Preparing for a Healthy Weekend
If you have ever thought or said the following:
I don’t do all that badly during the week, but weekends are really bad…
You are not even close to alone. I hear this statement all…the…time.
We are out of routine. We {if we’re lucky} sleep in and meals are off. We run errands and end up eating late. We go out to eat more often. Eat late at night. Snack a lot during the day. Don’t drink as much water as usual. Eat because we’re bored, or because everyone else is.
To see forward movement in weight loss consistency is key. Even on the weekends.
My recommendation? Plan ahead for weekends. Yes, things will change and flexibility is important. But you’ll be happy you made some plans to keep you feeling good. Here are some tips to follow for weekend planning:
Attempt to keep mealtimes somewhat consistent with the weekday. It’s tough, I know. You have out-of-town guests or kids in tournaments. Life is busy.
Keep healthy snacks in the house. Protein bars, cheese sticks, veggies…make sure you’ve set yourself up for success.
Although ask yourself if you are truly hungry when you find yourself going for them. Be aware of bored eating. Weekends will try to lure you into bad snacking habits.
Have a water bottle or other low calorie hydrating drink with you. Not getting enough water is the fast way to end up eating when you don’t need to!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a little down time. Don’t forget what the weekend is for! Rest is incredibly important for a healthy life.
Get in a short walk or workout. Even if it’s taking the dog for a walk or putting something on YouTube for 20 minutes.
Try keeping sleeping hours consistent. Sleep makes a huge difference in weight loss. This also helps prevent funky eating times.
Plan ahead for weekend meals. Even if eating out. When eating out, decide what you’ll have ahead of time. If not, plan for dinners at home.
After the end of a long work week, understandably the planning ahead is starting to fall off. You may even need to plan a few days before the weekends gets to you! Do whatever you need to do to feel good on Sunday night. The temptations are in full pursuit on weekends…stay focused! And don’t forget to share your victories with us!