Don't Let hTe Weekend Sabotage Your Weight Loss Success

What is it about the weekend that tends to sabotage all the good weight loss choices we made through the week? Is it because we put our guard down on the weekends and feel we "deserve" to not have to count calories or watch what we eat because we were so "good" about it through the week? Recent studies have shown that people trying to lose weight do well on their weight loss programs through the week and then put the pounds back on over the weekend. I know, it's happened to me too. So how do we prevent the weight we worked so hard to take off during the week from coming back on over the weekend? The following are some tips to keep those weekend pounds from piling back on again.

Keep Journaling. If you are keeping a food diary during the week, don't neglect to continue logging your food choices over the weekend. There are so many things that need to be done over the weekend such as errands, shuttling the kids to lessons, sports or appointments, etc. that journaling your food intake can easily be neglected. If you don't log your food intake then you become unaware of what and how much food you've eaten. When you don't know how much you've eaten, you tend to UNDERestimate the food you've consumed thereby thinking you can eat more which adds more calories which adds more pounds. By continuing to journal your food intake over the weekend, you will be able to see exactly what you've eaten and can adjust your food intake accordingly to stay within your weight loss parameters.

Eating Out. Weekends are notorious for fast food and eating out. Because we're on the go most of the time taking care of things that can only be done on the weekends, there is very little time to plan ahead for meals that are within our weight loss plan. Luckily, a lot of the fast food restaurants and chains now have a healthy version of their menu to choose from. There is then no excuse to have to eat those greasy fries and burgers, you are able to choose light soups, salads and yogurts, all which probably fall within your weight loss program.

If you are celebrating a special event by going out to dinner on the weekend, then, of course, you don't want to feel deprived but you don't have to sabotage your weight loss plans either. Restaurants are notorious for serving large portions. Remember portion control when dining out. A portion of starch is about the size of your fist. A portion of protein is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. Have more salad (with the dressing on the side so you can control how much of it you use) and you'll be satisfied with the proper portion size of protein and starch. Avoid anything fried, sautèed, or covered in creamy sauces. Choose items that are baked, broiled or steamed instead. Make trade offs when it comes to the more fattening things like creamy soups, sauces and desserts. Decide which dish is important for you to really enjoy and cut back on the other less important dishes. For example, if enjoying a rich dessert is important to you, forego the creamy soup for a light broth and either cut out or cut back on any rich sauces used in your dishes. Successful weight loss is not about deprivation but about making food choices that make you feel good and are good for you.

Keep exercising. Again, we try to cram so many things in the weekend that we sometimes don't have time to exercise. Our bodies then don't have the opportunity to burn off all those calories that we've eaten, thereby keeping the weight on instead of taking it off. Weekend exercise doesn't mean you have to hit the gym although it would be great if you could. Find ways of sneaking exercise into your weekend schedule such as parking farther away from your destination and having to walk a little longer to get there. If the kids are having a game in the park, take a quick jog around the park before the game starts. If you're a shopper, walk the entire mall before actually doing any serious shopping. As long as you find ways of moving on the weekend, that will help to burn calories and keep you on your weight loss plan.

Don't let your guard down on the weekends. With a little planning and a lot more awareness, the weight loss success you achieved during the week doesn't have to be lost on the weekend. Enjoy!

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