Dont Let The Weekends

 Don't Let Weekend Mishaps Ruin Your Weekday Efforts

How often do you keep your healthy habits during the weekdays, and spend your entire weekend falling off the wagon?

Somehow it's easier to eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains during the workweek, but almost impossible to pass up chips, desserts, and beer after 6pm on Friday! Weekends often bring all-day indulging, and sedentary activities like watching TV.

Take heart—there are things you can do to ward off the weekend woes, even as you make Saturdays and Sundays a relaxing departure from your workday world.

Next, diagnose the major pitfalls of your own weekends: Do you make bad food choices? Eat too much? Hibernate instead of hitting the gym?

By examining what throws you off course, you can institute some strategies that will get you back on track. For starters, try these tips:

• Keep up with your diet journal on the weekends. Use it to pinpoint your difficulties, so that you can evaluate ways to attack your weaknesses. 
• Limit dining out to just one meal per weekend. If something happens that you didn’t "budget" for, try to compensate. If you overindulged, plan additional activity to help offset the extra calories.            
• Look for ways to combine family time with exercise, both indoors and out. Ride bikes, skate, play soccer or tag, or take a simple nature walk. Your weekend exercise will be worthwhile even if it's not as regimented.

Try new foods that you don't usually have time for on a busy weekday. Make fruit smoothies, which are diet-friendly and can satisfy a sweet tooth.

• When it comes to weekends, you're more likely to exercise if you get it out of the way. Plan your workout for early Saturday morning—before you slip into relaxation mode.      
• Save vigorous chores (scrubbing floors, raking leaves, washing and waxing the car) for the weekend so that you know you'll get at least a minimum amount of exercise.
• Don’t save all your splurging for the weekends. Allowing yourself a few treats throughout the week will help you avoid the mindset that the weekend is an excuse to indulge in empty calories.
• Don't forget to drink your water! Carry convenient sports bottles to your weekend activities.
• If you know you're going to dine out or be in a social situation with special food, eat a light snack beforehand. Then, you can enjoy the treats without being so famished that you go overboard.

You don't have to regret the weekend—or start over every Monday morning. By adopting strategies that work for your life, you can relax and once again enjoy the weekend.