A cheat day isn't a pass to overindulge

Have you ever considered that weekends make up over 25% of the week (if you take a 2-day weekend)? 

They're actually around 28% of the week. Looking at it this way, that's a lot of our time.  

So many of us can stay on track with nutrition, workouts, sleep, and a healthy lifestyle for the first five days of the week, but those last two?... Not so much. Think about this, though. If you have a real goal to accomplish, but 28% of the time, you partake in practices that run contrary to that goal's progress, wouldn't it be difficult to see decent progress toward this goal? Plus, the degree to which we stray on the weekends is often greater (or just as much) than the degree to which we stick to the plan during the week! How do we make any progress? 

It's your cheat day, but that doesn't mean you should over-indulge. Here's a tip: stop the weekend overeating to increase your success! While there is going to be an element of willpower until long-term habits are changed, there are some strategies you can employ now to this upcoming weekend: 

1. Plan ahead. If you've got habits you're used to repeating, a rhythm that your weekend follows, and a typical schedule for your weekends, sometimes it just takes some for-thought to change these to better ones. Make plans to change your usual weekend scenarios to ones more favorable to your goals: Instead of making cinnamon rolls on Sundays, make an egg scramble. Ask your friends to get take-out from a healthier restaurant. Don't buy your go-to tempting midnight snacks. Create a plan today and stick to it this weekend!
2. Schedule activities that don't revolve around food. Plan a hike with friends. Take your kids to the park. Have a game night (or game day) with your family. Do a puzzle. Perform a DIY project or craft.
3. See it as part of the week. Try to change your mental outlook on the weekends. Instead of seeing the week as a time to "buckle down" and the weekends as a "free for all," try to see the week as continuous. Try not to see the two in opposition. 
4. Remember your "why." So cliche to say sometimes, but it is true. When you are attempting to change long-time habits and accomplish a big goal, thinking of the deeper reason behind all your effort (and, frankly, all your pain) is helpful. Head into your weekend, reminding yourself how you want to feel on Monday morning. Head into your weekend thinking about how it will feel when your end goal is accomplished.

Why not try these strategies this weekend? To your success!