Are you “good” all week, but sabotage your weight-loss efforts on the weekend? Avoid weekend weight gain with the tips below! Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied how weekend behaviors affect weight loss. The study involved 48 healthy adults aged 50 to 60 years. Prior to starting these programs all participants were found to consistently gain weight on weekends, but not weekdays! In fact, the average weekend weight gain would have led to an extra nine pounds over the course of one year. The researchers divided the participants into 3 groups:

• Group 1 (diet group) took in 20% fewer calories each day but didn’t change their activity level.
• Group 2 (exercise group) increased their daily exercise regimen but didn’t change their diet, to have a comparable energy deficit as Group 1.
• Group 3 (control group) did not change their diet or activity level.

What happened? During the year-long program both Group 1 and Group 2 did well during the week, however on weekends the diet group stopped losing weight and the exercise group gained weight due to higher calorie intake. According to Susan B. Racette, PhD, assistant professor of physical therapy and medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis,  “We thought weekends would present a problem for some people attempting to lose weight, but the consistency of our finding before and during the interventions was surprising. Subjects in the diet group lost weight during the week, but over the weekend, they stopped losing weight because they were eating more. Ideas for minimizing weekend weight gain We all tend to worry about the holiday weight gain, however it certainly seems we need to be wary of weekends. Especially since there are 52 weekends each year! Maintaining a consistent effort throughout the weekend is extremely important to successful weight-loss. Here are some ways you can minimize the impact of the weekend:

• Eat before you go grocery shopping Many people do their week’s grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday, do not go to the store hungry or you will most certainly put things in your cart on impulse.
• Keep healthy snacks on handy in the car Whether you are traveling or running errands, carrying a healthy snack will keep you out of the drive-thru lane.
• Keep a food journal A journal will make you more mindful of what you are putting into your mouth. A recent study found that food journaling actually doubled weight-loss efforts!
• Limit eating out Try to avoid fast food all together. If you do eat out remember to eat reasonable portions and eat all your vegetables.
• Limit your alcohol consumption There are a lot of empty calories in alcohol. It also reduces your inhibitions to eat junk food AND makes you feel hungrier.
• Plan to get some exercise Schedule in exercise either one or both days. If you are away from home and no equipment is available simply put on your walking shoes and get moving!

After the weekend, reflect back…

• Which tactics above did you try? Did they work?
• What did you do well?
• Ask yourself: What can you do better next weekend?

Have a fit & healthy weekend! Karin