I mean, who doesn’t love the weekend? And as you should! It’s a break from routine, and hopefully full of rest. Most weekends mean you get to sleep in, lounge around, and take it easy. But if you’re someone who’s got some fitness related goals, the weekend can be your downfall. It’s often a little too easy to overindulge in food and drink and completely undo all of your hard work from the past week. Wups!
How can you have the best of both worlds?
A week dialed in, nailing your nutrition and movement, and a weekend of enjoyment without completely derailing all that consistent work…
Check out these tips!
- Start to look at your week as a whole → Remember… a week means seven days, not five. Start thinking about your week as a whole, rather than just weekdays or weekends, and try to plan for that as well. Plan some fun and exciting things you can do unrelated to food and drink on the weekend, or maybe plan to enjoy a treat during the week! Oftentimes we feel the weekend is the only time we can enjoy treats, so we go a bit wild over it. Change that perspective by thinking of your week as a whole.
- Keep your weekends active → You don’t necessarily need to hit a super hard workout on the weekend, but you sure can focus on rejuvenating movement – go for a walk, get some fresh air, do some hiking, take a bike ride, or do activities that still keep you moving. Getting outside for just 30 minutes each day can do wonders for your health and well-being, and remind you of your goals.
- Use a habit tracker → Tracking your usual routine or habits is a great way to help you be more mindful of your behavior and see where you need to make changes or improvements. You’ll easily know if you are spending too much time binge-watching Netflix or playing video games instead of working out. Also, track when and where you eat, as you may find that you are more likely to snack when you’re bored or stressed out. By tracking your behavior, you can start to see patterns in your actions and how they might be impacting your goals.
- Live by the 80/20 rule → It’s simple and so rewarding. Again, think of your week as a whole. Eighty percent of the time, choose healthy, nourishing, nutrient dense food. The remaining 20%, feel free to include meals of enjoyment, not worrying too much about macro content/calories/etc. Allow yourself to fully enjoy, without guilt, but keep it to 20%! This will help you move away from the “all or nothing” approach to your weekends (or anytime)!
So there you have it. A solid game plan and a great reminder that, yes, you can still enjoy your weekend and not wholly derail all of your fitness progress. Just be mindful of how you spend your time and include some healthy activities.