Hi, everybody. I have been reading this forum for several months now, but this is the first time I've posted anything, and I'm actually looking for advice. During the week I eat really healthfully and lose weight, but come every weekend I let loose and eat whatever I feel like with no regards to whether its good for me or not. It's become a cycle that I lose weight during the week and gain it back on the weekend.

Has anybody else ever dealt with this? What do you do? I have dropped weight overall, but it's going sooooo slow because of this, and I really want to get over the hump!

Thanks in advance!

How about making a menu plan for the weekend? If you are staying at home, plan your meals ahead of time and stick to them. If you go out decide beforehand what you will eat and drink when you go out. This may seem like alot of work at first, but in the long run it can work.
If I'm going out on Saturday shopping, I take my fruit and LA Lites (like power bars) with me and my water. Then when I stop for lunch/dinner I order a salad with chicken on top and ff dressing. After awhile you will get use to this. Hope this idea helps.

MAYBE THIS IS BAD BUT I USUALLY FEEL THE SAME ON WORKDAYS
I WOULD SNACK ALL DAY OUT OF THE MACHINE AND THEN COME HOME AND OVEREAT


SOOO..... WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING

DAYS I WORK I EAT REALLY LIGHT SALADS ETC
I COME HOME AND EAT SOMETHING I LIKE BUT NOT TOO UNHEALTHY IN SMALLER PORTIONS THAN I USED TO

MY DAYS OFF I TRY TO KEEP REALLY BUSY AND GRAB WATER OR A DIET DRINK IF I FEEL HUNGRY OR A LOW CAL POPSICLE BUT MOSTLY I TRY TO DO OTHER BUSY THINGS TO KEEP MY MIND OFF FOOD

Plan plan plan your food, and then stay busy. Also, watch that you're not restricting too heavily during the week and setting yourself up to binge on the weekend. Everybody's different, but for me, I allow my self small treats regularly so I never feel deprived and turn into a raging beast

I think everyone's pretty much nailed it.

Planning ahead is critical for success in just about anything...including losing weight - especially when you're in the 'learning phase' (that's what I consider the part of your journey when you're actually beginning to lose weight...learning your new healthy lifestyle...KWIM?).

I think a lot of the time when we binge or overeat or graze or whatever you want to call it personally that's not because of hunger - it's usually what I call 'recreational eating' aka "boredom eating" aka 'habitual eating' or 'because it's there'.

Making plans to be OUT and ABOUT (preferably getting some exercise) is an excellent idea. It's the LAST HOLIDAY WEEKEND of the summer...beautiful weather in most places - spending three days off sitting in front of the idiot box watching endless teevee reruns is such a waste, SUCH a waste.

At the very least, go out for a walk. Ride a bike. Go skating. Do SOMETHING that keeps you from sitting in the house with nothing else to do except watch TV, surf the net and visit the kitchen! Even if you don't WANT to do something active, grab a book or magazine you've been planning to read, go to the park or the beach or somewhere away from food, and have a quiet reading session while getting in some fresh air. Or if you don't have a book to read...bring a pen and journal down your thoughts and feelings.

I know many of us have BBQs and picnics to attend. Again, plan ahead - bring a healthy dish to share. If there's something yummy have a modest portion, unless you know it's a 'red light food' that you have trouble moderating. (yup I have a mental list of foods that are 'all or nothing' for me...I find that as long as I stay away from the food in question, it doesn't bother me).

I found that one thing that helped me on weekends, in addition to general planning, was to build in more structure. I do have some things scheduled that I do regularly, and that helps gives shape to my days. It's easier to eat on plan when the whole day isn't free-form.

I plan my food for the weekends. On Fridays, I normally stop and buy breakfast/lunch/snack stuff for Sat/Sunday. Saturday nights I normally go out to dinner, but I'm careful to pick a place where I know I can get something healthy. I treat Sat/Sun just like the rest of the week as far as meal planning/food journaling/calorie counting goes. No weekend binging allowed.

Exactly Well Said, I Am Steering Clear Of Any Barbecues I Am At The Start Of Mine And Dont Want To Ruin It Over A Holiday!!!

Thanks for all the advice! I actually tried doing the planning thing tonight before eating dinner with a friend. I think it really helped because normally my "weekend eating" pattern starts Friday night and by not just allowing eating to happen to me, but taking control of it, I think I've starting a good pattern for the rest of the long weekend.

Everyone has said what I was going to say, but hey since when has that stopped me!!!
It's all in the planning, in food and activity. I now swim every Sunday morning, and in eight months, have not missed a single session! I now have regular swim buddies, and end up talking as much as I swim, but hey at least I'm not eating!!! Now I tend to go to the gym first before my swim, so I get some "proper" exercise in.

Many of the conventional programmes suggest eating fairly strictly during the week and relaxing it out a little at weekends. I do this, and find it works for me. Structure is the most important thing, and I actually write a rough time table and plan my danger times when I know I am likely to eat something I shouldn't!!!!

I am totally with you on this! I'm usually TERRIBLE on weekends!

This weekend is going to be my first moderated weekend. I'm actually going to have a fitday entry for the weekend!

My other half is away this weekend so I have at least a fighting chance! I was quite worried that I don't have anything planned to keep me away from the chocolate raisins in the bottom of the fridge, but I've decided to go clothes shopping! HOORAY!

I've also just made a graph out of my body fat percentage and weight for the past couple of months (Engineer, moi??) and it looks motivating!

Keep that positive mental attitude!

I tend to relax a lot more at weekends. During the week I eat very similar food most days, other than my evening meal, and even for that I have some regular standbys. At the weekend I'm a bit more flexible and I've got to the stage where I can trust myself to eat whatever I want, because what I want is healthier than it used to be. I'm maybe not eating as well as I do during the week, but I'm eating better than I did, which still counts for a lot.

I also tend to exercise more at the weekend because I have more time, so it evens itself out a bit.

do your menu in advance and stick to it oh and remember this saying

Everything you eat in private you wear in public

do not have anything at home that is not allowed on your program.. have healthy snacks available for when the hunger hits... water ..water... water...!!!

also as far as the snacks at work dont carry any money in your purse! lol works for stopping at fast food places also..

one weekend when i was heading to a wedding reception, i stopped at wendys and bought the super size diet pepsi and sucked it down before i got there... no room for food then!

I think a larger problem on weekends is that that is when people tend to eat out more often. Now me, I prefer eating out as much as possible because I frankly hate to cook and I'm not all that good at it even if I wanted to be.

But I keep a folder of menu favorites for restaurants I frequent. And if they're not on the list, I will look them up before going. I decide on what I'm having before I even head out the door. And I always stick with the healthy menu if they have a special healthy section and avoid looking at the rest of the menu.

Likewise, when I sit down to their table, I cover up the desert menu before I even have the chance to let it grab my attention. So I don't have to see it all through the meal and let it tempt me.