How to Survive the Weekend......Weight Watchers Style

Some of the lovely ladies (and guys), on the Weight Watcher thread on boards.ie have been asking for a weekend WW survival guide; so I thought I'd give it a try. It is by no means a perfect guide and a lot of it we already know but we fail to apply it.

First off...what are your plans for the weekend? Are you staying in or do you have plans?

IF YOU HAVE PLANS

The obvious plan, point and track applies here. I am now an old hand at WW but it is only this time around that I have actually bothered to point alcohol. Be honest with yourself. Don't just write down two vodkas when realistically you are going to have 4 or 5 and/or shots etc etc. If you are honest with your alcohol consumption prior to your weekend and point and track it, then you are less likely to fall completely off the wagon.

Going out for dinner

If you are going out for dinner most restaurants have their menu online. Look it up a few days before. Decide there and then what you are going to order. Decide if you are going to try your hardest to be good or if you are going to allow yourself a treat. If you are going to allow yourself a treat/night off then it will probably be extremely hard to point. You should still try your best and write it down. Don't be too disheartened if your way over your points as remember you have allowed yourself a treat and one every so often is allowed. Have a look here for tips on how to limit the damage at your next WI.

If you are being good then stick to one course. Put the bread at the other end of the table or even better ask for it to be taken up. Avoid all creamy dishes and oily dishes. Do not be afraid to ask how things are cooked, what is in the dishes and to have them cooked a different way or without things. As a former waitress, I used to get all sort of dietary requests and we always tried our best to provide what the customer asked for.
Tomato dishes and salmon dishes are always a good option to go for. Be aware of salads as they may not be the best option. A chicken caeser salad can be as high as 1,000 calories. I often go for the chicken caeser salad but I ask for it with the sauce on the side and no croutons. I will then point the remaining ingredients to the best of my knowledge. If you are going out after and planning on drinking later as well, then try and avoid alcohol at the meal. Wait until later. If you are just going for a meal then enjoy your class of wine. You can check the points for a glass here.

If you get sides, like chips, that come unexpectedly with the meal, or you don't finish your meal; offer them to someone else or pour pepper on top. That may sound weird but trust me it works and stops you from picking!

Hitting a nightclub

Dance, dance and more dancing. You can really burn the calories in a hot, stuffy nightclub by spending the night on the dancefloor. You will also probably drink less than if you spend the night in the smoking area or in the booth. Keep track of what you are drinking on your phone. If you have planned in advance, then muster up all the motivation you have and stop at your limit. If you do go over the limit then make sure to keep tracking so you can point it the next day. If you do go over, do not allow it as a free pass for the rest of the weekend. You know the damage done so see the link above for tips on how to undo that damage. Remember that damage is done but ask yourself do you really want to add more on top of that?!

AVOID at all cost takeaways after the club. You are drunk not hungry! Anything you get is going to be at least 20 points if not 50. It really will ruin all your hard work and it is not worth it. I have a friend who says she has to get food after a night out or else she will be really hungover the next day. That may be true but it doesn't have to be a greasy takeaway. Have something at home like a bag of crisps and a bar. It is still not the best but much better than curry chips!

Those nibbles that magically keep appearing in front of you

Get up and walk away! You do not have to spend the evening sitting/standing at the food table. You can subconsciously end up eating nearly a full share bag of Malteasers if you're not careful. A share bag of Malteasers is 19pps. Avoid finger food at all cost. The typical finger food, cocktail sausages etc, are deep fried and are very high in points. My advice is eat properly before you head, that way you will be less likely to pick.

The next day hangover cures......

Get it out of your head that the only cure to your hangover is food. Think of how you will feel on Monday morning if you succumb to that Dominos craving. This is going to be the hardest part but it really is about self-motivation and willpower. What do you want more the pizza or a loss on the scales? There is no reason why you can't have a WW friendly hangover meal. Find a low point favourite to your usual hangover meals. If you know you are going out and you are prone to hangovers then plan in advance. By planning in advance then you can fit your hangover meal within your points. Don't forget you have your weeklies as well, unless you used them the night before obviously! 

Most of the above we know inside out. The problem is actually doing it. We can get all the advice in the world about how to be good at the weekend, but at the end of the day if we don't apply it then we only have ourselves to blame. PPT is what you have to remember; plan, point and track. So you don't have a good weekend but if you still follow PPT then that is a start. You can look back over your tracker and try and find ways you can improve. The important thing is to get back on track first thing Monday morning. Do not let your bad weekend spill into the week. You still have time to undo the damage through healthy eating and exercise.

I didn't want to overload with info and I tend to ramble on a bit; so tomorrow I will post the second part which will be for those weekends where we don't have plans.....boredom eating every weight watcher's nightmare!