5 Ways to Keep Off the Pounds Over the Weekend

Ahh, a long week has come and gone, and your work is done. It's time to kick back and relax in a way that is only possible on the weekends! There is nothing for you to worry about until Sunday night, so you can take it easy and enjoy yourself.

Hold your horses, there! Before you get too much into the "spirit of the weekend," take a moment to think about how your activities this weekend will impact your fitness. You've worked hard all week, so don't let yourself slip up now. Losing weight on the weekends is possible, but it's going to take a bit of discipline on your part...

1. Party Time!

Millions of people hit the clubs each weekend, to get some drinking and dancing done in style. Well, dancing is great exercise, but drinking is definitely not the wisest choice for dieters and weight-loss hopefuls. Drinking not only increases your calorie intake for the day, it makes it more likely that you'll dip into the bowl of peanuts or pretzels a third and fourth time.

If you're going to party, have fun and hit the dance floor as much as you can! You'll work up a good sweat, and you'll earn that second beer or cocktail. Stick with the lighter drinks, and definitely stay away from the snacks.

2. What to Do, What to Do...?

Not sure what weekend activities you want to enjoy? Well, before you sit down and break out the Xbox, why not think of something to do outside of the house? Your garden may need some weeding done, or the lawn may need to be mowed. Perhaps there's a race around your city, or the local park is a place to go for a nice run.

Whatever you do this weekend, why not throw in some active fun? Go to the park for a pickup game of basketball or football, or invite your buddies over for a game in your backyard. Take a long walk or hike, or go exploring in the forest. You don't have to do your boring workout on the weekends, but make sure that you do get your exercise done in a fun way.

3. Let's Go to the Mall!

The mall is very possibly the worst place for dieters. There's all the delicious food samples available for you to try, and the ambience is designed to make you hungry--especially after hours of shopping.

My advice to you: never shop on an empty stomach. Make sure you've eaten before you hit the mall, and leave before you get hungry. Spend more time walking around the mall (burning calories) than smelling the delicious scents of Cinnabon or See's Candies, and you can even pack a walking-around snack (a healthy one) if you need something to eat.

4. It's Cleaning Time!

Your house may need a good cleaning, and what better way is there to lose weight than by doing your chores? You can burn hundreds of calories just by doing simple things like sweeping, mopping, and taking out the trash, and you'll get even more exercise if you do some deep cleaning. You can make a point of doing one deep cleaning job per weekend, and it will both leave your house clean and help you burn off some of that delicious weekend brunch.

5. Be Wary of Special Treats

Brunch is delicious, but it's a potentially dangerous meal for dieters. It's loaded with alcohol (darn tasty mimosas), and it's usually higher in calories than a light breakfast. If you're going out to brunch, try to hit up a place that makes light, low-calorie food.

Be careful when you do anything special on the weekends. Whether it's a girls' night out, a birthday party (loaded with cake and ice cream), or just Superbowl Sunday, there's always the risk of overdoing it.

It may sound awful to have to watch yourself on the weekends, but you'd be amazed how little it takes for your weekend to ruin all the hard work you put in during the week!

SHOULD YOU SMOKE ALCOHOL TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Andy Peloquin had battled with weight loss issues his whole life. To overcome this, he began studying fitness and is now in the process of becoming a certified professional fitness trainer. He exercise seven days a week and is excited to share his down-to-earth knowledge of exercise and fitness.

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