Weekend Drift

...because calories act differently on weekends [spoiler alert: they don't - it's us]

I hear this a lot:

“I lost 10 kilos in 10 weeks, then I went on vacation for a week and put 5 kilos right back!

My efforts from the past 5 weeks went down the drain in only a few short days!”

✅ LISTEN TO ME!

First of all, if you could put back 5 kilos of fat in 5 days, you would probably be weighing in at 300 kilos, not 100.

Secondly: remember how happy you were after the first 2 weeks of “dieting”? After you had lost 5 kilos?

What happened in those first 2 weeks: your “pipes” got cleaned, you lost excess water and you probably lost 1 kilo of fat (maximum).

So 90% of your initial progress was losing the excess water.

✅ FAST WEIGHTLOSS

After the first month of fast weight loss, you will say “I’m not losing weight that quickly anymore”.

You do realize that you lose the first 5 kilos in the first 2 weeks and the remaining 5 kilos over 10 weeks, right?

Actually, for a woman who is in the final stretch (the remaining 10 kilos; example stats: from 60 kg to 50 kg for a woman who is of 1,6 meters in height) a progress of 500 grams lost per week is fabulous. 

Usually, in the Body Engineering program, the last 10 kilos are lost over 10 months.

Wouldn’t you like to lose 10 kilos fast – until you have your seaside vacation?

If that’s the case, our program is not for you. Not now, anyway.

You’ll probably do a bit of “hunger games” dieting every year, you’ll lose a little weight and then put all those kilos right back during your summer vacations.

Come back September 15^th, we’ll do some real work then. Next summer will see you a totally different person – for the better. A bit more about my program here: CLICK.

But let’s get back to those weekend drifts.

✅ FRIDAY

Every Friday afternoon I enforce the “official weigh-in of the week”. Usually, that’s when I weigh the least over the past 7 days.

I wrote in another article that I tend to “do a sprint on the final stretch”.

What this means: I drink my coffee in the morning, I do my routine (comprised of 3 exercises), I walk for 2 hours and have my first meal of the day as late as possible.

This way, my weight tends to be the smallest it gets during that week.

✅ OVER THE WEEKEND

Usually, I tend to eat more and more often during the weekends. It can happen that I eat 3 or even 4 meals.

It’s highly likely that I get some ice cream, taste some of the children’s mashed potatoes – there definitely is popcorn if we go to the movies.

A higher quantity of carbs increases sodium and then water retention.

I get sudden bursts of thirst, I drink a lot of water and I don’t eliminate it right away.

✅ WEIGHT VARIATIONS

As you can see from the chart, my weight can vary by 3 to 5 kilos from Friday afternoon until Sunday.

My regular diet is very low in carbohydrates.

My baseline is to be “deflated” – I don’t experience bloating, water retention or heavy sweating.

All this changes when I start eating carbs again.

I retain more water, I sweat more, I am a little “puffy” and so is my face.

✅ FRUSTRATION

For years, after every weekend, I used to go up on the scale and get frustrated.

Although, at a rational level, I knew that was not fat weight, the emotional effect of that extra weight was devastating.

What I can say is that after 14 years of keeping my weight and hundreds of weekends with water retention I have learned to accept that they are part of my identity.

✅ ANY ADVICE?

I can’t help you not have an emotional reaction after weighing yourself. Especially after a long weekend or vacation.

Many people avoid going up on the scale on Monday mornings – for fear. I did the same at some point.

I totally get you, I’ve been dealing with extra weight, frustration and anxiety since the second grade.

The only advice I have for you is a simple one:

• Weigh yourself on Monday morning. Even though it will hurt.

• Accept the consequences of that “weekend drift” and…

• …just like you “have to” go to work, you should also go back to the diet that makes you feel good.

• Anything that happened over the weekend will stay in the weekend.

• When Monday comes, you go back to your regular lifestyle: eat soup, eat a main course, eat an omelet, eat vegetables.

• On Monday, go back to sleeping early. Walk. These two actions will help you “deflate” in record time.

If you had a good time over the weekend, stay away from temptations (like chips, sodas, pretzels, sweets, etc.) until Saturday afternoon.

Do the Big Clean-up so you won’t have any tempting things lying around. Have as much controlled fun until the next weekend.

I wrote this article about The Big Clean-up.

The Big Clean-Up

I wrote about what Elon Musk does to lose weight.

Elon Musk and the Golden Rule of Weight Loss

I wrote about why I don’t encourage the “cheat days” concept.

Cheat Days: OK or not?

Eating a clean diet for 5 days out 0f 7 is definitely much better than what you are doing now.

Just curious: how does your weekend look like? What’s your favorite temptation? What makes you “drift” away from your regular diet? 👀

Write a comment and vote in the poll below

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