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MyFitnessPal Community

Weekend Weight Gain

skinniwantabe

Am so upset that I can lose a few pounds during the week but seem to put it right back on over the weekend. I feel like if I don't have a "cheat" day I will completely fall off the wagon. Is there anyone else going through this same thing. I can't be the only one.

Anyone have any tips to help me get through the weekend a little better.

Replies

2012dancingqueen

i don't have any tips but i am right with you. I dont even know how i gained back the 2 pounds i lost in two weeks since i kept to my calories but i weighed myself today and i'm right where i started. So frustrated. Any tips/ideas are welcomed too.

mylildeva

bump

SoDamnHungry

Do you eat like crazy on the weekend? If you're dieting and normally eat 1300 on a weekday, why not up it to 1900 on the weekend cheat day? It'll give you some cheat but you can't actually gain pounds back that quickly.

mummyzena

Umm... my mum used to have her 'cheat day' on her weigh in day, also possibly change your weigh in day to a Saturday morning?

sandy2006

I am in the same boat. I lose during the week and if I have a day where I eat and gover my calories I put it back on. Some say its just water weight but I dont know.

Abells

Number 1 are you drinking alcohol? Also, friend me so I can see your diary.

Maybe you should make your cheat day in the middle of the week such as Wednesday or Thursday just to break it up a little.

VoodooLuLu

i lost 3 pounds awhile back thought id give myself a cheat seeing it was the weekend gained 7 pounds during that weekend...im not going to do cheat days anymore because its to tempting and ill have no controle over myself...so ive taken tempation out of the way and holding myself on a short leash

kikokateyy

Take measurements. The tape measure can't lie(too much), your weight changes depending on many factors, so try something that can be a little more constant

Blakkmale2001

i had success this weekend....i think its a mindset....i made up my mind that i was gonna power through it...make sure you contine to track what you eat...yes cheat a little i do. but record it...and try to be more physcally active over the weekend...make sure you go for walks and keep busy..i love the fact that when you record your excercise for an hour or so you can eat a few hundred more calories!!

athandtia

hi, this is a common problem i'm afraid, and very frustrating. i guess the thing to do is track what you're eating over the weekend and see where you're going wrong. good luck.

e_NV_y

I have the SAME problem! During the week i will eat so well partly because im working and make my lunches and such.. but it seems as the weekend comes and im out and about going to dinner or drinks or whatever i usually gain a few pounds back by Monday!

its been a vicious cycle my whole weight loss journey.. ugh!

shaycat

I am right there with you. I feel like all the eating right and working out that I did all week doesn't matter now after yesterday.
I like to have one cheat meal on the weekend. One bad meal turned into three! I was feeling so full. I went over my calories by 1200. That is a lot!
All I can do today is get back on track put yesterday behind me and be more careful next weekend.

deliak2010

Don't lose motivation, it's ok! It's all about trial and error in the beginning and seeing what works best for YOU. I used to fall off the wagon on weekends too with my cheat day but then realized that a cheat day is too much so I changed it to a cheat meal. So, with my cheat meal on saturday or sunday, that day only ends up exceeding my normal calorie intake by 200-300 cals, sometimes more if I'm going out for dinner, have a get together, etc. I've also read that your cheat meal/cheat day should not exceed your BMR but I'm not sure how to calculate that so you should search the forums for more info. Anyway, you can adjust the numbers how you see fit but I noticed that after I started to do a cheat meal instead of an entire day of high cal foods, I was able to maintain MUCH better on sat & sun, especially considering I exercise much less on weekends. Hope that helps and feel free to add me if you woud like additional support. Best of luck on your journey!

xtraKEWLbruva

I'm going through the same thing. I am going to push one of my workout days to Saturday and minimize my cheat day to 250 - 500 calories.

LadyFluff

I am having this same issues & I never thought about it before until now but I like to have some drinks over the weekend and never really thought about the calories or anything. What are you eating to "cheat" maybe cutting it back a little might help I am gonna try that this weekend..

Jordynnsmom

I have a cheat day on the weekend. What I have discovered is to not weight myself the next day. Unless you have a SUPER speedy system your still carrying that food or a good portion of it and usually on cheat days my salt is way higher. My advice is don't weigh yourself on Monday. My weigh in day is usually Monday, but this week I wont be doing it until Tuesday because I made chinese food and had lots of soy sauce and seaweed. SUPER SALTY=water weight. Stop beating your self up...Have a lot of water and a good excercise today and weigh yourself tomorrow.

RachelGraceReed83

I find that having my meals planned out for everyday helps me to stay on track especially on the weekends!

I even goes as far as pre-cooking so that I have no excuses! (Like if the meal I planned has chicken, I will cook it ahead of time.)

Oh and I try to make my cheat day on weigh in day (after I have weighed in of course)

nixirain

It is probably bloat/water retention from the cheat day. If it is messing with your motivation then maybe change your weigh in day to friday. That way, if you eat heavy on the weekend you can make it up by eating and exercising healthier during the week. Also, I work out extra hard on Saturday's and Sunday's just so I can eat/drink with my friends on the weekends.

Just a thought.

skifdnkgrl

Alcohol is a BIG factor for me on the weekends.

smalltheresa

your weight fluctuates everyday. We you overeat on the weekends you are not going to gain everything simply by two days. I say do not focus on the scale everyday becuase if you do you will go crazy. I joined weight watchers last month and when I taught that I gained two lbs, I was surprise to have lost five lbs. I know at one point I gained but that could be a number of factors. One can be I am retaining water. I know on the weekends I would eat entire bag of potato chips, fried chicken tenders and whatever junk I ate and then I realize I did not even drink any water. So when I step on the scale during the beginning of the week, it shows on the scale. However I know my body and it simply all the sodium in my body and it will show on the scale. Dr. Oz says one can have a FATURation or something like that where we simply have a cheat day and then the next five or six days we eat a healthy and exericse. So do not focus on scale as much but just that you eat healthy 80 percent of the time.

cdpollreis

I know exactly what you're dealing with. I am awful on the weekends. I completely undo my whole week of being good. During the week, I have a routine and it's easy to follow my diet. On the weekend I find myself "bored" eating. It's all about keeping occupied for me! I have to change things up on my days off for sure.

Good luck! Hope you figure out something that works for you.

ataylo30

me too! I find that my fat intake goes up quite a bit over the weekend. I think I am eating okay, but since I am eating chicken at Chili's instead of at home, it is packed with fat.
I am trying to be realistic with what I do. I can't work out 4 hours a day for the rest of my life, or never eat out again. But on weekends (especially in the winter) I am finding it VERY hard to stay motivated when the scale is up and down the same 3 or 4 pounds each week.

mstemen

In a single day your weight can change +/- 2 to 4 pounds. I do really well with my eating during the week and usually have free weekends. I still try not to gorge myself but I tend to eat things I don't during the week (like hambergers) and I've been losing at a steady pace. Drink lots and lots of water, the reason you're probably losing the 4 pounds in the week and gaining them back in the weekend is due to sodium.

sandown12

have your cheat day on weigh in day after weighing of course BUT remember the body doesnt understand weeks days months it just does what it wants and if you weighed monthly and was on 1200 cals x 28 days thats 33,600 calories if you ate 1200 calories 24 days and cheat days were 1800 thats 1600 calories over in 28 days
Maybe up your dauly allowence or save some calories each day to have on weigh day so say you have 1250 calories a day save 50 a day thats 350 cheat calories on weigh day
Hope this makes sense?
I went out valentines day for a meal and I ate just 400 calories and saved 900 for the meal and 100 from the next 6 days so I had 1500 calories for my meal
The body will just lose when its getting less calories than it needs x

skinniwantabe

Okay, I might be agreeing with the fact that this “might” be water weight from maybe a few too many alcoholic beverages and some salty fatty foods....but if that is the case then how do you ever know what you true weight is? Do you just take the weight that is the lowest on the scales and anything above that is "water weight"?

PearsPeppersandPeanutButter

I like the cheating but still have a limit. Because if I cheat I go all out and cheat until I can't possibly cheat anymore.

capricorn0120

I think everyone has a "cheat" day at some point but don't do it the whole day. It's one thing to have a few drinks or a food you wouldn't normally have during the week but it's entirely different when you binge the entire day. You can't eliminate everything. I'm a strong believer that you can have anything you want but everything in moderation.

When you do have days like that you should still drink lots of water and exercise a little more.

2012dancingqueen

Umm... my mum used to have her 'cheat day' on her weigh in day, also possibly change your weigh in day to a Saturday morning?

That sounds like a really good idea actually!

princesscookiepops

I stay on track all week .Then the weekend comes and everyone is home together I make bad food choices and drink beer with my husband. I make sure I stay under my calorie goal and work out , but the weight just stays because of all the bad choices. I keep motivated and know that as long as I add extra workouts it will start to show on the scale . Or at least I keep telling myself this.

mrsjennifermaffei

My cheat day is on Friday and I slack a little on the weekends but seems like it doesn't make me gain weight anymore. Like my body is needing the extra calorie burst on the weekend. Must be working because I got back on the wagon about 2 weeks ago this coming friday and I've already lost 7lb!