Weekend overeater

michbaden
michbaden Posts: 31
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone,

I have now been on MFP for nearly 3 weeks and things are going reasonably well, I have lost 3 pounds.

However I have a bit of a problem when it comes to weekend eating. All week at work I am an absolute saint, I eat healthy food, I exercise pretty much everyday, but when it comes to Friday I just want to drink wine and eat pizza!

Does anyone else have a similar problem or have any advice on how to combat these monster urges?

Much Love X
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Replies

  • Loubell83
    Loubell83 Posts: 20
    I am exactly the same and would love to know if anyone had any advice on this!

    I try to go to the gym at the weekend to make up for any splurges, but apart from that I need help too!!!

    Glad I am not the only one.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    Dude, you and I have the same problem!
    You know what my issue is? That I work out of the house all week and I am stuck in the office away from my refrigerator and I have no issue keeping my diet but the weekend... FML. It's so hard not to dig into the freaking potato chips :(

    Anyone have any tips?
  • I am so bad at that too. I work out all week and eat really, but come friday night all of that stops. I had mexican last friday. I felt soo sick after, cause i cant eat the way i use too. I hope there is someone out there with the right advice for this..
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
    Here's my trick. I make a healthy pizza, using a low carb tortilla or "flat-out" as the crust, add my sauce, veggies and a little meat of some sort with carefully measured out amount of cheese. I can always get it under 400 cals for a large (and satisfying) amount of pizza that I really like. Then I measure out a little bit of wine, and fill the glass up with Mendota Springs sparkling water (zero cals and zero sodium) to make a sparking wine with 1/4th the calories. Does the trick for me. Just requires a little creativity!
  • ohdear1986
    ohdear1986 Posts: 110 Member
    try calorie zig zagging i ate 4500 cal on friday yet am lighter than i was pre binge
  • rwuchic
    rwuchic Posts: 20 Member
    I tend to exercise more on the weekends to try and combat it.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    see for me its drinking, im not an alcy or anything but i wanna go out and have a good time!
    i love a glass (or bottle :S ) of wine on a friday eve!


    ...but then im hung over and have to eat to avoid dying!

    ........and only carbs seem to make the pain stop!
  • dimplz1965
    dimplz1965 Posts: 105 Member
    This is probably one of the most hardest habits to break! I'm in with both of you and it takes a different "mindset" come the weekend. The only thing I can say is you have to talk to yourself, letting yourself know the weekend is here but I can still do this. It probably took me a good month before I realized that I can do this on the weekend too. We aren't social butterflies where we have parties to go to every weekend, so it's easier for me. We eat pizza usually on the weekends, but I make sure I plan ahead for it. I still eat my usual breakfast and lunch, but then if I know what we're having for supper, I'll make sure to log it and maybe add a little bit more exercise. Even if walking for 20 minutes is all you can get in, go for it; it's still something.

    Personally, I'm a stress eater, which proved true to come through the past 3 days. I'm about half and half on that right now. My mind will eventually gravitate towards the good, IF I keep reminding myself I can do this. It's really a lot about positive thinking, giving yourself the boost you need and, oh yeah, your friends here at MFP. I would gather to say a few thousand have been in the same boat.

    I sometimes ramble, so I hope my post makes sense!

    Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like.

    Laura
  • SuzieR
    SuzieR Posts: 127
    I'm exactly the same! I can eat like a health freak all week, but come the weekend I NEED chocolate and crisps! It's so hard :sad:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    At the weekend you have time for looong workouts! Do the time before you do the crime. Take yourself out for over an hour. I burn over 700 calories doing a 70 minute walk/run. You could split this into two half-hour workouts each day.

    But when you eat and drink afterwards, record everything as you go and stop before you reach your daily limit. Tough, but better than ruining a great week's eating!
  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
    I need to join this thread the weekends are my downfall!!! between a few drinks, snacks at BBQ's I am always doomed I need to get it together on weekends
  • notoriousgtt
    notoriousgtt Posts: 75 Member
    I'm the same, I generally spend the weekdays working out however, at the weekend when I'm staying with the mrs we tend to pig out a little bit.
    The simple solution for me is to work hard during the week at the gym and make small changes at the weekend to minimise the damage.
    The main differences I have made is changing from drinking fizzy juice to drinking water and changing from full fat (blue) milk to organic Soy milk which has cut out alot of the empty calories, fat and cholesterol from my weekends.

    -Barry
  • Laura_beau
    Laura_beau Posts: 1,029 Member
    *Stands up* "Hi, My name is Beau, and i am a weekend overeater"

    There should be an overeaters anonymous group for this condition alone. I too suffer from this issue, and it's cocktails.... wine..... snacking..... meals out at restaurants. you cannot live like a hermit and never socialise.

    My solution(s):

    a) having a couple of glasses of wine, then moving onto vodka and diet coke/ Gin & slimline- drink in tall glasses, not stubby ones and have singles instead of doubles.

    b) Doing a MAMMOTH workout @ the gym on saturday morning- so I rack up a decent amount of exercise calories.

    c) Entertaining at home more- ie: cooking for your bf/gf, friends etc.... at least you can control what goes into your meal. Try having a BBQ or tea party/dinner party.

    d) Make healthy versions of your 'naughty' faves- like the pizza recipe below. If you cannot avoid going out for pizza, order your pizza and a side salad, eat half with the salad(and give the other half to a friend, or share, or doggy bag it for family).

    We can beat the weekend daemons!!
  • ibetsey
    ibetsey Posts: 6
    Oh! I have this problem, too! I'm still working out a plan for dealing with it, but for now I do this:

    If I'm under my calories for the week, I give myself a little wiggle room. If you're familiar with weight watchers, that's like your flex points or whatever. It's LONG-TERM in and out, so you can go over a bit on the weekend if you're under for the week and still reach your goals.

    Plus, I have more time on weekends, so I get in great big long workouts focusing on cardio. I really love being in the gym when I don't have any time pressure, no cell phone, just my tunes, and it's usually not that busy Saturday afternoons.

    Also, if I feel like I want a splurge, I get something at the grocery store when I do my errands, like sushi or a thin crust pizza. And then I count it against my exercise calories. It keeps me from feeling deprived but it's not like I'm going out to a restaurant for something fried.

    About the drinking... I'm at a loss. I've found it's been pretty easy to stop drinking during the week, but with my friends, I just want to party! I'm going to have to try that wine spritzer plan! Great idea!

    Good luck to you and keep up the good work! You just need a plan and it'll be smooth sailing!
  • michbaden
    michbaden Posts: 31
    Wow I didn't realise that so many people had the same problem :) Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts

    The advice on the healthy pizza, wine spritzer and vodka and diet coke are great ideas. I will have to learn to plan these things because the temptation to overreat and drink will not go away :D

    But I am very interested in calarie zig zagging, what is it?

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  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
    try calorie zig zagging i ate 4500 cal on friday yet am lighter than i was pre binge

    what is calorie zig zagging?
  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
    Hi Guys!! Same issue here.
    Tonight - I have a date. Meeting a guy at Chili's for dinner
    Saturday night - Another date at an Italian Restaurant (different guy)
    Sunday night - Celebrating dad's birthday at a Thai Restaurant.

    Talk about weekend binging!

    My Solution:
    I concur with some other posters here, get a good workout going in the morning. Even split the workout between mornign and night if you want.
    Research food ahead of time. Tonight, I am going for the Caribbean Salad with grilled chicken (610 calories). Normally I would go for the Quesadilla Explosion salad. (which is a whopping 1400 calories!)
    With alcohol, limit your self to 2 drinks. Choose a mixer like a Wine Spritzer or Gin and Tonic. An average glass is about 100 calories.
    Remember, you can still enjoy food, but keep it in moderation. If a dish comes with mashed potatoes, take a bite to get your fix and pour salt on the rest. If your going for pasta, ask if they can substitute for Whole Wheat. Most places will.
    Lastly, when your server bring your dinner, immediately ask for a carry out box. Place half your dinner in there. This will avoid overeating since meals are enough for 2 people.
    Hope this helps!!!

    7035780.png
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  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
    I haev the same problem, and with zig-zagging calories, I eat less a couple of days in the week, and save these calories for the weekend - I dont want to stop eating a little more, and going out on the weekend, so I am just better in the week!
  • jlzrdking
    jlzrdking Posts: 501 Member
    I'm guilty of this too, my gf and I decided on Friday nights we would have our one bad meal well now it has turned into bad weekends for me.

    Last weekend we even went to Krispy Creme and had a doughnut covered with Oreo cookies and for some reason I was suprised when I got on the scale and my weight had gone up.

    Def need a weekend eaters support group.
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
    I'm not a drinker so the only problem I have at the weekend is that I always tend to eat out! Doh!

    Most people I know are busy during the week so a lot of my socialising is at the weekend and it normally means going out and eating out.

    I am always more active at the weekend - especially when it comes to walking around and shopping so I normally give myself some leeway in that but I always try to get a workout in either day. (Well I say always - I mean before I damaged my feet so badly I could barely walk for 3months. I'm starting to get back on track now!)
  • MandyGlinda
    MandyGlinda Posts: 7 Member
    I am the same... so good during the week and then BAM !
  • manda1284
    manda1284 Posts: 15
    I do this too!!! I always think if I stopped being social, I'd be at my goal weight haha. But, what fun is that?? Some weekends, we'll go out Friday AND Saturday....by Sunday, I'm eating Wendy's double stacks and frosties. YIKES! I try to compensate by eating less during the week, but I'm still just "maintaining" , not losing. Gotta figure this out!
  • julieannebyrom
    julieannebyrom Posts: 205 Member
    Hi guys

    I'm the exact same, great all week sticking to cals and doing exercise and then at the weekend it all goes out the window. My husband works weekends so going for a jog or gym/walk are out of the question as I'd need to get someone to sit with my kids. As for doing any sort of home exercise again it's difficult when you've got little ones demanding attention. I tend to go for a drink with friends one night a week and the following day I just want to eat anything in sight and normally end up with takeaway. I need to get out of that habit.
  • tracey2710
    tracey2710 Posts: 197 Member
    Not a weekend overeater - just a weekend overdrinker :drinker:
  • zandhmom75
    zandhmom75 Posts: 58 Member
    I do this every weekend....unfortunately the weekend comes every 4 days, so sometimes it's twice a week "weekends" because of my husband's schedule. I start off sticking to the plan. Like today is his Saturday and I just ate protein pancakes & getting ready to do my workout. After he wakes up, the day will get worse and will carry on until tomorrow. He just wants to drink beer and hang out, which I love, but until laaate. Then we eat late & eat crappy food. He usually wants to do the same thing both days of his weekend.

    I have no one to blame but myself, for caving into his suggestions of fast food after we've been drinking, and eating cake, and popcorn, etc. I bust my butt on the 5 days he's sleeping for work, get down to close to my goal weight, then in 2 days it's ruined and I start over. I need more self control! I love my beer, but need to do it in moderation so the eating doesn't get out of control!
  • rea1980
    rea1980 Posts: 93 Member
    When I started on here I had the same problem, I would want to eat a lot on the weekends, and I still do now. But I do my biggest workouts of the week on Saturday and Sunday, this gives me some cushion on the calories if I need. Also, I always eat before I go out unless I am going to dinner, and then it is all about thinking about what you should eat and making healthy choices.

    If you are going to go out for drinks, don't have those drinks filled with juice they will kill your calorie count in a heartbeat and all the juices most bars use are packed with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artifical flavoring. Don't use mixers in your drinks. I like to have a scotch on the rocks. I know a couple of people who love getting a vodka and water tall and then squezzing a lime and lemon wedge into it.

    Now that I have found I can go out, have a good time and have some drinks with friends, while staying under my calorie count. If I feel th urge to do something that will take me over my count I give myself a little guilt trip and ask myself if it is worth it, when I know I don't need it.

    But If you do have a bad meal every now and then, don't worry about it, one bad meal isn't going to kill your meal plan, but doing it over and over again will.
  • merrycat
    merrycat Posts: 131 Member
    I have the same problem. Most of the week I find it easy to be good because I'm in control. But on weekends we usually go out with friends and I can't demand that we always go out to healthier places to eat- not if I want to have any friends left LOL. So I try to order the healthiest things from wherever we go to, skip on desserts (most days) and order just water to drink. But sometimes we end up somewhere like Fatburger, and then really, what can you do?


    But I'm going to try and take the advice of doing extra exercises on the weekend to try and burn those calories off.
  • lottee1000
    lottee1000 Posts: 447 Member
    Snap! My eating and drinking are ATROCIOUS on the weekend! This weekend I'm going to try to do mammoth exercise to combat it, but got birthday parties on Friday and Saturday so will be tough!
  • Blueberry09
    Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
    Not a weekend overeater - just a weekend overdrinker :drinker:

    Me too! We head out to the lake every weekend and there's nothing better than sitting on the deck, or around a campfire, with a tall-cool one! I have a full regular kitchen so preparing food isn't a challenge - it's the lack of exercise and the drinks that really get me. I LOVE coolers and even the light ones still have 100 cal so it doesn't take too many of those to up the count for the day :(
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    My problem on weekends is I don't get up until noon, so that's three meals I've missed already. So when I wake up I'm starving...or I have to get up because the fams wants to go grocery shopping...so I don't get my first meal until about 2:00pm, and then I eat my face off...not to mention that's prime time to eat out, snack, drink, etc...I tend to fall off the wagon most weekends...that's the one thing I'm trying really hard to work on, but I refuse to get my *kitten* out of bed in order to eat lol
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