Weekends are killing me!

robyndobyn3
robyndobyn3 Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can't seem to get out of this awful pattern....eat well and exercise all week. Between Friday night and Sunday I completely throw it all out the window with poor eating choices, alcohol, and at least one lazy day on the couch. This weekend I tried to reset my pattern by having some friends join me for a run on Saturday morning (which was awesome by the way)! I thought that would set me up for a better weekend, but I let a cookout with friends that night turn into a calorie killer (too much snacking and too many beers) followed by a recovery day on the couch on Sunday. We have a very busy social calendar on weekends full of family cookouts and gatherings of friends. I need some help trying to re-align my habits at these events so I can continue making the good choices I make throughout the week. I am so frustrated with myself! I know what choices to make - I just can't seem to overcome the temptation of indulging on the weekends!

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    It comes down to priorities.
  • The_Weaze
    The_Weaze Posts: 511 Member
    It's so hard, I completely understand but at the end of the day DeguelloTex is right...it's your priorities. No one can make the choices but you.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Sounds like you already know what you're doing wrong. Now, you just have to figure out what you want more. Whatever it is, go with it and enjoy doing it!

    I know how hard it is to turn down ribs and cornbread and have salad instead while you watch someone else eating the very yummy thing you'd rather have. It sucks. But it's not THAT bad when you are doing the thing you want to do. I want to be healthy and thin, so I eat what I need to eat to get there. It doesn't include cornbread every week.

    I don't love skipping things I like, but I do love making myself healthier. That makes me happier than cornbread would. So, I skip it.

    You have to figure out what will make you happiest.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Better planning with your food diary. Bank your calories thru the week by eating a little less.
  • glitzy196
    glitzy196 Posts: 190 Member
    Priorities and Commitment will serve you well..the whole week.

    If i am going to a social function..i usually know about it s couple days ahead, i will 200 or soo calories less the 2 days before..just for 'insurance' i will also pre log my best guess if what i might eat there..first thing in the morning the day of. That way i don't eat too much before the event. Plus if i log something i tend to think of it as done, oh i said i could have 1 hamburger, some macaroni, a couple of pieces of fruit..and 1 beer. That's like 11 hundred calories right there, or i could trade the macaroni for like 2 more beers..its just about choices.

    I rarely drunk, because too many calories, not to mention if i get drunk there is no telling what i might eat!

    I don't excersize. So a day on the couch sounds amazing, but i have little people, so i don't see that changing in the future.

    A cook out is not an excuse for me to over eat, especially if they are 'often' and a weekly occurence.

  • Yogamat316
    Yogamat316 Posts: 19 Member
    If it's a social life that's killing your diet, you might help yourself by declaring your intentions for what you put in your mouth out loud before all the fun even begins. I know I sometimes feel awkward being the person who reminds everyone that I'm trying to lose weight, but I'm also prideful/stubborn enough to not sit there and stuff my face or binge-drink after I've already told everyone I'm not going to do that. :)
  • mk732
    mk732 Posts: 17 Member
    You can try banking calories during the week so you can have more calories to work with on the weekends. My boyfriend and I go to gatherings with friends and family just about every weekend and I got to my goal weight and have been maintaining for a year by banking calories.

    Also keeping in mind that I don't have to eat all the foodz just because it's there, has been very helpful for me.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Eat before you go, eat lightly or bring something you can eat. Save calories before/after... Pretty simple. Make it more about your friends than the food. Weekends should be planned just as weekdays are planned. If it's important, you'll do it :)
  • audreydgreen
    audreydgreen Posts: 42 Member
    It has been said that you should have a least one cheat a week, just don't over do it. Maybe just one cheat meal and not cheat the whole weekend
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Weekends were my undoing but I started to keep my exercise level up and stop eating big sandwiches with fries. I still have my beer though. I went out of town for a four day getaway this weekend and hit a new record. I put on ten pounds in four days, way too much beer and food.
  • Versacam
    Versacam Posts: 109 Member
    Think of your calories as Saturday > Saturday.

    Say you can have 2000 a day, 14,000 per week.

    Sat & Sun you eat 6,000 calories. Leaving 8,000 for Mon>Fri. If you need to eat more, then you will have to exercise more.

    Or, pick a day, Sat OR Sunday, and use the same method.
  • brandigyrl81
    brandigyrl81 Posts: 128 Member
    I have the same problem. What has worked for me is planning ahead. Since you exercise all during the week, save those exercise calories for the weekend. Start exercising on the weekends if you're not already doing so. Also, save about 200 calories a day from your allotted amount (as long as you're not starving yourself).
  • clynnrychly
    clynnrychly Posts: 11 Member
    I have this exact same problem and I find I'm able to overcome it when I plan my weekend activities ahead of time. If I have days where I'm sitting around with nothing to do, I'm going to snack, ask friends to go out for dinner/drinks, drink and watch movies by myself, etc.

    I am trying to plan active weekend activities ahead of time to keep myself busy and also keep myself on track. Plan hikes, bike rides, yoga classes, etc. Especially things you have to sign up for to obligate yourself to actually go.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited August 2015
    Are you still logging on the weekends? I committed to logging when I started MFP again in April and since I hate being in the red, that helps me make better choices.

    I do sleep later on the weekends, but I also exercise more, as I do tend to have bigger meals on the weekends.

    Booze just leads to a viscous calorie overload cycle for me, so I rarely drink anymore. I have other ways to change my state.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Better planning with your food diary. Bank your calories thru the week by eating a little less.

    This ^

    Zig-zag your calories. Less during the week.....more on the weekends.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Weekends don't kill anything ... your lack of discipline does.
  • TnTWalter
    TnTWalter Posts: 345 Member
    yup. bank calories and then LOG what you eat. Face it. Just because you didn't log them, doesn't mean you didn't eat them. Good luck!
  • idioblast
    idioblast Posts: 114 Member
    One thing that helps me at social gatherings is to have some gum on hand. If I have a piece of gum to chew on after I eat, I'm less likely to go back for seconds. Other than that I agree with what many have already said, eat a little less on the weekdays to have a buffer on the weekends.
  • AspenDan
    AspenDan Posts: 703 Member
    I know the feeling! During my work week I restrict my calories and am moving a lot...but then my 3 day weekend comes and I eat too much and move too little.. I guess I just try to gain less in the weekend than I lost in the week and call it good :P
  • SaffronSunrise
    SaffronSunrise Posts: 182 Member
    Bank your calories during the week, then eat light for breakfast ans lunch before the cookout. Also make something to take to the cookout with you that you can eat. I always take a side dish whenever invited to a cook-out and depending on what they're serving, I'll pick up a few chicken breasts to contribute too.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    I have the same problem sometimes and love the suggestions here. I try to eat only the things I really really want and in moderation. I no longer have to finish my plate and get uncomfortably full.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I shave off 100 calories from my daily goal during the week to give me an extra 600 on the weekend. Then I pack cucumbers and peppers and carry them everywhere. I eat and drink what others drink. But I snack on mine own stuff too and I do not care what anyone thinks. I'm not going to be trying to lose these last 5-10 pounds for another freaking year.
  • jmpaterno
    jmpaterno Posts: 47 Member
    edited August 2015
    I
  • jmpaterno
    jmpaterno Posts: 47 Member
    I would second bringing a lower-calorie dish. That way, you can log a portion of it beforehand and just eat what you bring. (If not, though, a burger or cheeseburger without a bun is my go-to lately.) You might also try a glass of wine or two instead of beer, or bring some nice light beer for you (and others) to enjoy.

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