Weekly Respawning?

[Fett]

Hi All

 

So here's my dilemma. I am spot on with my food, portions, workouts, etc all week long. Hell - coworkers can bring in treats and I leave them alone. BUT, then the weekend comes and instead of continuing the trend, it seems like I'm only hitting the mark half of the time, with the other half being "cheat" meals or some excuse comes up for not wanting to work out. I'd be fine if there was one meal per weekend that was a reward meal (or whatever you want to call it), but lately its gotten a little more out of control. I also think there should be some type of rest day built into your workout routine - maybe that can be Sunday for me? Maybe burn through a Yoga/Stretch video in the morning?

 

I guess I just wanted to vent out my frustrations a bit, but also ping you guys to see what you have used in the past to help you make it through the weekend and stay on track.  On a positive note, I'm always back hitting it hard again on Monday...just like today. I just want to be a little more consistent. 

 

Thanks for the help!

 

-Fett

 

 

 

 

[JPrev]

I go with the flow on weekends.  Most weekdays I'm super disciplined (minus the occasional random hangout with a friend), so there's plenty of room in the "budget."  Getting fit should be about finding a lifestyle you enjoy.  If you can only get the level you want by putting your life on hold, then you're doomed to yo-yo'ing forever.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Steve actually has suggested in blogs past that taking a day off periodically isn't a bad idea.  A rest day once a week is a good idea as well, you are letting your body recover. A light yoga routine is ok as that can help aid recovery.

[Evicious]

Some people can handle rest days. Some can't. It sounds to me like you are of the former group.

 

Pick a day, or two, and relax! Indulge in your favorite treats; sleep in, take a nap, then go to bed early too - whatever hits the spot. Just ask yourself this question before you do: why do I want to eat/do thing?

 

If the answer is because "Today is my cheat day, and I can't have/do it any other day," then you may want to rethink it. Doing something just because "it's not allowed" otherwise means you feel deprived, and deprivation almost always leads to over-indulgence. You would do well to find a different way of fitting that item/activity into your life in a more balanced fashion.

 

If the answer is because "I like it," then you're probably going to enjoy it and move on without issue.

 

Finally, here are some NF articles you might like or find helpful:
 

Is Motivation Useless?

5 Jedi Mind Tricks to Help Yourself Get Healthy

Who You Were, Who You Are <---- My favorite :-P

[Fett]

Thanks guys - you've given me a lot to think about. So I'm on board with Sunday being my rest day - I think that works out the best with my workout schedule and life, but I'm not quite sure what I want to do with Saturday. In the past, I've found that two days of doing nothing, plus some poor eating choices makes Monday's workout a real b*tch.  Normally when my son goes down for a nap, its time to enjoy some video games, but I might just have to do a quick 30 minute workout instead. 

 

Instead of feeling like my weekend food is limited to only on the weekends, sometimes I think I feel like its a reward. "Hey, I worked out like a banshee this week - lets order pizza". Unfortunately, then one poor choice seems to roll into the next one. Whether its leftovers, or a little desert that comes along for the ride...etc. Trust me, I realize that I could have a nice spinach salad first and then only have a piece or two, but that pizza tastes SO GOOD!!     

 

Haha...my 18 month old has been watching a lot of Sesame Street lately...sometimes I feel like Cookie Monster on the weekend. Om Nom Nom Nom!  Life is so much easier during the week when I pack my lunch and everything is portioned into nice containers and rationed out.  Maybe that's what I need on the weekend...more structure!

 

Well, at least the weekend is a couple days out - plenty of time for me to psych myself up for another round and try for a victory again!  One day (specifically on the weekend) at a time!