Weekends "Derail" Me... (?)

I have my ups and downs like so many of us have to fight through… Good days, great days, bad days, worse days… But overall I think I’m doing pretty okay. Throughout the week, that is. Then the weekends hit. It isn’t bored/mindless eating that sets me off… It’s getting together with family and having a more relaxed attitude about life in general. (Once a week I think this is “necessary” for many of us and healthy in its own way, but it seems like it’s getting a little out of hand for me.) I seem to be hitting around 3000 + calories on my “official” cheat day (Saturday) and should probably be closer to 2300-2500. And it seems like more and more Sundays are getting into the mix, and my one day off a week is starting to turn into two…

Has anyone ever had any luck with having TWO cheat days a week??

I imagine I really just need to own up and get this under control, but I am curious…     

One "treat" day a week worked for me. Personally , I think two would be pushing it a bit and I'd have to question my motivation. How long would it be before two days turned into three ...etc

I try not to have any cheat days, but weekends do get me sometimes, especially if we eat out with friends. I cannot say that I have any luck with any cheat days as I've been trying to lose 5 pounds for a year, hehe!

I have a similar problem. What I try to do is have Saturday and Sunday as a "cheat" day, but try to make healthier cheating choices. Perhaps maybe get that slice of cheesecake, but share it with a friend instead of eating the whole thing. It has worked pretty well for me as I still lost weight and feel great.

How about instead of a whole day do a cheat meal? If you want one meal Saturday and Sunday, just not huge portions of it. What kinds of things are you eating? Fried food, dessert, lots of meat, lots of carbs??

If it's something like desserts, like chocolate, you could get a really good bar of it ( I recommend Lindt's Chili) and eat two pieces a day (100 cals) every day...that way you can eat chocolate every single day and don't have to feel deprived at all.

the only reason my weekends can be 'cheat' days for me is because I usually have some alcohol in my routine. Apparently I only seem to drink high calorie drinks (I hate beer) so this is where my calories get tacked on....and then it's even empty calories to boot! I don't want to starve myself all day in anticipation of drinks later, but I don't know how to balance it out either. I feel you on the weekend issue.

I have been having the exact same problem.  The weekend just gets out of control, between eating out on Friday nights at the local Italian restaurant and being home for lunch and dinner with my son and husband.  We try to limit our meals out to save money, so I cook dinner on Saturday and Sunday and that has helped.  But my motivation just goes out the window and I find myself eating too many snacks and the wrong ones and just too much of everything!

I also find that I am so busy with all those chores that can't get done during the work week, I don't have time for working out, which puts an additional crimp in my progress. 

I do great during the week - but back slide on the weekend.   

Keeping track on cc I also was slipping on the weekends....

then I started adding in all the extra chores I do over the weekend...scrubbing floors,gardening,painting, etc and found I am burning WAY more calories than sitting on my butt at work...

so I think that as long as you are keeping active  a little bit of a "Treat" (not cheat) on the weekend is OK.

Just make smart choices about what to have... good quality ingreadients means you need less to satisfy the craving (lets be honest NEED).

I tend to have the same issues but as of late I've been getting a hang of it. What I've been doing is making my lunch just as I do for the rest of the week so if I'm out and about running errands I can just eat my lunch and I know what i'm eating and how many calories.

as per this site I burn about 2900 cals on a light activity (without adding on extra things) so if my breakfast + snacks + lunch puts me at 1200-1500 cals then I can have my cheat meal and and still be able to be under my burn calories. I might now have a big deficit but I definetly keep from gaining.

Let me know if this helps.

I completely understand!

I do pretty well during the week because it's easy to pack all of my food for the day, and know exactly how many calories I'm eating. 

But when the weekend hits, I don't have as much structure, and I'm kind of burnt out from counting calories and over thinking something so simple as eating!

So, on the weekend I don't count calories as much.  I eat a few things that I wouldn't normally allow myself to have during the week, but I still keep my portions small and try to do some kind of exercise.  Perhaps it's okay to let go a little bit, yet try to stay in control to some degree so you're not throwing your week's progress out the window, but you're also allowing yourself a little time to relax and just be human :)

The progress may be a little bit slower, but it'll be a program that's easier to stick to long term!

Thanks, everyone. I'm sorry others have issues with weekends, too, but it is nice to know that I'm not alone.

Saturdays are the "worst." It's the night we go out to see my folks. I end up trying to eat super well through the day, and manage that, okay, but then end up drinking beer with my Dad and then they usually end up fixing a huge Mexi-style spread for dinner... So I'm literally consuming 800-900 calories (or more!) in one meal. (And that’s not even counting the beer.) I totally support having one day off a week to be a bit more lax about counting, but it’s a bit over the top. (If I could stick to maintenance calories for two days, I don’t think I’d be so worried about it. But again, it seems like Saturdays, especially, I’m ending up consuming WAY over maintenance and it’s just dumb to undo a weeks worth of hard work in a day.) And then trying to make excuses to sneak in some more bad eats on Sunday…

Samantha had a good point about slower progress still being progress, but I’m just afraid I’m not necessarily slowing myself down so much as sabotaging the whole program.

Well, obviously it’s something I’ve got to get under control.     

My family always eats out on Friday nights so what I've been doing is just trying to make healthier choices- having a salad instead of an entree smothered in some kind of sauce, or having a side salad instead of fries with my entree.  I still probably go over my calorie count but I know it's not as bad as it used to be.  Plus if I know I'll be going somewhere where I'll be doing a lot of extra eating ( for instance I have a wedding to attend in the near future- major opportunity for over-eating! ), I try to plan ahead and maybe eat 100-200 less calories a day in the week leading up to the event- then I don't feel so bad about going over.  So far this seems to be working and I'm still losing weight!

Well, it takes more than one day to sabotage an entire weeks worth of effort. 

I know a lot of people frown on saving calories for the weekend, but personally (like I said before) I find it easier to stay structured during the week.  I know I'm not going to be that way on Saturday and Sunday, so during the days when it's easier to have discipline, I take that discipline and run with it!  If I have any desire to workout, I don't second guess it - I just do it and put everything into it!  If I have even the slightest willpower to resist chocolate or the candy dish that stares me in the face all day, I focus on that willpower and use it to it's full degree!

I know it sounds cheesy, but when you have your strong moments - make the most of them as possible.  Then your weaker moments won't lead to a total sabotage.

Also, don't dwell on the times when you "mess up".  Accept your human tendencies.  Life is too short to be obsessing about food all the time.  If Saturday is your "worst" day, tell yourself to enjoy it, but that you are going to be better on Sunday.  You're going to eat smaller portions, use that day to get back on track, take a walk, or find something enjoyable and satisfying to get you through until you're officially back to routine.

There is always a way to do it!  Be stronger than the brownie!  Lol :)

Thanks samantha.

I wish I could heed the advice at the moment. Right this second weekends are the least of my worries. I'm totally struggling across the board.

I'm not sure what to do, actually. Kind of feel out of control and at a complete loss.