Anyone else struggle with weekends?

dcglobalgirl
dcglobalgirl Posts: 207 Member
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
Every single time, I eat fine Monday through Friday and gain it all back on the weekends. Even when I can go for a good, long run, I still end up eating too much junk and not tracking and end up overeating. What are people's tips for dealing with the weekend?

Replies

  • shadowloss
    shadowloss Posts: 293 Member
    My problem is not with the food but the drink! Sorry, I enjoy a few cocktails on the weekend and it tends to destroy the positive movement I've had during the week.

    What I've been doing is making sure I hit the gym EVERY weekend, so that I do have some calories to give, although I don't like to eat/drink back my calories. I also, tend to stay extremely busy during the weekend, so usually don't eat breakfast or lunch.

    I'm not saying that's the right way, but it's what I'm doing and the scale is still going down, although much slower?
  • MelanieRBrace
    MelanieRBrace Posts: 245 Member
    I try my best to plan ahead. If I have a plan, I am more likely to stick to it. Weekends can be deadly for me too.
  • marye2021
    marye2021 Posts: 225 Member
    hmmh, I was having the same problem mainly with logging everything I eat on the weekend-- I decided that I wanted to see my streak go up rather than have the extra gin and tonic or dessert with the man. Maybe try logging EVERYTHING before you eat it, or go for a long walk after lunch on saturday so that way for dinner you have some wiggle room with the calories?
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    I can generally stay on track, even going out to eat, on the weekends if I plan for it. What I struggle with is being invited to someone's house for dinner OR some type of carry in dinner. Last Friday I was at a funeral with chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, a yeast roll and a LOT of desserts to choose from. I did not do well at this, but I did limit to one small dessert, didn't finish the noodles and I still somehow managed to lose that week. Don't ask me how.
  • ankdworak
    ankdworak Posts: 336 Member
    Weekends are tough. Happy to support and encourage in any way I can. Feel free to add me. ankdworak
  • CherryChan81
    CherryChan81 Posts: 264 Member
    ME! Would normally over caloric budget by 1000kcal on Sundays... SIGH!
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited November 2014
    dcglobalgirl wrote: »
    Every single time, I eat fine Monday through Friday and gain it all back on the weekends. Even when I can go for a good, long run, I still end up eating too much junk and not tracking and end up overeating. What are people's tips for dealing with the weekend?

    I used to struggle on weekends. I found that treating it like a regular work day helped greatly. I would lay out all of my normal meals in a basket in the fridge and grab from there. If I left the house I would pack my cooler as I did for work. I also found that pre logging all of my food the morning of or the night before helped a great deal as well.


  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
    For me, football season has been my biggest struggle. I just plop myself down, start watching at noon and finish up after the Sunday night game. Too much idle time and it leads to snacking too much. I just try to have healthy snacks on hand (veggies, fruits, protein bars) and then go light on the dinner. The first football Sunday of the year was awful for me, but I learned from that and since have managed to either keep to my calorie limit or not go over too badly.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    "I still end up eating too much junk and not tracking and end up overeating"

    Havent you answered your own question here?
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    Stop treating weekends as time off from eating healthy. If you're using the weekends to "cheat" then plan what cheat's are allowed that weekend and what aren't. It's mostly a matter of habit. For the longest time on my days off I would order Pizza and eat the whole thing. Once I got myself more in the habit of actually eating what's in my house, I started dropping weight fairly quickly.
  • Wicibeth
    Wicibeth Posts: 27 Member
    I know it sounds daft, but what helps me is a cheat meal. I went from having major weekend long binges to only having one meal "bad" food, because it's allowed. Instead of feeling deprived and losing control I've got something to look forward to. I go all Saturday looking forward to my cheat meal, and it makes me stay on track the rest of the day, and the Sunday isn't even hard.
  • WantBestME
    WantBestME Posts: 128 Member
    Weekends are the main culprit. And the second one is my hubby who wants to go out on weekends for buffet!! I try as much i can to avoid atleast the desserts..

    if not, on weekends i go for lunch buffet and avoid dinner totally so that my calories are still under the target ones.
  • SophNewts
    SophNewts Posts: 30 Member
    I try to have cheat "meals" rather than whole cheats days or weekends. If you are having a big night out drinking, make sure that day you eat really well and try and fit some exercise in. There is absolutely no point being thin and miserable because you can never have fun at the weekend and not enjoy a naughty meal or have a drink. If you've been super good and lost a couple of lbs in the week, one bad meal/night out drinking shouldn't wreck it all but of course a whole 2 days of binging absolutely will.
  • carryncoulson
    carryncoulson Posts: 29 Member
    I make sure I have a good breakfast, usually a large egg on toast with a chicken sausage(it usually sustains me quite well). Then instead of lunch I have at least two snacks which are filling - either a large apple with cinnamon (to balance my sugar levels) or a a yoghurt cup. My cheat tends to always be on a Saturday night. I forgive myself for the extra calorie overloaded pizza meal with a donut afterwards and I always exercise more on the Sunday. This has not stopped me from losing weight yet.
  • NattyLeilani
    NattyLeilani Posts: 9
    I tend to be busier on the weekends, so I have less time to sit around at home and eat like I do during the week, but I also tend to not "cheat". If I need to workout, I work out. If I want an oreo or two, I'll have one or two. But I don't go overboard anymore. I can't if I want to be healthy, and that kinda keeps me going.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Pre-log your day's, as it helps me tremendously.
  • Cindoka
    Cindoka Posts: 4
    Weekends are easier for me.
    I don't have the same temptations that I have on the streets during work.
    Restaurants, candy stores, mini markets etc.. they are all there to tempt you.

    For the weekends, I plan ahead what I'm going to eat.
    If I'm going going out, I try to find the menu of the place on the internet and take a look at it before getting there.
  • ems212
    ems212 Posts: 135 Member
    Weekends are hard times for me as well. I'm home, I don't have pre-planned meals. I'm with my family, all of whom are laid back and love me regardless of how I look. I also don't have as much dedication to go to the gym (which is located 40 minutes away - close to where I work).

    I've been working on forcing myself to get up and get moving. If it's a Netflix weekend, I make myself get up and do a few exercises or stretches in between episodes.
  • ellepribro
    ellepribro Posts: 226 Member
    I struggle with weekends as well. I have trouble when I don't have a routine. I tend to overeat and put off working out. I'm working on setting up a weekend routine so I can be more successful. Good luck!
  • joneallen
    joneallen Posts: 217 Member
    Weekends destroy me, week after week. Monday-Friday, I'm at the office, and theres a microwave/fridge next to me. So getting all my meals planned and available is easy. Come the weekends, I tend to go nuts with my complex carbs, which has lead me to a plateau in my weight. I really have to start focusing on my goals and get the weekends under control.
  • sylkates
    sylkates Posts: 173 Member
    edited November 2014
    I just realized this past weekend a solution to this: Yes, you have more desires/opportunities to eat overcalorie on the weekend. But at least for me, I also have more free time!

    I go to the gym in the morning or afternoon. Or if there's not enough time for that, I at least get my heart pumping with a fast run around my neighborhood. I also found that since I wake up later in the morning, I can get away with having a smaller breakfast since there aren't 6 hours between my weekend wakeup time and lunch the way there is on a weekday for me.

    I also found out this weekend that the gym is blissfully empty on Friday nights and apparently all day Sunday. :)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    I love weekends! So much less stressful than weekdays. Easier to do my own thing without all the pressures of work and early mornings and classes and obligations and running from one place to another.

    It sounds like your issue isn't so much with weekends, but with control. In other words, weekdays are fine because you have so much more control over your meal planning, but weekends are less tightly scheduled so it's easier for you to get off track.

    I look at it like a trust exercise. Can you I go of the control thing a little bit and still trust myself not to go over on calories? I feel like that's a life skill I need to master if I'm going to have success in the long run. Because life is messy and unpredictable like that, and it's important to be able to roll with the punches without overeating.

    Stick with it -- it gets easier!
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