weekend eating - need motivation/help!

tommiirugby
tommiirugby Posts: 52 Member
edited November 10 in Motivation and Support
Hi all,

I started my weight loss journey back on the 3rd of Jan, and i feel that I have been doing really OK. i have lost 22lbs but issue I keep having is that I am losing the will and motivation every weekend.

it comes along and Friday ill eat rubbish, Saturday and Sunday are the same! in fact as we speak I am over my 1500kcals target is over by 1300kcals as off today.

I really need help support people to push me to maintain it on the weekends!

Is there anything i can do so stop this cycle of being really good in the week and almost rewarding myself with rubbish food on the weekend...

any tips advice or suggestions would be so fantastic!

Replies

  • MichelleMcWain
    MichelleMcWain Posts: 66 Member
    Weekends are hard for me too. I am usually pretty good during the work week. I find if I keep myself busy I don't try to snack.. when Im bored I eat. Today I was really craving some hot cheetos and Im glad I dont have any but instead I got up and ate an apple then popped in my workout dvd for the second time today.. just trying to keep yourself busy.
  • WinterBlue
    WinterBlue Posts: 42
    i hear ya. i try to keep myself occupied with housework or get out of the house and head to a bookstore to read for a bit after eating...or anything away from sitting on the couch. then by the time you get back you'll be due for your next meal. I have a very had time on the weekends. I also try to do the longest of my workouts during the weekend..mostly friday-saturday..then I can have more calories and not got over...so if you work during the week maybe it will help to set your longest workouts friday-sat-sun that way you can eat more during those three days and then if you're busy during the week you won't have time to get into that rut.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    I think of it this way.....I can eat the junk, but I have to walk or work it off. Last night I went over having popcorn at the movies I was over....so I will make it up.

    It is hard to stay motivated...try pic's of what you look like when you started, and a pic of what you want to look like. Hang it were you keep your food.

    Feel free to add me as a friend : ) Good luck
  • driaxx
    driaxx Posts: 314 Member
    I used to have this problem so I stopped rewarding myself entirely, and only ever rewarded myself on holidays and special occasions after I had reached my final weight loss goal.

    I promise that once you get into this more, you won't even want to eat crap on the weekend. You'll think of food differently - like fuel instead of for taste etc. and rarely want to eat bad foods because you'll mentally analyse that they have no or little nutrition!

    Until then, if you REALLY want to have a reward meal, take it slowly. Eat one bite, chew it 30 times and put your fork or spoon down in between every bite + accompany with water. This works better than anything else for me.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    Hello!

    I know what you mean about weekends! I'm really controlling myself now but I always treat myself, I make sure I do extra exercise at the weekend and just treat myself when it comes to one of the meals, and sometimes a snack. I still try and make healthier decisions with it and try and control my portion sizes.

    If you're looking for another buddy on here feel free to add me as I'm always looking for support myself.
  • driaxx
    driaxx Posts: 314 Member
    I think of it this way.....I can eat the junk, but I have to walk or work it off. Last night I went over having popcorn at the movies I was over....so I will make it up.

    It is hard to stay motivated...try pic's of what you look like when you started, and a pic of what you want to look like. Hang it were you keep your food.

    Feel free to add me as a friend : ) Good luck

    Yeah, this is true as well! What I do is if I ever go into the red zone, the exercise calories I work off the next day go towards the 'red' day.
  • k19johnson
    k19johnson Posts: 2
    Weekends are my battle as well. One thing I recognize is that I don't have the same structure to help force me to eat at "proper" times. In some ways, my response is going to sound a little cliche, but admitting it is half the battle. You have recognized what it is that causes you to go over on the weekends, the sense of rewarding yourself for doing good during the week. Take that thought and try to find healthier ways to reward yourself.
  • w2bab
    w2bab Posts: 353 Member
    It helps to keep healthy snacks on hand, especially crunchy ones. Raw carrots aren't chips, but at least they're something. Lol. If you've lost 22 lbs. in 6 weeks you're definitely doing something right, even if you are going over your calorie budget on the weekends.
  • cgraylyon
    cgraylyon Posts: 292 Member
    I have also been having a hard time on the weekends. I know that if I don't go out to eat I am fine. The only reason I am fine is that I do not have anything bad in my house that I want. I have a husband and two kids, so I can't get rid of all the junk food. But I find if I only buy junk food that they like and I don't that it seems to work. For example, I love salty snacks and not sweet snacks, so I buy candy, muffins and pudding for the family and baked crackers, pretzels, etc. for the salty snacks instead of chips and dip. That way if I do pig out it's not too bad! Please don't look at my diary today though - I really had a bad lunch! (Five Guys) :)
  • positivelylisa
    positivelylisa Posts: 32 Member
    Weekends are very hard for me too. This is what I've been trying to do:

    If I 'let go' for a meal/snack/moment/afternoon etc... That's it. Let it go there. Do not let yourself go to the place where "I already blew it, what difference does it make now". It makes a difference!! Sometimes, I'm only back on track for the next meal, and slip again. Same deal. Each choice is it's own. You're doing good by recording it, even though you know you're over. It's acknowledging there is a problem. Sometimes just seeing what I've done, will help set me back to rights.

    I also agree with working it off. If you're going to play, you have to pay.

    Keep busy, or if it's a lazy day, read about health and nutrition. I crazily satisfy my food obsession reading about it or watching food network sometimes. Crazy (and sometimes dangerous) I know. But it works for me.

    I'll sometimes tell myself "If you eat this apple and 24 oz of water, and still want that ________, then fine". Most times, I don't!

    Good luck! Hang in there. Weekends I think are hard for lots of people!!
  • helloflopsy
    helloflopsy Posts: 17
    I know that I eat so much more at the weekends (parties, birthday celebrations, eating out! etc) so I've started doing more exercise on Saturdays and Sundays, too. Long walks and swimming are my faves.

    Today I went over by 39 cals but if I hadn't have exercised it would have been worse!

    Do you have the time to do exercise on the weekends?

    and congrats on the weight loss!! :)
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    Weekends can be hard for me too, but i do work from home... so there is ALWAYS food here I could splurge on.

    Log, log, log. Drink lots of water. Every bit that you eat, make it count. If you go over, you go over... but don't let yourself make it a habit!
  • Tonika44137
    Tonika44137 Posts: 167 Member
    Most weekend failures come from lack of planning..week days are more structured and planned, so you have to plan your weekend meals the same way; rather its eating out or at home..

    I know I have had weekends where I'm on the go the entire day and had to eat out so I try to make healthy choices while I'm out, grabbing a salad, sub sandwich and logging it in before I get it to determine how the rest of my day will be..if I'm at my childrens game and need a snack I grab the healthiest thing out the machine (nuts or a granola bar)...bottomline you still have to plan your weekends like you do during the week and if you can get a quick workout in that makes it better for you
  • VinaAnderson
    VinaAnderson Posts: 104
    YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Weekends are a constant struggle. If I want to eat junk, my strategy is to eat a healthy meal first that way I'm already sort of full so I don't go overboard.
  • JenniferInNY
    JenniferInNY Posts: 65 Member
    Weekend eating is always a mess for me...especially when hanging out with friends. It's not that they make me eat crap or anything...but when I'm with them I always do!

    My new goal is just to track all the food I eat on weekends. Not to change it, just to track it. I'm assuming that if I track it, I will start to control it a bit better.
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
    The weekends are a endless battle I struggle here and there some weekends are better then others. I find my self finding other things to do on the weekends. Like walking or using the WII for longer times. My weekends get all messed up when I sleep in late and get off track. Just pick your self up and try again. We all have our ups and downs on the weekend. You just need to jump back in with both feet and keep trying till you find a sytem that works for you. Find good friends to support you hope it all works out for you
  • elpiper
    elpiper Posts: 183 Member
    ahhhh! its like you're in my mind. I have the same problem. I'm trying to get my calories in line, but the weekends are the roughest for me. This weekend was REALLY bad. Congrats on your loss so far, just keep at it, and knowing really IS half the battle! You got this baby cakes, just keep working on it!
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