Control Weekend Overindulging

You are strict on your healthy eating plan all week long. Then the weekend comes … and all your good intentions fly out the window. Extra cocktails, snacking while channel surfing, eating out … This viscous cycle of “good” and “bad” will wreak havoc with your weight and mental sanity! Read on for tips on how to control weekend overindulging.

You’re not the only one whose diet is thrown off by the weekends.  Studies have consistently shown that both men and women consume extra calories on the weekends. Weekends are time for relaxing … and eating … and drinking! Sound familiar? There is something about that Friday through Sunday stretch that makes us forget our good intentions. (pic: my-weight-loss-advisor.com)

This time of year can make it even worse!  Chilly temperatures hinder motivation to hit the gym and irresistible high calorie comfort food calls our name. These circumstances don’t have to be known for veering us city girls and guys off course any longer!  The trick will be to identify the problem area and come up with a solution.

Common weekend slipups:
• Finally some time for grocery shopping! You hit the aisles and realize you’re just in time for lunch and have your eyes peeled for anything you can easily start to snack on.

• Hectic weekend schedules can lead to poor meal planning  and poor meal choices.

• Fewer real meals and more snacking … and snacking

• Invites to parties, brunches, and other events where food and alcohol is a main focus. Need I say more?

• Longer, harder workouts at the gym and you are feeling ravenous and insatiable.
(pic: my-weight-loss-advisor.com)

• The urge for an extra cocktail or glass of wine. After all, you had a hard week!

• Think you’re catching up on sleep by sleeping in till noon?  You’re really just throwing off your body clock, which will inevitably disrupt your eating schedule later in the day and for days following.

• Does your family love to feed you?  I barely survived the extended weekend at home for the holidays with my grandma’s constant inquiries “you must be hungry – what can I get you??”

• Weekend mentality of  “It’s the weekend,  I deserve a little extra”


Tips to control weekend overindulging
– Never grocery shop on an empty stomach!  Have a good snack before you go to help you resist buying junk food or snacking on the checkout line.

– Get out those pots and pan and cook!  (yes, city girls can cook).  Prepare meals that freeze to eat later in the week.  Soups and chili are great to make in bulk and freeze in quart size containers so you can warm up with them later in the week!  Pic is of Laura cooking

– Keep your refrigerator stocked with the healthy essentials to toss a quick salad or whip up a sandwich to make last minute lunches and snacks for your weekend shift or errand running.  Otherwise, you’ll find yourself hungry and grabbing for whatever is closest. (Knowing NYC, it’s probably pizza!)

– Keep problem snack foods out of the house. More free time = more time to search for snacks

– Start your day out with a good breakfast, ideally something that contains protein and fiber. This will help to prevent overeating later in the day. Good choices include Greek yogurt and fruit,  an egg or peanut butter on whole grain toast or a bowl of oatmeal

– If you REALLY don’t have time for a meal, at least have a healthy calorie controlled snack. (and this doesn’t mean sitting in front of the tv with a can of nuts!)

– Always have a small but sustaining snack before you head out to a cocktail party or even a meal.  You won’t be reaching for the bar peanuts and consuming as many calories as your anticipated meal!

– Think twice before ordering that 3rd alcoholic beverage. These drinks will cost you 45 minutes on the stairmaster.

– Beware of the weekend warrior exercise scenario. Cramming a weeks worth of exercise into 1-2 days can send your appetite through the roof (as well as increase your risk of injury). In addition, if you justify eating that extra piece of cake or finishing off the bottle of wine because “you worked out really hard today,” you may be setting yourself up for weight gain because it’s likely you’ll eat more than what you burned off! By maintaining your workout routine during the week into the weekend, you won’t throw off your metabolism – or diet.

– It turns out that “catching up on your sleep” is actually impossible.  You can’t store up sleep and use it for days to come and you can’t make up for lost sleep.  The best thing for your body is a consistent amount (most health care professionals recommend at least 7 hours), so make an effort to stay on the same sleep schedule.  Need to boost your alertness? Stick with coffee & non-fat milk, black or green tea.

– Holidays and family parties are notorious for a surplus of food, but let there be leftovers!  Stick to the boundaries of your plate and be mindful of what you are taking in.  Explain to grandma you really are full – she’ll understand eventually.

– Make sure you are not depriving yourself during the week and creating a calorie deficit that you fill – and even exceed – on the weekends.  Your best bet is to maintain a healthy balance of indulgences and cutbacks throughout the week into the weekend and treat every day equally.

– As far as the “weekend mentality” goes, I would suggest that you allow yourself one treat meal a weekend.
Please leave us some comments with your biggest weekend downfalls & we’d love to help pick you right back up!

I’d like to thank Laura Smith for writing this article. Laura is a nutrition student with a minor in media, culture and communication at New York University.  When she’s not in class, she is most likely volunteering at hospitals and nutrition private practices, freelance writing, waitressing, babysitting or running to a yoga class!



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