weekend binging...what do I do now?

okay so here's the deal-I eat great during the week and go way overboard on the weekends.  I probably eat around 1400 cals/day during the week and around 3000-4000 on the weekend. 

does anyone else have a problem with going overboard on the weekends?  Should I just go back to eating my normally calorie range today or do I eat less to compensate for eating too much the last few days???

thanks for any advice!

Don't eat less. If you want to do penance, make it cardio.

Have a chat with yourself about why you're going nuts on the weekend. Do you feel deprived all week and take the "cheat day" thing overboard? Do you go out too much, and make bad choices because that's what your friends are doing?

Address the root of the problem and that will help you to fix it. I don't think that restricting yourself further will make you happy though.

Original Post by corduroyfirekills3:

Don't eat less. If you want to do penance, make it cardio.

 Totally agree.  Don't decrease your ammount.  Exercise.  You might want to increase your daily caloric intake to keep binging at bay.  The weekends are meant for relaxation, so allow yourself a meal of your own choosing that is one of your favorites.  Do this once a week and you won't feel so deprived. 

My problem is that it's football (tailgate) season now!  I eat great, and workout diligently during the week, but on Saturdays--WATCH OUT!  Burgers or brats, potato salad BEER a-plenty!  YIKES!

I have this horrible feeling that I am going to be maintaining my weight during the season.  Thankfully the next 3 weeks are away games...

You will still lose slowly as long as your weekly deficit is greater than your weekend spree. For example, if you have an average daily deficit of 600, x5 days/week, you have a 3000 cal deficit. (This is assuming your average burn is about 2000, just for sake of illustrating things). If you over eat by 1000-2000 cals, your weekly deficit will be 3000-1000, or 3000-2000; in each case, you have a deficit over the course of the week.

I agree that you should look at why you are going so overboard on the weekend, however, esp. if it is every weekend. Once a month or every 6 weeks or so, I break my routine with a day of eating more than I normally would. But I don't feel the need to do it more often than that, mostly because I have built into my regular routing foods I enjoy--including ice cream, chocolate, etc. Small portions on an "as needed" basis. The longer I've done this program, the less I seem to feel the need, but I don't deny myself, ever. Portion control becomes easier if you know you can have something whenever you want it--for me, it takes away the "forbidden fruit" attraction, I guess.

Good luck.

You just have to stop doing that. While you might get to your goal more slowly, it isn't reforming any behavior that got you fat in the first place. You just don't need 3000-4000 calories per day, not now and not ever. what works for me is (1) telling myself that it is my choice and that there is trying and doing, and that I want to be a doer (2) making myself accountable to someone -- namely to give them $20 if I do what I don't want to do (i.e., binge) and (3) if I do binge, asking myself during and after whether I am really enjoying it. Is it worth it? usually it isn't. Remeber you ARE in control of your behavior.

I'm in the exact same boat! I like to be social, aka, go out drinking and eating with my friends on the weekends! :) But seriously, I'm afraid I'm completely blowing my week by doing this...

I was good this weekend-- only drank one night, in moderation, and made sure to work out.  So far I really haven't much luck losing the ten pounds that I want to get rid of.  Not sure to blame the weekends or not? It sucks!

I am so there. =( It's not that I feel deprived by what I eat during the week, it's that I feel deprived of life during the week because of my 24/7 schedule so on the weekend all I want to do is go out and unwind. So I eat like crap at restaurants. =(

But I don't really think compensating really does anything, so I don't. I normally still lose weight, but this weekend I was especailly bad. KFC and ice cream and coconut shrimp and pizza. >_<

I find it much easier on myself if we invite our friends over to our place for food and drinks on the weekends.  That way I can control what kind of food is being barbecued for me.  We keep lots of super lean burgers and chicken breast around.  I can be just as sociable with a glass of water or crystal lite in my hand as they are with alcohol.  That way I don't come off as being the only person sitting in a bar drinking water and refusing food.

My boyfriend is also being really supportive and we are avoiding eating out like the plague right now, jsut becuase of the types of food we like to eat when going out.

Our favorites are Red Lobster, the Keg Steakhouse, Cheescake Cafe, Italian pasta places... just to name a few.  It is very hard to stay low-cal at these places.

I was going to ask the same question.  I went a little crazy today because, well, it's the start of the NFL season so I just sat around and had my favorite meal, stuffed crust pizza and cheese bread from pizza hut.  I knew I'd probably go over my allotment, but figured it'd be okay.  Especially since yesterday my weight hit a new low on the diet so I was feeling really good!

Then, I added everything up and I pretty much set a new record for caloric intake in a day...over 4500!  Wow!

I don't know what my reaction will be next week...I think I just got to button down and make sure I'm below my goal each day, and I gotta try to get to the gym more than I have been.  I think it'll be a positive, because I was losing motivation and today I got shocked back into reality.

One of the bad things with this type of diet is you start to get almost "annoyed" with it.  Since you're not seeing a short-term loss or gain, you just start to think, "oh well...whatever I do this day or that day won't really matter..."  Maybe it's just me...but I just sometimes grab the ice cream almost out of defiance of the diet...as if to say, "ya know what...I weigh the same today as 16 days ago so TAKE THIS diet!"

I hear ya.  But there are some things you can do to keep the calories down.

If I make pizza I have a slice with a big salad, for example.

If you are tailgating take a big salad dish to share with everyone and make that the bulk of what you eat.  Nuts and avocado in a salad can make it more satisfying and the fat will curb hunger.

Stay as far away as possible from the little easy to grab things that add up quickly like chips & dip, wings, etc.  Beers can add up fast too.  Try the best you can to stick to 1 or 2. 

You might be surprised at how few calories a nice grilled burger might have, plus its really filling.  You can always eat it without the bun.  Brats are ok too.  Before you go out, take a note/guide with you or keep an idea in mind that will give you an idea of serving size and calorie content so that you can keep track of what you are consuming.

And the best advice:  Train yourself to be mindful of what you are doing and when you go to grab more food, ask yourself if you really want it.  Only eat if you are hungry.  Eat slowly and stop when full.  This is one of the best and easiest ways to control calorie consumption. 

Also, you can help distract yourself from food by doing other stuff like playing a little game of football, tossing the ball around, talking with friends, walking around the tailgate area to see what is happening, taking pictures or videos...  Whatever you like doing.

 

HAVE FUN!

 

I know the boat your in. during the week i am pretty good with eating. not just that i stick to eating healthy food (fresh vegs and fruit) but also i eat less eating anywhere between 1200-1500 on a daily basis. but on the weekends i go nuts. my portions are crazy big and the things i eat are loaded in high calories. i hate it so much because my weight yo-yos the lbs i lost the past week goes out the window and by monday i have to start all over again.

my husband and i are really strapped for cash with the mortgage payments and the house just seems to be falling apart (furnace and water heater died within months of each other) so even though we still have our jobs, and are still doing ok. we really can't afford to do anything at all outside of the house on the weekends. there just simply is no room in the budget for shopping, movies, eating out, etc.

and then i live in Wisconsin so it is crazy freaking cold up here still so i can't go ride my bike, or go camping right now. so i really have nothing at all to do during the weekend but to veg out on the net, veg out on the couch watching tv... i really think that i am so bored that i turn to food to pacify my boredom on the weekends. i don't have any suggestions for you... just wanted to let you know that i know where you are coming from :( GOOD LUCK! (to both of us)

1400 is a good number for your weekdays.  I know it is tempting to eat a LOT over the weekends, but if you're going to splurge don't go that overboard.  Last year I tried doing that- I'd eat really healthy for the whole week then I would eat anything I wanted over the weekend.  I didn't lose any weight.

Still keep track of your calories over the weekend; Don't let them go above 200-300 cals/day more than your weekday calories.