Here’s a statement most of us have said before, often at the Savvy Squire at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon; “I have worked hard in the gym this week, I deserve this”. And even though the sentiment is true, you have worked hard, you do indeed deserve recognition. It can often be the undoing of all that hard work.
The situation
If you are in a calorie deficit (eating less than you are burning) of 150 calories every working day, you should be 750 calories clear for the week. A great achievement if you are trying to lose weight.
But add in the two pints and a parmi, and all of the work is gone. In one meal. It’s scary how little it can take. Then we know what happens next. We have less than optimal sleep, wake up late on Saturday, miss breakfast, and then end up having a bigger lunch than usual, to make up for brekky. This brings on those sugar cravings, and then whilst watching the new Ghostbusters film, the kids’ bag of M&Ms somehow ends up in your lap.
“There are only a few left, better finish the bag. I’ll start over on Monday. ”
As a coach, I see this a lot. The remedy for this weekend’s overeating comes down to a little foresight and good decision-making. In my world, good decisions inform other good decisions. So nip any potential weekend overeating in the bud by following these handy tips.
Tips to avoid overeating
Have dinner planned for Friday night
Have a big healthy family dinner planned for Friday night. This will make that pub fare a mere thought when it comes to quittin’ time. Use it as a time to reconnect with the family and debrief the week that was.
It doesn’t need to be complicated either. A rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies and sweet potato is a quick easy dinner to pick up.
Have Saturday morning plans
In my opinion, the Saturday morning workout is the best workout of the week. You can sleep in a bit, take your time in the gym and really get down to work. Make this a feature of your schedule. One that you will never want to be hungover for.
For those with kids, this workout can be a family affair. Hit the trails, go to the beach or put together a family footy game.
Grocery shop on Saturday
This means you will have healthy food in the fridge for Saturday night, it would be a waste to then get takeout right?! You can start your food prep early by cooking Saturday night dinner for the family.
Food Prep on Sunday
The age-old habit of food prep is a cornerstone of health and fitness preparation. If you are new to this space, food prep is preparing your food for the days ahead so you will always have healthy food on hand. This serves as preparation for your week ahead, but also, if you do it on Sunday morning it means you can have a healthy lunch and dinner ready to go. That way uber eats can remain unopened when Sunday dinner rolls around.
