Do you go mad at the weekend?

Have you been ‘good’ all week? Are you now about to blow it all by eating everything in sight and drinking yourself under the table Friday and Saturday? OK – maybe you’re not that mad – but the weekend starts Friday evening with a take away (far too tired to cook after a week at work?) and of course, a bottle of wine, after all, you haven’t touched a drop all week.

Then Saturday is brunch day and why shouldn’t you have as much as you want – you were careful at breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday weren’t you? Then you get a bit peckish when you are out shopping, so a quick sandwich and a piece of lush cake, ‘cos that’s your Saturday afternoon treat isn’t it?

And Saturday evening is the one evening you can go out to a restaurant and what is the point going somewhere nice and having a boring salad yet again – you had enough of them all week didn’t you? And of course you have a few drinks – you can lie in Sunday can’t you?

And Sunday comes so you might as well enjoy yourself because you are back at work on Monday and you’ve messed up your diet anyway. And Sundays are about a big roast dinner aren’t they? ~And a few chocolates and some tasty evening snacks. A drink or two slips down well – and then you can start to ‘be sensible ‘on Monday again?

Sound familiar? Don’t get me wrong – we all need a bit of ‘down time’ – but the skill is managing it.

Go for good enough. Don’t even try to be perfect all week – if you do, you are bound to freak out at some stage. Go for the best you can. Don’t obsess – eat healthily, make every calorie count and keep portions small

Forget the food rules – rigid rules lead to break out – if I am told NOT to have simple carbs ever then I eat chocolate and toast white bread. If, however, I ‘chose complex carbs whenever possible’ I will have sourdough and not resent missing the chocolate

Play safe on your cheat day. If I set up one day of the week to ‘cheat’ on then I go over the top (because obviously that is what I had to do) – now I just say that on Saturdays I can make different choices if I want to.

Don’t be a child, food isn’t about ‘good’ and ‘bad’, it’s not about ‘being naughty’ – it’s about choice and it’s about YOUR choice. You have all the knowledge and information that you need to eat healthily what to do – you make the choices for yourself.

Just stop ‘rationalizing’ – you don’t have to eat more on Saturday because you resisted chips on Wednesday. You don’t need a whole bottle of wine on Friday night because you haven’t had any all week. You don’t ‘deserve’ a cream cake because you had a busy week. Your body needs good fuel to run well, every day of the week.

Just remember – YOU are in charge of what you eat – no one is telling you what you must or must not do – your choice – its up to you – that way there is nothing to rebel against!