The Weekend Dilemma - How to stay on track with your fitness over the weekends

The Weekend Dilemma is one of the most common struggles that working professionals face. After putting in great effort with their fitness Monday through Thursday, it feels like it's time to kick back, relax and take your foot off the pedal. The most important habit to break to make real progress with your fitness is to break the habit of starting over again on Monday. Let's do some basic math really quickly. If you let your healthy habits go from Friday to Sunday every week for 1 month, that comes out to be 12/30 days of the month which is roughly 40% of the month! This is a viscous cycle that many people stay on their entire lives and they never make any real progress. How frustrating is that? The good news is that if you commit to a few simple action steps, you can be different than most people and set yourself up for success over the weekends.

Tip # 1- Eliminate the "on a diet mindset" and reframe your thinking to creating a "healthy way of life" - the dieting mindset convinces you that there is an "end date" to what you are doing. The truth is, to make real progress, you have to be able to make healthy habits a part of your ongoing lifestyle and identity. There is no "end date", this is a healthy way of life.

Tip # 2- Have a salad as one of your meals and add room for some flexibility- having a salad with some protein is an excellent habit to build. Salad is filled with nutrients, is high in fiber and helps keep you full on lower calories. Also, allow yourself a sensible amount of flexibility. You can have a meal of your choice but that does not give you permission to keep eating and drinking with abandon. Be wise and sensible with your choices.

Tip # 3- Stay active and keep moving- movement is medicine and we are born to move. Just because it is the weekend does not mean that you have to be totally inactive. Do a weight training session, take a class with a friend, go for a jog, or do any type of movement that you enjoy! Your mind and body will thank you for it. If you struggle with this, working with a Fitness Professional can help you create a realistic program for your lifestyle and hold you accountable.

If you implement these 3 action items, you will be able to capitalize on the weekends and set yourself up for success with your health and fitness. You will be ahead of most people and be well on your way to making sustainable lasting progress.