Summary:
This episode of the Weight Loss for Food-Lovers podcast is all about eating on the weekends and why sticking to your weight loss plan on the weekends can be so hard. Molly breaks down why we tend to do our most overeating and drinking between Friday and Sunday and how she now structures her weekends to avoid overeating, while still leaving room for rest and relaxation.
Some of the reasons Molly outlines as to why weekends are so hard for eating include the fact that there are no distractions, like our jobs, and the strictness of our schedules during the week. For many of us, the weekend is the time to decompress and let our hair down, but weekends are still 30% of our week, and if we have this attitude toward food, we’re never going to get to our ideal weight.
Instead of viewing weekends as our time to overindulge, Molly suggests making a plan for your weekend and being intentional about the times you do plan something a little more decadent food-wise. Molly suggests setting aside a meal on the weekend as your “joy eat,” a meal where you can simply enjoy whatever you’re eating to its fullest. She also talks about planning things to look forward to on the weekend that have nothing to do with food that are restful and fun, such as a hike, watching a movie, sleeping in, or reading. Take the time to appreciate how your body feels when you don’t overeat on the weekend, and don’t shy away from taking responsibility for the choices you make.
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Topics Covered
· Molly announces her digital course on sale starting April 26th
o Course itself starts the first week in May
· Why weekends are so hard for eating
· De-conditioning our desire to turn to food other than as fuel for your body
· Weekends are so hard because there are no distractions
· Weekends lack the structure and routine we have during the week
· A lot of us have this need to rebel on the weekends
· Our schedules are so strict that we don’t have any downtime until 5pm or until Friday night
· Our brain’s solution to exhaustion is food or alcohol
· Weekends are also hard because so many of us have this association with eating out on the weekend
· You can’t see the weekends as a pass, you have to stay consistent
· Molly encourages her clients to plan a “joy eat” or a “joy drink”
· Think through your weekends in a different way so you can be successful
· Make a food plan for yourself that you can enjoy every single day of the week
· Create a plan and schedule for yourself that gives you some time to decompress
· Set aside time to relax and enjoy yourself
· Prioritize yourself every single day of the week
· Once a week plan something that might not be part of your regular food for weight loss
· Consider, how can I love the process of weight loss during the week and on the weekend?
o Anticipate what you have to look forward to during the day
o Start appreciating the way that you’re taking care of yourself every day
· We get trapped in a routine of mindlessness on the weekends, and we’re not thinking about what we want long-term
· How Molly plans her weekends now:
o Friday: sticks to her regular eating plan
§ No alcohol or joy eat on Friday night
§ Decompressing by watching a family movie
o Saturday: plans a snack for herself (usually popcorn)
§ Orders takeout for fun
o Sunday: usually plans a joy eat
§ Once a month pancakes for breakfast
§ Dinner is usually a joy eat – maybe a dessert or one or two glasses of wine, pizza, or a burger
§ Sunday is the night Molly drinks
· Other things Molly does on the weekend to enjoy herself:
o Planning a nap
o Watching movies
o Reading
o Time in the morning to write
o Going hiking
· Appreciate how your body feels when you’re not overeating
· Take responsibility for the choices that you make
Key Quotes
· “Weekends are 30% of your week. So this old way of thinking that, ‘I just need to be good Monday through Friday and then kind of do whatever I want to on the weekend,’ is not viable long-term.”
· “When you don’t have distractions, it can feel harder to not have open-ended time when you’re not eating and not thinking about food.”
· “If you have a really strict schedule and you’re not building in any free time, then you’re likely to rebel on the weekend.”
· “The weekends are hard because most of us usually don’t have a concrete plan for ourselves.”
· “If you don’t feel as physically and emotionally exhausted, you’re not going to have that same desire to turn to food.”
· “You have to really shift your brain towards looking for the things that are good.”
· “The way that you spend your time every single day, the way that you prioritize your choices, whether it’s about food or whether it’s about your day-to-day activities, is ultimately a reflection of what your priorities are.”
· “I really like to appreciate the fact that I like how my body feels when I’m not overeating.”
· “Nobody else is responsible for the choices that you make.”
Links & Resources
12-Week Weight Loss for Food-Lovers course opening April 26th:
Subscribe to Molly’s email list and request her free 6-Point Guide to Kickstarting Weight:
Sign-up for a free discovery call at https://www.mollyzemek.com/bookings-checkout/free-discovery-call/book
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