Staying under calories over the weekend

la_vie_est_belle_
la_vie_est_belle_ Posts: 139 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
During the week, staying under calories is easy. But once the weekend comes, I blow it! With social events and unstructured time, I find myself going over calories. How do you guys stay under calories over the weekend? Tips please!

Replies

  • btc1987
    btc1987 Posts: 94 Member
    Just watch your portion sizes. I usually know I'm not going to hit my macros on weekends, but I can at least make sure I stay below my calories.


    The worst thing that happens is you go over a little bit (don't binge and ruin the work you've done over the week).

    I am going to disagree with anyone that tells you to pack your own food and snacks. I think that is overboard. You should enjoy the social events. Ordering carrots and celery at a wing place is lame! :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    well I often preplan as much as I can...

    Barring that I look at my weekly totals, if I am under goal for the week I accept the fact that things might not be as fast as I want but...I won't stop living life either.

    I don't pack my own food either.

    I do however choose lower calorie drinks (vodka, light beer) will often try to keep busy as well, get in some extra exercise etc.
  • bandgeek_17
    bandgeek_17 Posts: 10
    i will say that we don't go out a lot during the weekend but the unstructured time can be a huge derailment to me. I plan out my day in the morning while I'm eating my breakfast. So I input my dinner and lunch. Then I fill it with 3 snacks in the day. I try really hard to eat every 2-3 hours to keep myself from being starving. I drink water throughout the day. I would also try working out in the unstructured time to give the extra calories to burn for some the choices you want to make.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    I eat a little less during the day to have calories available for social events, I still try to make smarter choices during those events (no alcohol or smaller portions), and I try to do a workout that I know will scorch calories and give me some extra to eat back that day.
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
    During the week, staying under calories is easy. But once the weekend comes, I blow it! With social events and unstructured time, I find myself going over calories. How do you guys stay under calories over the weekend? Tips please!

    I don't care about my calories on the weekends. At least if I am going social. If I'm at home and doing nothing I stay on track. If I am going to a BBQ or throwing a BBQ, or boating, etc we just enjoy the day. Don't let this calorie counting ruin your life and make you an outcast.

    The other option I've used it get up early on the social event day and hit the treadmill hard. Get a stockpile of calories to eat. I usually still go over. Smoked spare ribs and imported beer.........need I say more.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    I watch them but to me, I've learns it's about total week deficit. If I'm honest with what I eat and burn weekly, going over on the weekend still doesn't set me back. I don't exercise on Sunday and I have lost a pound to a pound and a half weekly, regularly.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    My calory count is usually lowest during weekends. I'm often leaving town during weekends and roam the country side, go hiking, swimming, just exploring.. and if I do that I tend to be less hungry. The food I usually take along comprises flat bread or white bread, some tins of tuna in brine, maybe fresh feta cheese and water. When on vacation I'm usually doing the same and take similar things along, plus maybe a thin local salami or some hart goats cheese. I might end up quite a bit below my TDEE, but I can hike on or do whatever I'm doing all day. I guess that's fine as long as I'm not doing this every day.
  • AleciaG724
    AleciaG724 Posts: 705 Member
    I skip breakfast if I know I'm going out to a social event on the weekend or having people over. I'll drink lots of herbal tea/ unsweetened ice tea throughout the day. .
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    During the week, staying under calories is easy. But once the weekend comes, I blow it! With social events and unstructured time, I find myself going over calories. How do you guys stay under calories over the weekend? Tips please!

    I don't care about my calories on the weekends. At least if I am going social. If I'm at home and doing nothing I stay on track. If I am going to a BBQ or throwing a BBQ, or boating, etc we just enjoy the day. Don't let this calorie counting ruin your life and make you an outcast.

    The other option I've used it get up early on the social event day and hit the treadmill hard. Get a stockpile of calories to eat. I usually still go over. Smoked spare ribs and imported beer.........need I say more.

    Yes, please!
    Why does being social mean to eat far too much?Wouldn't it also be a great day/afternoon/evening by just making somewhat sensible choices? I'm not trying to attack anyone here, I'm just trying to understand as I don't think I've ever overeaten senselessly (in my case it was a case of eating sweets too many times per week).
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    Just log it. If you eat/work out at a deficit to lose two pounds a week(7000), and you over indulge 3000 calories , you are still at a deficit.

    I personally don't believe in mindless eating as a hobby/entertainment anymore. If I combine a meal and fellowship time, I make it work.

    The hardest part of my journey was not eating just to eat. Weekends were the hardest. but logging helped and continues to help, even though I am on "maintenance"
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
    I work a job that doesn't really have weekends (off for me, that is.) I tend to work more on the weekends and very long hours. Weekends are tough for me because I don't get much sleep and find that I need to eat something every couple hours. I also take Sundays as my rest day from working out so I don't have those earned calories to eat back. I just accept that Sundays especially, I am going to go over on calories, but I rock my deficit for the week. All in all, a win!
  • onelovejenn
    onelovejenn Posts: 49
    I just started going to the gym and working out. When you add exercise to your diary it adds calories you can eat. My plan is not to eat back all of those calories and be able to have a Friday dinner once a week where I don't go crazy but do eat out with things I don't eat during the week. Friday nights have always been a no cook night and I've been trying to figure out how to still have some of my favorite meals without it compromising my progress, and I think I may have found it.
  • iheidibefitt
    iheidibefitt Posts: 80 Member
    Do you mean you stay within your calorie range? If you're under the minimum, that can cause problems with weight loss or your metabolism.
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
    i plan ahead.. i used to have the same problem, but i now eat the same as i would on a weekday, except i allow myself one treat meal on one of the weekend days. for example, on saturday i had a black bean burger and sweet potato fries along with two pumpkin beers at a local restaurant. it was delicious and i stayed on track for the rest of the weekend! so happy to finally be able to not blow all of my hardwork during the week over the weekend :smile:

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