I eat well during the week but over the weekends I'm like a frat boy with nothing to lose
elefferts
Posts: 2 Member
Who else is like this? Monday through Thursday it's easy for me to eat nutrient dense food and stick to my calorie goals, but Friday through Sunday it's like my body decided the only thing that will satisfy it is to eat the entire bag of shredded cheese. Of course I'm not seeing the results I want if I struggle to eat well literally half the time.
Anyone else struggle with weekend eating? What are some of your tips and tricks?
Anyone else struggle with weekend eating? What are some of your tips and tricks?
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Replies
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Is your daily goal, or the way you’ve chosen to eat too restrictive? If you are feeling deprived and overindulge on the weekends, especially on a particular type of food (shredded cheese) it suggests you may have cut too much out and you are feeling deprived. How many calories are you aiming for? How much weight do you have to lose? Are you eating a certain way?
What I and many others do is bank calories during the week when it’s a little easier to stay on track so that we have extra calories to work with on the weekends when there are more social events and temptations.
I also try and get in as much exercise as possible on the weekends if I know there will be events I want to splurge at. This helps keep my overall weekly calories where I want them to stay within my goal.6 -
I’m the same way. I eat good Mon-Fri then Sat and Sun eat out constantly or snack all day. I used to blame it on my family being home and we are always on the move on the weekends. But I’m usually the one picking the places to eat.1
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WinoGelato wrote: »
What I and many others do is bank calories during the week when it’s a little easier to stay on track so that we have extra calories to work with on the weekends when there are more social events and temptations.
How do you bank calories? Manually keep track or is there a way in the app to roll them?
I like the idea of extra exercise on the weekends.1 -
I love your thread title. I think it's always important with stuff like this to figure out "why". For me, I found during the week worse because I would stress eat and not have as much time to plan. On the weekends I was in total control of my time and would get caught up in doing stuff I enjoy and "forget" to snack.
For others, it's a structure issue. If their weekends are unstructured they have trouble staying on plan. If you can figure out why, it will be easier to fix!
If you have an aggressive calorie goal, you are bound to run out of willpower. Reconsider your goals and how restrictive your diet is. I eat "treat" foods every day as long as they fit in my calorie goal, so there isn't much to be tempted by on unstructured days.
How are you going off plan - More snacking? Bigger meals? Drinks?
I found prelogging was a life changer. If I can't stop thinking about ice cream, I log 90g of the ice cream in my freezer. I look at what it will do to my numbers and then make a conscious decision one way or the other. If I decide it's worth it to have some, I weigh out 90g and put the container away.
If you have been logging accurately and consistently, look back at the last few weeks and really try to see some patterns and figure out the "why". If you haven't been, then logging accurately and consistently and prelogging when possible might help you get back on track. Good luck!3 -
forbittersweet wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »
What I and many others do is bank calories during the week when it’s a little easier to stay on track so that we have extra calories to work with on the weekends when there are more social events and temptations.
How do you bank calories? Manually keep track or is there a way in the app to roll them?
I like the idea of extra exercise on the weekends.
IF you use the app, and scroll down to the bottom of your diary there is a button called "nutrition" if you click that you can see the week view for calories, nutrients or macros. There will be a bar chart and a summary for "Net Calories Under Weekly Goal" in which you can see how many calories you have left. In general though, I keep a mental tally - if I'm under my calorie goal by 100-200 cals each day during the week then I know I have 500-1000 extra on Saturday or Sunday to play with.
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I have this problem when my deficit is too steep. What is your daily calorie goal and how much are you looking to lose?1
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I'm pretty strict with my nutrition during the week and more loose on the weekend...but I don't go off the rails...I just allow myself a little fun. I also typically exercise more on weekends because I actually have time for longer rides and spending a little more time in the gym...usually more active in general on weekends when we're out doing family stuff...all comes out in the wash.0
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So, ban frats. You're using your job as a crutch to pretend that some other entity controls your eating.
Be the boss of you, your mouth, your belly, and your weekend.2 -
I also struggle with this. I’ve even asked the boards advice. Basically what they told me was that I was being way to strict during the week & I needed to “lighten up” & stop labeling food good/bad or restrict certain foods to only the weekends. That’s what I was doing, so when the weekend rolled around, everything I had deprived myself of was fair game & I almost felt like I had to eat it all before the weekend was up. So now I’ve introduced what I used to consider “bad” foods into some of my weekday meals & it seems to be helping. I also pulled back on my weekend indulgences. I used to give myself cheat days on Friday, then it was Friday & Saturday, then it was Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. So now I kind of see what my weekend looks like, decide what day would be best-ie football game/tailgating on Saturday means I stay on plan Friday, live my life on Saturday, then get back on plan on Sunday. This is working out well for me; I’ve also noticed it on the scales. I’ve been on this journey for over a year, had a lot to lose, & I needed to loosen up because I had been so strict in the beginning. Now I’m closer to goal so I try to get out of that “soooo much to lose” mindset & start looking st this as a new way of eating rather than a diet.7
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I am the same way, I can eat really well during the week but go a little over board on the weekends. For me, it comes down to having the structure of the workday. I have my meals and snack planned out for the work day, and I eat them at the exact same time every day. On the weekends I could be doing any number of things at any given point, plus I'm home more with access to the fridge and pantry, plus plus, if we go out to eat, the weekend is when we do it. Try figure out why you're doing it, and find a way to fix it. Is it lack of structure? Maybe you need to plan on what you're going to eat and when, and then find things to do in between those times. Or, you can always eat a little bit lighter during the week to bank those calories for the weekend. Or, you could exercise more or do some active activity with your family (like a bike ride, or a hike, whatever)1
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Who else is like this? Monday through Thursday it's easy for me to eat nutrient dense food and stick to my calorie goals, but Friday through Sunday it's like my body decided the only thing that will satisfy it is to eat the entire bag of shredded cheese. Of course I'm not seeing the results I want if I struggle to eat well literally half the time.
Anyone else struggle with weekend eating? What are some of your tips and tricks?
I do because my boyfriend is a gym fiend who needs about 3,000+ more calories more than me per day to function. It's easy for me to go along with his portions or food choices, since we share our meals together. I'm practicing good old moderation though, and saying "no" as well. While he can easily down a 1/4 carton of ice cream on his own, I'm getting two scoops. We started up random night-time walks to get some extra steps in. And, I'm stocking up more on lower calorie ready-to-go items (like deli meats, pita bread, vegetables), so I can make healthier options quickly, and not be tempted to go for higher calorie items.
It's a work in progress, but there's progress!3 -
Who else is like this? Monday through Thursday it's easy for me to eat nutrient dense food and stick to my calorie goals, but Friday through Sunday it's like my body decided the only thing that will satisfy it is to eat the entire bag of shredded cheese. Of course I'm not seeing the results I want if I struggle to eat well literally half the time.
Anyone else struggle with weekend eating? What are some of your tips and tricks?
I'm the opposite as I have a busy schedule, and it was easier for me to keep snacking chocolate bars in order to don't stop working. While at the weekend, I am so busy walking the dog, doing the house chores, etc. that I barely stop to eat. Since I started to take time for myself, to pre-log, to cook and freeze meals, etc. it's been much easier.1 -
The weekend is always super hard for me. It comes down to setting goals and sticking with them. My trouble comes from eating and drinking over the weekend. Talk about frat boys ahaha, gotta curb my alcohol intake. I would suggest meal planning your weekends. If you already have the meal made or planned it may be easier to stick with it.
best of luck!1 -
I do much better now that I gave up carbs. That burger with fries would really put it on me and the seven craft beers probably wasn't helping. I still have a few beers but I have switched to mostly light beer and yes I hate it. I can now usually only go up a pound or so.0
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I am definitely more strict during the week. On the weekends I let my hair down a little but I am still always aware. I have learned not to deprive myself of anything so I pretty much balance out. I love ice cream. I have it a few times a week and just pay attention to my calorie intake. If I want a burger, I have a burger but I balance it all out by watching what I am eating at other times.1
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You can beer bong a donut? Lol0
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