Help!

I need some advice, Monday through Friday afternoon seems to work really well for me, however, from Friday evening to Sunday I'm a wreck when it come to counting my calories or keeping track of my food. Any suggestions? I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can provide. :)

Replies

  • hikerchic
    hikerchic Posts: 23
    weekends and holidays are so hard for me too. It can completely ruin your good week if you go overboard. Try filling your weekend with active things to make up for not being so correct with tracking. (ie exercise more on these days) Planning can help too. If you are going to the movies pack your own air popped popcorn and grapes to munch on. If your going to a party eat a snack before you go...and so on. You were not clear on what is actually keeping you from tracking. Is it that you are busier on the weekend, running around doing errands and going out? Is it that you are around people who encourage overeating? I find that my kids are always on the computer when they are here and its hard to track because of that because I do not have a phone to use as well. Do you use your phone to track when you are out?
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
    What is it about those days that makes it hard for you? More temptation? Going out?

    For me it's about planning. I don't put any foods off limits, I just don't eat the high calorie foods in the quantities I used to. If I know I'm going to have a couple beers, or some cake at a birthday party, or go to a restaurant, I eat light the rest of the day and save my calories for my "splurge" and can still stay in my calorie limit. Also if I go out to eat, I try to find the calories online so I can plan what to get. Working out helps earn some extra calories too!

    I've lost 39 pounds total since December, but 23 of those 39 in the past 8 weeks! And I've done it praticing exactly what I wrote above!

    Good luck to you!
  • Those are great suggestions. Well mostly is that I have too much free time, my boyfriend and I tend to eat out a lot which does not help at all. I do not have a smart phone, so I have to wait until I get home to log my food and calorie intake. I think if I plan and sent my mind that weekends are not free days to eat out that it will help little by little to leave that habit.
  • Thank you so much for your story. It inspire me that you have lost all that weight with easy and simple things. I just started about 2 weeks ago so I'm eager to see the pounds dropping, I lost 1.6 pounds which is great, but totally destroyed it over the weekend and gained it all back and it kind of discourage me, but I have decided that I do not want to be overweight any more and that is why I rather ask for help than quit. THANK YOU!!!!
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    The weekends are the worst! The key is planning ahead, and then sticking to it. I have to keep busy all weekend, or I become an eating machine! Everything in sight is at risk. As long as I keep active, I don't have as many problems. I have so much to do most weekends, it's not a problem. I don't do any errand running or chores during the week, so it really makes my weekends busy. Even if plans change on short notice, it's still possibly to work around them.
    I also find the phone app really a lifesaver in many cases. I don't think I could do as well as I have been without it!
  • particleastro
    particleastro Posts: 68 Member
    If it makes you feel better these days are hard for me too, but in the opposite way. I find it hard to get in the calories I need and always end up missing meals.

    I get round it (to some degree) by making sure I have lots of 'go-to' meals ready made, so if and when I get distracted or head out there is something in the fridge I have made that I can pick up. It helps if you make a few extra servings of dinner/lunch/salad and keep them for a couple of days. Then , when you need them, there they are.

    Hope it helps.

    JU
  • mangobadango
    mangobadango Posts: 294 Member
    I was struggling with the weekends too until I challenged myself to track everything for 50 days. Now I know I have to track what I eat so I plan ahead. Not having the phone app makes things difficult, but maybe if you brought a notebook with you, or had the ability to take notes in your phone. Even if you don't know the calories, just the habit of writing down what you eat could help.

    I still struggle with the weekends, going out to dinner, going to Starbucks, opportunity to be lazy. I think everyone struggles. There have also been some great suggestions here. Planning ahead is key and just focus on moving. If you go out to dinner go walk around a shopping center afterwards, or at a park. If you can't do that then do some jumping jacks when you get home. The point is, just find ways to move no matter how weird you feel doing them.
  • mellstein
    mellstein Posts: 12 Member
    i too tend to eat lighter during the weekend days if i know i'm going out to eat or have a birthday party to attend...i also try to make sure to fill up on low cal stuff before i leave the house. i also try to make sure to exercise before i leave the house on those festive days (need to have more calories to eat!).
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
    I plan all my meals in advance. Also, what you might want to do is do a little bit of research before you go out to eat. Look at the rest. menu online and the nutritional info. That way you already know what you are going to have and how much calories it is. Weekends are a great time for me to add in more excerise than what I can get during the week. Go for a walk, go on a bike ride. If its too hot outside go to the mall and window shop, its all about getting moving more. When you are at home plan your meals in advance...for instance, this is what I am going to have for breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack, and dinner. And dont stray from what you have already planned. Hope this helps
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    I love to eat out! But I've made a commitment to always either share an entree with someone, or if they don't want to do that, split the entree in half immediately and be diligent about eating only 1/2 and taking the other 1/2 home. No bread or if I must, no butter. No appetizers but if I must, a basic green salad. No dessert - except for that extra glass of wine. : ) Being diligent about portions really helps.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
    If you know in advance where your going to eat out at just look them up before you go and you will know what you want to eat before you get there. After a while you will know what are smart choices at your favorite places. I try to eat the weight watchers menus sometimes, but if I really want something else I will try hard to eat lighter during the day. Lately I've been doing some volunteer work and they feed us so good and because I am so tired I tend to just eat but at least I'm buring calories too. I usually end up gaining a pound but the next day I get right back on track and lose it.
  • Thomakk
    Thomakk Posts: 25 Member
    If you know in advance where your going to eat out at just look them up before you go and you will know what you want to eat before you get there. After a while you will know what are smart choices at your favorite places.

    I agree completely. Plan ahead and look up the restaurant in the database. There are many good food options loaded for most of the chains. Pick what you want from the database and stick to it. I did this for Olive Garden this weekend and knew just what I could have.

    Don't want to encourage you to spend extra money (unless you have it to spend), but the mobile app is awesome. You can search the food database and log workouts and food on the fly.
  • Thank you so much for all of your comments, it truly has put me back on work mode and to know that it's not only me it feels better. I will try your ideas and see which ones I can stay on for the long run. THANK YOU! you have made a difference :)