Day 6 of Week 2, How To Diet On The Weekend

Weight loss today: 1/2 pound
total lost: 5 1/2 pounds in 12 days

1 bite of garlic bread pretzel: 15 (est)
1/2 cup of oatmeal: 150
2ts of sugar: 30
1/2 cup of skim milk: 30
total: 225

vanilla protein shake:120
4 1/2 oz banana: 70
pretzel bites:35(est)
total: 225
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running total: 450

2 large eggs:140
2 lefse:60
1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese:90
1/4 cup of canned pineapple:35
1 cup of plain spinach: 10
total:335
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running total: 785

protein shake:120
1/4 graham cracker sheet: 15
1 cup of Special K cereal:120
1/2 cup of skim milk:45
1 tsp of sugar:15
total:315
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running total: 1,100

bites of cereal:35
bite of icecream:30
1 1/4 cup of shrimp fried rice (yum): 210
total: 275
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running total: 1375
additional snack: 225
total:1600

fitness: 50 minute chest and tricep weight training workout
abdominals
Today's challenge: It's the weekend. There always seems to be more opportunities to overeat on the weekend.

Note on picture: These are the garlic bread Snyder of Hanover pretzels that are my latest temptation. They come in a variety of flavors and my husband buys them for himself. But garlic bread flavor is awesome.

wow. 1/2 oz, though, is 70 calories. So, I can't eat but a few bites in a day, but the bites I do take are wonderful!

How To Diet On The Weekend

Have you noticed it's a lot harder to stick to your diet on the weekend?

Let me give you a perfect example of this.

About 30 minutes ago, I got a phone call from my husband who was out running errands with the kids,

"Do you have enough calories for a double shot mocha at (insert your favorite coffee shop here)?"

Of course I don't have enough calories. A double shot mocha, the way I like it has whole milk. But even if they did it with skim milk, the smaller sizes are 12 ounces. So that, in itself is 135 calories. Add in the chocolate and whipped cream, we're talking about an easily over 225 calorie snack.

For coffee.

I mean I could trade in my ice cream at night for this reduced calorie version of what I really like, but to me, it's just not worth it.

And, by the way, I really appreciate my husband for thinking of my diet instead of just bringing it home. That would be really hard, ya know, to just have that mocha sitting there, but I can't have it. Or worse, I buckle in, have it and then I' ve just had my snack for the day.

Well, these food opportunities will present themselves all weekend long.

Tonight for example, I fully expect that there is going to be a run to the ice cream shop with the kids. Do I partake? Do I save a few calories to squeeze this in? What if I want to eat popcorn or a snack later tonight with my husband?

Really the best way to get through the weekend is to first have unbridled determination to get through it unscathed.

Last weekend I was not soo determined and look what happened. I went to that picnic last Sunday without a plan, and unprepared for the scotcheroos that were waiting in the wings for me, waiting to take my diet down.

Not this weekend. I want to lose that sixth pound by Monday.

So, really the next best thing for me to do is to make a plan. A reasonable plan.

What do you want to eat? Plan out your calories ahead of time so that it's possible to partake in a food that you really want.

But, I have to tell you, it will usally only be one food. I can't go out for icecream and have a mocha too...well, you could, but you would have to starve yourself throughout other parts of your day to do it.

And that begs the question, is it really worth feeling hungry all weekend just so you can splurge your calories Saturday night? Maybe it is for some, but I'm not doing it today.

So, you need to look at where your going to put your calories, before it actually happens. When you do this, you're more likely to cut out unnecessary calories and lieu of the ones you want to use for your treat.

For example, eating your potato plain versus with some type of dressing. It's not the most fun choice to make, but we don't really need dressing, but our bodies do need the potato. If I take off all my low-calorie dressing choices that I usually like on my meat and potato, I could save myself a good 75 calories. That's almost a 100. That's about 1/3 of the calories of the snack I want to eat.

The other way, to get through is with small bites. I shall have to do a post on the art of taking bites. But, if I'm with my husband and he has this awesome mocha that he's drinking, a small drink has only a few calories, and I still get the pleasure of the taste.

I think bites and sips are underrated.

I did want to reiterate. The weekend is no different from the week day, in that you should ideally be taking six meals in throughout the day. You will feel better if you do and you will not have hunger pains clouding your inability to resist snacking.

Finally, a third option I might suggest is getting involved in some type of physical activity. It's harder to eat while your biking or hiking, swimming our running. And, then, just maybe, you could trade in a 40 minute workout for a 300 calorie snack.