on the weekends??? I do so well through the week but on the weekends, I absolutely can't seem to control my eating. And sweets!!!! I seem to want sweets so bad on the weekends. Don't really know why... I just do. I had lost 15 lbs as of Thursday, got a long weekend off and had gained 5 lbs back as of this morning. HELP!!!!!!!

Hi Bizzymom23
I have the exact same problem. I eat right when Im in school during the week, but when I go home I tend to just eat eat and eat. Its just a habit that I have to learn to break. Stock up on healthy food that you actually like. I love the 100 calorie pack snacks, but I have to remember not to overeat. They're supposed to be a treat as for those 5 pounds, remember, weight fluctuates. maybe it's water weight? and if you did gain it, just remember to get back on the horse and continue to do what you have been doing that helped you lose those 15 pounds.

I just plan the weekends like any other day. I usually hit the grocery store on Friday afternoon and make sure I have stuff for healthy dinner on Friday, lunches and snacks on Sat and Sunday. I usually go out to dinner on Saturday nights, it is my planned "treat meal" but even if I have a glass of wine and share a dessert I still try to stick to my forever rules (no fried foods - although the occasional calimari slips in, no fast food, no cream-based sauces).

I usually get a quick dinner out on Sunday night before the grocery store (so many errands and packing lunches and putting groceries away, I don't feel like cooking). I love Chipotle - chicken bol no beans, just a little rice, chicken, pico de gallo, tons of romaine and half a serving of guacamole - YUM.

Please don't stress about the 5 lbs, you would have to have eaten nearly 15K extra calories over the weekend to gain 5 lbs of fat. Offplan foods tend to be really salty (it's part of what makes it so delicious) so just drink some extra water today to flush it out.

Plan to be successful next weekend!! Have healthy food ON HAND.

Hi bizzymom

Look, dont sweat the five pounds. As kisskiss pointed out, weight fluctuates and you have to just keep on going when the going gets tough.

Also, about the sweets!! OMG....if im off routine....I crave them so bad, which is about every weekend. I have invested in some Weight Watchers ice cream bars. The cookies and cream ones are my fav and just at 130 calories you cant go wrong if you gotta have sweets.

Plus, this little treat will help you feel satisfied and less like your neglecting your needs.

Hope it helps!

The weekends are a break from routine, so you have to be even more vigilant to stay on plan. Sit down on Thursday and plan your meals and your activities so that you are armed and ready to succeed. If you know you will be going out, find out what the best eating options are and stick to it. If you go to a restaurant and know what you are getting, don't even open the menu - just order what you know you need to get.
Weekends are hard, but they don't have to be a ticket to fall off the wagon.

Plan, plan, plan and you can do it!

I'm right there with ya bizzymom! I also am showing a 5lb weight gain today.. Argh! I think the weekends are definately my downfall... We need a plan of action I'm going to start by only allowing myself to miss one day at the gym & only have beer on saturday... that's my plan! Hold me to it.. Let me know your plan and I will hold you to yours too!

You're not alone. Weekends are hard for me, too. As mentioned, planning is a big part of it, but also, since I'm less occupied with work, I have more time to rummage through the kitchen. I don't have any good tips for you because I'm still trying to figure out how to avoid this myself, but I hope it helps to know you're not the only one!

If all you have in your house is veggies, fruit, lean protein, low fat dairy and some good whole grains, you can't snack on garbage that isn't there.

If it wasn't for those horrible, terrible bad, evil, little yearly invaders in their little green skirts and vests. D*^# those girl scouts!!! My cookies finally came in. I have to get them out of the house before my pancreas dies.

I have had 2 bad days that I blame on Girl Scouts. Maybe they should come up with 100cal packs for gs cookies???

I agree with everyone above on planning, planning and more planning. The more I am prepared, the easier it is to stay on plan.

Girl Scout cookies are like crack, you paid your money, you helped a good cause, throw them out. Every place I went this weekend, I felt like I had to run a Thin Mint gauntlet, with those little angelic faced Cherubs waving free samples around. My goal this year was NOT ONE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE. Because, 1 cookie = 1 sleeve for me

....my weekends extend to everyday except for the days I work. I thinks it becuase during the week when we work our life is more scheduled and routine which makes it easier to stick with a plan. Then on the weekend its a free for all, no schedule except picking up, running errands, etc. I notice I don't stay on plan when I am around my kids and hubby, how stupid is that.
Its hard to get into a routine but we must plan, plan, plan!!!!

I'm totally with you on the weekends screwing me up... I have one higher calorie day (2000cals instead of 1300-1400) allotted for the weekends and usually work some chocolate in there. My downfall is when I go out with the housemates to a club or a bar or something. I'm not big on the dancing thing so I usually need a few drinks to let loose... I've been trying to save some calories for alcohol and avoid mixers (ie: I'll have a vodka on the rocks) but I still usually get screwed up. I never miss a workout though!

My other problem is when I come home from school for the weekend and there's stuff in my parent's house (like granola bars and cookies) that I can eat like there's no tomorrow. It's there for my brother and sister so I can't really ask them not to have it in the house, and my mum always makes a point of getting me whatever "healthy" foods I want for that weekend...but still there are slip ups. I'm just coming off one of those weekends now.

Don't feel discouraged by the 5lbs. I once thought I had gained 4lbs over spring break and when I weighed myself again the next day I was down 2. Two days later I got my period. So no, I didn't lose weight BUT I didn't gain 4lbs either. I'm sure the scale will go down again by next week.

I saw a post someone made not too long ago that said something to the effect of " People who go off their diets on the weekends are known as maintainers".

Struck a nerve with me since it is so true, I've been maintaining for about a year now. Which is way better than gaining, but not what I want to do right now. So this Friday I planned what I would eat, kept more or less to plan (mostly more!) and was down a pound on Monday for the first time in I don't know how many months, maybe ever.

Yeah, it's a struggle. But I now believe its one that I, and maybe you, have to win if you want to hit goal in the long term.

Weekends can be really tough! You're home around all that food and those car keys are so close by and can take you right through a MickeyD drive through if you don't watch out. (When I'm craving fast food I change my route to work so I don't drive by the donut shop!) Maybe changing some routines that trigger the urge to eat could be helpful. I wish you success!

I'm having trouble around 4:30 in the afternoons. I'm good all day at work, eat my snacks like I should. Then as soon as I hit the front door of my house, I put everything in my mouth I can fit in there. Even too much of stuff that's not too fatty or greasy can pack on the pounds. I am fighting five pounds I gained at Christmas and here it is March and I still have them. It is so discouraging. I lost 60 pounds a year ago then took time off to maintain (gained 5 back). Now it is soooooooo hard to get 'back in the saddle' I am really struggling. Sigh.

Our troop sold 100 calorie cinnaspin packs. Still far from health food, however.