Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’re going to be talking about how to take the chaos out of your weekend. If you have any questions about today’s blog, then please give us a call at (806) 322-3188
Do you ever feel like you’re on track and you’re following your plan during your week, and then when you get to the weekend it turns into this huge, chaotic event for two days? And the first half of the week is just spent trying to get back on track?
It feels like you undo what you did in the week and then you redo it again. Your week goes from five days on and two days off, to two days on and five days off. And that really doesn’t lead you any closer to the results you want. Whether that result is for fitness, wellness, or something completely different, getting off track for the weekend doesn’t get you closer to that goal.
So why? Why is it such a big deal?
Well, we don’t have as much structure during the weekend. During the week you have your daily routine of work, school, and everything in between. You schedule everything in tight so that you can just go and do everything that you need to.
However, during the weekend there isn’t that pattern of life to follow. Things are more chaotic and up in the air with your kid’s activities, and you may not know when or where they’re going to be doing the next sleepover or impromptu dance practice.
And maybe you just need some time to unwind during the weekends. You let go for the weekend and almost come into a sense of boredom, and that can be kinda hard to admit right? Our brains just aren’t quite as activated as they are during the week.
This can lead to, typically, over eating, less physical activity, and almost a sense of undoing the work that you put in during the week.
What can you do to fix that?
Well there are really three big things that come to mind for me that help me to stay on track during the weekend, and I hope these help you too.
First is building structure.
You can set alarms for tasks that have to be done, or plan your meal plan all the way through your weekend, or you can take the time through that weekend to really focus on how you can support yourself through those goals that you have.
So I would have you make a plan of exactly what you’re going to do through the weekend. And again, if you need the extra push, setting alarms are very helpful for me. Even setting up an accountability partner that you can meet up with during the weekend. This person can be the one that can help you to stay on track and remind you of what your goal is and how important it is for you to reach it.
Second is to clean out your kitchen.
A huge issue that a lot of people have is that they tend to accumulate a lot of junk food, and other things that don’t support the goals that they have for themselves. They’ll hide away the junk on a far back shelf and just think that they won’t eat it. And that can work fine while you’re busy, and occupied with a thousand other things, but the minute you’re at home and bored, you might find yourself snacking on anything you can find in the house.
So typically, the rule of thumb is that if it’s in the house, you’ll eventually eat it because it’s there. So it’s better for it not to be there.
I know a lot of the time with a family everyone has their different things that they eat, so if you can’t get rid of it, at least put it away in a different cabinet. You can then put all of the stuff that supports your health goals on the shelf that’s eye level for you. This way when you look in the cabinet, that’s the first thing that you’re gravitated to.
And if you have issue with getting rid of food because you don’t want to waste, then you can always donate it to a food bank, a church, or any other place that has the need. Don’t feel obligated to eat it just because you bought it.
So work on cleaning out that kitchen. The less junk you have in there, the better.
Third is staying active.
Goodness knows that when the weekend comes, we sleep in and aren’t moving like we usually do on our busy work days. So it’s important to plan some kind of activity for yourself during the weekend. It can be your workouts, doing an activity with friends and family, or going out for a walk to gather your thoughts. Just be sure to plan for it, and don’t just plan it for one day. Keep yourself active all through the weekend.
There are so many things that you can do, and doing that will help you get to your goals faster. So it really is just as important to work in that activity during your weekend as it is during your week.
Something important I want to touch on is the Monday through Friday routine.
A lot of people like to workout Monday through Friday and take Saturday and Sunday off. The problem is that when you do that it actually lowers your metabolism. As a personal trainer in Amarillo I’ve seen a lot of people try and work with this schedule.
You can usually keep your metabolism raised for at least a few hours after your workout, and up to 36 hours after depending on what you’re doing. So if you’ve done it right, a day in between is just the right amount of time before you need to you and rev up your metabolism again.
So making sure that you build some structure into your weekend is what you’re aiming for.
And there’s something that I like to do every weekend. When I do it, the next week is awesome, and when I don’t it really goes downhill.
What I do is take the time to meal prep and meal plan during the weekend, so that when next week hits it’ll be a breeze.
Sounds like an exciting way to spend the weekend right? But it does really pay off in the long run.
Instead of coming home from work and immediately stressing out over having to cook, you have it ready for yourself when you get home. Whether you have perfectly planned meals organized in your fridge, or a bag of pre chopped vegetables, just being able to take some of the burden off your plate will be a help.
So next time that you’re trying to figure out why things are going wrong, look at your weekends first. Falling off track, even for just a few days, can really make the next few days hard to get back on.
So, if you’re wanting the accountability and help with creating an action plan to see results, or are wanting to someone to help create a workout plan to push you to your greatest potential, then that’s what we’re here for. We have an entire team of dedicated professionals to help you with your health and fitness goals. To get your consultation set up, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day.