Reigning In Weekend Eating

I always slack on the weekends.  I don't go hog wild and eat anything and everything I want....I try to keep a running total in my head instead of writing down every calorie like I do during the week, but I also usually allow myself to go over 200-300 calories or so on weekend days.  It's easier to deal that way eating with Dwayne Fri, Sat and Sundays...lazy, yes, but less stress.....at least until I get on the scale, when I usually end up regretting that choice.  I also don't drink near as much water on the weekends.  It's not that I'm drinking other things....it's that I'm drinking anything at all.  It's just so weird how I don't get thirsty.  At work, I keep my water bottle right beside me on my desk, so it's always forefront in my mind to keep drinking it and refilling it.  But on weekends, I don't do that.  And I forget to drink my water.  I'll usually end up with maybe 16-24 oz. of water for an entire day on a weekend...not nearly enough.  Another thing that I always sabotage myself with on weekends is sodium from eating out.  My weekends are usually very busy with outings, and I always end up eating one meal out on Saturday and again on Sunday.  We all know how my body reacts to sodium....sucks it up like a sponge and holds on to it for dear life.  This weekend is going to be just as busy, and spent away from home.

Saturday Dwayne and I are going to Fright Fest at Six Flags to ride the roller coasters like a couple of teenagers.  I am making the conscious decision to eat something right before we leave the house, and eat nothing the 2-3 hours we're in the amusement park.  Also, I'll be drinking water at the park...not Coke or lemonade.  On Sunday, I'm scheduled to take my sister Amy and my niece and nephew, Carla and Cyress, out to lunch.  Whenever I do this, which it's been quite a while since I've taken the kids out, I always let Carla pick the place we're having lunch.  I just got off the phone with her a few minutes ago, asking where she wants to go.  And she picked the same place she always does....Ming Moon...a Chinese buffet.  Poor kid loves Chinese as much as her Aunt Tammy.  It's a curse.

So I was sitting here thinking about what I could eat there to have a plan ahead of time....and then got to thinking about the sodium levels in Chinese food....and said forget it.  I'm not eating there.  Again, just like on Saturday, I'm going to eat at home right before I head out on Sunday to pick up my family, and then I'll take them to the Chinese place for lunch and watch them enjoy it. 

It took joining Allan's Challenge, with a MONDAY weigh-in, to finally get my attention to reign in my weekend eating.  THANK YOU ALLAN.  I almost considered not doing this challenge because of the Monday morning weigh-in....but then thought to myself, what are you saying?  how stupid are you?  this is here to HELP you....take advantage of it. 

Last Friday I was 244.2 lbs.  I started his challenge at 247 lbs on Monday....so up 3 lbs from the weekend....surprise, surprise.  I got on the scale this morning, and I was 244.0....so officially down .2 of a lb. from last Friday....big whoop.  But 3 lbs down from Monday....which means I dropped some sodium.  I'll admit...it's going to take some real focus and attention to stay on track this weekend instead of relaxing and not concentrating on every calorie that goes into my mouth....but I'm going to try my hardest.  I'm hoping when I weigh in next Monday..I'll be proud of my efforts. 

Allan informed me this morning that if I stay on track with 1870 cals/day and drinking my water, I'll reach my goal of 170 lbs. by this coming June.  I was taken aback by that.  That seems like such a short amount of time.  I've been thinking about it for 4-5 hours now.  I decided that was unrealistic for me because I know me...and I know how often I screw up.  Track records are very telling.  Have you seen my weigh-ins on my sidebar?  Yeah...not one for consistency.  Also...this doesn't take into account the 2 out of 4 weeks every month that I have a cycle.  Nobody likes to talk about it or think about it...least of all me...but it happens every month...and I bloat out like the Goodyear blimp every effing time.  Even if I did eat perfectly every day from now until June, I still think the bloat and cycle junk that consumes half of every month would have an affect on those #'s.

However, with that said and knowing my history....I still want to concentrate on doing my best each day.  I only want to look at one day at a time...as the overall picture gets to be too much for me.  But I really want to try my hardest each day, in and of itself.  I want to work on my consistency.  I can really tell now that the Zoloft is working.  There were a couple of incidences this week that normally would have pushed me over the edge and I would have been crying, thinking my world was ending, and stuffing my face.  Instead, my response was "whatever"...and there was no face-stuffing outside of my normal calories.  Some stress...yes...but not "end of the world" thinking.  THAT is a major improvement.  Thank God for modern medicine. 

So this is my plan for the weekend.  If I fail, I'll report it.  But if I succeed...you can bet your sweet a$$ you'll be hearing about it.  :)

Have a fabulous Halloween weekend.  Be safe...watch over the kiddos....and for Heaven's sakes, get the extra candy out of your house by Monday morning.....Sunday night would be even better.  Remember.....regret sucks.