Great Morning,
What is your normal routine most weekends? Sleep in, mow the lawn, binge watch some shows, meet up with friends and have a few drinks? We are in a constant race towards Friday, the pinnacle point when we get to release our stresses over the last 5 days of work. Enjoying just two days of "relaxation" before starting all over again. Understandably so, most individuals will go on believing that the weekends are meant for fun activities and simply because they had such a hard work week, they deserve to unwind in whatever way they deeply desire. But, is all of this unwinding setting you back in your pursuit of a healthier life?
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad about unwinding and taking those 1-2 days to rest and recover your minds and bodies. God calls for a day of rest each week. But, are you sabotaging your health goals in the process? This is where true discipline comes in.
If you are anything like me, the wife and I love to enjoy pizza every Friday night as our "non-negotiable" reward meal after putting in so many hours that week. The hard part is stopping and continuing not to go after other lesser nutrient dense foods & beverages. This is where the domino effect comes into play. If you are like most people (don't worry, you aren't alone), once you enjoy one pleasure, you get greedy for the next pleasurable item that comes your way. Do you have the discipline to say no? I will never give clients a hard time about enjoying a cheat meal with a glass of wine or enjoying some other indulgence. We must be disciplined to stop after one item though, and here is why.
As shown in the graphic above, you might stick with your meal plan extremely well. And, as most people know, weight loss is as simple as calories in vs. calories out. Meaning, if your goal is to drop body fat, you have to be more active and burn more total calories than what you are eating daily. If you follow your plan well, most HEALTHY diets consist of a 250-500 caloric deficit daily which adds up anywhere of 1750-3500 calories per week. 3500 calories equals to 1 pound of body fat, that is why the goal is to burn close to 3500 total calories per week.
But, what happens once Friday night and Saturday come around? We are not even going to bring up Sunday! As you can see above, this is the typical western civilization lifestyle. You might be healthy early in the morning and mid-afternoon, but how long can you hold off until the weekend officially starts in your mind? Do you wait until 5pm or do you start earlier with lunch from your favorite fast food chain? Then, once 5pm comes, it's game time! Unfortunately, having so much "fun" isn't always so healthy if you are trying to lose weight.
Most alcoholic beverages are filled with AT LEAST 90 calories per serving size which can jack up your caloric amount in a very short amount of time, especially if you are indulging in shooter beverages and mixed drinks. By the time Saturday comes, you are in full relaxation mode and while you might be out with the family on some adventures, what do you stop to eat? Did you plan your meals ahead or did you stop once again at another fast food chain or even sit down restaurant?
Before you know it, you completely eliminated all of your progress from the previous few days and even went into the new week already in a caloric surplus!!! This is extremely important to understand if your goal is to lose weight, gain energy and get overall healthier. 2 days can completely destroy 4-5 days of hard work. Is it truly worth it? That is what you will have to decide.
Nobody get me wrong, I'm not writing this to put a guilt trip on anybody but to simply pass along some helpful education. We don't know what we don't know but education is true power! Hopefully this was able to help a few people. Achieving a healthy lifestyle is all about BALANCE and we must always strive to educate ourselves in the world of Wellness, especially since it is constantly changing with new research and discoveries coming out daily. If we continue to turn a blind eye towards the impact foods & beverages cause for us, we are accepting the risk and consequences of that ignorance.
Whatever your goals are, I am here to help you along the way. Never hesitate to reach out for help when it comes to breaking down your caloric intake. Knowledge is potential power when used! Currently, Taz Fitness is offering a special 25% off for the first 5 individuals that register for our all new ONLINE PROGRAMMING! Exercise routines, nutrition guidance & constant accountability being brought straight to your phone and email weekly without the hassle of dealing with pushy salesmen inside of large fitness chains. To register or see more information, please visit our Programming page HERE.
As always, be good to one another.
God Bless,
Taz