Weekend Splurging

I recently read an article about how overeating on the weekend can totally sabotage your weight loss. Reading deeper into the article revealed that the woman in question totally threw her healthy lifestyle out the window once work ended on Friday evening. She couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing weight anymore. Well, DUH! (To quote Young One).

So, let me give you the skinny on the article (pun intended). Basically, this woman would have a free for all binge all weekend long. Eating and drinking to her hearts content, thinking after her Friday weigh-in that she deserved it and that she had plenty of time to "work off" her over indulgences. I can totally sympathize with her thinking. I mean, we do have to let loose every once in a while, but it has to be within reason.

I weigh-in on Fridays. Why? I do it then because it seems to me the best day for my weigh in (another, well duh, from Young One). I've been working out all week, Monday through Friday I'm much stricter with myself than I am on the weekends. I usually save my Splurge Points, aka Flex Points, for weekend treats. Friday just seems like the day of the week that I just might be at top form. And once I weigh in, I feel like I can relax a bit.

I do relax on the weekends, I don't do formal workouts, just try to get in more activity if I can. I also treat myself to a meal or two out, usually one fairly healthy and one that isn't so great. For example, this weekend, I had a chicken and veggie stir fry at a great Asian restaurant and indulged in a huge cheeseburger and fries. I barely dipped into my Flex Points and that's enough for me. Could I keep on eating through the weekend? Yes, probably, but I'd pay for it next Friday at weigh-in.

Frustratingly, I've figured out that I'm not one that can eat every possible Point (activity Points, Flex points) and still lose weight. Now, I know people that can and I'm slightly jealous, but not hugely so. Here's the deal, and maybe this is a little secret that people just starting the weight loss journey should know: as you start to eat smaller portions, you begin to be more satisfied with smaller portions. Am I explaining that clearly? I think your body just adapts and starts to feel fuller earlier or maybe it's that I've figured out how to eat more filling foods that have lower calorie counts. Personally, I like to think of it as my stomach shrinking, although as a nurse, I know this is really not possible.

I'm sort of rambling here, but what I guess I'm trying to say is that you can't take huge holidays from your healthy lifestyle and still expect to have good results. It's got to be every day for the rest of your life. I expect that when I'm in my eighties I'll still be mentally counting my points. It's something I'll have to do to live well.