How to Survive the Weekend

I don't know about you, but I feel like the weekends are the hardest to stay on track.  It can be done, but often difficult with parties, a NON scheduled day, just life.
What do you find most challenging about the weekends, and what skills do you put in place to stay on track?

My weekends are ALWAYS busy. on the go and always entertaining, I found a few tips helpful and I hope you do as well.

Enjoy your families and your weekend.

I am OFF......... Halloween costumes with the kids. Birthday party for one, Pumpkin Patch and dinner with the parents, just to name a few.

Weekends and Parties 

If you’ve been sticking pretty close to home during this first week, you might be ready to spread your wings in a social situation. Melissa Joulwan from The Clothes Make The Girl shares her tips for enjoying her friends’ company without sacrificing her commitment to good health. We’ve summarized a few of Melissa’s suggestions on how to get out of the house and back into the world while staying loyal to your Whole30. (Read the whole article here.)

• Bring your own food or eat before you go. If socializing, rather than the food itself, is your priority, your snack or pre-meal doesn’t have to be the world’s greatest. It just needs to be nutritional duct tape to help you navigate the experience.
• Order club soda. Immediately. Get a glass into your hand. Now. Walk up to the bartender and request a large club soda with two slices of lime and a few olives. Now you a) look like everyone else in the room with a glass in your hand; b) have a drink that appears to be a cocktail to stave off inquisitive friends who want to know why you’re not drinking; c) can enjoy a refreshing drink that’s not just a boring glass of water.
• Enlist helpers and enjoy yourself. Tell your family and friends that you are sticking to your Whole30, which is why you're not drinking the beer or eating the nachos. They might heckle you a little, but they will also probably encourage you. Don’t be shy about creating an army of support.
• Eat when you get home. Congratulations! You stuck to your guns. Now celebrate a little. Make sure you have one of your favorite snacks waiting for you when you get home. Eat up. Then put on your PJs, snuggle in tight, and sleep the sleep of the righteous, knowing you’re going to wake up feeling healthy and strong.

Office Food

Does this look familiar to you? (The workplace junk food stash, not the perfectly-placed copy ofIt Starts With Food.) For those of us who daily brave the war zone that is the office break room, a scene like this can make a Whole30 a lot harder – especially if you go in unprepared.  To help you keep your wits about you and your food compliant, give these tried and true strategies a go:

• Go the long way. If your normal route through the office takes you past the vending machine, break cart or never-ending box of donuts, it’s time to blaze a new trail. Explore a new hallway, take the stairs, or just avoid stopping at (or near) the hot spots.
• Keep your own stash. Don’t hesitate to keep your own stash of healthy, compliant snacks in your desk or the office fridge for those times when everyone else is indulging (morning meetings, staff parties and after-hours brainstorming sessions are common culprits). Just make sure that your snack choices make you healthier, and that you’re eating consciously instead of mindlessly munching.
• Count to zen. When you do come face to face with a temptation (and you don’t have any food back-up), close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to ten. Take a minute to clear your head and remind yourself why you’re making these changes. Remember that you’re in control of you, and that you’re taking steps to make yourself healthier and happier for life – which definitely trumps the momentary satisfaction you might find in that danish.
• Practice your pitch. Your changing food habits are likely to attract attention from your co-workers and, if you’re caught off-guard, it can be challenging to explain what you’re eating and why.  Take some time each day (maybe one of your zen moments) think about what you're doing, why you're doing it, and the benefits you've experienced so far, so that you have a confident, cohesive answer to your co-workers’ questions.

Friends and Family

Not all of your friends and family are going to eat and live the way you do – but despite your differences, they should be supportive of your efforts to lose weight, improve your medical condition, or better your quality of life, even if they don’t agree with your specific choices. If those closest to you are giving you a hard time about eating Good Food, pressuring you to “just relax” or “have just one,” or downright sabotaging your plans, here are some strategies you can use to save your relationships without sacrificing your healthy lifestyle efforts:

• Directly confront the behavior of you friend or family member. Point out their peer-pressure ways, and let them know it’s not cool. You don’t judge their choices, and you expect them not to judge yours.
• Refuse to engage in the conversation, and change the subject immediately.Be clear that your food choices are not up for discussion at the dinner table, but if they’d like to ask you questions another time, that would be welcomed.
• Socialize with friends outside of food. Go for a hike, hit a fun exercise class, or take a class together – but make the activity time something that doesn’t involve desserts or drinks.
• Invite friends to your house for the next social occasion. Serve them delicious, tasty, decadent meals that all fall within your healthy eating parameters, and show them you still indulge in (and enjoy) tasty foods that are also good for you.

For more on how to handle unsupportive friends and family, read Whole9’s It’s Not Me, It’s You.