You “Failed”, So Now What?

You “Failed”, So Now What?

Is weekend remorse a common feeling for you on Monday mornings? Are you constantly finding yourself doing great during the week with having both your fitness and nutrition on point and then once the weekend comes, you find that none of your weekday rules apply and you go overboard with eating junk and not getting your workouts in? If this sounds like you, you’re NOT alone!

I really want to stress this point - just because you weren’t perfect over the weekend doesn’t mean you failed and it certainly isn’t grounds for throwing in the towel and giving up. It’s called life and life happens. We all get off track from our goals every once in a while, but what matters the most is getting right back on that track. Think back to when you were a kid and learned how to ride a bike, I’m sure you fell off at least once, right? At any point did your parents tell you to just stop right there and to give up all hopes of ever riding a bike? Hell no! They had you get right back on that bike and keep trying until you were successful. The same rules apply with any of your life’s goals! Fall down once, get up twice!

If you find that weekend remorse is a common occurrence for you every Monday, you need to stop and ask yourself “What am I doing (or not doing) on the weekends that keeps taking me off track?” When I ask my clients this same question, the two most common responses I get are:

1. I’m on the go with my kids’ activities, BBQ’s, outings, errands, etc.

2. I go out with my friends and it turns in to a day/night of drinking and bar food.

What do I say to that? “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” Bottom line. You know all week long that you have your kids games to go to, a birthday party, BBQ, you’re going out for your friend’s engagement party or whatever the case may be. You work so hard all week long at making sure you get your meals prepped, your workouts in, etc. But why can’t you do the same type of planning for the weekend?

Things you can do to prepare for the weekend ahead:

1. Snack prep. If you know that you’re going to be on the go all weekend and you can’t get in all your normal snacks or meals, throw some nutritious snacks in a bag, purse, cooler or car. Since hitting protein goals are always the hardest for most people, make sure to include a protein with every option. Here are some of my favorite take-on-the-go options:

• Know Brand Cookies: these are high in protein and healthy fats which means, they are slower digesting to help keep you fuller for longer. One whole cookie can be an entire meal, otherwise, half makes for a great snack!

• FitJoy Protein Bars: These pack in a whopping 20g of protein of clean ingredients!

• Almonds: portable, easy to eat and contains healthy fats, protein and fiber. Make sure to portion control these as they can really add up in calories!

• Jerky: Look for a nitrate free, all-natural brand. My favorite is Laura’s Grass Fed Jerky or Lorissa’s jerky. Makes for a perfect portable high-protein snack!

• Heart Thrives: a bowl of oatmeal on the go! These baked, oatmeal hearts are perfect when you need a pick-me-up! One baked heart is equal to a bowl of oatmeal and makes for the perfect easy snack option for the whole family!

*Stay tuned for my next blog post on healthy fast-food meal options!

If you’re going to be heading out with friends for the night or any kind of social gathering, here are some simple tips for planning ahead:

1. Eat beforehand. If you fill up on healthy food before you go out, you’re less likely to hit up the bar snacks or chip bowl. I recommend having a large salad with a lean protein or protein smoothie before heading out. The fiber and protein in both items will help keep you fuller for longer!

2. If you’re going to a BBQ or party, bring a dish or two of your own that are both healthy, tasty items. That way you’ll know that you have at least one or two healthy options!

3. Look at the menu ahead of time. Going out to a restaurant? Pick your meal before you leave to avoid being tempted by all the other not-so-healthy items.

4. Limit your alcoholic beverages. This is a huge one that I stress all the time to my clients. Your body can easily bounce back from a food binge, but an alcohol binge- not so much! Make sure to drink one to two non-alcoholic drinks such as sparkling water with a lime or splash of cranberry, diet soda or just plain old water in between your alcoholic drinks. A day/night of drinking can literally erase a week’s worth of hard work due to the affects alcohol has on your hormones!

5. Surround yourself with friends that have the same goals as you! You’ll find it’s a lot easier to stay on track when you surround yourself with people that have the same goals and hobbies as you do. They say that you often take on the habits of your closest friends, so if you find yourself always going way off track when you hang out with certain people, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate who you spend the most of your time with or better yet, try to get that friend or family member to try some new, healthy meals that you cooked up, invite them over to workout, or go walking! Be that positive motivator in that person’s life!

Remember, going off track doesn’t mean you failed. You hit a bump in the road. Acknowledge that fact and look back at what you could have done better to avoid that and use that information to better prepare yourself for future instances. But most importantly, don’t stress about it. Life happens. It’s what you do with yourself NOW that matters! It’s not worth stressing over something you cannot change, so instead, use that energy to get yourself back on track and moving towards your goals once again.

You got this!

#failure #stayingontrack #mealprep #onthego #weekend