Many humans are able to diligently stick to their fitness commitments Monday through Thursday.
But sometimes…
Just sometimes…
Friday night leads to some unplanned indulgences.
(By which I mean “7 glasses of wine.”)
Then we wake up feeling like Poopy McPooperson. Our plan to get up early and hit the gym falls by the wayside. We skip our greek yogurt and go for a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel.
At this point, we’re in Full Fuggit Mode, and I think you see where this goes from here.
Now let’s start by saying this:
It’s 100% ok to enjoy yourself on your fitness journey.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying some snacks and yummy treats. And sometimes, you should absolutely take a weekend to live your life if it feels like the right choice for you.
So this is NOT about trying to be “perfect” (whatever that even means…).
It’s about behaving in a way that aligns with your personally chosen goals and values.
Instead of feeling crappy after your weekend…
- You’ll have more all-day-long energy for the week ahead.
- You’ll have crisper thinking come Monday morning.
- You’ll have a boosted immune system.
- You’ll be in a better mood.
- You’ll be bursting with pride and confidence for following through on your commitments.
So hooooow do we dooooo this??
Well, as long time readers know, my suggestion is not: “Use willpower to grind it out!”
Here are three quick tips for achieving Weekend Fitness Greatness.
1) Find Hobbies That Support Your Fitness Goals
One challenge for foodies — or in your author’s case, devoted craft cocktail aficionados — is that great eats are one of our favorite things in the world. And that’s awesome! Food is more than just fuel. And we’re not looking to take away a true joy in our life. We’re just looking to balance it with other goals.
The heart of the weekend challenge is this: we simply have a bit more free time. Sometimes we just get bored. So let’s find some fun stuff to do!
Most of us use weekends to recharge and engage in personal hobbies. By looking into hobbies that will support our fitness, we’re setting ourselves up for success.
The answer here will vary of course. The key point is to find some non-food related fun stuff!Spend some time outside.
- Go for a long walk or even a hike.
- Look into playing recreational sports.
- Experiment with a new kind of fitness you haven’t tried before.
And if you want some non-fitness stuff? Weekends are also a great time to sample some art and culture.
- Make a list of the Oscar nominees from the last 20 years that you’ve never seen.
- Reread some of your favorite books from high school.
- Pick up an instrument.
- Go to a museum.
- Set up a board game night with friends.
2) Set Up Your Environment for Success
Here’s another oft-repeated pro tip that you can utilize to great effect on the weekend:
- Fill up your kitchen with genuinely enjoyable food choices that serve your fitness goals.
- INVERSION: Don’t stock your kitchen full of foods that aren’t in line with your personal goals.
If you know Friday night cues you to crack open a bottle of wine or a bag of potato chips, you can make it harder on yourself by not stocking the house. Placing a little friction between you and what you wish to avoid can be super helpful.
3) Plan Your Snayacks
Ultimately you’re the one who decides what’s right for you in your life. Believe me, sometimes it’s 100% ok to spontaneously decide you want pizza.
However, I also know when we do this consistently, it can be deflating. And it can have an outsize impact on not just our fitness, but our self-esteem. Each human has to decide for themselves when self-care means getting a massage and when it means lasagna.
But if I’ve found one thing to be true, it’s this: we tend to feel much better about ourselves and enjoy our indulgences more when we’ve planned for it. When we choose the foods that we most, most love. When we share a yummy meal with loved ones. When it’s an act of self-expression and self-love.
To that end, if you know you’re a real foodie, I’m all about spending some of your weekend exploring your passion.
My gentle suggestion is simply this: pick your battles.
If you know you’ve got a great meal out on Saturday night, perhaps you still order out on Friday, but maybe you get a salad.
Maybe you go to brunch, but skip the pitcher of mimosas.
Perhaps you get a scone for breakfast on Sunday, but have a healthy-but-yummy meal planned for Sunday night.
Follow your plan, but don’t forget to account for fun; whether it be the healthy kind or the indulgent kind. You deserve it!
Always rooting for you,
Mark
PS Whenever you’re ready, below are two ways we could work with you to make fitness magic.