Need some Help

brichick
brichick Posts: 2
edited September 24 in Introduce Yourself
I've started on here several weeks ago. I love how it keep track of everything for you. The problem is, I'm really good throughout the week but when the weekend comes it's destroyed. I go out to eat on a Friday...then just quit writting everything down, like it didn't happen. I do start back after a few days but I hate that I just let 2 days go by and eat like I'm crazy. Does anyone have any suggestions. I know what I'm suppose to do, I just don't do it. When this happens I get feeling like what the hell...just forget all this. But I do know that spring and summer is coming and I'm not going to want to be this weight. We are also planning a vacation soon and I want to feel good. I'm back at it today, wish me luck!!

Replies

  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
    The best advice I can give for weekends is to plan them out for the first few weekends or until you get a hang of it.

    I know it can be hard as sometimes you don't know where you are going, but what I try to do is just figure out the best I can the cal amounts for the restaurants I possibly could hit up. This usually includes about 10 different restaurants in general but I write them all down and by the time I get out, I know what I can have. I also leave room for a drink or two with my planning. I make sure that I always am drinking water through out the day.

    Also, having a cheat day here and there isn't bad for you at all. You will find some on here who actually never track weekends. So don't feel pressured to do everything over the weekends but I hope this helped a little. Good luck!
  • smcgue
    smcgue Posts: 1
    Good luck. How much weight have you lost so far? Keep thinking what you have already lost and so you are already on your way,
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    when you go out to eat on Friday----so what? Its up to you to order the right items. All too often I see people who use going to a restaurant as an excuse to blow their nutritional habits. Remember, going to a restaurant's main focus is pleasure of the company you are with and not to gobble up all you can because really no matter what you eat, the pleasure is still the same with the people you are with. I say this cuz I spent countless years thinking the opposite. Now that I have learned so much during my weight loss journey and my relationship with food has changed, I go to resturants and focus on the company I am with and Tell my server exactly how I expect my food to come so that it does not sabotage my health.

    The same should hold true for the whole weekend. At the beginning of your journey, you are learning that weekends are triggers for you to not follow on your plan. Recognizing that is important, but now that you have recognized it, it is time to implement changes to correct it. Keep yourself busy. On friday morning come up with a list of things to do so as to keep yourself busy. if you are out shopping, pack healthy snack options to take with you. No need to land at the donut house for a coffee and danish if you are well prepared.

    What it all boils down to is that you are in control---nothing else is to blame except yourself. I had no control for many years and now I realize it was all my fault and I could have done something about it but I never took care of my relationship with food FIRST.

    Hope all this makes sense......good luck to you :)
  • DonM46
    DonM46 Posts: 771 Member
    I have difficulty on weekends, too. My wife helps by buying stuff I can snack on and not kill the week. Celery stalks, baby carrots, fruit -- foods that fill the void, yet don't wreck your week.
    Take a few minutes and log in the food consumed on the weekend, just as you do during the week. It doesn't take long, and it will keep you mentally in shape so you'll be less likely to binge.
  • wannaloseit
    wannaloseit Posts: 31
    Record everything even when it puts you over your calories. I've found that when I see I went over in big red numbers it motivates me to go easy on my eating out trips and splurges. I get how you feel with the "it just didn't happen if I don't record it", I've dieted several other times and that's exactly how I felt and instead of losing I would just gain. Truth be told, it DID happen and your body knows it, so why not record it? I hope this helps and good luck to you!
  • forestdancers
    forestdancers Posts: 146 Member
    Even on your weekend even if you don't log it try hard to follow portion control. Or at least keep in mind when eating that when you hold out your cupped hands, if you only eat as much as would fill your hands you will not be overeating.
    I know how hard it is to survive the weekend binges since that was one of my major derailing points in the past.
    Now that I practice concious eating I don't eat as much.
    Major points is don't nibble in front of the TV or mindlessly much your way through books if your a reader. Eat at the table, put the fork down between bites, think about the food your chewing.

    Best wishes to you
  • Asomething
    Asomething Posts: 61 Member
    I have to agree with inputting EVERYTHING, even if you see red!! And that going out to dinner is not a bad thing. Can you fit an extra workout in on Friday??
    Most importantly, forgive yourself and do the next right thing!!!
  • AllyS7
    AllyS7 Posts: 480 Member
    My husband also likes to go eat out on the weekends.

    I've found that if I pick where we eat, (which he prefers anyway) and looking up the menu online will help me make good choices. If I'm in a bind, I'll do a search of the restaurant on the MFP app on my phone and choose the best options.

    Planning when you can is the best advice I can give.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
    I used to have this trouble and I found that 2 days of not logging could end up undoing my hard work for the week.

    I overcame it by - not eating back my exercise calories during the week which meant I could eat more on the day I ate out. Planning ahead so that I knew what I'd be eating before I got there. If I couldn't plan a head then once I got to the restaurant I'd be sure to make the best choices I could from the menu e.g - choosing things that are grilled rather than fried, opting for salad or vegetables as part of my meal or sharing a desert rather than having an entire one to myself.

    If you have MFP app on your phone you can check your food choices when ordering.

    Also, no matter what you've eaten, be sure to log it. Even if you're way over on cals it will help you by giving you more knowledge for next time.
  • tsmith6569
    tsmith6569 Posts: 63
    I've done the same thing and thought oh well Ive screwed it up anyway might as well go whole hog. Cheat days are almost a necessity so you don't lose your mind and motivation and I've found if I log exactly how it made me feel to over eat it helps me. I also asked myself , is this food really worth feeling like that? Most of the times the answer is no, but sometimes it IS worth it. I find now that I still cheat and go over but I REMEMBER how it made me feel and I dont take it too far. A doctor once told me you are really doing great if you do great 80% of the time. Good luck and keep plugging along!!
  • smileylittleorange
    smileylittleorange Posts: 45 Member
    I would also say keep tracking because sometimes you can surprise yourself - its not much over your calorie goal - not as bad as you thought - then you can get right back on it there and then!!
  • SNorrisii
    SNorrisii Posts: 31
    I don't know if you have an iPhone or An android phone if you do, and you haven't already, get the Myfitnnesspal App so you can keep track of the weekends though out the day. I have done this now for 50 days in a row and have lost 27 lbs sence Christmas
  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    when you go out to eat on Friday----so what? Its up to you to order the right items. All too often I see people who use going to a restaurant as an excuse to blow their nutritional habits. Remember, going to a restaurant's main focus is pleasure of the company you are with and not to gobble up all you can because really no matter what you eat, the pleasure is still the same with the people you are with. I say this cuz I spent countless years thinking the opposite. Now that I have learned so much during my weight loss journey and my relationship with food has changed, I go to resturants and focus on the company I am with and Tell my server exactly how I expect my food to come so that it does not sabotage my health.

    The same should hold true for the whole weekend. At the beginning of your journey, you are learning that weekends are triggers for you to not follow on your plan. Recognizing that is important, but now that you have recognized it, it is time to implement changes to correct it. Keep yourself busy. On friday morning come up with a list of things to do so as to keep yourself busy. if you are out shopping, pack healthy snack options to take with you. No need to land at the donut house for a coffee and danish if you are well prepared.

    What it all boils down to is that you are in control---nothing else is to blame except yourself. I had no control for many years and now I realize it was all my fault and I could have done something about it but I never took care of my relationship with food FIRST.

    Hope all this makes sense......good luck to you :)

    Absolutely brilliant, relevant advice...just wish that I too had taken this point of view on board years ago....listen to this OP and you will really begin your journey.
  • alilind03
    alilind03 Posts: 3 Member
    I also tend to eat out a lot on the weekends and enjoy many good foods and desserts which can get me into trouble; especially when I'm in the "What the hey" mode. The biggest thing I've found helpful is "portion size". I have always shared meals out with my husband to save on $ and it also saves on calories. I've found I can eat all the different things I like, just smaller amounts. I've checked out restaurant websites before I go to see about how much of what I can have. I also have learned to drink a cup of coffee before I go to help fill me up. Keep in mind that a good brisk walk for 20-30 min is good for you and can add back more calories :)

    The most helpful thing of all to me is checking my weight every morning first thing on a digital scale and measure every couple of weeks. It is very motivating when you see progress often. There are times when things go up or down a little because of water retention, etc. but, in general, when I've stayed at my calorie goal, it's always gone down every few days.
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