Thank God it’s Friday?? Well, when I was in party mode; drinking, eating junk, and general carousing, I was psyched then the weekend hit! It was time for all kinds of fun and hanging out; parties, dinners, late “breakfasts”, etc. However, that was years ago and times have changed for me since then.
Now that I am living a healthy and fitness-minded lifestyle, I find weekends to be a CHALLENGE. It’s not so easy anymore to go out with friends, eat at restaurants, and attend parties when you have very specific nutrition goals, and you’re on a schedule for workouts and meals.
Over the summer, when I was in the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle Transformation Challenge, I actually dreaded weekends. Since I was on such a strict diet with no room for error, I ended up usually eating before going out, bringing my own food, and just drinking water at bars (water with lemon if I was lucky!).
I can’t say it was fun times. But, it made me realize how differently you view “what’s enjoyble” when you have different goals than everyone around you. Things that are “fun” for me now include a walk around the neighborhood, the exhilaration I get after completing a tough workout, the sense of accomplishment I have after sticking to my eating plan all week and making great progress, or helping someone else get started on their fitness journey. These are now the rewarding activities I enjoy.
Going out to dinner and hanging at bars I view as setbacks and challenges. Can it be “fun” at the same time? Sure, it’s “fun”, but it’s difficult. In fact, in my daily planner, I go through my calendar and identify upcoming challenge-situations for myself so I can plan strategies in advance. I don’t like to be blindsided and be without a plan. When I know we’re gong out to dinner, I usually try to look up the restaurant menu on line and see what my options are. That way, I feel more prepared and can plan my day around my evening activities.
Do I occasionally have junk food? Of course I do. But it’s nice to be able to plan having a cheat meal and look forward to it. Then you can enjoy your cheat meal and not feel guilt. No big deal, right? The “difficult and challenging” aspects set in when your “weekend” starts on Thursday night Happy Hour, and then Friday night, of course, and goes into Saturday afternoon and before you know it, your’e eating pizza and drinking beer at a Sports Bar on Sunday while watching football. God forbid this continues into Monday night football which is a distinct possibility!
So, while it’s great that it’s once again the “weekend”, it’s important to decide when, where, and which days you will stick to your plan, and when you’ll have a cheat meal. If you don’t plan these things out in advance, your weekend can turn into over half the week, and now you’re no longer living the Fitness Lifestyle.
It’s definitely okay to enjoy some cocktails, spend time with friends, and eat some junk here and there… just make sure that it doesn’t become the “norm” and stays the “occasional” if you truly want to achieve your fitness goals!
I agree 100% Stef! I remember telling my husband a weekend or so ago that I was glad the weekend was over! It’s so much easier to eat clean M-F. That is Friday Daytime…. I still slip a lot on the weekends.
Hi Ann! Seriously! I completely agree – weekends have become my nemesis for that reason – I can stick to a schedule and eat clean relatively *easily* during the week, but throw in social outings, dinners out, and happy hours and I’m either partaking or miserable. I guess this is where having a great group of friends with your same goals would naturally make life soooo much easier. Unfortunately I’m not there yet (in the “local” friend department!). That’s why The Inner Circle is so important 🙂 and people like YOU.
Oddly enough … Mondays are now my favorite LOL!
Ann, sometimes I go so far as to pack a cooler on the weekends and keep it out on my counter just for that reason! :o)
Amen! I thought I was the only one who felt this way, that I just couldn’t really cope with this lifestyle. The truth is, I LOVE IT! but with my husband not on board, and most of our friends not on board, that’s what draws me to websites like yours. Thank you so much for bringing up this topic because it is with me all the time…from taking the kidsTrick or Treating to the Beer Tasting fundraiser we bought tickets to (guess who was DD?:o)) I am far from complaining, I actually love it because I feel wonderful all the time (except when I give in to temptation) while many others are feeling regretful of their health decisions. I don’t like that feeling, so I am here for life, until I hit my goals and beyond!
Hey Christa!
It’s definitely a struggle at times and a lot of times I just want to avoid the whole thing and stay home!! Over the summer, my husband would invite people to OUR house because that way, I could stick to my plan and make everyone else a “fatter” version of what I was eating. That actually worked out really well.
I also pack a lot of coolers and bring a lot of food with me. It forces you to focus on the “bigger picture” and not immediate gratification like most people are after. Congrats on having the mental fortitude to stick it out with the rest of us!!! Now….if we only all lived in the same town…. 🙂