10 Tips for a Healthy & Relaxing Weekend

Rebecca Lewis December 06, 2013

It’s Friday. You didn’t miss any of your daily workout plans and you managed to stick to your diet programme. Yes! Now what? If you’re like most people, your willpower tends to go out of the window during weekends. You just find yourself noshing on chicken fingers, reaching out for a packet of crisps, and drowning yourself in beer. And when Monday comes, you don’t feel comfortable and your waistline seemed to have gained a few inches again.

During weekends, it might seem like all the bets are off. You might be tempted of guzzling beer, pigging on calorie-dense foods and snoozing all day long to prepare for ‘night till morning’ jamming with friends. Without a specific plan, your weekend can put all your health efforts into waste.

So how do you change your unhealthy weekend habits without depriving yourself of the enjoyment? We’ve got some tips for you.

Eat like it’s a weekday. It doesn’t really make much sense to eat differently on weekends than you do on weekdays. Your body needs the same amount of nutrients every day, regardless if it’s Monday or Sunday. It’s easy to skip your breakfast by extending extra hour on bed and then overindulge in dinner. But this can ruin all your weight loss efforts for the past days.

It’s okay to eat out. One cheat meal on a weekend is okay and can even help you stay on track. Come on, there are only two days in a week when you are able to enjoy dining out with friends and family so why go ahead? But when you do, make sure you are eating something healthy, not just delicious. Choose meals that are grilled, baked or steamed instead of those that are fried. For main course, choose lean meat, chicken or fish. Avoid fatty salad dressings, crisps, and sugary drinks. Most importantly, observe moderation. It is the key to keep those extra calories off.

Work out whilst you shop. Turn your Saturday shopping spree into a weekend weight loss workout. How? Start by parking your car away from the building entrance to give yourself some time to walk those excess calories off. If you know you will be out for hours, pack a few healthy snacks so you don’t get easily tempted to eat unhealthy snacks.

Drink smartly. For many of us, Saturday is a drinking day. You need not give up happy hour with friends. You just have to drink smartly. Choose wine instead of beer or clear spirits like vodka and rum. If you think that cocktail drink is not an issue, think again. Most cocktail drinks served in pubs today are very high in calories. In between drinks, down a full glass of water to fill up without excess calories and help prevent a morning hangover.

Stick to your usual sleep/wake schedule. Changing your sleep patterns can throw off your schedule and interfere with weight loss. It may also make you feel drowsy and restless until the workweek begins. Make sure you are getting enough sleep during weekends. If you stay late, you can gain as much as 500 calories extra.

Skip Saturday night movie snacks. Movie theatre popcorn coated with cheese or caramel and then sprinkled with sodium can spoil your weight loss efforts. Wash it down with a large glass of fizzy drink and you could be putting back over 1,000 calories you have worked so hard to lose during weekdays. If you’re going to the movie theatre, microwave a 100-calorie bag of popcorn and take it with you.

Stay active. It’s okay to spend a few hours on the couch but make sure you spare an hour or at least 30 minutes on physical activity. You need not work out like you do during weekdays. There are fun activities that are counted as workouts by experts. These include gardening, swimming, cycling, dancing and backpacking. Or, you may consider redecorating your house too. They key is to get moving, that is.

Get outdoors. Weekend provides a nice opportunity to get outside, see the sun and connect with nature. Many studies have shown that people are happier when they spend more time outdoors.

Disconnect. Weekends also provide an opportunity to get a digital detox. Avoid checking your emails or your social media news feeds. Instead, do something fun and enjoyable. Maybe you can bake with your kids, make some artistic handcrafts, or visit the park. Research has shown that spending too much time online can negatively impact your health.

Chill. Never ever take out ‘relaxation’ from your to-do list. Most of us are busy during weekdays and even their weekends are jam-packed with lots of errands, chores, work and travel. Take the whole weekend or at least a portion of it for some downtime. Whether it’s practising your hobby, chilling out with friends, or meditating – do something that recharges you.

Hope these tips have helped you plan out a healthy rest day. Happy weekend!