I love the weekends. Even though I’m a stay at home Mom, the weekends are still different from the weekdays. Schedules are more relaxed, the family has more time to visit together, and even chores are enjoyable bearable. Before I began my weight loss efforts for the last time, weekends were a free for all of food enjoyment. As a perpetual dieter, I was always on a diet, off a diet, or in between diets. Therefore, almost without fail, I was scheduled to start my new diet again on Monday.
Mondays were a dreary day, and as such, appropriate for dieting, deprivation, and depression. In anticipation of the new depressing diet, I’d very carefully plan my food intake for the weekend. And believe me, I wouldn’t plan on ridding the pantry of bad food, or starting my new eating plan a couple of days early. No, sir. I planned to eat as much as I could possibly hold, so that I could start my diet with a bang!
I’d eat candy, cakes, cookies and chips. I’d prepare high fat family favorites, and eat so much that there were no leftovers. I’d call up a friend to take a trip to the ice cream store, and I’d talk John into going out to eat at my favorite restaurant, The Roadhouse Grill.
After a weekend full of bingeing, I’d wake up Monday with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not from eating too much, for I had an iron stomach, but from the dread that accompanied the knowledge that I was going to have to live in deprivation for the rest of my natural life. No good food. Good being fattening, of course. No more desserts. Desserts being fattening also. And no more fun holiday eating. Holiday eating had to be fattening to be any good.
I’d reluctantly start my diet, already defeating myself in my mind. The week would go by with me cheating as much as succeeding, until the weekend rolled around again. Out went the little WW folder, and in came the chocolate. I’d just eat until I couldn’t eat anymore, resolving to start once again on Monday. I revolved around this cycle for years. It wasn’t always WW that got my money, sometimes it was the latest diet book, or occasionally a magazine at the grocery store.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, and I’m sure you have, the point of this post is to encourage you to not wait until Monday to start your new eating program. And if you are already following a healthy eating plan, then don’t completely give up just because the calendar says Saturday.
The point of weight loss finally clicked in for me. The weekends shouldn’t be for overindulging on high fat food, because the weekends needed to be treated like real life. People who easily maintain a healthy weight don’t eat like pigs on the weekend, and then diet like crazy during the week. No, those lucky people eat relatively healthy all the time. And thus, are able to have treats without guilt.
When I finally accepted that, I changed my attitudes towards the weekends. Instead of seeing how much I could eat to “stock up” on high fat food, I learned to treat the weekends as just another day. I’d plan my food, enjoy occasional desserts in moderation, and continue exercising. I think that was one decision that jas really helped me maintain my weight all these years. I no longer think of making wise food choices as a chore, but as just another way to stay healthy.
Don’t wait until Monday! Keep working your plan, or start your plan now. The weekends were made for more than just food! Diane
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Amen to this! There have been so many times (I still fight them) when I say I will “start” tomorrow/Monday/New Years, etc. Well, tomorrow never comes! NOW is the best time to start treating ourselves well
Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog ..Getting Real.
Lara – I agree with the treating ourselves well starting now. Why wait to start? Thanks for your comment, and I enjoy your blog!
Diane, I couldn’t agree with you more. The only thing waiting until Monday does for a person is it gives them a weekend to blow it, and a lot of time to convince themselves that Monday isn’t the right time. If someone is ready, the time is now, whenever now is.
Great post! Make it a great weekend.
South Beach Steve´s last blog ..It’s FRIDAY!!!!
Steve – I blew it so many times over the weekend I just know I could have lost 50 pounds by cutting back on weekend food alone! The time is now, and you are taking advantage of it!
Live in the now. I never went crazy with food on weekends, I did every day. lol
Jo´s last blog ..Our Exercise Today
Oh my goodness you are too funny! One thing I didn’t say in my post was just what you did – I tended to be out of control all the time. But the weekends were especially challenging! Thanks for coming by!
Yes, it’s about choosing healthy, good food every day, including weekends, vacations & special events. I think it’s okay to indulge a bit once in a while, but there shouldn’t be any “vacation days” from eating an overall well-balanced diet (with an occasional treat.)
I used to have soooo many days that I told myself it was okay to eat “whatever,” especially parties (often at least once per week), weekends, and vacations. Once I realized that these occasions did not have to be all about food, I was able to change my attitude and not go overboard.
Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Teenager & Mushroom Love Continued
You are so right, and that’s what I teach my class participants – that just because it’s a holiday, it doesn’t have to be a “pig-out” day! It’s about the person or the celebration, not the food!
Very good post. Up until recently I’ve always been a person who was not as strict on the weekends as during the week (when dieting) and I know it affected my weight loss efforts. Last weekend was the first time I didn’t let it all go just because it was the weekend and it felt good.
I think it’s clicking, Diane. (grin) Slowly, but surely, the way I handle eating and food is changing.
Leah´s last blog ..Why so nervous?
Leah – I’m glad it’s clicking in for you. You are doing really well! Sometimes slow is frustrating, but slow also helps it stick in our minds!
Absolutely right! It’s all about consistency! Weekends, especially Sundays, used to be hard for me too, but now I seem to do better. It helps that my husband is an enforcer, not an enabler!
Hanlie´s last blog ..A frightfully long meme
Hanlie – Consistency is the right word to use! Your husband sounds like he is perfect for you! I enjoyed your post today!
Once you get your mind in the right place….you don’t view the weekends as a time to go crazy anymore….you view it as just another day. My focus went from weekends equaling the freedom to eat whatever I wanted, to, only 5 or 6 more days til weigh day….I better stay on track!!
Tammy Ortagus´s last blog ..The Sunshine Is Back
Tammy – That’s a very good way to look at the weekend, just “x” number of days to go until weigh-in. Just think, someday you will be where you want to be, and there won’t be anymore weigh-ins!
This is a hard lesson to keep in focus at first, until you start getting results and feeling the difference consistency makes. Great Post!
Pam´s last blog ..Progress In Pictures
Thanks Pam, for the comment. Seeing results certainly makes it easier to make wise choices. I know it did for me.
This is so true! I have posted a lot about this weekend eating & waiting for Monday. You are right.. start NOW, not even today. If you “mess up”, than why wait for tomorrow.. why not just get yet back to it right then.. the next meal!
As for weekend warriors, I once posted about an article I read about the average number of calories people eta on the weekend. They eat so many that they ruin all the hard work from the week & basically, they are never losing weight due to making up for all they lost by putting it back on the weekend.
Everything in moderation. Treat yourself but don’t sabotage yourself!
Thx Diane as usual!
Jody – Fit at 51´s last blog ..Finding Balance in a Hectic Life
Jody – I’ve read a lot of your weekend posts, and you always have great ideas. I need to read that article about weekend eating, because I can certainly believe it!
Great post! For as long as I can remember, my mom was always starting a new diet. I love most things about my mom and what she passed on to me, except her troubled relationship with food and weight. She was always starting her diet on Monday (of course–like there’s anything magical about Mondays??!!)…so she would get this glow in her eyes and ask what we wanted to pig out on every Saturday. It was exhausting to say the least. This started me on my road to yo-yo dieting for over 20 years. I don’t blame my mom now since I’ve lost the weight and forged my own path, but I can’t help but think that if my mom’s relationship with food was healthier I wouldn’t have suffered so much with my weight and food issues. One of my favorite analogies is Dr. Oz’s You-turn. This has made a huge difference for me in turning things around immediately instead of waiting for Monday.
Sandrelle´s last blog ..Second Wind
Sandrelle – Thanks so much for sharing that insight. I think you are very strong for being able to put childhood patterns behind you. I love that Dr. Oz’s quote too. It’s perfect!
Maybe there’s an advantage to our weekends being on days other than Sat & Sun.
lee (getting fit)´s last blog ..finally
Lee – I think you are probably right!
Awh, so true!!!! I think so many times I work so hard during the week just to blow it all on the weekend… all those calories I burned off and avoided came back double time. Great advice Diane!
She-Fit´s last blog ..Healthy Eats at Jack-In-The-Box
I never wanted to believe that overeating on the weekends could undo all the good eating during the week, and not surprisingly, I didn’t lose weight. Denial was one of the toughest things to get past, and it wasn’t always so fun. But at some point, I had to face reality, though I still resent it a bit. This 80:20 rule that people refer to, as in eating healthy 80% of the time didn’t work for me, maybe more like 95:5, maybe even 98:2.
julie´s last blog ..bad luck, tough love
[...] Don’t wait until Monday to start your diet – your body doesn’t care what day of the week it is! Some dieters tend to go wild on the weekend. Check out this post from Fit to The Finish: Why Wait for Monday? [...]