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MyFitnessPal Community

Messing up on weekends- every weekend

cnave99

I can not get myself together. I do great all week. Then Saturday morning while I'm food shopping I'll buy stuff that I know I can't eat in moderation. Then I eat it all before Monday. I keep losing and gaining the same three pounds.

I'm getting no where. But it's a cycle that I repeat every freaking week. Any advice welcome.

Replies

kshama2001

cnave99 wrote: »

I can not get myself together. I do great all week. Then Saturday morning while I'm food shopping I'll buy stuff that I know I can't eat in moderation. Then I eat it all before Monday. I keep losing and gaining the same three pounds.

I'm getting no where. But it's a cycle that I repeat every freaking week. Any advice welcome.

You're aware of the problem and articulated it well here - great start!

Now you need to bring that awareness into the supermarket. When you hear that lying Sabotaging Voice telling you you will be able to moderate those trigger foods you can try a variety of methods to teach yourself to ignore it and not buy those foods:

Recognize that what you are hearing is a Sabotaging Voice.
Yell 'No' at it. I suggest you do this silently
Wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you are tempted.

This is a skill that can be learned with a little practice

brznhabits

@cnave99, Thanks for posting this. I struggle a little bit with the weekends but not overly. However, this last weekend was a whopper and reading this thread I think you helped me figure out why. This weekend because of other schedule commitments I a.) shopped on Saturday instead of my usual Sunday and b.) drove (instead of walking).

@fitbethlin Excellent post!

Also, I second some of the other suggestions

Don't buy trigger foods
I am and consciously plan to be more active on the weekends. This burns any overage AND keeps me from bored-eating.
If at all possible walk to the store. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk and I take my re-useable bags, this really cuts down on what I buy (and also my expenses). It's great. Even if driving, I wonder if ONLY using reusable bags and only allowing for a set number of bags would also help.

fitbethlin

fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »

Give yourself *points* for every piece of crap you DON'T buy in the grocery store. And when you accumulate a certain number of points (any crap you buy decimates your balance) then treat yourself to a new lipstick, or a new top.

this idea!! Game-ify it and all of a sudden the grocery store is an entertaining way to earn a cool prize, rather than an epic pain in my *kitten*. Love love love this.

cwolfman13

I'm more loose on the diet front on the weekends...but I'm also more active, so it all kinds of comes out in the wash. I never use my weekends for rest days. Saturdays are usually pretty busy days...my 7 y.o. has Jiu-Jitsu at 9 AM...after that I'm off to the gym and weather permitting I usually ride to and from. Saturday afternoons I will usually spend at least a couple of hours doing yard work/maintenance.

Sunday is my "free" day where I do something else besides my normal cycling or lifting...I've gotten into going to the rock climbing gym or hiking or swimming...sometimes we just go out as a family for a recreational ride...kayak season is also approaching.

I find that being active on weekends provides for a couple of things...1) I'm not just sitting around bored and eating (or wanting to eat), and 2) The extra activity helps to compensate for pizza night or some extra weekend indulgences (I'm looking at you craft beer)...

BoxerBrawler

I find that it's easier sticking to a nutrition plan Monday through Friday because it's a "routine". So you're going to need to change your routine on the weekends. Learn to say "no" to yourself. No one can tell you how to stop doing this and the only one you are cheating is yourself. I eat treats almost every night of the week, but I make sure to leave room in my calorie target during the day. I also maintain a pretty tight deficit heading into the weekend so that I can lighten up a little on the weekend and eat things I wouldn't normally eat. The thing about eating before you go grocery shopping... lol! Being hungry and craving something are two different things entirely so that doesn't work. Shopping the perimeter? Yeah great but that's where the bakery is! haha! Just try to make small changes to your routine and little by little you'll create some new habits.

menotyou56

One reply said exercise more and that would give you more cals to play with. Possibly if you really got into your exercise program or sport it would be more incentive not to mess up your calorie intake?

surlydoc

I have problems on the weekend also. I allow myself a cheat meal and those usually fall on the weekend. I also allow myself one dessert per week, also on the weekend. The struggle is keeping the cheat meal and dessert to a normal portion size. I've found that if I remember to tell myself "no" I am better. I keep reminding myself- "just say no to what you want to do" and it helps a lot. You want to buy just one candy bar? "NO" Do the opposite of what your craving demons are telling you to do.

Grocery shopping is very difficult because grocery stores put all the really bad tempting food out in bins in the middle of aisles. I know enough about calorie counts, etc. now to recognize when one little package of something will totally derail my whole day, so saying "no" is easier in those circumstances. Also, remember that the junk food does not fill you up. You can waste 1000 calories on candy and still be hungry after. I'm learning to remind myself of this as well. Junk food isn't fuel and it doesn't fulfill you.

JenHuedy

One thing that might keep you on track would be to go ahead and allow yourself ONE treat when grocery shopping instead of trying to avoid them altogether. Choose something that comes in a single serving and really take your time and ENJOY eating it. This might keep you from feeling deprived and going off the deep end when you do get access to "forbidden" foods.

nevadavis1

I'm messing up on weekends too. Even little things add up to extra calories.

Cirque95

I do the exact same thing. Last year I still managed to lose 2 and a half stone in a decent amount of time whilst still eating bad on weekends. At the time it was great because I was still losing weight but I wasn't properly dealing with my bad habits and ended up gaining all of the weight back once I stopped dieting. I'm now trying to overcome this problem and I understand how hard it is.

I find that I binge eat on weekends because of the change of routine and the increased freedom/boredom. I think planning your meals/snacks for the weekend is a really good idea. I'm going to try that from now on but instead of having meals I have during the week I'm going to try more exciting things. Like this weekend I might take the time to make a lasagne or something I don't usually have time to make during the week. I'm also going to treat myself to something non-food related so that I'm not stuck in the house. I'm planning on becoming more active on weekends and maybe going to a gym class or taking my dog on a long walk to somewhere I've never been before. I feel like I've personally managed to get my diet sorted out during the week and find it easy to stick to a routine during the week as a result, but I just haven't managed to sort the weekends out yet. I need to accept that I do deserve to step out of my routine on the weekends, but I need to learn to do it in a non-destructive manner. That's why I feel like planning nice long walks or planning to cook new things would be a good way to step out of routine without being destructive.

savithny

Grocery shopping is my superpower ;-)

One thing that helps in grocery shopping is that I have a firm budget that I have to stay under, which makes adding impulse buys much more difficult. (though staying under a money budget and staying under a calorie budget have a lot of similarities and poeple have difficulties with the money thing too).

Because of the budget, and because I cook almost all our meals at home and I work full time, I pretty much *have* to meal plan. I sit down once a week (Friday after dinner), and plan the meals for next week. I use my grocery store's website and app to build a list. The list building tool gives you the projected cost of your groceries, so I can build a list of decent meals that keep us under budget, but its generally pretty tight.

I print off the list, or I use my phone to access it via the store's app. And then I pretty much stick to the list when I shop. The only deviations allowed from the list are when I see a better deal on something (and then I have to re-work the meal plan on the fly).

Shopping from the list is a really important tool in my "Crap-Buying Prevention Plan."

nevadavis1

If you eat less on weekdays can you compensate for a weekend splurge or does that end up messing up your metabolism?

DaniG_1987

As others have said make a grocery list and stick to it, don't even bother going down the aisles that don't have the food you are looking for. I also pop some headphones in and play some of my gym work out music when I'm grocery shopping by myself. It helps me to focus on getting in and out, makes me walk with a little more pep in my step, and probably sub-consciously reminds me of my goals and the hard work I've been putting in and how cheez-its are not worth ruining that.

fitmom4lifemfp

nevadavis1 wrote: »

If you eat less on weekdays can you compensate for a weekend splurge or does that end up messing up your metabolism?

No eating more or less does won't "mess up" your metabolism. Your metabolism will always slow as you lose weight -that is normal. But it's something that happens with weight loss, over time. It's NOT something that responds to a splurge or eating less in a week. It's a response to your weight/body mass. Definitely nothing to be worried about.

cnave99

I just want to thank everyone. Harsh words, encouraging words, all of it helped. I will save this thread and read it early Saturday morning to arm me against my grocery shopping sins. lol.

Thank you all!

estherdragonbat

1) I pre-log on Friday afternoon what I mean to eat on Saturday and work in some treats that fit my calories.
2) My weekly weigh-in is Sunday morning.

lorrpb

cnave99 wrote: »

I do eat before I go, so that is one positive.

You're right though- this is all me. I know what happens, I'm old enough to realize I'm sabotaging myself. I have to make it a priority to make a list. And stick to it.

Try cutting back on the binge food more gradually. For example, instead of buying chips, beer, ice cream and pizza, eliminate one item then get used to that and eliminate one more a week or two later. Or buy a small package of chips instead of a huge one, a small box of ice cream or pizza, a single beer rather than a case, or whatever, you get the idea. Eventually your taste will change, as well as your desire to manage your calories, and it will become easier to stay in control. Remember to buy something with fewer cals to substitute in place of the binge food. You'll need to experiment to learn the modifications that work best for you.

Theo166

cnave99 wrote: »

I can not get myself together. I do great all week. Then Saturday morning while I'm food shopping I'll buy stuff that I know I can't eat in moderation. Then I eat it all before Monday. I keep losing and gaining the same three pounds.

I'm getting no where. But it's a cycle that I repeat every freaking week. Any advice welcome.

Are you logging your weekend binges?

As others have suggested, shop with a firm grocery list and a full stomach.

hallehoo22

I binge on the weekends too but my problem is eating out, rather than buying bad food at the store. But I usually find it easier to buy better foods at the grocery store if I'm not hungry. Maybe try eating a meal before going to the store? Or if you can get some of the unhealthy things in single servings? I was really craving pop tarts yesterday so I got the small package that just comes with two, rather than buying the whole box.

Also, i don't know if anyone has Aldi around them? It's an off brand store so their stuff is cheaper but it's also more limited which I think is helpful in avoiding junk food. They don't have single aisles devoted to chips and cookies, etc. So it's easier to avoid temptation.

ritzvin

hallehoo22 wrote: »

I binge on the weekends too but my problem is eating out, rather than buying bad food at the store. But I usually find it easier to buy better foods at the grocery store if I'm not hungry. Maybe try eating a meal before going to the store? Or if you can get some of the unhealthy things in single servings? I was really craving pop tarts yesterday so I got the small package that just comes with two, rather than buying the whole box.

Also, i don't know if anyone has Aldi around them? It's an off brand store so their stuff is cheaper but it's also more limited which I think is helpful in avoiding junk food. They don't have single aisles devoted to chips and cookies, etc. So it's easier to avoid temptation.

They are actually one of the worst for me when it comes to tempting snacks. So many very cheap delicious gourmet snacks. (hell.. You are face to face with a large rack of amazing Belgian chocolate the moment you walk in the door. And excellent cookies for cheap. And cheap brie, camembert,...

SLLRunner

cnave99 wrote: »

I can not get myself together. I do great all week. Then Saturday morning while I'm food shopping I'll buy stuff that I know I can't eat in moderation. Then I eat it all before Monday. I keep losing and gaining the same three pounds.

I'm getting no where. But it's a cycle that I repeat every freaking week. Any advice welcome.

You have the control, the choice is yours. If are having trouble moderating, then it might be time to let that food go for awhile until you can get control over it.

Then, when you're doing well with moderation, buy one of those snacks. Open bag, put bowl on scale, put portion in bowl, weigh, put bag away and enjoy the portion. No matter how hard it gets, don't go back to that bag.

Food has no power over you.

__TMac__

I'll echo those who say that meal planning and grocery lists are key. I'll also add this:

1) Pre-log your daily food so that you'll see ahead of time what you do and don't have room for. Include a treat, but not a trigger food. I can stop at one piece of individually wrapped dark chocolate, but will eat a large bar in one sitting if that's what I bring home. I can't moderate cheese crackers, so I never buy them.

2) I built a map of my usual grocery store in Excel, and marked in the aisle numbers and contents of interest to me. Yes, I looked like a weirdo when I went to the store and took notes, but I only had to do it once. I print it out each week and write my grocery items onto it. I don't go down extra aisles, I don't scan the shelves randomly and get distracted by treats, and I finish up much faster.

3) Online shopping could work as well, but I'm picky about produce and they always get it wrong. Maybe online shopping monthly for most things, but then weekly visits to only the produce, meat, and dairy sections would work. Again, meticulous planning would be necessary.

earlnabby

cnave99 wrote: »

I do eat before I go, so that is one positive.

You're right though- this is all me. I know what happens, I'm old enough to realize I'm sabotaging myself. I have to make it a priority to make a list. And stick to it.

Can you take someone with you? This will do 2 things ; 1) They can tell you not to buy something that will trigger you and 2) You can send them off to get things on your list so you will spend less time at the store.

Also, if you really want a treat on the weekend, buy single serving packages and enjoy!

joaniebalonie088

I am struggling similarly! For me it is the beer I drink while watching sports, followed by wanting to order that pizza to go with it

This has been a cycle for me almost every week, and while I haven't completely turned it around I have done some great things to help minimize the damage and reduce the size of the calorie bomb.

For one thing, I make sure I am doing something active first thing after I get up in the morning. If I spend the morning laying in bed I will probably end up over my calorie goal somehow.

I also keep my wallet/credit card in my car in the garage, so that I actively have to go get it if I am ordering pizza or something. This provides an extra roadblock to make me think about what I am doing, and to make sure that it is really something I want.

Finally, I have been using Happy Scale to track my weight. I see a definite stall over the last 6 weeks, despite being on point during the week and having the most consistent month ever at that gym! To be hitting my marks so well and to see a stall really makes me look at the damage I am doing with just a few poor choices.

xmichaelyx

I eat very low during the week specifically so that I can eat whatever I want on the weekends. No guilt.

animatorswearbras

The thing that helps me the most is to log it'll make you think instead of mindlessly grazing on the stuff in your fridge, don't shove your head in the sand even if you're over and prelog if you can, I also try to bank a few exercise cals for the weekend. Every weekend I am slightly over maintenance cals but I'm still losing (slowly) because I just try to work it in over the week. Basically 5 days a week I go for a 500 cal deficit, weekends I aim for maintenance.

The list idea is a great idea, and just aim to be in and out of the shop ASAP, hit the aisles you need and no browsing. Good luck.

ProgressNotPerfectionIAmEnough

I'm still trying to learn how to lose weight and be healthy and balanced. I wonder if you could allow yourself fewer calories on week days and more calories on weekends? Is there a way you could plan ahead to shift your "messing up" into a "part of the plan"? Then if you bought your weekend food ahead of time maybe that could help as well. Could you freeze half of the packages of cheat foods for the following weekend to avoid the temptation to finish it all? You can do this. You can.

cnave99

joaniebalonie088 wrote: »

Finally, I have been using Happy Scale to track my weight. I see a definite stall over the last 6 weeks, despite being on point during the week and having the most consistent month ever at that gym! To be hitting my marks so well and to see a stall really makes me look at the damage I am doing with just a few poor choices.

I do this too. I like seeing the trends. Plus weighing everyday just feels like data now. Which takes the emotion out.

happysherri

Just do it

-eat before you shop
-look up healthier versions of your favorite recipes
-prep ahead for the weekends - make these recipes ahead of time
-get active, get busy

Good luck

pinuplove

Honestly, you know you have a problem. You've identified the behaviour that enables to problem. All that remains is to change your behaviour. How to go about accomplishing that is entirely up to you. Limit the cash you carry when shopping, bring a friend to slap your hand, shop a different store or on a different day, whatever it takes to overcome this habit of buying and eating problem foods.