Weekends

Are the weekends hurting your results?

We all love the weekends. Relaxing can be great for your body which in turn supports your goals, but are you one of those people that are incredibly strict on your food and exercise all week then when Friday night hits you find yourself reversing all the good you have done in those two and a half days and are back to square one on Monday? Or worse…. Heavier?

Whilst we might always ‘start again on Monday’, a weekend of bingeing can easily provide more than enough calories to find ourselves 1kg heavier when we get on the scales at the start of the week. So we struggle and bust our butts in order to see the scales reduce during the week only to instantly put it all back on over the weekend. It is no secret that overeating weekends are difficult to avoid for people with weight loss goals so how do we change it?

Here are 4 simple tips that I use to help with staying on track over the weekend:

1) Make your shopping day Thursday It sounds silly I know! However with my wedding approaching this year I have had to make sure weekends are no excuse to go all out with junk food and eating out. This is for two reasons. Firstly I am determined to feel the best I have ever felt on that one special day (of course). Secondly, financially! Weddings are expensive and once you have done your weekly or fortnightly supermarket shop, to then find yourself topping up on treats and takeaways over the weekend can be detrimental to your savings plan.

Walking into the weekends with empty cupboards is like asking to be tipped off the wagon. If your food shopping day is Thursday then you can prepare your weekends well. Have naughty treats but prepare for them. Stock your cupboards with nutritious snacks and treats like hummus, dates, nuts, rice crackers, fruit and veg ready for picking and snacking your way through the weekend. Figure out which meals you are going to overindulge and plan for them J

2) Keep busy. I am the biggest “board eater” and will happily admit it. Nothing else to do? Hey why don’t I go and see what is in the fridge? This is a very common weekend problem. During the week is easier because work can often distract us and we can’t always have our food with us at all times. It is important for you to find things to fill your days. Even if it is simply walking around the block or picking up a book instead of a coffee and a biscuit every little distraction helps.

3) Go easy on yourself during the week. I know I know how can I suggest not being so strict during the week when that is the time you see the best results? Sometimes denying ourselves of everything and over training during the week is the very thing that sets you up for failure when the weekend comes. The weight loss journey is all about making lifestyle changes. Creating that healthy relationship with food should be your aim. It is tricky… trust me I know but letting yourself have little treats here and there during the week will curb your cravings so that when you hit the weekend you don’t feel like you have to eat everything in sight before all the food in the world runs out. It won’t. It will still be there tomorrow tempting you. A flawless week is not as effective and making small daily changes FOR LIFE.

4) “Treat” yourself differently. After being ‘good’ all week, many of us feel we deserve a treat at weekends – and, in many cases, actually plan to have our treats at the weekend. The problem is, unless we’re really careful, even a few treats can easily provide more calories than we’ve saved during the week especially if your treat of choice is Alcohol. It’s time to find different treats. There are treats out there that your body will thank you for. Examples of calorie free treats:

- A new item of gym clothing (this doesn’t have to be expensive-Kmart and The Warehouse are two of my favourite shops – just ask my fiancé) socks count J - Nails – a good buff, shape and shellac can really lift your energy - Fresh air – a break from your resistance training for a beautiful scenic walk can be such a treat for the soul (we are spoilt for walks in NZ I love them! - New shampoo – weird I know, but an amazing smelling hair treatment makes you feel like you have just stepped out of the salon.

These things cost money however the difference between these things and buying food is that not only will you have something to show for your cash at the end but they are not detrimental to your health and fitness goals.

Treat yourself x

Em.