Manage Weekend Pig Outs

Q. During the week I exercise and eat right. But on weekends I crumble because I tend to splurge on high-fat, high-sugar treats and skip my workouts. I realize that my weekday structure is a key reason why I stay disciplined Monday through Friday. But I need to relax on Saturday and Sunday. Is there any easy way to stay on track and still enjoy my weekend?

A. If weekends splurges are your downfall, you’re not alone. A 2003 study in the journal Obesity Research looked at dietary data on more than 28,000 people of all ages and found that adults tended to consume 115 calories more per day, on average, from Friday through Sunday. And the extra food was mostly high-fat items and alcohol. Tally these weekend splurges and over a year those extra calories can translate into an extra 5 pounds on the scale.

You are right to recognize that a stricter schedule during the work week makes it easier to establish consistent behaviors and, in your case, you seem to stick to healthy habits during that period. Your best intentions during downtime can go awry because you are faced with more temptation to indulge, and every weekend may be different. You may go to parties one week or out to eat at restaurants on another. Or you may order a large pizza and settle in for a movie night at home.

While, in theory, you may have more time to exercise than you do on weekdays, if your mindset is fixated on relaxation, then you may be less inclined to do so.

So, what’s the solution?

Working out on a weekend

Figure out why you are not motivated to exercise on days off. Do you go to a gym that is close to where you work (and not where you live) and therefore it feels like too much trouble to go? Instead of seeing a weekend workout as yet another chore, forget about sets and reps or the calorie burn. Instead, just do something that keeps you moving for the fun of it. Here are some ideas:

• Have a dog? Take extra long walks.
• Meet a friend for a walk in the park instead of at a coffeehouse, where the mega-calorie frozen coffee drink is calling your name.
• Go dancing at night!
• Join a softball/soccer/volleyball league.
• Sign up for salsa lessons (or any other lessons that are a departure from your normal workouts).
• Replace a session of video games with WiiFit, tag or hide-and-seek.
• Simply vow to take a long, pleasurable walk with your partner around the block after dinner or brunch.

Weekend eating strategies

What you don’t want to do is binge or fill up entirely on low-nutrient foods. What you do want to do is splurge in a healthful way. Here are some ideas:

Get sip savvy. Keep in mind that the average alcoholic drink has as many calories as a candy bar, so limit how much you drink at parties or bars. Plus, choose lower-calorie options: light beer; wine over spirits; and limit calorie-packed dessert drinks like margaritas, cosmopolitans or fruity concoctions, which can have three to four times as many calories as a light beer.

Plan snacks. If you are drinking, realize that your inhibitions may be lowered and you’re more likely to pig out, especially on snacks that you associate with your chosen drink, such as chips. If you are at home, pre-prepare more healthful munchies that you can eat later: freshly washed grapes or berries waiting attractively in the fridge; air-popped popcorn with a touch of salt, but no butter; steamed and ready-to-eat edamame instead of pretzels; raw nuts instead of chips. These aren’t all lower-calorie options, but they do have more fiber and nutrients compared to snacking on pure junk food.

Order smart. First of all, choose your restaurant wisely. If you go to a chain restaurant that is known for its chicken wings and fried onion rings, how likely is it that you will order a side of veggies and a salad? Get off that beaten path and get adventurous with your food. Experiment with potentially healthier Mediterranean restaurants such as Lebanese or Turkish establishments or, better yet, go green and eat at a vegan or raw-food restaurant. (You’ll be amazed at how creative and delicious raw food dishes are!) Find a veggie restaurant near you at Vegguide.org or HappyCow.net.

Balance splurges: If you find yourself in a restaurant where you are ready to succumb to the fries, pizza, quesadilla or other high-fat option, at least order a side salad or side of green veggies to keep the meal healthful. And to control calories, share your portion or limit your slices to one fewer than usual.

Beware of brunch: Take it easy on the pancakes, waffles, croissants and hash browns. Instead, order a veggie-filled, egg-white omelet. Load up on the fresh-cut fruit instead of juice. Or if you must go the dessert-for-breakfast route, eat more sensibly throughout the rest of the day—and remember to take that walk around the block afterward!

Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica? Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line. Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.

Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, and an award-winning fitness instructor and health writer. She has a Ph.D. in behavioral nutrition and physical activity from Columbia University, and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has written hundreds of articles for publications such as Self , Health , Prevention , The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of eight books, including her latest, Cross-Training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)

Find all articles by Martica.

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