You know the feeling well. A week of early-morning training sessions and controlled eating ruined by a weekend of indulgence – brunch, a few drinks, canapés before dinner, a restaurant meal or two. Before you know it, your week of eating well and exercising has become a distant memory.
The best diet intentions come unstuck on weekends for a number of reasons. Weekends often lack structure, which affects meal times, while more socialising means more food, which means more kilojoules. And psychologically, many people relax their self-imposed diet and exercise behaviours simply because it is the weekend. For the majority of us, this is unlikely to change. So if the goal is weight control, using our weekdays to buffer weekend choices may be a viable and sustainable option, without limiting your weekend social life too much.
THE WEEKDAY RULES
Eat lightly in the first half of the week. Weight control inevitably comes down to calorie balance and if we consume a greater number of kilojoules on weekends, lightening our intake from Monday to Friday makes sense. Cut back on snacks, choose lighter meal options such as salads, soups and fish, and reduce extras such as milk coffees, juices, dessert and alcohol. This can reduce your energy intake by as much as 2500 kilojoules each day, without even noticing.
Have must-train days. Everyone is busy and yet some people find time to exercise no matter what, while others find excuses. Committing to a certain number of exercise sessions each week, no matter what, will not only help to structure your week, but burn extra kilojoules to balance out all those consumed on the weekend.
Have alcohol-free days. Consumption of alcohol is a habit that develops over time, and as booze is relatively high in kilojoules (30 kilojoules a gram compared with 37 for fat), it is easy to gain weight when you drink regularly. Simply restricting the number of days in which you drink helps to establish some self-managed limits, which benefits both your health and energy intake.
No party foods. While we all enjoy higher-fat foods occasionally, whether it's fried food, rich restaurant meals or sweets, few of us can eat them too often without gaining weight. Establishing a simple rule of only enjoying these foods on weekends again offers a clear limit.
THE WEEKEND RULES
Drop the snacks. Weekends mean fast food, eating out, celebrations - larger portions, more alcohol and more treats. You don't need snacks when your meals are larger and more energy-dense.
Take control of bingeing. Do you really need the extra slice of toast, that pile of fries next to your burger or a giant serve of cake? During celebrations and special events, focus on tasting your favourite foods, but not bingeing on them.
Practise active socialising. The weekend is an opportunity to do more, not less. Combine socialising with activity by scheduling friendly catch-ups over a walk or bike ride, join a team or group training session, or plan family activities such as bush walks. When we balance kilojoule intake with kilojoule output, we are able to enjoy treats and extras without worrying so much about our weight, and this applies equally to adults and children.
Go light on Sunday night. Forget waiting until Monday to restart your healthy diet for the week ahead. Instead, commit to light meals on Sunday night to help balance out the sins of the weekend. Soup, salad or grilled fish or prawns are all low-kilojoule choices that are appetising, but also put you on track for getting into your regular and healthy weekday routine.
