How was your weekend? Are your weekends more difficult to stay on track with your healthy habits than your routine during the week? Are your weeks a case of five steps forward and two steps back?
It is important that we have and follow a routine. Create a routine of consistency with your food choices, your exercise and even sleeping. Many times we follow a great weekday routine only to slack off over the weekend. The weekends are usually filled with unstructured time and, as a result, unstructured time can prevent a problem. I find for myself that I do best with a routine.
On weekends, we run errands, drive the kids around, social get-together, or just taking it easy contributes to eating more, eating out and possibly do less activity or not exercise at all. Weekends have presented a problem because I don’t do all that well with the unstructured time and different activities we do that are opportunities to eat off my food plan.
What I’ve done that is a big help is to use a version of FitDay that I downloaded on my computer. I complete the food I’m going to eat that day and that helps since I’ve already planned my food for the day. When things come up, I’m not rigid and don’t go with the flow but I will make food choices as close to what I’ve logged into FitDay.
Another strategy that has helped me is to plan. My trigger foods are the snacky, junky food found in convenience stores, vending machines (yuck, I know) or movie theater goodies. The Concession Stand is just that, you give into the concession and bail on your normal food choices. When I know where we are going and what we will do, I plan. I either bring my own snacks to the movie (Kay’s Naturals White Cheddar Kruncheez are my favorite movie snacks), I’ll bring other protein choices such as turkey jerky to enjoy throughout the day to stay on track. If we are going out to a restaurant, I’ll check the menu online and make my choice of what I’ll eat in my own home rather than go to the restaurant and get caught up in the restaurant atmosphere. I won’t even look at the menu because I’ve planned my food choice already.
Lastly, I’ll exercise before we go out for our weekend events. When I exercise before I go, I’m more apt to stay on track. I’ve reinforced my commitment to my weight and staying on track. The lure of poor food choices I may encounter are less enticing when I’ve exercised.
Do you prefer the weekday routine and tend to have a difficult time with the unstructured time of the weekend? Consider how you can create a routine of food choices and and exercise yet still enjoy the unstructured time in a fun and healthy way.
Focus on your family, friends and what you’re doing rather than the food!
Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator
