Weekend Weight Gain

Ok, so you’re hitting the gym at least four times a week and keeping to your diet Monday through Friday. Come weekend however, you’re eating out and overindulging thereby ruining all your hard work and putting you back to square one. If this sounds like your regular routine than you need to reconsider how your spending your free time. Eating and drinking your way through the weekend will only result in undoing any progress a week of good habits may have gained you.
Although treating yourself on the weekends can seem like a fine idea and can seem like a well deserved means of rewarding yourself for a week of hard work and restrictions, weekend indulgences can also undo all your hard work instantaneously. If you’re not losing weight even though you’re keeping yourself active and healthy throughout the week, than you’ll want to consider how you might be sabotaging yourself on the weekend.
For many people the weekends themselves signify indulgence, but in order to achieve your diet and weight loss goals this kind of thinking needs to be changed. Turning weekends around from binges and drink fests into other fun-filled activities can be tricky at first, but it is well worth it in the end.
Basically, if you want to see results than you need to keep yourself healthy all week long, and this means cutting out the Saturday and Sunday bad habits. While you don’t have to hit the gym and deny yourself any outings, you do need to stay active and exercise moderation.
Below are some of the worst weekend culprits and some hints for swapping these out with more healthy alternatives. Follow these rules and you’ll definitely see better results.
Eating Out. If you like to head out to the newest restaurant with friends, or take your loved one out for a romantic meal you might be at risk of sabotaging your weekday weight loss . According to health experts, people tend to eat everything on their plate so make sure that you order small.
Some restaurants are known for the huge portion sizes and this can make weight gain inevitable. Try splitting a main course with your date and beware of fattening appetizers. Deep fried tempura might look tasty but it also contains a meal and a half’s worth of calories.
Binge Drinking. For many people, the weekends mean drinking more than your fair share. While heading out for some wine or beers with friends can help you unwind from a hectic week, these empty calories are also major culprits in sabotaging your weight loss success.
If you like to have a drink or two make sure that you limit it to this amount and make lower calorie choices. Vodka tonics or vodka sodas are the best way to go. If you’re a wine lover opt for a nice red wine which at least has some health benefits to go along with it. Just make sure that you stay moderate. Drinking too much not only leads to weight gain, but drinking too much also leads to poor eating choices.
Couch Potato Weekends. While it might be nice to just relax and take it easy on the weekend in order to make up for an all too busy week, beware of too many weekends filled with movie watching on the couch. If you find yourself going through an entire season of Lost in a weekend than you really need to rethink your approach.
Lounging around can be fun and can feel like a great reward after a week of deadlines and intense workouts, but make sure you do this in moderate amounts and intersperse it with good physical activities.
Getting out for a long walk or a hike can be a great way to unwind from the week and get in some calorie burning. Take a friend or the family for a hike and enjoy the nicer weather.
A family or couples’ bike ride can also be a relaxing and fun way to stay fit and stay on track. Choose a trail or route you’ve never done and pack a health picnic of all your favourite healthy foods.
Tennis is another great way to work off some steam and some calories. Challenge your best friend to a tennis tournament or make it a couples doubles match.
Being active can still mean getting out and socializing with friends. Weekend fitness can look a lot different from long solitary hours at the gym. Being creative and finding new ways to enjoy yourself can make all the difference when it comes to realizing your health and fitness goals.
Losing weight requires a good deal of commitment but it doesn’t have to be all about sacrifice. Keep the scale moving downwards and avoid sabotaging all your hard work with weekend indulgences while still having a good time.