Posts: 1
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    I am right there with you. The structure of the week is gone and I have to make sure I am getting the kids fed before ball games or they eat food thr at the park and so do I. Mt. Dew is my enemy. I have drank it for 30 years and cutting back was very hard. I do find myself grabbing a Mt. Dew if my water isn't in reach or cold.

    Gina
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    I keep snacks and drinks available all the time because I'm not always sitting in my office and on the weekends I tend to forget to eat. Because weather plays a factor and some foods will freeze or spoil keeping well rounded snacks in the car can be tough. Traditional granola bars are something I always have available in the console of my car, I'm on the road alot and this stash has come in handy many times. If you're rushing off to games how about taking a small cooler with drinks and tossing in a couple hard boiled eggs or some greek yogurts, cheese, cut up fruits and veggies. It's really about planning ahead, when you make dinner cut up some extra veggies and toss them in ziploc bags for easy transport. I keep a few bottles of water in the freezer and toss them in my cooler, the ice will melt and the cooler keeps the cold air in keeping those perishables safe to eat. Frozen grapes are fantastic too and with this being summer season you'll want to have extra because the kids are going to love them.

    You may need to essentially "pack a lunch" on the weekends just like every other day for a while until it becomes a routine.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    I tend to eat bigger meals on the weekends, whereas during the week I eat more regular snacks (I think that's mostly to break up the monotony of sitting at my desk all day). It's okay to go under on the weekends as long as you meet your weekly goal, but keep in mind that if you go under for two days, you need to make that up somewhere, which would mean eating even more than you already do during the week. For me, that would be more difficult than just figuring out a way to eat more on the weekends.
  • sc003ro
    sc003ro Posts: 227 Member
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    yup ....not to mention Alcohol cals
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I'm definitely an "under" eater on the weekends. I find myself frequently eating 1000-1200 only- OR- have heavy burns and never eat enough to make up for it.

    Doesn't bother me- I either have a pizza and beer on one night OR save those calories for going to dinner/ lunch with my BF when I know I can't be as particular with my calorie counting.

    I will once or twice a month- add up my net calories and my total calories consumed- average them on their own and for the month what I'm REALLY eating- if I'm finding myself eating low all the time- I make adjustments- but the trend line is what matters- so having two light days is fine as long as you are having other days when it's a little heavier.
  • pietomb00
    pietomb00 Posts: 69 Member
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    Thanks for all the answers.

    Think I'll try to eat more in the week if I can, usually struggle to meet my targets as it is thought, so might have to start packing a lunch on the weekend as well and treat them like normal days. Guess it'll be far easier to grab something if it's already prepared.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    Hi All,

    During the week I work 9-5(ish) in an office so I can have my meals and snacks regularly, and usually get to around about my targets.

    But on weekends I'm hopeless at eating a decent amount usually coming in well under, it's mainly because I just don't feel as hungry.

    Does anyone else have a similar problem or not work regular hours, and how do you deal with it? Do you change what you eat or just make sure you do eat the same?

    I tend to be in a similar situation. When I plan out my meals for the week, it's usually only for Monday through Friday because I make recipes intended for 4-people (usually) and divide them up across five days. That means my weekends aren't planned for.

    But, much like you, my work schedule helps me maintain an eating schedule. I have my breakfast when I get to the office. Then I have a snack. Then I eat lunch at noon. I might have an afternoon snack, and then I eat dinner when I get home.

    On the weekends, however, I don't have that kind of schedule. As a result, I sometimes simply FORGET to eat, or I'm busy. When I'm working in the yard for the whole morning, I don't usually take a snack break. So I tend to eat under my goals.

    To compensate, I tend to eat meals that don't come out of a cookbook that includes calorie counts, because when the book includes calories, they generally try to keep them low. So I'll do things like buy a Hungry Man meal, or heat up a frozen pizza and spread it over the weekend. I still track my calories, but they tend to come from more calorically dense foods.

    ETA: I also sometimes let calorie overages from going to the bar / officer's club on Friday "spill over" into Saturday. So the weekend sometimes absorbs my excesses from the week.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
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    I used to have a problem going way over and just not caring about what I ate or how much. But then something clicked and I started caring about it and logging just as I do throughout the week. As others have said, we have structure through the week so it's easier. Since I've been at this seriously for about 3.5 months I start to get hungry on the wkends around my "scheduled" eating times. Do you do meal prep? If so, make a few extra entrees and snack containers so you have something on hand during the wkends.