Weekend binges

Help! I am really good at curbing my appetite and eating right when I am at home during the week but when my husband if off work for the weekend we eat out a lot. I ate enough this weekend to feed an elephant. I know fast food is high in calories and fat but I can't seem to resist. My husband knows I am trying to lose weight but he says I am fine just the way I am. Men! I know fast food places have healthier choices but I just can't bring myself to order them. It was alright when we only ate out once a week but it seems like here lately we have been eating out more and more-4 times this weekend.

Thanks for any suggestions

Mon. Feb 6, 10:32am

I wish I had an answer for you...what I have is understanding!! It really is so much easier during the week. If you could sit down with your husband and let him know how important it is to you to cut back, he will probably listen and may even learn from you. But, yes, it's the same for me. Weekends are the hardest.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 10:53 AM

I really like to cook, so I try to make one day on the weekend a cooking day. My bf and I (or sometimes just I) find some harder-than-usual recipe to try, and we'll spend a good chunk of time one afternoon cooking away. There are lots of healthy and tasty things out there to make, and they're so much better than fast food!

Monday, February 6, 2006, 11:35 AM

Sorry, no advice here. But I know what you mean. Both me and my bf are trying to lose weight, but once the weekend comes we both let our guard down, and our diets just go to hell. I decided today that this was the last weekend I was going let myself get out of control. I added my new "goal" to the goal section in my log. I'm hoping now that I have it written down and I have to stare at it everyday, maybe I'll be able to make a change.
If anybody has some advice to help I'd love to hear it.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 11:37 AM

I have this same problem, and here is how I deal:

Plan ahead for eating. Look online at the restaurant's menu - many chains show the nutritional content of food, including calories. Adjust your breakfast and snacks to allow more calories if necessary.

Plan a non-food activity with your husband. Take a walk or go biking together. Go to the movies and skip the popcorn, or share a pack of Twizzlers. Do something wacky like make soap or scrapbook.

Make the meal together. Go to the store together, pick out fresh food and prepare it with each other. Half the fun will be making it.

Also, let your husband know how important healthy eating is to you. I had to melt down into tears before my boyfriend took me seriously, but he is actually paying attention to what he eats now! Good luck.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 11:55 AM

Why do you want to lose wieght? Do you really need to lose wieght, or just tone up? Are you one of these insane women who can't be happy with their weight?

I only ask because I find a lot of people fretting over 5-10 pounds simply need to tone up, not "diet", and want to be thinner because they think it affects their worth. Now if you need to lose 30lbs or something, that's fine, but if not, maybe hubby is right, and you are fine the way you are. (Sometimes men are smarter than we ladies think ;))

If you want to lose the weight for health reasons, and not vanity, explain to hubby you love him dearly, and you don't want poor eating to result in conditions like diabetes or heart disease to cut short your time with him. If he's fine with your appearance, you have to convince him there's a better reason than your appearance for you to eat healthy for him to support you.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 12:17 PM

OP

I am glad I am not the only one with this problem. My husband can eat anything and not gain an ounce. He loves steak and he loves to grill or eat out at steak houses. He definitely does not take me seriously. He says he does not want me to be skinny. I told him I did not want to be skinny either I just want to tone my body the way it was before I had three kids:o)

Thanks guys!

Monday, February 6, 2006, 12:19 PM

"Why do you want to lose wieght? Do you really need to lose wieght, or just tone up? Are you one of these insane women who can't be happy with their weight?

I only ask because I find a lot of people fretting over 5-10 pounds simply need to tone up, not "diet", and want to be thinner because they think it affects their worth. Now if you need to lose 30lbs or something, that's fine, but if not, maybe hubby is right, and you are fine the way you are. (Sometimes men are smarter than we ladies think ;)) "

Some of you people really need to watch the way you word things. Calling someone "insane" because they can't be happy with their weight? And who are you to judge whether losing 30 pounds is "fine" but losing 5 or 10 isn't? And for God's sake, what is wrong with vanity?

Monday, February 6, 2006, 12:23 PM

vanity is wrong when you obsess over it and miss out on important things. When you spend tonnes of time at the gym, but little time with your kids. When you don't enjoy food because you only consider whether or not it will affect your waistline. vanity is wrong when you base your self worth on whether or not you *think* you look better than other people. Does it really matter if you're sleek and waif like, tonned and athletic, or curvy and fit? Women are usually their own harshest critics and for what?

Don't get me wrong- I'm a vain girl. I have a 40+ shoe collection, wear make up regularly, wear jewellry with almost every outfit, and have cute outfits for when I go to the gym. But I'm getting in shape for my health. Not because I need to lose wieght to feel pretty or worth something. My weight does not affect my value in any way shape or form.

I didn't say if she wanted to lose 5-10 lbs it's wrong, I'm just asking her to check her motivation. And there is a psychological condition called Body dismorphism where people cannot be happy with their body no matter what. Close enough to insane for me, especially when it becomes all consuming.

So get a grip, chill out, and don't misinterpret questions as accusations.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 12:35 PM

it's not every weekend...

but when my fiance and I actually get to see each other we always eat out- usually one meal Friday night, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. How I wish to break this habit, but it's difficult when we have to travel just to get there (2.5 h w/o traffic) and then we're always running around doing things.

Anyway, I second the notion of looking up menus in advance and planning the meal before you go out. Also, maybe having a piece of fruit or another small snack can curb the appetitie enough so you don't over eat. I started WW two weeks ago and haven't spent a weekend with the FH yet. It's going to be a test for sure.

Monday, February 6, 2006, 5:45 PM

So get a grip, chill out, and don't misinterpret questions as accusations.

I think the chilling out needs to be redirected. I still have no clue where you got the idea that because she was asking for help curbing weekend binges that she has body dismorphism or that her motivation is wrong. She came asking a specific question for help and you turned it into a much bigger issue than it needed to be. Your advice wasn't necessarily bad, but totally misdirected.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006, 1:58 AM

her husband thinks she's fine. Why does everyone assume he's wrong? Why is the husband the bad guy? I simply questioned the perspective. I didn't make it an issue, as there were no accusations. I simply brought up the topic. Lots of people will ask for the answer to a question, when they're asking the wrong question. And if we always nod our heads like bobble heads, we're not "supporting" anyone, we're just leading them on in their ignorance.

Sometimes this forum is worse than a cult- do not question anything or anyone... *roll eyes*

Tuesday, February 7, 2006, 2:17 AM

I hear you about the weekend thing. This is tough for a lot of people, myself included. We want to have a good time after being pretty good all week. Do you always have to go for fast food? Maybe if you went to a nice restaurant with well prepared but healthier meals you would order something healthier, and could have just as much fun. I have the same feeling at fast food places, their salads and healthier fare are just not all that appetizing most of the time, and I don't feel like just a salad in the winter.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006, 4:38 AM

OP

Hi guys I appreciate all the advice. "All" the advice. I did not know there was a condition called body dysmorphism. I am sure I do not have it though. I love my body I just want to be the healthiest me I can be. I want to tone up my body. I gained a lot of weight with my three kids and I just want to get back in shape. I originally needed to lose 50lbs to get to the right weight for my age and height (my doctor told me this) I have lost about 25 of those pounds of fat and gained a good deal of muscle (love the muscle). When I said I binge on the weekends I was not kidding. I really go overboard with eating. I usually get diarrhea after wards so I know my body is telling me I need to cut back. My husband is not a bad guy he just did not understand until I sat down and explained to him that I want to be healthy and fit. I can already tell a big difference in my health since I started working out. When I was heavier I felt like I needed a nap more than my toddler did. Now I am not tired at all during the day. I can even tell a difference when I am doing my daily activities. I used to get a stomach ache once or twice a week and when I started exercising and eating better I stopped having stomach aches:o)

Tuesday, February 7, 2006, 8:55 AM

OP

I just wanted to give you all an update. This weekend I opted for a Subway sandwich instead of eating at a different resteraunt. Does anyone else like the Subway selections? Are they really good for my diet?

Monday, February 13, 2006, 3:05 PM

I try to cook at home during the weekends, but if we do want to eat out, we take the family to Applebees. The kids can eat what they want, and so can my husband, and they have a great Weight Watchers section. The confetti chicken is really good. If you go to a fast food burger place, for example, and want a burger, eat one but without the buns. Their just processed white flour.

Monday, February 13, 2006, 7:11 PM

Yeah, Subway gives all the calorie counts on their website. I like the veggie with no cheese for like 230 calories. Maybe I'll have one tomorrow!

Monday, February 13, 2006, 11:43 PM

I am a guy and I have the same issue with weekends. I suppose the week is a lot more structured around work and routines making it easier to eat in a more disciplined way. I also think that a sympathetic partner is very important to achieve your weight loss goals. My specifc weekend problem is with partying too much and then eating a lot of junk afterwards when I'm less self aware. This weekend I was a lot better and still managed to have a nice time. If we are eating out, better to make better choices about what type of restaurants or the selections. I guess the trick is to try to make staying healthy and lean a regular run of the mill part of our lifestyles so it doesn't appear to ourselves or to those around us as anything but just being ourselves. We have to learn to truly enjoy our new lifestyle by convincing ourselves of the health and many other benefits of it. I think the weekend binging is partly because we are reacting against our new lifestyle because we are not fully at peace with it. Of course we have to have fun and enjoy ourselves otherwise life becomes a drag. I guess we need to think about new forms of enjoyment rather than eating a pint of icecream, or popcorn dripping with butter or drinking too much or whatever our particular indulgence may be.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006, 9:45 AM

i TOTALLY agree!

YES! I just wanted second th eabove poster! YOU are totally right. We need to think of a better way to enjoy ourself with out the so called "indulgence" of food that is not good for our body.
Thank you for that!
I am now going to contradict myself and anjoy some Valentines day pizza!
Hey- no pointing fingers- yes, you, the one reading this- it WASssss hubbys idea! LOL

Tuesday, February 14, 2006, 7:07 PM

nice to know I'm not the only one in thiis boat.
I agree with the theory that wk is more structured. my week ends are my free time. I allow myself to be a little lazy. problem with that is I tend to eat when I'm being lazy. LOL
So, I guess finding activities to get our minds off eating... activities to make our week ends a little more stuctured, but still allowing for laziness, and freedom to play... making healthy food choices!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006, 6:48 AM

OP

My husband sees the weekend as our family time together and he usually wants to either eat out or order pizza or something to take home so I don't have to cook. Not that I am complaining about the cooking part but I eat too much of that high calorie fast food on the weekend and wind up regretting it on Monday.
I had extra cookies and milk last nigt and used Valentines as an excuse:o)

Wednesday, February 15, 2006, 8:41 AM

to Ms. Totally agree

I hope you enjoyed that pizza without an ounce of guilt, I had 3 pints of beer to wash down some heavenly sushi for valentines dinner..so how about that for indulging ^_^

ok maybe i will keep it to two pints next celebration...

now for my little bit of hypocrisy - moderation is probably the key and then we can pretty much eat what we want....

also if we are willing to pay the price for our indulgence: x amount of cardio for x amount of caloric intake..then it doesn't matter what we eat....but are we willing to pay the price?

tonight i'm going to take my own advice and add a cardio and ab workout after i do my 90 minutes of hatha yoga..woohoo

Wednesday, February 15, 2006, 10:14 AM

Do you know how much it actually takes to work off that extra coloric intake? You can not eat whatever you want otherwise you might wind up haveing to workout 24/7 just to even it out:o)

Wednesday, February 15, 2006, 1:11 PM

yeah you are right and that then is the price to pay....so i ain't buying :)

Thursday, February 16, 2006, 10:49 AM

How about a compromise? If you're eating out 4 meals in a weekend, try eating out only 3. What sort of places are you going to? If it's McDonalds or the like, try chicken sandwiches (mustard, no mayo), yogurt, chilli (from Wendy's), from Subway or Goodcents turkey sandwiches (again, no mayo, and on whole grain bread). Try 'splurging' for just one meal (I'm a sucker for a burger and fries from Wendy's). Someone had mentioned Applebee's...great choice. Many places these days offer healthier options that taste as good or better than something lots worse for you. It's one of those stupid things that you have to mentally psyche yourself up for. Good luck, and great work on the 25 lbs so far!

Thursday, February 16, 2006, 11:03 AM

WELL, AMEN!

wether you want to lose 5 or 500 lbs, the point isn't always to lose weight anyway (even if it is for you), it could be to be healthier overall. Women have a big problem with heart disease- do you want to be just 5 to 10 lbs. overweight, but with layers of visceral fat in your muscles and your heart clogging with cholesterol? That's what fast food will do. It's not just cals, it's the QUALITY of the cals.
Having said that, my suggestion to the OP is to try having smaller portions of the stuff-- I started by ordering Happy Meals at McD's to break myself of the habit--that way you get the taste you're after but not all the cals and saturated fat. And you're not ordering the lighter choices, yet. :)
Then maybe you can move on to a salad, and have it with a small order of fries. Or whatever sides they offer.
Give it a shot!
And good luck!

Thursday, February 16, 2006, 1:19 PM

I'm a HUGE advocate of looking at the restaurant's menu before you go.

At McDonald's, I'll eat a double cheeseburger with half the bun and a fruit and yogurt parfait w/o the granola, and a diet coke, for about 500 calories. I'll steal a fry, or 5, from my fiance. 5 fries will not hurt you, but a supersize meal will!

I love Subway salads, b/c you can put all the veggies and meat on them, exactly what you want! And vinegar is a great dressing, with or without a little oil.

At restaurants, salads where the meat isn't fried are good, and if you get the dressing on the side and just dip a little, it almost doesn't matter if the dressing is light or not.

I used to go for chicken tenders, etc., or burgers, b/c they're like $7, while something like grilled chicken or salmon would be like $12. Now I'll go for the grilled chicken or salmon, with steamed veggies on the side, and it's like a special meal, and way lower in calories. To save a few $$, I'll get ice water instead of soda or an alcoholic drink. It's healthier anyway! And if the meal is big, then it turns into 2 meals, and it doesn't seem so expensive anymore!

If I really want a burger, though, I'll get it - and eat it with a fork and knife, no bun. That's a really easy transition, b/c the part that tastes good is the part you keep, and you cut out between 150 and 200 calories by not eating the bun!! To save more, get veggies or a side salad instead of the fries, but, that's transition #2...

Basically, find the calories that you love and the calories that you can live without, and get rid of the ones you don't care about. Skip the cheese or the mayo or the bun, but keep the burger. Keep the fries, but order the grilled chicken and skip the bun. Order a side salad w/ light dressing or a plain grilled chicken breast if you want to eat dessert. Order a kiddie cup of frozen yogurt at Baskin Robbins and eat it with one of those tiny tasting spoons instead of watching everyone else enjoy, empty-handed. Make pancakes at home, and make them fun by adding blueberries instead of chocolate chips; top them with fresh fruit and light syrup instead of whipped cream.

If you want one splurge meal and plan to make up for it in other meals, make up for it first with the healthy meals, then have the splurge meal. It's easier and less stressful to make up for the splurge when you still have it to look forward to; if you've already had it, and you slip up, then you're stuck.

Friday, February 17, 2006, 12:49 PM

OP

I am addicted to those chicken tender meals at places like Ol Charleys and Chili's! I tried getting something else and I always wish I had gotten them instead. So now I just order the same thing everytime. My husband will even order for me if I have to go to the bathroom because he knows exactly what I will order anyway:o(

I liked the idea of only half the bun or no bun and eating with a fork. I love fries w/ketchup :o)

Friday, February 17, 2006, 5:13 PM

Weekend Binges

I completely understand your situation as many other people, as well as myself have the same issue. I've recently found some articles that I found to be very inspiring. http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/food/overeating-binge-weekend.htm This one is great! Also, you really need to keep a food journal and be aware of what your goals are, where you want to be at the end of each week in terms of weight loss and what your reasons are for losing weight. This will keep you accountable for your actions and aware of your successes. I also tried pole dancing for fitness class last night and it was the best workout I've had yet and will be purchasing sessions as I'm hooked on the feeling and how great i feel. So if you have that in your area I'd definately give that a try. It's really an amazing workout! Aradia Fitness. Hope that helps!

Thursday, September 10, 2009, 11:03 AM

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