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Weekend Woe's


The weekend proves a massive obstacle for many people who are trying to get into shape. They eat really well throughout the week as well as exercising. However when it comes to the weekend we seem to falter.

It seems to be a weekly ritual eat well, exercise, fail and repeat. We then feel like shit by the end of Sunday leading us to crash diet on Monday and throughout the rest of the week leading us to overeat on the weekend.

Before we look at how we can overcome over indulging on the weekend we need to look at some of the reasons why we may indulging:

1. Stressful week

You've had a long hard week, things are not going your way. Your boss has been at you all week, you feel like the whole wold is against you and you feel like saying fuck it!

2. You've been too restrictive - Food Rules

Food rules tell you what you can and can’t eat, when you can or can’t eat it, how you can or can’t eat it, and/or how much you can or can’t have. These rules take up an awful lot of mental real estate. They also set you up for disinhibition… aka “the Fuck It Effect”.

3. It's a social thing

The weekend is always seen as a social time. Going out with friends for meals, takeaways or hitting the town for a few drinks.

So how can we overcome some of these issues?

1. Don't abandon yourself.

Emotional eating provides a release from discomfort, providing a momentary sense of pleasure and satisfaction when you’re feeling something you don’t want to feel. Overeating has a numbing, softening effect on our unwanted sentiments, and takes our attention away from them. The key to ending this pattern is to not abandon yourself when your emotions go awry, but instead to invite them in and allow yourself to feel.Tell yourself that it's OK to feel sad, mad, scared, tired — you name it. Welcome your negative emotions with kindness and curiosity, and ask them what they want from you. This includes those intense feelings of guilt or anger that tend to follow an emotional eating episode. Approach your feelings with kindness, and your body will begin to understand that it no longer has to overeat to protect you from your feelings. Plus, through listening to your emotions, you’ll discover what it is you truly want, and can create new strategies for deeper satisfaction.

2. Let go of food rules.

Let’s say your #1 food rule is Don’t Eat Carbs. No bread wth your soup; no sandwiches; no potatoes with your steak. Then all of a sudden it's Friday night, you find yourself out with friends, and everyone’s having beer and pizza. You hold out for a bit. Finally, you give in and grab a slice. That means fuck it, you’ve “blown your diet”, so you might as well keep eating.

Cue the binge and uncomfortable after effects. Of course, if you have one food rule, you probably have several. That means there are lots of ways to “mess up”. Maybe all night. Maybe all weekend. Eating by the rules almost always leads to overeating crap, because once you mess up you feel like it may as well last the weekend and start fresh on Monday. What could the solution to this be?

Ditch the rules and let hunger be your guide. Non-dieters (or so-called “normal eaters”) eat when they’re physically hungry and stop when they’re physically full, no matter if it’s Wednesday or Saturday, morning or evening, work lunch or happy hour. Start by paying attention to your own food rules and responses. When, where, and how are you likely to say, “F*** it?” What might happen if you let go of that rule and really tuned in to your physical hunger and fullness cues instead?

3. Eat healthy foods first & Go for vodka and soda instead of a vodka tonic

Weekends tend to be packed with special events like weddings and parties, which means you’ll likely to be challenged to a vast amount of naughty but irresistible foods. However before you start whacking all the naughties on your plate, check out what is on offer first. If at a buffet load up on meats and salads and if still hungry

have one or two treats. If eating out and you fancy a burger, have a burger but maybe swap your chips for a side salad.

Most of you already know that alcoholic drinks can be very calorific especially if you opt for fruit ciders (my poison of choice at the moment ) or larger. A vodka tonic isn’t a terrible choice, but you might be surprised that tonic water isn’t the same thing as soda water. Soda is just plain water with some bubbles added, so it’s zero calories. But tonic water contains corn syrup — along with about 120 calories per 12-ounce bottle. That isn’t such a big deal if you can stop at one, but if you’re going to be having several throughout the evening it’s worth making the swap. Of course, it’s also smart to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and to eat something (ideally something semi-healthy) before you start boozing.

Hopefully over time these tips will help you overcome your weekend woes.

Please feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have below.

Thanks for reading

Luke

 

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PERSONAL TRAINING - GROUP FITNESS - NUTRITIONAL ADVICE - FAT LOSS - MUSCLE TONE - CORSE STRENGTH - POSTURE CORRECTION - CARDIO FITNESS

© 2016 LUKE MITCHELL PERSONAL TRAINER

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