We often fudge our rules a little on the weekend. We stay up later and sleep in later, and get the R&R we didn’t have time for in the busy work week. We are tempted by weekend barbecues, family get-togethers and endless happy hours with friends, and this can sometimes make us forget all about our weight loss surgeon’s dietary guidelines.
However, after weight loss surgery, the weekend can no longer be an excuse to cheat on your diet or skip your workout plans. To stay focused and keep up the good work, you need to escape the lax weekend mindset and maintain your healthy habits on all seven days of the week.
Here are some weekend pitfalls and how to avoid them after weight loss surgery:
Lose the Holiday Mentality
After weight loss surgery, it’s essential that you stick to your weight loss surgeon’s guidelines and balanced diet plan. Still, it may be tempting to indulge on the weekends as if it were a holiday. Kick this mentality to the curb and remember this is not a diet, it is a new way of eating for life.
If you know you will be spending time away from home and healthy food choices will be scarce, pre-pack healthy snacks to have at hand so you won’t be tempted to eat fast food. Fresh fruits and veggies can be easily bagged and thrown in a mini-cooler so they are ready to be eaten wherever you’re headed.
Don’t Let Movie Night Turn into a Nightmare
A single night munching away on candy and popcorn can throw off the progress you’ve made all week. Though it seems natural to snack away in front of the big screen, you don’t have to indulge in unhealthy movie theater foods. A large movie theatre popcorn (even without butter) amounts to 16 cups and can cost you a whopping 900 calories, while a large soda is approximately 350 calories. For most Lap-Band patients, popcorn is a “slider” food meaning that it will slide right through your band and allow you to eat far more than you should. If it is a slider for you, movie night with popcorn can be a disaster for your weight loss.
Ditch those unhealthy movie foods and sneak in your own healthier snacks. Opt for an ounce of almonds, a low-fat string cheese or a cup of grapes to eat healthy while enjoying your movie.
Avoid Eating Out on the Weekend
It’s understandable to want a break from the kitchen once the weekend arrives, but according to a study by the USDA’s Economic Research Service, eating dinner out can add nearly 144 calories to your daily intake. If you can’t resist the lure of the menu then order something healthy while you are out. Limit yourself to only dining out for one meal as even going out for lunch can add another 158 calories to your daily intake. Before you dine out, look up the restaurant’s nutritional info to figure out which foods may be the healthiest.
These are just a few ways to stay focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle all weekend long. It may be difficult at first, but the more effort you put into remaining healthy at all times, the better success you’ll have with long-term weight loss.
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