10 Tips for Avoiding Weekend Weight Gain

10 Tips for Avoiding Weekend Weight Gain

Is weekend overindulgence the cause of your weight gain?

Did you know that even if you stick to a healthy diet or exercise routine all week, weekend overeating could result in an average gain of 9 pounds a year? That's what researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found in a recent study published in the journal Obesity.

Like the study subjects, many people stick to a routine of relatively healthy eating and regular exercise on weekdays -- but when 5 o'clock Friday rolls around, all bets are off. Then, come Monday morning, your pants feel a little tighter and the needle on the scale moves up a notch.

There's no way around it; the trick to avoiding weekend weight gain is consistency, says James Hill, PhD, co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have succeeded in losing weight and keeping it off.

"Our studies show that successful losers that keep the weight off long term are consistent every day in their lifestyles, so eating healthy and exercising is their routine regardless of day of the week," says Hill. "When weekends are a time out, those extra calories and time off of exercise add up, and undermine weight loss efforts."

Here are more tips from the experts to help you outsmart weekend weight gain:

1. Weigh in regularly. Weigh yourself every day -- or at least every Friday and again on Monday. When you see your weight creeping upward, that's a signal to cut out the splurges and increase activity. For consistency's sake, weigh yourself first thing each morning after emptying your bladder.

2. Focus on healthy eating and moderation. You've probably got more time on the weekends, so why eat processed foods? Take the time to prepare and enjoy whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Cook up a pot of soup or chili, or cut up veggies to enjoy as snacks. Eating fiber-rich whole foods and lean protein will keep you feeling satisfied for hours.

3. Plan ahead. If you're headed for a party or out to dinner, eat less that day and/or power up your physical activity. When you're planning to be out running errands, pack healthy snacks or a lunch to help yourself avoid the high-calorie offerings at fast-food restaurants and the food court.

4. Watch portion sizes. The best way to get familiar with portion sizes is to pull out the measuring cups once in awhile. This will help you "eyeball" portions better even when you're away from home. You can also visualize common items to keep portions in line. For example, a baseball equals about 1 cup (fruits, vegetables, greens, flake cereal); a light bulb equals 1/2 cup (pasta, rice, potatoes, beans); a golf ball looks like 1/4 cup (dried fruit, peanut butter, nuts) and a deck of cards is about the size of 3 ounces of burger, chicken breast, or fish. Another trick: Try downsizing plates and utensils so servings look larger.

5. Get physical. Instead of spending extra time on the couch, use your weekend time to take a bike ride, go for a hike, play tennis, or simply go walking with your family and friends. Even shopping at the mall can be exercise. Strap on a pedometer and strive for 10,000 steps each day.

6. Eat out sensibly. Don't arrive at the restaurant starving. Otherwise, you could take in hundreds of extra calories from the bread basket or appetizers alone. Have a cup of vegetable soup, a green salad, or another light snack to take the edge off your appetite an hour before you go out. When you arrive, scan the menu or buffet and choose foods that are not laden with cream or sauces or prepared in casseroles.

7. Eat a healthy breakfast. You've got time to enjoy breakfast on the weekend, so do so. Just avoid the giant farm-style breakfasts loaded with fat, sodium, and calories. Have an egg or two, whole-grain toast, and some fruit. Or choose a bowl of high-fiber cereal with low-fat yogurt and fruit. A healthy breakfast sets the tone for the day. Successful losers never leave home without it.

8. Think thin. Keep your weight loss goals in mind on the weekends so all your hard work during the week isn't wasted. An occasional splurge is fine, but don't make it a regular thing. When you're socializing, focus more on the people and conversation -- and less on the food.

9. Beware beverage calories. Calories from alcohol, sodas, and juices add up quickly; before you know it, you've downed several hundred extra calories. Alcohol can also loosen your resolve to eat healthy. Consider liquid calories as extras, because they don't fill you up or reduce the amount of food you eat. Enjoy one glass of wine instead of two, order light beer instead of regular, or have your cocktail with club soda or diet soda to help keep calories under control.

10. Eat more meals at home. It's harder to control your eating when you eat out. One study showed that people who ate out 13 times per month ate 32% more total calories than those who ate out four times monthly. Portions are larger at restaurants, and you have less control over how the food is prepared. When you cook at home, you can prepare exactly what you like, and you're in charge of the ingredients, says Ellie Krieger, MS, RD, author of The Foods you Crave and host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite.

How to Stay Motivated With Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals

Tips from Oprah's trainer , Fitness Guru - Bob Greene

1. Ease Into Weight Loss

When most people decide to lose weight, they typically go cold turkey on the Chunky Monkey and chips and dive right into a Spartan menu highlighting vegetables and cottage cheese, determined to do an overnight overhaul of their diet.

Wrong approach, Greene says. Gradual is better. "Don't radically change your entire diet overnight," Greene says. Phase in healthier foods a little at a time.

"Don't give up all your comfort foods at once, and don't look at snacks as foods that get you into trouble," Greene says. Eating right can and should include snacks, he says. "Snacks are effective weight loss tools. They bridge hunger and help you not to overdo it at a meal."

2. Skip the Scale

It's a knee-jerk reaction. You've been on a diet for oh, 24 hours, and you're eager to see your progress. Of course, you'll weigh in.

Think again, Greene says. "Stay off the scale for the first month to six weeks," Greene suggests. This will be a challenge, he knows, for most people, who can't wait to see the pounds drop off quickly.

But the scale actually gives you a somewhat inaccurate idea of what is going on -- you may have lost water weight only, for instance, or you may get discouraged if the downward slide is not as great as you hoped for.

If you are dying for feedback on how your weight loss goals are shaping up, focus on how your clothes fit, Greene suggests.

3. Shift the Diet Focus

"Instead of focusing on cutting calories [only], which drops your metabolism, focus more on activity levels," Greene says. "It's the bigger of the two." Activity burns calories. Exercise such as weight training also builds lean muscle, boosting your metabolism long-term. So it offers a short-term and long-term advantage to meeting your fitness goals and your weight loss goals, Greene says.

Although many people plan to diet first, then incorporate exercise, Greene says if you have to do them one at a time, try making exercise a habit first, then focus on cutting calories.

4. Make Your Workout a Meditation

It's easily done, Greene says, just by listening to great music when you walk or jog, for instance. If you are on a treadmill, watch a show you enjoy.

Find an exercise that takes your mind off the exercise, such as being in a beautiful outdoor setting. "When Oprah and I meet in Hawaii and we are hiking, it's hard work going up the mountain but it's joyful," he says.

5. Build Exercise Into Your Life Creatively

One of Greene's business partners built a desk on his treadmill, taking phone calls and working while he works out. "He's writing, he is making his marketing calls, and he is on the treadmill," Greene says.

Greene adapted the idea himself. "I was training for a cross country ride, and had the phone by my indoor bike," he says.

Those examples are extreme, Greene says, but it can get you thinking about weaving exercise in when you have even a few spare minutes throughout the day. The more you do that, the more you can expect to meet your fitness goals.

6. Focus on the Outcome

Focus on how you know you will feel when you're done with your workout. "Everybody loves exercise when it's done," Greene says with a laugh.

"Focus on the effects," he says. He doesn't just mean tighter muscles or flatter abs. "I've never had anybody say they don't feel better, sleep better, after exercising," he says.

Healthy Habit No. 10: Drink Water and Eat Dairy

Water and milk are essential fluids for good health, but they can also help with shedding pounds.
The body needs water to keep properly hydrated and individuals vary widely in how much water they need. Joints need it to stay in motion, and vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidney, and liver need it to work properly.

If you don't get enough water, the body goes into emergency mode, and clings to every single water molecule it can find, reports the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center. The stored molecules appear as extra weight. The weight is only released once the body gets enough water.

The calcium in dairy, on the other hand, is known to be important for strong bones and teeth. Studies have also shown it can help prevent high blood pressure, kidney stones, heart disease, and colon cancer.

In the weight loss arena, three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk appear to encourage body fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, according to the ADA. The dairy consumption must be part of a balanced reduced-calorie meal plan.