I really struggle on the weekends.

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Somebody_Loved
Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
in Motivation and Support
My problem is that I am diligent and spot on with my deficit during the week, and then I obliterate it during the weekend with alcohol and the subsequent food choices.

I "officially" weigh in every Friday. The past few Fridays I have weighed in around 137 (137.4, 137.2, 137.8). Then I go overboard on the weekend and bloat up to 143-144 come Monday. Work hard during the week to get down around 137 again on Friday. Then repeat. And now here I am again on another Monday, angry with myself. I would have been to goal months ago had I stayed consistent.

I know what I'm doing wrong and that I can't expect to reach my goals without putting forth the effort and changing my lifestyle. I'm hoping writing it out will help hold me accountable. And any advice from someone who's been in a similar situation would also be much appreciated. Thanks!

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Replies

  • discretekim
    discretekim Posts: 314 Member
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    Well I don't try to hard on weekends. But it seems like you are definitely going overboard. Have you thought of trying to eat maintenance on the weekends? That should be attainable. I just don't track enough on the weekends either. Good luck. If you can cut down the weekends even a little your good weeks will make up for it.
  • Naener
    Naener Posts: 167 Member
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    im the same, though my weight doesnt fluctuate so hard... maybe .5- 2.5 pounds give or take any events on the weekends haha. i hit the gym 5 days a week and meal prep mid week, but friday night to sunday night its allllll forgotten. :(
  • gothicfires
    gothicfires Posts: 240 Member
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    It's great to have friends. I am inspired to work hard by the group of friends that I have. I give them encouragement as much as I can.

    But

    No one can do this for you. None of us can go party with you can keep you from drinking that beer. I can assure you that it is most definitely possible to have fun without it. You have to be the one to decide what you want in about and around your life. Do you want that beer or do you want to loose weight? Do you want the two slices of pizza and nachos or do you want to loose weight? The choice doesn't go away just because the 5pm alarm rings and you get off work.

    There is no getting off of life and unfortunately the only one that can hold you accountable for how you want to live it is you.
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    Thanks for the responses. I constantly battle wanting to lose weight with wanting to maintain the same lifestyle, which is why I haven't made much progress. I like the idea of eating at maintenance on the weekends, I'll definitely try that.
  • petstorekitty
    petstorekitty Posts: 592 Member
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    Heh. I could have written this post. I have similar problems.
    I've gotten better by making a priority to do at least 1 active thing in the weekend. Fun exercise. Making a concious effort to at least make healthier choices on the weekend helps.
    Not so much "dieting" just healthier.

    I think part of the problem might be that sometimes i go overboard on healthy during the week that I freak out after a while. Like OMG Ive eaten veggies all week i need 6 tacos NOW!!! and 2 burgers and 6 beers. Then im sad.

    Im more successful when i think about what i eat (on the weekends) and how i want to feel afterwards, before i do it.

  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    That's so true. I think a lot of it is the all or nothing mentality that I'm trying to break. I've made a lot of progress with it but by force of habit, the second I'm off work on Friday I go into "all" mode. Thinking about how I want to feel come the end of the weekend is great advice, I'll work on that.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Have you given any thought to eating different calorie allotments on weekdays vs. weekends? Sure, you could just eat at maintenance on the weekend but you could also choose to eat 100 less calories each day on the weekdays, since you have the discipline to meet your goals those days. That would then give you an extra 500 calories for the weekend. You'd still have to maintain a little discipline but it would give you a little more wiggle room for some weekend fun while still working toward the same goal.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    SueInAz wrote: »
    Have you given any thought to eating different calorie allotments on weekdays vs. weekends? Sure, you could just eat at maintenance on the weekend but you could also choose to eat 100 less calories each day on the weekdays, since you have the discipline to meet your goals those days. That would then give you an extra 500 calories for the weekend. You'd still have to maintain a little discipline but it would give you a little more wiggle room for some weekend fun while still working toward the same goal.

    This^

    Zig-zag your calories. If you eat small a couple days a week....you can bank those calories for the weekend.
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    @SueInAz @TeaBea - Thank you for the advice! I would love to do that and think I would do well with it but I'm currently at 1200 calories a day. I know it's not advisable to go down to 1100 calories a day so would it work the same to get the "extra" 100 calories through working out?
  • RLeighP
    RLeighP Posts: 232 Member
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    Everyone slips up. Everyone has a day that they go over. But I try to limit those to maybe once a month. The other weekends, I just try to make the best choices I can in the situation I'm in. Even if that means having a large breakfast with my family and then working out extra and eating light the rest of the day. If going out and drinking is as important to you as the weight loss, you'll find ways to work around it.
  • pmm3437
    pmm3437 Posts: 529 Member
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    I find I eat more on the weekends too. Its the lighter level of activity, coupled with the ease of access to the fridge.

    Alcohol, like anything else, gives you options. If you still want to drink socially on the weekends, look into reducing intake ( 1 less per occassion ), or switch to a lower cal option ( neat, etc instead of with fruit juice or full cal soda .. )

    Switch your grocery shopping / errands to Sat or Sun afternoon, to get out of the house and away from your calorie stockpile.

    Generally speaking, going below 1200 cals short term is fine ( day or 2 at a time ), but not for extended periods. Your cal and macro counts are much more important averaged over a period of time, than day to day.

    Just for clarification, that 1200 floor is gross calories, to support metabolism, not net. If you want to add some more exercise to arrive at a net below that, its generally safe to do so, assuming your getting proper nutrition ( macro and micro nutrients .. ).
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited June 2015
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    pmm3437 wrote: »
    Generally speaking, going below 1200 cals short term is fine ( day or 2 at a time ), but not for extended periods. Your cal and macro counts are much more important averaged over a period of time, than day to day.

    Just for clarification, that 1200 floor is gross calories, to support metabolism, not net. If you want to add some more exercise to arrive at a net below that, its generally safe to do so, assuming your getting proper nutrition ( macro and micro nutrients .. ).

    Agreed. The general reason for the 1200 calories has to do more with nutrition rather than the caloric content. If you're still averaging 1200 per day for the course of a week, and getting proper nutrition every day, it shouldn't be a problem.

    It might be worth taking a look at that 1200 and the reason you're eating that little, though. Unless you're a very small person, 1200 calories as an MFP goal is usually a good indicator that you're being too aggressive with your per week loss goal.
  • coreyreichle
    coreyreichle Posts: 1,039 Member
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    What do you drink? Sugary mixed drinks? Try to find no-sugar mixers (ie, Diet Coke and Rum). Drink beer? Switch to Tequila (Lowest calorie count per shot), and mix with a diet mixer.
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    Thanks for the clarification. I am 5'6", CW is 137.8 and GW of 125. My weekly goal is to lose 1 pound per week. I can change it to .5/week and see if that does anything to my daily calorie goal.

    As for drinks, I usually drink light beer or wine.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Somebody_Loved wrote: »
    Thanks for the clarification. I am 5'6", CW is 137.8 and GW of 125. My weekly goal is to lose 1 pound per week. I can change it to .5/week and see if that does anything to my daily calorie goal.

    As for drinks, I usually drink light beer or wine.

    Yes, so close to goal .5 pound per week is probably a better rate. You could certainly stick to your 1200 during the week and then give yourself the extra calories on the weekends. You'll get more calories to add to the weekend without the guilt.

    One trick that helps me on the weekends, or whenever I'm out drinking: alternate with water. Either have a water and your drink at all times or order a drink then get a water and repeat. You'll not only take in less calories and spend less money but you'll stay more hydrated and you'll feel better the next morning.
  • ashdawg8790
    ashdawg8790 Posts: 819 Member
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    Just a thought, but any chance you could change your official weigh-in day? It sounds like you know you're going to have a few days buffer after a weekend, so you can work off what you've done, making you feel a little more comfortable doing it. What about trading your weigh-in day to Monday or Tuesday? It'll up your accountability a bit for your choices... Also, try tracking your calories as a weekly goal... and try pre-logging if you can for those outings... Know you're going to your favorite bar for beers and nachos? Try logging those portions and plan the rest of your day around it... or lower the amounts you eat/drink there to fit a little better within your day (and then stick with them!)... It ends up being a whole lot of trial and error to figure out what works best FOR YOU. Good luck!! :)
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    Thanks again, everyone, for your help!

    @SueInAz - I've heard a lot of people alternate with water while they're out, I'll definitely give that a go this weekend.

    @ashdawg8790 - I tried to switch my weigh in day in the past to help hold me accountable but it didn't work for me. I still went out and ended up dreading getting on the scale Monday morning. I love the idea of pre-logging before and planning my day around it, thanks for the suggestion.
  • sopoeticqueen
    sopoeticqueen Posts: 3 Member
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    @some_loved I think maybe for a bout 6 months you should do whatever you're doing during the week and the only have one cheat weekend a month for 6 months and see what happens that way you can gauge your progress and choose the times you cheat more selectively as apposed to every week end but you can also still have you're fun also changing to wine or making sure you don't do very sweet drinks if you go more than once a month and already planning something not so fattening to eat after you have fun i.e. egg whites and turkey meat from ihop which is always open maybe safer!
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    I don't consider the weekends "cheat" days, they just happen to be days that I have plans with friends and are more social. I don't want to cut them out while I'm losing weight as I plan to continue to go out while maintaining my weight. Instead, I want to learn how to go out on the weekends in moderation.

    I definitely agree about being more selective for when I go out, though. I have a tendency to go out on Friday and Saturday for the sheer fact that it's the weekend. I can definitely get better about that.
  • marynificent
    marynificent Posts: 110 Member
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    omg i do this too. the only way i've ever beat it is to eliminate alcohol completely, but who wants to do that!

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