Staying on track with our weight loss goals is hard enough, now add in the weekends and it can seem downright impossible. There’s a million places to go and it seems every single one is filled with bad options. Maybe it’s a party with chips, dip, carbs, and drinks that are not water. Or your running a bunch of errands and see a Starbucks in the horizon. Or maybe it’s raining and you want to sit on the couch all day. Often, it’s super hard to fight those urges. I get it. Here are 6 of my best weight loss tips to stay on track all weekend.
During the week it’s easy to be structured. You put a meal plan together, meal prep, and have a solid exercise plan to get you through to Friday. Then the weekend comes around and it feels like a free for all. It’s easy to loosen the reins on the weekend because you “worked hard all week” but that one “cheat day” can turn into a “cheat weekend” and before you know it all the hard work you did throughout the week is canceled out but the extra pizza and wine and come Monday the scale isn’t budging.
Like I said, I get it.
Just like you, the weekends can be one of my biggest weight loss challenges. However, all hope is not lost. From my experience, one of the best ways to get through the weekend is to go into it with a strategy.
Here are 6 of my best weight loss tips for sticking to weight loss goals all weekend.
Step on the scale Friday morning.
Not everyone likes the scale. I know it’s frustrating to step on the scale and see little to no results. It sucks, actually. However, nothing can jolt me back into reality like stepping on the scale. Trust me, I ignored the scale for a long time and that did me zero favors. So now, whether I like the result or not, I step on the scale. It keeps me intentional which is exactly what I need going into the weekend.
If my weight is up a little, then I know I need to pay extra attention to the food I’m eating and keep exercise a priority. If my weight is the same, or down, then I don’t want to ruin everything I worked for all week.
Basically, stepping on the scale serves as a reminder. Of course, I don’t want you to develop an unhealthy relationship with the scale – that’s not the point. The point is to hold yourself accountable as you start the weekend.
Meal plan or prep for the weekend
This one is big. We spend a lot of time talking about prepping our food for the week (check out my super popular beginner meal prep post). Monday – Friday we are set! But what about Saturday and Sunday? Most of the time there’s little to no plan. Believe me, I’m just as guilty with this.
My advice is to do a food scan on Thursday night. Check your refrigerator and pantry and make sure you have healthy food available for the weekend. Even if you have parties to go to you can still plan for breakfast, lunches, or snacks. Planning is always, without a doubt, the key to losing weight.
If you’re running low on food then make a quick meal plan and prep some meals for the weekend. Nothing crazy but maybe grab some ingredients for a turkey bacon ranch club wrap, italian roast beef wrap, Greek egg cups, or maybe just whip up some hard-boiled eggs. Keep it simple but make sure to have healthy food ready to grab.
Or, if you subscribe to a meal kit delivery service then consider having the box delivered on Thursday or Friday so you have complete recipes and ingredients for the weekend. You can check out these reviews to see which one would best serve your needs:
If you have zero time to get to the grocery store then consider using Instacart to have your groceries delivered. Or you can pick them up curbside. Here’s my Instacart review if you have further questions.
Related post: 7 Super Smart Ways to Create Healthier Food Habits When You Have Zero Time
Plan your other meals around the party food.
This is solid advice that has served me well many times over. If you have a party to attend, or going out to dinner with friends, then plan your other meals accordingly. For example, eat a light breakfast and lunch if you plan to enjoy pizza later that night. Get in a longer workout if know you can’t resist your cousins famous taco dip. This requires you to think ahead and make intentional decisions about your food choices and exercise. You can enjoy that extra bite without worrying about blowing your entire calorie bank for the week.
Plan your weekly weigh in for Sunday or Monday.
Simple yet effective. If you know you have a date with the scale Monday morning then that might keep you better disciplined over the weekend.
Set WW points or calories higher for the weekend.
Again, this comes back to planning ahead of time – see a theme here? If it’s unrealistic to stay completely on your eating plan over the weekend then plan to eat more WW points or calories. So, reduce your calories a little during the week and plan to eat more calories on Saturday or Sunday. If you get in a longer workout, and have extra calories in the bank, you can easily enjoy an extra drink or slice of pizza without worrying about it.
Remember, to lose 1lb a week you need to reduce calories by about 500 a day. Of course you need to take in account diet and exercise too – you can’t just cut out the twinkies 🙂 So, if all week you reduce calories but then overindulge over the weekend by 1500 or more calories (which is easy to do) then it shouldn’t be a surprise when you’re not seeing results. Weight loss happens when you’re consistent every single day with diet and exercise. You can’t expect to eat healthy once a week and see results. Sorry, it doesn’t work like that.
Related post: The #1 thing you need to do to lose weight and keep it off.
Bring food with you.
Whether you’re just running errands, or have a big party to go to, I find it extremely helpful to bring food along.
When I run errands, or in the car for an extended period of time, I pack a small cooler with snacks and water. This helps prevent impulse eating and spending.
When going to a party I always bring something with me. Actually, even before my weight loss days I would never show up without a bottle of wine or a dish to share – it’s just the way I am. But now instead of bringing the fatty high calorie dip I will bring a tasty salad or a lighten up version of my favorite dip like this artichoke and spinach recipe.
Those are my best weight loss tips to help you get through the weekend. The takeaway here is to plan ahead of time and stay intentional with your food. You want to prevent mindless eating as much as possible. An example of mindless eating is sitting by the chip bowl and continuously grabbing a handful of salty chips while talking about your amazing weight loss blog…ahem..just saying…been there.
Related post: 8 Tips to Prevent Mindless Eating
Take some time today – right now – to think about this weekend. What foods do you have available to eat? Do you need to go grocery shopping? What does your schedule look like? When can you exercise? Answering those questions will keep you on the right track with your weight loss goals over the weekend.
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I have found that drinking plenty of water throughout the day also helps in promoting weight loss. I wasn’t drinking enough water daily and at times was probably dehydrated. Hydration is good for many things like the skin, but also for keeping the digestive track moving.
Hi, meal prep is cool but what if you don’t really have the time to prepare your meals?
These are tips that are very helpful in losing weight that can just be done at home.