When it comes to weight loss, consistency is key. What you do Friday, Saturday and Sunday has a major impact on your results. Working hard all week to blow it over the weekend is what had me maintaining my same weight for months when I swear I was trying SO hard!

Below are some tips that have helped me master my weekends:

Practice Flexibility

Friday evening didn’t go as planned? That’s okay- it’s done now and time to move on and get back to your plan. Successful dieters have mastered the skill of getting back on plan over and over again… even within the same day. We need to ditch the “I’ll just start on Monday” mentality and treat every day and even every meal as an opportunity to get closer to our goals.

Movement and Protein

If I know I am going out later that day, there are 2 things I always try to prioritize- movement and protein. Sometimes I don’t feel like weight training so I do an extra long walk with a podcast or a quick effective HIIT workout. There is a ton of great YouTube workouts that are free and so easily accessible. It doesn’t have to be an hour long “give it 110%” type workout… just any type of movement. Involve your partner and family- make it a routine activity for Saturday morning bike rides, or a family walk to the coffee shop. After some movement, I follow up with a high protein meal, usually a shake. Getting in a protein shake helps me get closer to my protein target and is especially useful if I will be eating outside the home that evening.

Pick Your “Worth It” Meals

We all have things that are way more worth it than others- for example, my mom’s homemade tiramisu is something I would never pass up. However store bought cookies – I like them, but it isn’t something I feel strongly about not missing out on. Compromise is key here. For example, if I know I will be indulging in dessert, I make sure my dinner plate is half salad, mostly protein and minimal carbs (1/3 cup). When I am having dessert, let’s say it is apple pie, I am totally fine pairing that with light whipped cream rather than ice cream to make it more deficit friendly (PSA – four tbsp of whipped cream is only 30 calories!!) Knowledge is power!

Have a Plan in Place

We’ve all heard it- fail to plan, plan to fail. I personally don’t meal prep for my weekends, but I do make sure I have enough healthy options left in my fridge and pantry to make healthy choices. I also make sure to carve out time to plan for the week ahead, grocery shop and meal prep. Just this process alone makes me feel productive and sets me in the right attitude for the weekend! I am less likely to feel tempted to overeat or overindulge when I am in this healthy mindframe.