Why are weekends the worst!?

allisonfarrier4940
allisonfarrier4940 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
All week I kill my logs and almost everyday am below my calorie goal..But weekends? Not so much!! On Friday I have a cheat meal or snack, and then Saturdays with the kids and husband home I am not as active (I don't like cleaning house when they're here, I wanna watch movies and play with them) but tend to eat 100-300 over my goals too..I can't really pin point it. I thought about making Saturday or Sunday my cheat meal days but I think I'd go much more overboard than I do on Friday.. anyone have any insight they'd like to share?

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    Because people view the weekend as a time of RELAXATION......................and they also do it with their eating. Treat the weekends like your weekdays and you'll resolve your issue.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    A lot of people save calories during the week to eat more on weekends.

    MFP's app lets you view your weekly calories. It's in the Nutrition tab at the bottom of your diary (on iPhone for me).

    You can still eat more on weekends but have an overall weekly calorie deficit and lose weight.

    Good luck.
  • LegacyLion
    LegacyLion Posts: 25 Member
    Usually when I over eat by a couple hundred calories, I usually just work out a little longer. Try working out at night to burn off a few hundred calories.
  • sy_19440
    sy_19440 Posts: 55 Member
    I don't treat the weekend any different than during the week. If I know there is an event that evolves around food on a weekend, I get an extra workout in. Meal planning also tends to help.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,188 Member
    How far under are you during the week? If you are 100 under Monday through Friday then you will have an extra 500 cals for the weekend.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Another one who saves up calories during the week to eat more at weekends. It really works for me. It's the average over time that matters, not the total on any particular day.
  • allisonfarrier4940
    allisonfarrier4940 Posts: 21 Member
    "How far under are you during the week?" It really depends, some days it's 150, some days it's 20-50... So all those calories I'm not eating when I'm working out I can eat on weekends?

  • allisonfarrier4940
    allisonfarrier4940 Posts: 21 Member
    Great great ideas. Thank you!!
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited December 2016
    Weekends can be hard because they are less regimented than the work week. Couple that with the idea that the weekend is perceived as "play time," (which we usually associate with food), and it can be a tough time to restrict calories. As someone else mentioned, some people bank calories through the week so they can accommodate eating a bit more on the weekends.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I don't treat the weekend any differently from any other day...except the weekend is when I actually have time for a long ride and a little extra time in the weight room.
  • smcrimmon84
    smcrimmon84 Posts: 135 Member
    Weekends are always tough for me too. Sometimes I do amazing and sometimes I totally get off track and eat like crap for 2 days. For me - its the being out of my normal routine that is the problem. The kids and my husband are home, we are busy, out and about, running errands, etc - so its just "easier" to eat out or grab fast food, pickup a pizza, something like that. BUT I also have time to get a killer workout in in the morning with more time than I have during the work week..so it has its good and bad parts!

    I do "save" calories curing the week each day for the weekend. Sometimes the scale will be up a bit on Monday but its almost always water retention/bloating from something sodium filled that I indulged in over the weekend. Usually by Wed, the scale is back to normal!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,188 Member
    allisonfarrier4940 wrote: »
    "How far under are you during the week?" It really depends, some days it's 150, some days it's 20-50... So all those calories I'm not eating when I'm working out I can eat on weekends?

    Yes. You can look at your weekly goal and not just the daily goal. If you are under on some days you can use those calories later in the week and it will all balance out.
  • allisonfarrier4940
    allisonfarrier4940 Posts: 21 Member
    smcrimmon84 wrote: »
    Weekends are always tough for me too. Sometimes I do amazing and sometimes I totally get off track and eat like crap for 2 days. For me - its the being out of my normal routine that is the problem. The kids and my husband are home, we are busy, out and about, running errands, etc - so its just "easier" to eat out or grab fast food, pickup a pizza, something like that. BUT I also have time to get a killer workout in in the morning with more time than I have during the work week..so it has its good and bad parts!

    I do "save" calories curing the week each day for the weekend. Sometimes the scale will be up a bit on Monday but its almost always water retention/bloating from something sodium filled that I indulged in over the weekend. Usually by Wed, the scale is back to normal!

    Yes! I need to work out on weekends. My husband just ordered a treadmill so I can walk at home with the toddler, I'm hoping it helps me get more active even when everyone is here and demanding all my time and attention.
  • allisonfarrier4940
    allisonfarrier4940 Posts: 21 Member
    You guys are awesome! I've decided that Sundays will be my cheat meal days. If I go overboard my extra deficit from the week will cover me. Thank you all so much for your advice!!
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Simple: Unstructured time! When you're doing work, school, whatever, there's a lot more control on what your actions are... including food. Weekends are often harder to have that sort of discipline.

    For me, it's trying to plan my eating on the weekends a bit more thoughtfully. You know you're going to eat, after all. Going to McDonald's? Have a plan to know what meals are best. Need a stress free meal? Know which frozen pizzas are best for the diet and make sure they are in the fridge when you need them. Going to the movies? STEP AWAY FROM THE POPCORN...LOL!

    And make sure during the weekend you get some time carved out for you, not just kids and chores and such.

    It doesn't have to mean the end of spontaneously deciding to go to a restaurant or whatever, either. Just be smarter and more aware and plan for things when you can.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    My work week is very structured and I'm usually busy. That isn't the case on the weekends. Well, I'm busy, but it's less regimented and therefore meal times are off; there is greater access to snack foods; if I'm out and about, the healthy options are a little tougher to acquire, etc.
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