Does this sound familiar?
Your week is a comforting combination of structure and routine. Sticking to your meal plan may take some discipline at times but on the whole, when you are in the groove, it’s not that easy to throw you off course. Until the weekend!
Come Friday and your motivation, discipline and self restraint become distant memories. You overindulge, set yourself back, and wake up on Monday morning feeling unmotivated and disheartened!
Fear not! It should make you feel better to know that you are far from alone in this cycle of self-sabotage. Studies show that the average American consumes at least 115 extra calories on each weekend day.
This could be because most socializing is done over food and drinks and often, we do not even realize the amount of calories being consumed as we merrily chat on! Add to that the lazy afternoons and lack of physical activity and you have a recipe for steady weight gain!
Fortunately, all it takes to stay to track is a little bit of preparation! If you are on board with DeliverLean, you know how helpful it can be to have your meals prepped and ready to go. If you are not on a full pan, you can supplement with our low-cal snacks and make use of these 5 helpful tips to help keep you on the straight and narrow!
1. MAINTAIN ROUTINE
A big reason people eat more on the weekends is due to the lack of structure. Try as much as you can to get the same amount of sleep and eat your meals at the same time as you normally would. This includes eating breakfast! Maintaining a routine will help you to regulate the amount of food you eat and prevent you from mindless snacking. Have healthy snacks on standby like our savory shrimp salad or chipotle steak tips.
2. DON’T GO OUT HUNGRY
Failing to plan is planning to fail! Weekends are packed full of temptation and if you are hungry, your defenses will be down. Try ordering a few extra meals with your Friday delivery so you have those healthy go-to options before you head out the door to enjoy your free time! By ensuring your core meals are healthy and controlled, your ‘cheats’ will be smaller snacks rather than calorie-dense meals.
3. PORTION CONTROL
Weekends often include restaurants and these days, restaurant portions for one are enough to feed an entire family!
Don’t deprive yourself from having your favorite meal, but consider sharing with a friend to keep your calorie intake under control. Scout the menu before you get to the restaurant to ensure you select the healthiest option and avoid the breadbaskets and free snacks.
4. DON’T DRINK YOUR CALORIES
Avoiding alcohol during the week is a given but when it comes to the weekend, many of us tend to loosen up and rack up the calories in our glasses. Go easy on the drinks, or try healthier drink swaps. A cleanse from OnJuice tastes delicious and will help combat weekend indulgence with it’s cleansing and detoxing properties.
5. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Chances are, at some point you will slip up. The trick is not to let one set-back keep you from working toward your goal. Don’t cultivate counter-productive habits like giving yourself permission to write off the rest of weekend because you veered slightly off track. Just make sure your next meal is a healthy one and keep on keeping on!
Weighing yourself on a Friday and Monday is a good idea to show you how well you have done during a routine week and keep you accountable on Monday morning!
Good luck!
