It’s the weekend and we all know that that means: a struggle to stay on track with our health and wellness goals. You guzzle a few drinks on Friday night, hit the snooze button through your Saturday morning spin class and cozy up on the coach all day on Sunday. What? A Harry Potter marathon was on and you had to stay put to catch up on your wizard tricks…for 10 hours?
You are not alone. The weekend has become a synonym for a lax attempt at our health efforts. Unfortunately, many of us loosen our grip a little too much and sabotage our health-focused Monday through Friday lifestyle leaving us at square one. Again. Studies show that you can gobble up an extra 300 calories every weekend which can cause you to quickly pack on the pounds.
Instead of turning the weekend into a battlefield for your health, keep your week’s momentum moving forward with healthy end of the week habits.
Routine is key. Many people hold successful health schedules during the week because a daily routine forces you into timely and efficient habits. The weekend should be no different. If you are the type that won’t exercise unless it is the first thing in the morning, then keep your schedule that way and head straight to the gym after the late wake-up. If planning your lunch ahead of time keeps your calorie consumption on track, then eat like it is the weekday and plan your meals (in or out) the same way you would with your desk side dining. Make a weekend routine that works for you.
You can still have fun—in moderation. Forgoing the bubbly beverages and fast food lunches may be a cinch during the week, but on the weekends it is easy to crumble into temptation. Take it easy on the liquid calories as they add up quickly and can be a major nutrition buster. Be wise about your choices before going on a binge-fest of your favorite spirits and fried foods. Swap salads for fries, split meals and switch to water every other drink.
You have the luxury of breaking a sweat any time during the day instead of rushing through the lunch hour. Use this extra free time to can catch an afternoon group class, go on a longer run or fit in cardio and strength training in one session. Even if your schedule is jam packed with errands and chores the additional hours means that you have no excuse to skip your time on the treadmill.
Find accountability for the weekend extravaganza. Whether you need to call a fitness pal to check in or pull out the scale on Monday mornings, it is important to stay aware of the choices you made over the weekend.
Quit the yo-yo mentality. It will be such a relief to skip the being “good” and “bad” mind games if you sustain your healthy mindset 7 days a week. Staying committed to your goals will make it that much easier to jump back into the game come Monday with no thoughts of regret or disappointment on your weekend splurges.
Use these ideas to stay on track this weekend and revisit frequently to keep your weekends health oriented moving forward. You can relax on the weekend, but just keep your break under control.
How do you plan to stay healthy this weekend?
Photo 1 courtesy of Grant Cochrane via freedigitalphotos.net.
Photo 2 courtesy of peter w via sxu.hu
