I find come Friday afternoon, my desire to plan my meals and eat good things hits a large brick wall. I am finding it hard to get past it too. Friday hits and all I want to think about is how much I don't want to cook, or do much of anything for that matter... Usually by the weekend my fresh food supply is getting dangerously low, and I will be resorting to pasta for the weekend. Not good!
During the week is fine, I have a schedule and a routine... mostly, so sticking with it during the week is so much simpler.
Surprised no one has replied to this yet but as seeing that I just saw it for the first time today, anyway...
Is it possible to cook extra stuff with your dinners then freeze the extras for the weekends? I understand the "Friday" mindset 100%. I try to go for reallyreallyreally simple meals like putting together a tortilla wrap/bread with tons of veggies in it, easy pizza using the tortilla wrap as a crust, if you'd like. What is wrong with having pasta? I try to bulk it up with protein and a ton of veggies, not including the tomato pasta sauce if making spaghetti or anything like that.
I just bought a deep freeze that will arrive Tuesday, and I have big plans of making a whole bunch of easy freezer friendly meals that I can thaw and cook or toss in the slow cooker for those I really don't feel like cooking days...
And soups, I am going to make some soups to fill my freezer with
I have a problem with pasta... the problem is I love it and its so hard to eat it in moderation! I try to stay away from it when I can.
Beer can be a problem on the weekends too
Thanks for the advice amandie ! I will get my weekends sorted out eventually!
Maybe try adding more veggies to your pasta. I make a meat and vegetable sauce. Add tons of veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, etc.) and a little meat. 1/2 cup of sauce and 1/2 cup of noodles is usually more than filling. Usually pair it with a salad or tomatoes, cucumbers, and oinions drizzled in oil and vinegar dressing.
I'm guilty of taking Saturdays as a cheat day. I still try to track calories, but I allow myself a few extra. Some research shows that having a day with a few more calories actually keeps you from plateauing.
However, if you don't feel like cooking, invest in a crock pot. Throw ingredients for soup in and let it cook all day. I have a nice "Set-and-Forget" crockpot that I absolutely love. Some frozen veggies are always cheap and easy to heat up also.
I definitely don't have the answer for this one varcauserge weekends are my downfall as well. I am great throughout the week. Weekends not so much! Not at all actually. I eat everythin in sight!
I switched so my weigh-in day is Monday morning. If I want to goof off all weekend (or even just Thurs, Fri or Sat), the scale will definitely remember and report all of the nasty details.
It was really hard at first but when my weigh-in day was on Thursday, I felt like I could cheat and make-up in time. The only one I was cheating was myself...can't fool the smart body!
Monday weigh-ins changed my whole strategy for the better.
Slow-cooker/crockpots is a perfect idea also! Man, I keep forgetting about that handy thing! Thanks for the much-needed reminder, Psychic! Just throw in some veggies on the bottom and/or potatoes then whatever meat on top then forget about it for a couple hours on high or all day on low.
BBQ chicken/pork with some onions and green peppers in it. So easy and you can have it with or without the buns. This can be easily turned into "sloppy joe" sauce if you add some tomato paste and/or ketchup as well as some worcestershire sauce, maybe some brown sugar (if your BBQ sauce isn't sweet enough.)
Another easy fave of mine in the slow cooker- shredded beef or chicken enchiladas with either red or green sauce (red is SO easy to make given that you have all the ingredients already, lol.)
BTW, Silverfire- I am so jealous of you being able to get a deep freeze. We desperately need one here, lol.
My mum cooks yummier paleo food for me so it's easier not to cheat at the weekend. Alternatively I spend the weekend trying out new recipes for dinner time, as I'm too busy during the week to try a new recipe out. Friday is usually a frittata for dinner or roast chicken with some veg.
I am having a very hard time staying on plan on the weekends too. It's usually the only time we eat out and it's so hard to be good when I go to a restaurant. My weigh ins are on Sat so I end up overeating after weigh in b/c I also think I can get it off by the next week, but once I'm off plan, it's so hard to get back on. Before I know it, the next Sat is here and the scale slaps me down again!
I am only off on Sundays, and I was struggling a lot with going over my calories Sundays. That's my housework/grocery shopping/hike with the kids day, and it occurred to me that I might actually need more calories that day. I made the decision to eat maintenance for my goal weight on Sunday, which gives me an extra 400 calories, and it hasn't seemed to slow my weight loss down at all, and it has certainly taken the stress and pressure off!
Funny you should say this, I decided I had to tighten up on tracking on the weekend, and this past Friday I realized it was the first Friday in a LONG time where I didn't pick up a little "treat" after work simply because it was "Friday". I stayed on points and ate exactly the same thing I would eat all week.
Saturdays are my cheat days, but I try to eat my same stuff during the day and just eat a cheat meal at night.
Sundays are the hardest because I have to let go of the cheat mode and try to get back on track. I have a good breakfast but then I usually just have sushi for the rest of the day which is a treat, but definitely something I can track and count.
I think more of what it is for me is that my Monday to Friday food is BORING and by Friday I'm over it.
It is possible to eat something different on the weekend, you just have to make sure you track it and be careful. You can have pasta, just don't go too crazy!
Friday night is take-away night in my house and always has been -- if I tried to change that I think my kids would mutiny!
I try to make sure I'm deficit a little each other day of the week to account for it, plus I make the best choices I can and watch my portion size. I find that if my eating's generally sensible then a burger or kebab or few slices of pizza one night of the week won't derail me.