8 WAY TO STAY ON TRACK DURING THE WEEKEND

Its Friday!!!  The weekend is filled with family, friends and hopefully fitness too!

5 o'clock arrives and you're ready to get the weekend started. But what about those nutrition and fitness goals? You've been going strong all week long. Got in every workout and your nutrition has been spot on. How do you stay in check when you're ready for fun filled and busy weekend?

1) Have A Plan:

Going out to eat with the family Friday night? Take a look at the menu online beforehand. Gathering at a friends house for dinner and maybe a few cocktails? Ask what will be served. If you can't, then be sure to pre eat beforehand. A protein shake and a fruit serving is a good choice.  This will help you to avoid overindulging during meal time. Stick with mostly fruits and vegetables. Skip the chips with heavy creamy dips, substitute chips and salsa instead (keep an eye on your portion size though!). Volunteer to bring a dish that you can eat. A vegetable tray, clean stuffed mushrooms or fresh fruit.

2) Limit Take Out:

The weekends may feel like a great time to give yourself a break in the kitchen. However opting in for fast food or take out isn't ideal. Even if you choose the healthiest of options its hard to gauge the sodium content or how exactly the food was prepared. Plan on having most meals at home and bring healthy snacks if you'll be out and about.

3) Stay on Schedule:

If you eat every two hours during the week you should eat every 2 hours on the weekend. This is where those packed snacks really come in handy!

4) Choose One Small Treat:

Maybe its that glass on wine on Friday night after your commute home. Perhaps a small piece of dark chocolate or even something as simple as creamer in your coffee. Having an all or nothing approach can set you up for failure. A single small indulgence during the weekend will not destroy all of your progress.

5) Drink All Your Water

Often times when we fall off the wagon with our healthy eating habits its because we aren't getting in all of the water our bodies require. Especially if we've been nailing that water goal all week. Most of the time thirst is disguised as hunger so its easy to think you're hungry when your body is actually craving more H2O. Be sure you're drinking half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Including Saturday and Sunday.

6) Schedule those workouts:

While its easy to cut yourself some slack on the weekend don't throw in the towel completely on those workouts! Maybe instead of getting up early on Saturday to workout you hit the gym at 9 instead. Opt for a light jog or run if the weather is nice, Even a walk will do. Grab a friend!. Saturday is a great time to have a friend join you at the gym or on a walk. Just don't use the weekend as an excuse to stop moving! If you have the time you could even throw in an extra 15 minutes of exercise.

7) Use the Weekend to Plan and Prep

Boil a few extra eggs, make some extra quinoa or brown rice. Cooking Saturday night? Throw a few extra chicken breasts in the oven. This will give you a few options come Sunday night when you're packing your lunch for the next few days with out making your Sunday night hectic and crazy.

8) Get Plenty of Sleep:

Although the weekend is a time to cut loose a little be sure to continue to get adequate rest. Late night Friday night? How about a Saturday afternoon nap or sleeping in on Sunday? Making sure your body is well rested is key for weight loss as well as other metabolic functions including controlling hormones. A well rested weekend will also set you up for the week ahead!