Summer isn't even here yet and I'm already having problems with overeating on weekends. Last weekend I was out of town for three days and the weekend before I had a bridal shower to attend. I need some encouragement and ideas to help do a better job on weekends. Thank You!
I haven't had a problem with weekends in particular, but nevertheless one of the first things I did originally was set my weekly weigh-in to first thing Monday morning. It looms large.
Before, I was always a "it's the weekend - mcdonald's for lunch!" kinda girl LOL so pretty much anything I do keeps me ahead of the game! I make a plan for lunches especially, and dinners are usually a bit more elaborate (and i make lots so I have some to freeze for an 'emergency' dinner, or smaller lunches). The only thing that's worked for me (I can only speak for myself!) is to have my dinner, have a cup of tea and a small treat of some kind (usually SF jello, or an organic ginger cookie) and then the KITCHEN IS CLOSED. If I start thinking I can have a little snack at night, I'm back to having bowl after bowl after bowl of whatever! So I guess what I'm saying is find what seems to work for YOU, what you can live with and keeps you on track You're half way there - knowing you have to do something! a plan is a great way to start!
This past weekend was my first on-plan weekend in quite a while. What was different this time? Pre-planning.
Friday evening, I planned the next day's menu per my allotted calories for the day. I had a Girlscout event to attend on Saturday, so I planned food and snacks that I could carry with me. There was no reason to vere off course because I had a plan and I had my food with me. There was no guesswork. On Saturday evening, I planned for Sunday. This worked very well for me and I will continue to treat weekends the same as my weekdays by planning.
Last edited by GirlyGirlSebas; 04-28-2009 at 02:55 PM.
I think one of my biggest weekend challenges is that I don't have the schedule and structure that I have at work M-F. I've been trying to be more flexible on the weekends while also continuing my calorie counting to make sure I don't go too far overboard.
Hi, I generally allow myself to eat some of my favorite foods (that are not on my list of acceptable foods to eat) either Saturday or Sunday, just knowing that I have one of the weekend days to look forward to helps me to stay on the straight and narrow, quite a bit. If I know that I have a party to attend where there will be lots of desserts etc. I really make sure that I am exercising at least 3 or more times a week & drinking my 8 glasses or more daily.
We all like to relax on the weekends, so when I do eat out on the weekends I make careful choices. Last weekend on Friday night hubby and I went to Rubios and I got a healthmex burrito with salsa and it was only 535 calories with the salsa.
Then Saturday when we went to the movies I had No snacks and afterwards when we went to lunch I got a grilled shrimp salad at this place called Hibachi san. The salad was very light and the shrimp was grilled and looking online I found the whole meal was like 310 calories
I always look up places I go out and pick an item that will keep me on point, if I can't find anything I don't go- and I pretty much rarely have that problem.
Besides that I also make an effort to eat a good breakfast on the weekends and I make simple meals on the weekends as well
Planning helps me. I work from home so the weekends are like any normal day for me except that my husband and all of my kids are at home. When we decide to go out and do something I make sure I know what I'm getting into
Other than that just keeping busy, drawing boundaries for visiting the kitchen and chewing gum has helped too!
I treat the weekend days like regular days - and plan my meals and snacks just like a regular day. If I'm going out to eat, I plan ahead to make a good choice. I practice portion control and never take home leftovers from a restaurant (very very very rarely). I carry my own snacks to the movies - dried mango is my favorite movie nom nom!
Hey! Glory's suggestions are great--I'd just add to that that it helps to have all kinds of planned foods for different weekend possibilities. For example, Glory talked about movie snacks. So, you have a plan for what you eat if you go to a movie, and you have the foods on hand in case, if you need them. Likewise--someone says "Let's go out to eat!" You have a list of places you can suggest to go, and a list of the entrees you can eat at those places. Or someone says, "Let's go to this bar tonight." You have thought ahead of time about what you will drink--maybe you won't drink alcohol at all!--and possible foods you can have and in what amounts.
In this way you have a strategy for most things that come up.
Of course, this is in addition to having planned meals and snacks, just like on any other day.
Weekends are hard for me on the overeating subject! I manage to get through them by:
- planning my meals ahead
- planning my counselling session on weekends whenever possible
- planning my French lessons on weekends whenever possible
- staying out of the house the more I can, not necessarily away but even sunbathing in the garden
I eat completely differently on the weekend, because it fits best with my psychology and lifestyle. During the working week I eat three meals, two snacks at fairly set times throughout the day. On the weekend I'll often only have two meals and maybe one snack, but the meals will be larger and often eaten out. For example, I'll get up and snack on an apple, then maybe meet someone for brunch, where I'll have a small cooked breakfast, or an ommlette, and then I won't eat anything else until dinner, which could also be a meal out with other friends.
So much of my social life revolves around food, particularly on the weekends, that I would find it very difficult to plan and structure my meals like I do on weekdays. I try hard to make nutritionally good choices, and compensate for the fact that the portions are larger by reducing my calorie intake on weekdays and not eating as often on weekends. When I get closer to my goal I may need to be more controlled, but this is a pattern of eating that I think I can maintain long term.
Thank You all for the ideas and encouragement. I will need to do better with planning on weekends and for meals eating out. I plan on sitting down and making out some menus, with some of my favorite foods to make on weekends in my calorie range.
Ideas to stop overeating on Weekends
You're half way there - knowing you have to do something! a plan is a great way to start!
Glory's suggestions are great--I'd just add to that that it helps to have all kinds of planned foods for different weekend possibilities. For example, Glory talked about movie snacks. So, you have a plan for what you eat if you go to a movie, and you have the foods on hand in case, if you need them. Likewise--someone says "Let's go out to eat!" You have a list of places you can suggest to go, and a list of the entrees you can eat at those places. Or someone says, "Let's go to this bar tonight." You have thought ahead of time about what you will drink--maybe you won't drink alcohol at all!--and possible foods you can have and in what amounts.
