Weekend sabotage and how to avoid it!

yogastrongmama
yogastrongmama Posts: 37 Member
edited June 2016 in Social Groups
I know, I know. It's the same, old, boring story. I'm soooo good during the week. Pretty much always on track for calories and exercise...

And then the weekend comes...

I don't know why it's so difficult for me. I have three young kids and so you'd think I'd be super-busy all weekend and not have time to over-eat. But I feel like that's all I do. Sometimes out of boredom, but mostly out of fatigue. I'm always snacking and allowing myself too much.

By the time Monday rolls around I've completely undone all of my hard work from the previous week.

Anyone care to share their system or habits for getting through the weekend?

I'm sure it just comes down to me tracking everything like I do during the week, but for some reason I have a great deal of difficulty doing even that.

Replies

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I do exactly what you say and it seems to be working for me. I eat below my calorie allotment and do not eat back any exercise calories during the week. Then on the weekend, I eat what I want. I'm in maintenance and not trying to lose however. When I was losing, I would eat what I wanted one day out of the week. My weight has been holding steady for two months now doing this.
  • yogastrongmama
    yogastrongmama Posts: 37 Member
    Do you mean that if you allow yourself, say, 1200 total and burn 500 in exercise you'd only be eating 700 per day? Oh gosh, I hope that's not what I have to do to get this extra 5-10lbs off :/
    As I have it right now, I'm already hungry. I eat 1200 total a day, but burn about 700 per day in exercise. Per day, I eat a total of about 1150-1200 (after exercise).
    Is this not the right way to be doing it for weight loss? I mean, if I could stick to this on the weekends then I know I would keep losing. But therein lies the problem.
  • megjay18
    megjay18 Posts: 78 Member
    i would suggest meal planning, even for the weekends. i also struggle with ruining everything on the weekends, but having a plan in mind for what we're going to eat (meals and snacks) helps me to stay on track. obviously you're going to have a meal or two that is a little more than you should have, but you can deal with those one or two as they come.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Do you mean that if you allow yourself, say, 1200 total and burn 500 in exercise you'd only be eating 700 per day? Oh gosh, I hope that's not what I have to do to get this extra 5-10lbs off :/
    As I have it right now, I'm already hungry. I eat 1200 total a day, but burn about 700 per day in exercise. Per day, I eat a total of about 1150-1200 (after exercise).
    Is this not the right way to be doing it for weight loss? I mean, if I could stick to this on the weekends then I know I would keep losing. But therein lies the problem.

    I eat around 1200-1300 on the weekdays. I probably get around 100-500max calorie burn. Usually closer to the 100 side since I mainly lift. On the weekends I eat between 2500-3000 calories per day. If you want to stay in a deficit, meal planning is key as @megjay18 mentioned. I usually plan out the whole week (except for the past couple of months on the weekends).
  • yogastrongmama
    yogastrongmama Posts: 37 Member
    Hi ladies,
    Thanks for your input. I think what I'm going to do is start tracking everything I eat on the weekends, but I'm going to allow myself around 1800 per day (as opposed to my usual 1200). Maybe that way I'll still feel like I can cut loose a little without totally blowing it. We'll see if that gets the scale moving in the right direction.
  • ZB1110
    ZB1110 Posts: 70 Member
    I've got nothing except yeah same boat
  • angelaSTL76
    angelaSTL76 Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same problem... until recently! I've tried the 213 Complex and it works through the weekend. You take the supplements M-F & off Sat & Sun, but the effects still stay with you to control food intake. I've just started so I don't have weight loss to report yet... stay tuned! :)
  • kirstenb13
    kirstenb13 Posts: 181 Member
    Hi ladies,
    Thanks for your input. I think what I'm going to do is start tracking everything I eat on the weekends, but I'm going to allow myself around 1800 per day (as opposed to my usual 1200). Maybe that way I'll still feel like I can cut loose a little without totally blowing it. We'll see if that gets the scale moving in the right direction.

    I think this is a good thing to try, when I was still losing, I would always give myself the option to eat up to maintenance on weekends. It never stopped me from losing weight and prevented that I went totally off the rails. I also usually exercise a lot more on weekends than during the week and would eat those exercise calories back as well, btw.

  • elize7
    elize7 Posts: 1,088 Member
    kirstenb13 I really think I like your food plan. I might try something like this once I relose 15 pounds back down to my maintenance weight. I think your work out strategy might also work for me. I tend to go into maintenance and just have no limits set in place so - I go hog wild and gain.
    I'm going to have to do something different if I want different results. Thanks for sharing your plan In a simple, understandable way.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Hi Ladies,
    Just wanted to post an update with my weekend eating plan. During the week I allow myself somewhere around 1200/cal. Weekends I've upped it to 1800 (though I seem to be eating closer to 1600).
    Happy to report that it's working, and better yet, it feels sustainable. Weight loss is slow--no more than 1lb a week, but it seems to be gradually happening.

    That is awesome news! And the fact that you find it sustainable is key.
  • kbcarden
    kbcarden Posts: 1 Member
    edited July 2016
    My problem is I work out and eat way more than the 1400 I have allowed myself and gain weight. If I don't work out I have no trouble eating 1400 or under and don't gain weight. Working out makes my hungry.
  • selvania
    selvania Posts: 4 Member
    kbcarden wrote: »
    My problem is I work out and eat way more than the 1400 I have allowed myself and gain weight. If I don't work out I have no trouble eating 1400 or under and don't gain weight. Working out makes my hungry.

    Have you considered allowing more fat in your diet when your working out? It can help you stay full. And yeah, I can have a similar issue :/ It doesn't adjust over time, I take it?
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,783 Member
    edited July 2016
    OMG I have the same issue - I know I drink more on the weekends and I am a lot less disciplined about logging my food. Also, weekends are when I tend to go out to dinner, and restaurant food is a delicious calorie bomb. What I need to do is make sure I get in some good exercise, but what I actually do is run errands or nap poolside! Need to change that!

  • MzKrystle
    MzKrystle Posts: 74 Member
    Weekends are the worst!!! But I've never really logged my calories so I'm going to do that this weekend. So tired of working hard all week only to gain it back over the weekend.
  • StevieFishwick
    StevieFishwick Posts: 27 Member
    Hi ladies,
    Thanks for your input. I think what I'm going to do is start tracking everything I eat on the weekends, but I'm going to allow myself around 1800 per day (as opposed to my usual 1200). Maybe that way I'll still feel like I can cut loose a little without totally blowing it. We'll see if that gets the scale moving in the right direction.

    This is a good idea. I've found ways to do good on the weekends but usually that includes eating small snacks and then eating that one thing I want that uses a ton of calories. I do allow myself more on the weekends that my boyfriend visits, so we can enjoy dinners out. Sometimes I'll gain a lb or 2 but once he leaves it goes with him!