Overcoming the Challenges of Weekend Dieting

It seems to most, during the busy work week is the easiest time to stick to a very regimented diet. Balancing work and exercise and family activities, there leaves little to no room for idle scavenging. The weekend, however, proves to be a little more challenging for some. Try these tips and tricks to avoid completely throwing all your week's hard work out the window for two days of overindulgence!

 

• Have "forbidden foods" for breakfast.

While many diets maintain a strict NO dessert guideline, without a tiny bit of wiggle room we will all be doomed to reach a breaking point to too much restriction and end up finishing off a pint of Ben andJerry's. To avoid this type of counter-productivity, if you are having a strong, unending craving for the chocolate cake your family ate last night, or the left overlasagnathat your sister made last week, have some. Limit yourself to a reasonable portion size, and eat it for breakfast. This will allow you to fulfill your craving, while also giving yourself all day to burn it off and get back on track with your diet, to avoid guilty feelings about a "ruined" day.

• Start your day out with a solid cardio session

Whether it be running, cycling, swimming, or stair climbing, engaging in cardiovascular exercise in the morning when your stomach is still empty will cause the calories burned to be 80% from fat, whereas cardio any other time of day will give you a result of 50% calories burned from fat. Timing makes a difference!

• Drink that water!

There is no better way to flush the system and get back on track then by increasing water consumption. This will aide the body in regaining balance from any excess salt or sugar consumed. It will also allow the body to utilize the water as body composition and make it much easier for the body to burn any extra stored fat.