If you’re like most people the weekends are probably the hardest times to make smart choices for your nutrition. Although it is pretty common for people to feel like they struggle with eating well on the weekend it is not a good excuse for you to not hit your goals.
Think about it, if you can eat well and make good choice 5 days out of the week you can replicate that same thing during the weekend. The best way to improve your weekend eating habits is to think about what works well for you during the week and how you can replicate the same thing. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, there are the same 24 hours in a weekend day as there are in a weekday.
Today I want to share with you 3 tips that I think will help you avoid the weekend binge.
I know we say it over and over again but that’s how important it is! Planning ahead will stop leaving things up to chance and allow you to be in control. You don’t have to plan your entire weekend and eat out of Tupperware the whole time but you should put some thought into your meals ahead of time. Start by looking at your calendar, what events/parties do you have during the weekend. If you know your going out to dinner to your favorite restaurant it might be best to have a lighter lunch filled with veggies and protein. However, make sure you eat enough to fill you up so that you are not starving at dinner. Make sure that you have some healthy options in your fridge at home; chances are if you are hungry you will eat what is available, you won’t get up go to the store. Make healthy choices as easily accessible as possible.
A problem with the weekend is we often have too much time on our hands. As much as we complain about being so busy during the week it often helps distract us from food. If you find yourself just hanging around the house all weekend with not much to do it can be easy to overeat from having a few snacks here or there. To help with this try to distract yourself, read a book, play with the kids/grandkids, get some work done around your house. What you do does not matter just try to stay busy and get out of the kitchen. To take it a step further try to get out of the house, go for a walk, play a recreational activity, go shopping. The more you can do the less time you will have to eat, plus you will get in some extra activity and movement which is a bonus.
Allow yourself to enjoy your food during the week! You may think this sounds counterproductive but trust me. Do not try to make the weekdays so perfect that you let everything go on the weekends and go overboard. Numerous studies have shown that we only have a limited supply of will power, if we use it all up during the weekdays we will have none left on the weekend. If having one cookie, for example, two nights a week helps you stay in line with your goals during the weekend go for it! If that one cookie leads to a plate of cookies and a tub of ice cream it is probably not the best choice. Don’t fall for that never-ending cycle of eating well during the weekdays and falling of each weekend, you will never reach your goal and it will drive you crazy.
Now these are just three things that I notice are challenging with the weekends. I am sure there are plenty of other things people run into that they struggle with. Like I said before do not try to reinvent the wheel for the weekends. Ask yourself two questions, what works well for me during the week? How can I recreate that during the weekend? Keep the goal simple and actionable, saying “I just need to eat better during the weekends.” Does not give enough clarity.
If you still find yourself struggling with your nutrition and reaching your goals we are here to help, send an email to info@coreprinciples-sc.com or give us a call/text @ 203-914-6396.
-Coach Pat
