My Struggle With Weekends

Lately I have been feeling a bit like I have hit a wall with my progress. I’m compliant with my food, I am hitting all my workouts if not more. I know this is a perfectly normal part of this process and does not mean I wont get through it.

Looking back over the last 5 months I see that I have been going out and drinking much more than I ever did in the beginning. Granted, I am only off plan 1 meal a week as allowed but I rarely ever took full advantage of that in the beginning. Now it seems like I’m eating out, drinking booze, and staying up late every single weekend.

I’ve noticed when I go out and drink heavily I’m more lax about my food intake. I’ll eat on plan and off at the same time! And I’ll come home at 2am and stuff my face. My one meal off quickly turns into a 6 hour marathon to do everything I’ve wanted for the last 7 days. How is that a healthy mentality?

I have worked so hard to get where I am, all I have wanted to do lately is celebrate that with my friends. But my journey is not over, and I need to refocus and remember what I am doing and why. It’s possible to juggle staying in shape and having fun, but I have bigger plans for myself and I need to see those through first. Cuz abs. And cuz squats do a booty good.

I get told this all the time. “I eat really well during the week. It’s just on the weekends I like to splurge.” And people never get it. They always wonder why they aren’t getting anywhere or why their massive amounts of cardio, and working out 5 days a week isn’t working. I mean, you should be able to enjoy yourself if you are working your butt off right?

Lets break it down, because really it is ALL about the numbers.

In order to lose fat you must be in a caloric deficit right? Me for example.  Due to my weight, lets say my deficit would put me at between 2000-2300 calories per day. Anything above this range will set me into no mans land. Like treading water. And going waaaaaaaaay over this obviously I will most likely start to put on weight.  This is only a 300 calorie range of wiggle room. That means if I am aiming to lose fat by eating 2000 calories a day, I would only have to go over by 300 calories each day to stop progressing.  That is it! I could inhale that in one breath…

If I am doing that every day, multiply this times 7 days a week and you get 2,100 calories to ruin you ENTIRE week of hard work! Now if I were to stay compliant M-F and then only fall off on the weekends with that same 2,100 calories, split that up over 2 days (Saturday and Sunday), I would only have to eat an extra 1050 calories a day on the weekends to stall my progress.

Again, that is nothing! Say I go shopping on Saturday, grab a pretzel or some Chinese food at the mall, I go out to a nice meal at dinner, fill my belly, down 3-4 specialty cocktails, order a desert. Wake up Sunday morning go to brunch, head to the movies and order popcorn, go to a baby shower and have cookies and cupcakes, or have a pizza and wine night at home.

2,100 calories extra can be hit so easily and quickly. And poof! My whole week of staying on plan 100% has been ruined on just a short 48 hours, because I wanted to relax and “live a little.”  This may be why slaving away at the gym every day is not doing you any justice. And may be why I feel so guilty about my cheats lately….

Here is another example to think about. A 110 pound woman has an estimated maintenance of 1650 calories. If she were to set a 20% deficit her dieting calorie intake would be 1320 calories. This means her absolute deficit would be 330 calories less per day, or 2310 for the week.

A 220 pound man has an estimated maintenance of 3300 calories. If he were to set the same 20% deficit his dieting calorie intake would be 2640 calories. This means his absolute deficit would be 660 calories less per day, or 4620 for the week.

So…even though they both have the same relative deficit (20%), the actual calorie deficit for the week for the 220 pound man will actually be DOUBLE that of the 110 pound woman.