Dieting is so much easier to stick to Monday to Friday, but when the weekend comes all structure goes out of the window, and with it, the diet! So, how do you make sure your hard work during the week isn’t wasted at the weekend?
Here’s some tips to keep you on track…
What’s your motivation
This is one of the main reasons people fail on a diet – they start losing weight, get really excited and forget the reason that they started dieting in the first place. Once that happens, it’s much easier to make little mistakes: ‘I’ll just have one!’, ‘I’ll just take today off’, ‘I’ll get back on track next week’. Sound familiar?
It helps to write down your ‘WHY’ – what is the main reason you are losing weight? Do you just want to be able to buy a pair of jeans from Topshop? Do you want to be able to run around with your kids without getting out of breath? Do you want to look amazing at the Christmas party this year? Whatever your motivation, write it down and put it somewhere you will see it a lot (why not make it your screensaver on your phone?)! If your ‘why’ is with you all the time you are less likely to fail!
Cheerleaders
Get your family and friends on board – you’ve probably already told them you are dieting and what your plan involves (if you haven’t then tell them!) but have you told them why? Do they know what your goals are? Once they understand your reasons, they’ll be sure to cheer you on (and give you a nudge if you are wavering!).
Make plans
Don’t just let the weekend happen, make plans! Plan to go to the park for a walk with the kids, book a trip to the cinema with your friends, arrange to go to the shops with you mum, or just plan to have a pamper session on your own at home.
Whatever you choose, it really doesn’t matter, but just make sure you are doing something so that you don’t get bored! It’s often boredom that leads to eating, not hunger!
Simple changes
Weekends probably used to mean takeaways, going out for a meal with your friends or a big family meal at home on a Sunday.
Don’t worry, you can still enjoy your old life – you just have to make some simple changes. There are loads of great recipes on this blog that you can have on Plan, including pizzas, nachos and piri piri chicken. So you can create your own versions of the meals you used to enjoy, but these are miles better for you (and, in our opinion, far tastier!).
If all else fails…
Dieting isn’t easy, but don’t let this stop you getting to where you want to be.
If you know you are likely to struggle at the weekend then speak to your Consultant who will talk you through the different options. Yes, if you stick to the Plan as it is written in the Steps Booklet then you will experience the best weight-loss results, but occasionally real life gets in the way (that’s occasionally, not weekly!) so here are two things you could consider…
Take an extra product
If you have a particularly difficult weekend ahead, then why not buy two extra CWP bars, one for Saturday and one for Sunday. Chop one up each day and keep it with you. If you are struggling, have a piece – the knowledge that it is there may be enough to keep you on track, and if not then it’s better to have a piece of CWP bar than a big slice of cake!
Step up
If you have plans at the weekend and really don’t think you will be able to stick to your Step, then move to a higher one. Your Consultant will be able to talk this through with you, but it will give you more flexibility when choosing your meals and will keep your diet on track!
So now there is no reason to be scared of tackling the weekend – you’ve got this!