Don’t let weekends ruin your diet

Don’t let weekends ruin your diet

“I try to be good during the week, but by Friday night, I just want to let go. I spend most of my weekend on the couch, plus eating out, catching up with friends, family....the list is endless ” this is what clients commonly say.

Weekends are tough times for dieters – it’s a time to reward ourselves after the busy work week, so we take time to relax, maybe have a meal or two out, or get together with friends – which often involves eating and drinking. But if you aren’t reasonably careful, you could easily undo a week of good behavior between Friday night and Monday morning.

For most people, checking your weight at the beginning of the week isn’t all that productive – since the damage has already been done. So I suggested to my client that they weigh themself on Friday morning, instead. When his week has gone well, a Friday weigh-in would tell him so – and he’d be more likely to stay on track during the weekend.

The weekend offers a great opportunity to get more active too often we pass up these opportunities because of mental or physical exhaustion and over-scheduled days. Instead of five hours channel-surfing, substitute a one-hour nap followed by a long walk or other activity. It’s fine to set aside a couple of hours to read or watch TV, but then get moving. Exercise is an established mood-lifter and energizer. You’ll be surprised to find your sluggish attitude melt away within minutes of getting active.

You can also use your time over the weekend  to get ready for the week ahead.Set aside half an hour over the weekend to plan workable menus for the coming week. Stock up on the groceries, cook an extra meal, chutnies, pastes, pre-portion small bags of trail mix, nuts or other healthy snacks for the week ahead.

When you’ve been sticking close to your diet plan all week, it’s natural to want to reward yourself – but rewarding yourself with food is probably not the best approach. Of course you should go out and enjoy yourself – but let the relaxing time you spend with friends and family be reward in itself. You’ll be more successful at managing your weight if you stick fairly close to your healthy eating patterns, food choices and portions – no matter what day of the week it is.

Weekends should be a time to relax and de-stress. Being active with family and friends, enjoying food that is delicious and nutritious, and getting ready for a healthful week ahead can turn our weekends into one of our best strategies for healthy living.

Mrs Shilpa Mittal
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant
Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover