So you do a great job all week. You follow the Lose Baby Weight healthy eating weight loss plan and do really well then boom the weekend hits and Saturdays and/or Sundays usually mean family days out or get togethers, more junk food temptation and a lack of will power!
And then Monday morning follows and you can often feel down that you have ruined your pregnancy weight loss efforts over the weekend.
Unfortunately, if we really over do it on the weekend then it can be a stumbling block for achieving your pregnancy weight loss goals and it can set mums back not only physically with the weight but also psychologically as they then feel they have ‘stuffed up’ and have undone all of their hard work.
Although it is deeply frustrating when we fall off the wagon it is important to learn from our mistakes and get back on the horse more prepared and better equipped to deal with the situation at the next weekend so you can conquer the weekend weight loss woes.
Also – don’t worry if you are not perfect on the weekend – the issue is if you completely fall of the wagon as opposed to having a couple of treats and a good guide is to be good 80% of the time and let yourself indulge for 20% – which means you can have treats!
So why do we slip up so spectacularly on the weekends?
Temptation is everywhere. We are now usually spending time with our family, friends and husbands and we literally have tempting foods around us over the whole weekend that are not conducive to weight loss.
We have family outings where fast food and highly processed and fat/sugary foods are everywhere and convenient to buy/eat when you are out and about. We have family and friend get togethers/BBQ’s/parties/dinners where sugary, fatty and high carb foods are everywhere and where we really don’t want to “be difficult” and ask for different foods so we eat what everyone else eats. We are much more likely to have a drink when socializing and this is not good for the calorie count PLUS makes us want to eat more. Get our tips on how to cope with socialising here
Our subconscious is also telling us “you have been so good all week – it’s time for a treat”. And lastly as we are so family focused on the weekend it is hard to focus on the exercise and to focus on you and your weight loss – both crucial in successful weight loss. See our tips for non food rewards here
So what do we do? We address the reasons why the weekends are such a DANGER zone and turn a negative into a positive. Knowledge is power and your weight loss is in your hands and you can get control of a negative cycle which could well turn out to be the difference between a loss or a non movement on the scales the following week.
How to turn the weekend negative into a positive
- PLAN PLAN PLAN – Losing your weight is a journey and it won’t happen over night. To be successful you need to be determined, committed and be organized. When you are going on a family outing DON’T leave the house without packing healthy snacks to keep your metabolism going during the day and so that you have something to eat when you are hungry. Make sure you pack things which you know you like – like , a punnet of strawberries, dried apricots, crackers and low fat cheese etc. And don’t feel you have to stick to the Lose Baby Weight plans every day of the week. Use the knowledge you gain in the week with healthy cooking and exercise to make your own choices
- FAMILY AND FRIEND SUPPORT – Tell people about what you are doing and how you need their support on the weekend. Tell your husband he is going to have super healthy wife if he helps you stick to the plan and helps you eat well and move more – and try and get him eating healthily too!
- SOCIALISING – Firstly, try and eat food before you go to a party/gathering/dinner so you are not hungry when you get there and don’t pig out. Secondly tell the people you are socializing with what you are doing and how it is a big test for you not to faulter that day/night. Take healthy snacks with you in your bag in case you get desperate and if you don’t think you are strong enough to face an outing yet then DON’T GO!! You have to conquer your mind and if you have not been on the plan long enough to do that yet it will be like being a kid in a candy store – with the keys and with no one watching – don’t do it to yourself.
- EXERCISE – just because it is the weekend it doesn’t mean you can’t find time to do some exercise. Get the hubby out having a walk with you or find a buddy and take the prams for an early morning Saturday morning walk. Plus try and move more during the day – wherever you are and whoever you are with it is easy when you put your mind to it to walk a little bit extra – whether it be popping to the shops for some milk, doing a brisk 10 minute walk around the block or getting hubby to baby sit and you go for a swim/walk with a girl friend.
- MOTIVATION – Write down on a piece of paper what your motivation is for losing weight, then EVERY TIME you feel yourself getting weak – look at your sheet. Why are you doing this? Why do you want to lose the weight? How will you feel if you pig out on the weekend then don’t have a weight loss result on your Monday weigh in? Are you really hungry or is it your mind playing tricks on you? Stay motivated and strong and don’t let the cravings in your mind get the better of you. Get more top tips here
- START THE DAY RIGHT – have a nutrition packed breakfast and either cook up something really healthy or have a Healthy Mummy Smoothie – just make sure whatever you have is healthy and junk free.
- RECTIFY HALF WAY THROUGH – if you know at the end of a Saturday that things have been pretty dismal on the healthy eating front then committ to making Sunday a SUPER healthy day. Plan what you will do on a Sunday and make it a day packed with good food and exercise and don’t beat yourself up about the indulgences on the Saturday
Losing weight can be tough and it takes hard work so don’t think you can just pop a pill and vamoosh it is gone. It will take time, effort and commitment but what you put in you will get out and with the right approach, food, nutrition, exercise and support you will do it in the best way possible and in a way that will keep the weight off in the long term. So giddy up and get focused and don’t let the dreaded weekend woes get the better of your weight loss!!
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine.
And don’t forget to check out our current promotions and discounts page to see what specials we have on this week on our Healthy Mummy product range
