As you move into another weekend, you may need to change your strategy as it relates to weight management. I have seen more than one person waste a great week of healthy eating and exercise with a bad weekend of eating and drinking.
For instance, if you are traveling for a long four-day weekend, take extra steps to manage your weight. Follow these three tips:
1. Walk 30 minutes every day.
2. Exercise at your hotel.
3. Plan your menus and pack your food. You can also plan healthy meals at the restaurants you will be visiting. This will help you avoid the fast food trap and binge eating.
Here are some more tips to help you navigate through the weekend:
1. Don't stop or slack off on your exercise program during the weekend! And, if you aren't exercising, this would be a great time to start. I have a goal of at least trying to maintain my pre-weekend weight during the weekend.
Fun exercise tips: soccer, hiking, swimming, volleyball, water polo and adventure biking.
2. Stick to your normal meal plan as much as possible during the weekend. Don’t eat until you are stuffed! Just eat enough. Go easy on the condiments and sauces during game-watching parties.
This law applies to weekends as well: You will gain weight if you maintain a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you burn).
3. Go easy on the alcohol. Did you know alcohol has 7 calories per gram?
4. Don't spend all of your time grazing during the weekend. Grazing is eating haphazardly without purpose. The calories will stack up quickly if you do this.
5. Stay active as much as possible. Walking every day would be a great start. Housework, yardwork and pet-walking also fit the bill.
6. Drink half your weight in water every day. If you weigh 120 pounds, drink at least 60 ounces of water every day. This will help you eat less.
7. Get your rest during the weekend to keep your metabolism functioning properly. If you are exhausted after the weekend, your work week and exercise will probably suffer.
Have a great weekend!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark is the owner of My Fitness Hut, Her Fitness Hut and Sports Fitness Hut. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s main site:
Your Fitness University http://yourfitnessuniversity.com