Strategies for dealing with the weekend

[abridgel]

Guys all my progress is being ruined by my crazy weekends. It just seems as if it is never ending - picnic here - dinner there. I can't seem to control my cravings and once that first burger goes in it just opens up the flood gates.

I find that my eating is on point and very easy to maintain during the week - I pre-portion all my food and am able to stick to my plan.

What are some tips and advice you use when faced with these social situations?

I am trying to make this a lifestyle but based on the last 3 weeks my lifestyle does not allow me to lose weight - lol.

[ChesterGillette]

I had the same problem although i wasn't convious of it.
I started cutting at 260 and went down to 210. During this cut, i had a very strict 2100 calorie diet during the week then went crazy on the weekends. I would literally have pizza, steaks, entermans, cheese cakes, you name it and that's on top of heavy drinking on Friday and Saturday Nights as well.

Depsite this over indulgence on the weekends i somehow lost 50lbs in 10 months but that wasn't going to last forever. Once i got down to the 205-210 range my weigth loss slowly stalled and i eventually eneded up gaining 15lbs over the course of the next 7 months because i was still "cutting" at 210 like i was at 260.

While i still don't track my calories and macros on the weekends as closely as i do m-f, i make a very concious effort to keep calories low and protein high. The reason i find it difficutl to track exact calories on the weekends is that i don't have a set meal plan. On the weekdays i eat the exact same things around my work schedule. Also when i go out drinking i've started to only have either jack or tequilla on the rocks. I've dropped 10lbs of the 15 pounds i gained and am just about back to where i was after the initial 50lbs drop but it really blows to think of the time lost. I should be much further ahead. Lesson learned.

[abridgel]

I am in the same boat I got down to around 217 several times but my weight always seems to creep back up to 230 - mostly because I get frustrated and take a diet "break".

I am around 224 right now but I am really struggling to get this final push going well probably my 2nd last final push - if I can drop 30 I'd be really happy.

Weekends are killing me though. Maybe a strategy is to hold out and just have a cheat meal on Saturday night than jump back on the wagon Sunday morning.

Really frustrated right now.

[Xamier]

Just checking in here to read any followup tips. I'm in pretty much the same position as others in here. It was really easy to go from 285 to 225. Weekend cheating didn't interfere with loss so much and that kept everything easy to do because I could look forward to the weekend binge. Now I need the courage to take the next step and have been balking at it for months.
I know what I need to do, keep lifting and keep a deficit. Super simple. I tell myself to just have more willpower but that hasn't cut it so far. Guess I just need to be more serious about it this time but need to figure out what that means to me. Maybe making smaller goals will help? My current plan has been, get to 200. But then I stay at 225-230. Maybe I'll try get to 220....215...210 etc
I need a better motivator than, "in 2 more days I can eat all I want", because that is the exact thing holding me back this time

[Luclin999]

My only advice is to just resist temptation. Just because someone offers you multiple burgers and cheesecake doesn't mean that you have to eat them. The same goes for beer and alcohol.

If people don't understand then explain to them that you are on a fairly strict diet for health reasons and leave it at that.

That is not to say that you can't eat out or go to a party occasionally but when you do you have to just tough it out and maintain control.

One burger (that you can make a fair estimation of the size/calories of) one beer, etc. ~is~ manageable so long as you keep a count of the calories and are willing to compensate for the indulgence with either more activity or less eating elsewhere throughout the day.

My friends usually drag me out every Friday night but I tend to steer them to places where I know that I can find something reasonable on the menu to eat and personally I just avoid the alcohol all together because once your willpower/inhibitions start to slip then any chance of keeping track of the calories consumed goes right out of the window.

[dweeegs]

Willpower, that's all there is to it... also knowing a general estimate of what kind of macros are in the food can help you still eat things in line with what you want...

I don't think there's much advice to give out here. Just eat less in social situations

[WaterSnatcher]

Willpower, that's all there is to it... also knowing a general estimate of what kind of macros are in the food can help you still eat things in line with what you want...

I don't think there's much advice to give out here. Just eat less in social situations

This. It's all about willpower. No one is forcing the food down your mouth, it's all on on you.
Either just eat/drink less when going out, or choose not to eat/drink at all.

[davidolson22]

Are you being too strict on weekdays and making yourself feel deprived, then on weekends you feel you deserve to binge because you've been good all week?

If so, look into flexible dieting. You could be having burgers and pizza during the week, and still be losing fat just as fast, if not faster, than you are now. Fat loss is about the macros.

[Compy386]

I've had a couple of examples in my life to help me and I think sharing might help you.

Played rugby in college. Guy on my team was a total fitness nut. He would lead our end of practice sprints and then go jog 3 miles for fun. Guy was insane, but it paid off. He had he body of a god and every girl on campus knew who he was.

When we went on long trips to play at schools far away he would pack a bunch of protein bars and it was always a pain in the ass to "find a place Jeremy could eat." While everyone else on the team was dreamer bulking (including me) and drinking A LOT (my drinking team has a rugby problem) Jeremy was shredded and got all the ladies.

The problem is is that the equivalent of your rugby team (friends family etc) might not be supportive unless you already have the results. If I told the guys I was only going to eat chicken breast and not drink so I don't get fat, they would have laughed in my face because I was already fat lol.

People don't pressure 8% bodyfat fitness freaks about food because they can see the result of their discipline. The problem is no one starts out that way.

Be alpha. Be different. I know you didn't say your issue was pressure to eat but you have to allow yourself to be different first.

I eat very very clean and have for 6 months. I have cheated twice and been disappointed both times. I know there are droves of IIFYM people here who tell me I can lose weight eating cake but that's not true for me. I have to be different. If I don't eat clean it's a very slippery slope for me all the way back to 450 lbs and the grave.

Sry for the wall o text lol

[nated0g43]

Eat an hour prior to any social gathering.

[EatnCleans]

#1 Willpower to not open said flood gates
#2 IIFYM for the WIn, this is a saviour for us normal folks.
#3 Willpower is still needed on IIFYM
#4 Sowwy, dats all i got mang
#5 Good Luck <3

[EatnCleans]

I've had a couple of examples in my life to help me and I think sharing might help you.

Played rugby in college. Guy on my team was a total fitness nut. He would lead our end of practice sprints and then go jog 3 miles for fun. Guy was insane, but it paid off. He had he body of a god and every girl on campus knew who he was.

When we went on long trips to play at schools far away he would pack a bunch of protein bars and it was always a pain in the ass to "find a place Jeremy could eat." While everyone else on the team was dreamer bulking (including me) and drinking A LOT (my drinking team has a rugby problem) Jeremy was shredded and got all the ladies.

The problem is is that the equivalent of your rugby team (friends family etc) might not be supportive unless you already have the results. If I told the guys I was only going to eat chicken breast and not drink so I don't get fat, they would have laughed in my face because I was already fat lol.

People don't pressure 8% bodyfat fitness freaks about food because they can see the result of their discipline. The problem is no one starts out that way.

Be alpha. Be different. I know you didn't say your issue was pressure to eat but you have to allow yourself to be different first.

I eat very very clean and have for 6 months. I have cheated twice and been disappointed both times. I know there are droves of IIFYM people here who tell me I can lose weight eating cake but that's not true for me. I have to be different. If I don't eat clean it's a very slippery slope for me all the way back to 450 lbs and the grave.

Sry for the wall o text lol

You are absolutly right my man, chit...I started 6 weeks ago with doing IIFYM but I do a strict 80% "CLean" and 20% "Dirty" but I have to be very careful with that, cause I'm a current fatso so I know what you mean about one thing leading to another. So far, I am loving this way of eating. Although, it is a HUGE change from how I have eaten the past 31yrs of my life. YOU have to decide for yourself that you want to be healthy, look sessy as fuark with your shirt off, be comfortable in your clothes, etc..etc...whatever the reason, it has to be 100%. We all human babay, like you have heard many times. We gtta take it one day at a time.

[bigperm0107]

Maybe try IF or just skip breakfast so you can bank those calories for lunch and dinner. Also track your calories during the week in myfitnesspal app..I have been doing that for a few weeks and by doing it even if I go out on the weekend and don't do it I am still thinking about how many calories are in foods. I find myself at Mcdonalds and end up getting two mcdoubles and throwing out the top bun on each and if I want a fry i get a small one. I am able to keep my meal at under 600 calories. Or for the psychological effects of it I will order one mcdouble and pull it apart so I am eating "2" burgers in my mind. But tracking your calories during the week really makes you aware of how much you are putting in your mouth on the weekend. Just my 2 cents..take it for what its worth.

[dirtbikeguy]

The fitness lifestyle doesn't really allow you to do much... Most extremely fit guys aren't going to picnics, or having "breaks" in their diet. They go to the gym on the weekends, go for nice long runs, or play some sort of sport.

Clearly, you're not dedicated enough to your diet yet, so my advice would be to stay away from social circles, until you can control yourself. If not, you're just going to keep having the same result.

[MuzzieChik786]

Busy yourself so you're not at home being bored. Boredom = eating stuff you shouldn't be because you have nothing else to do.

I'm like that too - I eat when I'm bored. That's why I typically organize hikes/bike rides etc on the weekends that keep me active and away from all the yummies.

Also.. I limit how much I "hang" with people. And if I do, I try to influence the decision to eat at a bit healthier place than Fat McFatty.

[Tommy W.]

Being lean

Eating and drinking for enjoyment

Pick 1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The only way to do both is to lower cals during the week and limit the binging on the weekend to a more reasonable level. Count cals on a weekly rather than daily basis.

[abridgel]

Thanks everyone for your feedback I feel the same as others have mentioned about iifym - a very slippery slope.

[Electricheadd]

Eat a low calorie meal that will keep you full before you go out. Egg whites, chicken breast, greens etc... That way when your out it's not such a test of will power. All week long you pre plan and have a strategy to achieve your goals, that doesn't change because the calendar says Saturday.

[ClintMcc]

Do you want to get in a shape or not?

If you cant eat one burger without suddenly opening the flood gates into a giant binge - then don't eat the burger.

Or, as people have said, factor the weekend food into your weekly figures - although I wouldn't entirely recommend that especially if you are wanting to lose weight, as it's very easy to underestimate exactly how many calories you take in on a binge, and still blow everything up in smoke anyway.

No one said it's particularly easy to get into good shape - why do you think there are so many out of shape people walking around? 90% lack the willpower

[maXmood]

eat few calories on thrusday, skip breakfast and lunch on friday, OPEN GATES ON FRIDAY NIGHT!

well, that's how i do it, and all calories counted, cuz i can only eat so much.. it works for me.

[CaraG73]

I have really been struggling with this myself. I go out on the weekends to have a good time, but with all the drinking, it screws my whole routine up.

[Tommy W.]

I have really been struggling with this myself. I go out on the weekends to have a good time, but with all the drinking, it screws my whole routine up.

Excessive drinking and partying or being lean and in shape....pick 1 or the other

[jackedguy87]

you need to be anti sociall when it comes to your fat and out of shape friends/family. if they complain its just bc they lack the discipline you have. a carb cycling diet may be the answer you need it. the anabolic diet is high carb on the weekends so drinking and pizza will be ok within reason. also, the better shape your in, the more reckless you can be since your metabolism is top notch the leaner you are the harder it is to get fat. so the key is to get to that athletic level then you will create more leeway for yourself.