I FAIL AT WEEKENDS...ADVICE?

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Replies

  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    I'm the same... I don't even log accurately at the weekend lately for the shame... I work out hard during the week and eat really clean with nice big (1000kCals + per day deficit normally) deficits then come Saturday morning, I'll have a healthy breakfast, feel a bit hungry, eat something else and can't stop and just binge gorge...I think its boredom partly but also perhaps as I take my rest day then, my body hungry for calories!

    I just need more will power, or things to do, like going out shopping/cycling or something!!!!
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
    Try planning your meals for the weekends- log everything and hold yourself accountable. Instead of using the whole weekend as a cheat, try allowing yourself 1 cheat MEAL (not a whole cheat day). Limit that meal to about 90 minutes and make sure you eat it at a table (not in your car, not standing at a bar, not at your computer). When you get up from the table, the cheat meal is over. During that cheat meal, allow yourself to indulge a little- have foods you normally don't allow yourself at other meals. Give yourself one fun meal to look forward to after a week of of working hard to reach your goals.
  • You deffo need to log your food at the weekends. Its all about planning your food for the weekend.
    I have found that its still cool to have domino's you just can't have a whole pizza - have a slice or two and a massive salad. That way its a bit better for you and you don't have to beat yourself up about it.
    You could also try going for a 30min walk each day to help burn it all off!
  • Rynoman2k3
    Rynoman2k3 Posts: 152 Member
    I slip up on the weekends but i always log. I had a 110 day streak going and I was a sleepy head all Friday and forgot to log. My wife and I love to eat out, we just like relaxing vs cooking on the weekends. It's a lifestyle change for sure.

    Just gotta get into the groove!
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    I was always the same way and failed miserably at dieting and I struggled for years. I have now found a plan that allows, even requires me to eat more on the weekends. Have one day a week to eat at a surplus. Use this day for your guiltless weekend day that is the hardest for you. Look into spike84. Eat bmr for six days and have one day at 2 x bmr. This diet is also a plateau buster and helps to get really lean.
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,490 Member
    Do you record exercise?



    *guilty face*


    I havent exercised for a couple of months. I used to run 10k 5 days a week during the summer. I recently bought 30 day shred and i'm starting that today. I'm a fit person too so its ashame..!


    I think the KFC and Mcdonalds may have a little to do with it...A mega bump of calories in one meal with little or no excercise..
  • I tend to fall off the wagon on weekends too. This weekend I did really well, and the difference for me was logging in my food intake at each meal and really trying to stick with my allotted calorie intake. It helped me and when I saw I was close to going over before dinner, it motivated me to work out for 30 minutes. I am really going to try to stay on top of it on weekends, because it is easy to say wth and do whatever. Maybe if you tend to do a free for all on weekends, tell yourself that you have to work out a little more to make up for it. But if you do get off track, don't beat yourself up, just try try again!
  • lindalou0703
    lindalou0703 Posts: 226 Member
    me too, I dont have any advice. I would like to hear others ideas
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    I thought I was "failing" at weekends, too, until a friend pointed out that I wasn't eating all of my calories during the week, so for a weekly total, I'm still right at goal. I still log weekends, and I try to plan for those extra calories. I then eat WHAT I want, but in much smaller quantities than I would have before.

    For example, yesterday, I knew we'd be going out for lunch, so I had a light breakfast. When we ended up at Cheesecake Factory, I knew I'd be having dessert, so I ate about a third of my entree then split a slice of cheesecake with my husband.

    I still went over by about 200 calories for the day, but I had more than that "in the bank" from my remaining calories earlier in the week. I really enjoyed my food because I got to taste WHAT I wanted, but I walked out without feeling bloated or out of control, and I had enough entree left for 2 more meals...YUM!

    Another option to cover the 200 calorie overage for the day would have been to pop in 30 day shred or step on the treadmill when I got home. Either way, I'm finding there is a way to balance doing what it takes to lose weight while still enjoying the foods I love (in moderation...less often & smaller quantities). And, it's all based on my choices.
  • PLAN PLAN PLAN!!! its def ok to have a cheat meal/snack. But if you plan for it, you will be less likely to over indulge at other times!!! It can be seen as your reward for working so hard during the week :)
  • My weekend issue is that my schedule is off, everyone is around and so much more is going on. On weekends I do MORE planning as to what I am going to eat than I do during the week, so I can sit down in the morning and at least get breakfast lunch and dinner logged in and see where I stand for the rest of the day. Then I sit down at the end of the night and log whatever else needs to be logged!
  • grendella
    grendella Posts: 158 Member
    i second the spike84 plan. it has really been working for me since i started. my losses so far following this program:

    starting weight: 151.6
    week 1: 149.2
    week 2: 148
    week 3: 147.8

    one day a week you are to double your typical caloric intake. this means you can have a day to go out with your friends, and eat and drink. but keep in mind, that is ONE day. ive found it helps me in other areas, too. since i am only going out to party once a week, im saving a lot of money :) . its easier for me to stick to my diet the rest of the week when i know i am allowed to be "bad" once a week and eat all the "no no" foods. also, the best day to work out is after one of these spike days, so i notice i find a little more self restrain as each week passes when it comes to consuming alcohol on my spike day. maybe this makes me sound a boring old fart (im 24), but the program has actually made me feel much more in control of my decisions and my lifestyle.

    i see that you wrote you used to run. i highly suggest you hit the free weights at the gym. learn how to lift properly, and then lift hard. muscle burns fat even when you're chilling out, so the sooner you can get some muscles growing the sooner you will see results.

    dont listen to the scale, either.
    take your measurements. as a pageant girl, you probably already have! 10 lbs of fat and 10 lbs of muscle are distributed on your body in totally different ways.
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    If you consider what you are doing a "diet" then it's a temporary condition and you feel you can go back to "eating normally" on the weekends to treat yourself. Diets, for the most part, do not work because when you reach your goal weight and go back to your normal eating patterns, the weight will come back. You need to consider this a lifestyle change - eating healthier and exercising.

    As the others have said, you need to change your mindset, start logging your food on the weekends and perhaps continuing your exercise on those days as well. I go to a Zumba class on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons most weekends in addition to what I do during the week.
  • chelseaaak
    chelseaaak Posts: 6 Member
    become a hermit. like me.
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    You have to find out what works for YOU. If weekdays you do well, repeat that behavior on the weekends. If you feel that you need a break from logging and being "good" all week, then give yourself a break one day (or one meal) on the weekend but log it so you can see how easy it is to overdo it. I can still ruin all my hard work in a matter of a few days. The key to success is keeping a goal in mind and keeping at it. Don't give up. You can do it!!
  • I am the exact same! For me, it's because I hang out with friends who don't have the best eating habits, and I think of it as my way to indulge. But, like everyone else is saying, log everything in. And maybe the week may stress you out, and that might make you eat unhealthily? If that's the case, find some way to deal with the stress, by yoga, or maybe even cooking! Hope this helps!
  • Thanks for the replies! :)

    Why do you feel the need to eat unhealthy during the weekends?

    I look at weekends as if its a 'day off' from eating good, i dont know why..
    I dont party or drink a lot, and i dont work out during weekends..

    I used to be a gym addict; but i recently bought 30 day shred so im starting it today and will stick with the diet and regime properly.

    FOr instance i had a dominos takeaway yesterday :|

    With Dominos, I'm always used to getting a large size, and I always used to spread it over two days, now I still do a similar thing, but rather than have a decent sized breakfast, a decent sized lunch, then dominos, then repeat the next day; I have a small breakfast, miss out on lunch, then half the dominos for dinner, then the next day, spread it out over the day, say 2 slices over each meal (if your having 3 meals a day).

    If you do this then your calorie intake won't be horribly high. Ive just been cutting down on my portion sizes and reducing calories, I don't have the most nutritionally balanced diet, but I seem to be losing!
  • jaajh
    jaajh Posts: 1,262 Member
    I so understand you. I used to have this problem big time (and still find it harder to keep on track at the weekends). However, the following 2 things have really helped me:

    1) Still exercise at weekends! I had seen weekends as "time off" and so didn't exercise. Changing this was part of my "lifestyle" mentality. I want to be fit and healthy ALL week!

    2) I changed my weigh-in day from a Thursday to a Monday. Previously a Thursday weigh-in gave me the chance to "undo" my excesses of the weekend - at least that was how I looked at it mentally. So I had to change those thoughts. I now weigh-in on a MOnday morning, so my excesses of the weekend are going to show! THAT in itself makes me watch what I eat over the weekend!

    This is so much more a mental battle than a physical one! If we can get into the right mindset it helps. I am no way there yet, but as I realise that the thoughts I have are not right, I try to change them.

    I hope this helps a bit!

    Friend me if you want.
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    You have to log in everything you eat and drink. You are avoiding it because you don't want to "see it". I put in all no matter how bad or good.

    Seeing ALL your choices in your log helps you tweak your "bad side".

    Like for example, if you are out and you can choose wings, but skip the ranch dressing or have tea or water to cut out those calories.

    You do have to learn how to "eat out" and logging is what helps you do that.

    Remember everything is a process of learning. I am still learning and tweaking.
  • Jipples
    Jipples Posts: 650 Member
    Hi guys.


    I do sooo well during the week with my diet and i log everything on MFP, then the weekend comes along and I forget all about MFP and eat crap until Monday!

    Any tips for this? Its starting to annoy me - feels like my diet during the week is going to waste!

    Feel free to check out my diary.

    Why do you think this is?
  • SuperSnoopy
    SuperSnoopy Posts: 3,464 Member
    Go to the gym saturday and this should focus your mind in the right direction and encourage you to eat healthy. To be blunt there is really no excuse, you either want to succeed or you dont its as simple as that. Log Everything down so you can see exactly where your at in terms of your calorie goals.
  • loopybec2002
    loopybec2002 Posts: 313 Member
    Check out my diary for this weekend I went out and got very drunk and I also went to a restraunt. I did a work out saturday morning and I logged everything before I went out. I decided I could have anything I wanted but if I went over I would have to work out on sunday as well as saturday. I had a fabulous night out and i didn't go over but I had decided to give my space to go over if i wanted too. I actually modified what I had when I got out and didn't have the rice I had planned it but had two more drinks.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Try planning your meals for the weekends- log everything and hold yourself accountable. Instead of using the whole weekend as a cheat, try allowing yourself 1 cheat MEAL (not a whole cheat day). Limit that meal to about 90 minutes and make sure you eat it at a table (not in your car, not standing at a bar, not at your computer). When you get up from the table, the cheat meal is over. During that cheat meal, allow yourself to indulge a little- have foods you normally don't allow yourself at other meals. Give yourself one fun meal to look forward to after a week of of working hard to reach your goals.

    This doesn't necessarily work either... I do this normally, but find myself at weekends devouring bowls of cereals and loads of fruit. my appetite become insatiable as soon as I stop hard cardio...i.e. on my rest days. It always leads to the Monday Morning Bloat where my work skirt is tight unlike on WED-FRI when it's loose!...

    I plan my food, I have those pre-planned meals and snacks, but then I just have extra snacks. I'm lucky that I'm not gaining any week over the week because of my weekday routines where I do 2 mega cardio sessions per day at least with some weights sessions during the week (I'm talking in excess of 1200kCal burned just in exercise advanced HRM tracked per day so even though the numbers are big with that, they're bigger if calculated by MFP/The machines and then low calorie, healthy filling food for meals and little snacking during the week) And its not just 'cos there's junk around, and in general, I don't overeat on junk. It's things like muesli, skimmed milk, apples, porridge +honey, bananas, fat free yoghurt... wholewheat pasta with tomatoes (no cheese-allergic). carbs in general!


    I can't help it! I don't even drink booze really either too... very occasionally, less than once a month!
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,832 Member
    Ugh, me too!
  • Miss_dannii
    Miss_dannii Posts: 1,351 Member
    I'm not saying you don't want it enough, but I know the reason I don't fail at weekends is because I don't want to fail, and because I know if I do fail then I'll just go into the frame of mind that "Ah I've already failed by having this <insert bold food here> I might as well have this and this and this

    So I just keep busy, make plans and make meal plans and stick to them

    You'll feel good about yourself when the weekend's over
    x
  • aliciawakka
    aliciawakka Posts: 46 Member
    I am exactly the same as i live away from family so we go down most weekends for the one day as its my other halves day off. We always eat out or buy whatever we can when we are out all day. I still eat the things that are high in calories but Friday i was under my calories because i knew i was going to be over on the Saturday. I also made a better choice in the food i ate. I am into the whole checking how many calories are in each thing and i am shocked at what i find out. Definatly log everything you eat on a weekend as like other people have said it will make you realise. I didnt log everything as i was disgusted by how much it was but now i do and i am still not happy with it but i have only been on MFP for 4 weeks so far but i am so much better and getting there. Also definatly plan food! Helps me so so so much, good luck!!
  • Mikaylarae27
    Mikaylarae27 Posts: 175 Member
    bump
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    Hi guys.


    I do sooo well during the week with my diet and i log everything on MFP, then the weekend comes along and I forget all about MFP and eat crap until Monday!

    Any tips for this? Its starting to annoy me - feels like my diet during the week is going to waste!

    Feel free to check out my diary.
    Don't look at weekends as free days. Just continue to eat the same as during the week. People relax on the weekends. You can't when it comes to dieting correctly.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • I know that I struggle more with food during the weekend, so on the weekend I eat a smaller breakfast. I also make sure to exercise more, so that I have extra points to use if needed.
  • Fochizzy
    Fochizzy Posts: 505 Member
    Earn your weekends. That's what I do. Sometimes I can't log everything. Honestly I am a mid-20s female living in New York City. I am going to go out and drink on the weekends and with shots, beers and bombs I can't really count everything in a Saturday night. I do count everything right up until I hit the bar. I did a couple things to help this. The biggest was I cut back going out, I used to go 2-3 times a week now I try to go no more than 1 time a week and I have been closer to 1 time every two weeks. I also I switched to light beer. And I kill myself in the gym on Saturday morning. After killing myself and eating dinner I get an estimate of how many beers I can have to to stay in Maintenance. Cause honestly if I am at a bar I will not be at weight loss that night. Then I do my best to keep in the range. It usually works for me. It will not be as big a loss as it would be if I was good. But this is supposed to be a rest of my life change, and I am not going to stop going out for the rest of my life so I better see how it can fit in.

    All this being said my weight loss is slow 29lbs since last June. But I can live with this. I am changing how I live my everyday life and that takes time.