How to cope with a weekend off?

[kjs1628]

I can't do s&s next weekend. We've got people staying and it's just not possible ( or desirable if I'm honest) to stay on plan while they're here.

How do I get round this? Just go as long as I can,eat normally for two days and suck it up? Will I then just have to go through the starving days again while I get back to ketosis?

In people's experience how much damage is this likely to do to my weight loss? I'm gutted really- feel like my head's in totally the right place and I'm going to mess it all up after only a week. Equally though, I think normal lifehas to resume when you're on a diet and there are always going to be times where you have to eat and drink copious amounts of wine, so you have to find a way round it.

Any advice much appreciated- how can I limit the damage?!!

Thanks

 

[zeke]

I've got no experience with this but I don't really think this is the kind of plan that makes it easy to have weekends off etc. All I can do is tell you what I would do in your position, which is this: If I was 100% sure that I couldn't stay on plan and knew that I would also be drinking, then I would refeed this week - have the weekend off (but try not to use it as an excuse to binge), then after the weekend do a reverse refeed for a couple of days before starting up again. I would also then clear my diary/accept that I wouldn't come off plan for anything until one week before Christmas.

I didn't do the whole starving to get into ketosis first as I first spent some time reducing my calories using old exante packs/small portions etc down to 1100 is kcals/day (also I was on holiday for a few days during that time and didn't think it was a good time to start!) - I can honestly say that the first three days weren't really hard at all that way.. I guess what I am trying to say is that my advice is based on not wanting to do the whole 3 days of being hungry thing so gradually increasing calories - having a weekend off - gradually lowering them again and then starting again. I don't like being hungry!

 

[GeMzY]

Try & limit carbs as much as you can & ignore the sweet things, try to keep drinking the water along with plenty protein & veg & damage should be limited, maybe take multi-vit pills the days you're off too.

If it doesn't aid weight gain it should help getting back into ketosis fairly quickly when back on plan

 

[kjs1628]

Thanks guys. I take your points on board and I really want to succeed on this. But surely everyone has events that make it impossible to stay on plan 100% of the time? Like its my in-laws' golden wedding party at the start of December and you can't go along to that and say "no thanks, I've brought this shake with me instead" can you?

Admittedly part of the problem is that I really don't want to publicise that I'm doing this so having friends to stay (x3 between now and Christmas) is a major stumbling block.

I don't want to not do this plan. It's only three days in but I'm really liking it, my head is in the right place (if not my social calendar) and I feel like its going to work for me. Are you guys saying that if I can't do 100% for 12 weeks its not worth doing?

 

[RebekahR]

You have two options ..

One come off plan, don't stress, come back on after, crack on , get back into ketosis

Two .. eat but stay low carbs and as close to on plan as possible

If you've planned a break then just enjoy and don't worry hun, its a personal choice entirely. Enjoy the weekend regardless, it dosent need to be a big issue

Xxx

 

[iwillbethinagain]

If it were me, I'd have the porridge for breakfast and then depending on what you plan on doing with them, either have a soup for lunch (and make them some soup too) or have two protein/ veg meals, limit carbs and not drink- though I would probably end up pouring a glass of wine and hardly drinking any. I also have a couple of weekends where I will have to come off plan and this is what I intend to do- I will only eat or drink off plan when absolutely necessary. It is the only downside about this diet!

 

[GeMzY]

Its never "not worth doing the diet" everyone comes across a social gathering at some point they cant avoid or want to break the plan for, its inevitable.

Make the diet work around life not life around the diet!

 

[cheekychick81]

I'm totally not advocating cheating/ coming off plan... Whatever you want to call it... But I've done 12 weeks come off far more times than I care to mention... Eaten low carb and still lost 49lbs... You just need will power to get through the days after... I made a decision that I was going to make this work for me of it wouldn't work... Do what works for you!

Good luck xxx

 

[zeke]

Thanks guys. I take your points on board and I really want to succeed on this. But surely everyone has events that make it impossible to stay on plan 100% of the time? Like its my in-laws' golden wedding party at the start of December and you can't go along to that and say "no thanks, I've brought this shake with me instead" can you?

Admittedly part of the problem is that I really don't want to publicise that I'm doing this so having friends to stay (x3 between now and Christmas) is a major stumbling block.

I don't want to not do this plan. It's only three days in but I'm really liking it, my head is in the right place (if not my social calendar) and I feel like its going to work for me. Are you guys saying that if I can't do 100% for 12 weeks its not worth doing?

No, not at all! I was just saying what I would do. I think we can all tackle it successfully in different ways. Ideally, yes, just come off plan as much as you need to that weekend and get straight back on with it afterwards. I just know I would struggle with that, so it isn't what I would do.

 

[kjs1628]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your help. I'll stick with it up to the wire then stick to non carbs as much as poss, and straight back on it ASAP. This is my time, I'm not going to let it fail!!!! Not this time.

Xxx

 

[Morgan1]

It's just over 10 weeks till Christmas and you've got 4 times when you want to come off plan. My personal opinion is to do the diet and just get it over with, each time you have a 'weekend off' you are prolonging the time you are on it and not really breaking the bad habits that caused the weight gain in the first place.

I've had family meals out and friends birthdays but each time an event rolls around I save my veg allowance and protein allowance and use that in the evening. If friends are true friends they won't care if you're on a diet or not. I don't think 'normal life' has to change much while you're on slim and save its just about making better choice while you're out.

 

[JanBow]

Hi, in my experience I came off for the weekend of my daughter's 18th birthday, we had so much planned and a lot of eating out and I decided that even though I was only 2 weeks into the diet, I'd come off for the weekend and go straight back on. I think when it's planned and you know you're going straight back on the diet come Monday morning, then you'll still have the right frame of mind to carry on with the diet. I gained a few pounds over that weekend, as you'll regain water & glycogen and I came out of ketosis. But it didn't take as long to get back into ketosis the following week and it wasn't as hard as it had been initially as I hadn't eaten loads & loads of carbs and avoided the sugar as much as possible. I lost the small gain plus another pound the following week which I was happy with and I totally accept that I've probably added another week to my journey but I was happy with that too.

I understand where you're coming from, ideally you want to stick to this diet 100% all the way but it doesn't always happen like that. When I did Cambridge a few years I did exactly that, totally 100% for 3 months but this time round I've been a little more lenient as I know I'm in the right frame of mind, I will see this diet out to the end, even with a small blip here & there. I've spent the last few weekends travelling around doing Uni visits with my daughter and on those occasions I've stuck to a low-carb diet rather than rigid SnS as it's been easier and that's worked out fine and I accept that this time it may take a little longer but it's still one heck of a lot quicker than a more traditional calorie counting diet.

All the best x

 

[kjs1628]

Well I had my weekend off, was pretty rubbish and feel really annoyed with myself. After a good loss last week I know I'm going to be miserable if/when I have put on on Thursday. Shall I just not weigh myself this week??

On the positive, I have been fine with 100% today and apart from being a bit grumpy I feel fine. I actually felt rotten physically on Saturday having eaten and drunk. My body didn't like it at all....interesting.

Anyhow, here's to a good week, no more naughtiness and increasingly baggy jeans.

 

[iwillbethinagain]

That is interesting. I would weigh yourself this week, then next week, you know how well you have really done! Also, pre-diet I would not weigh myself when I knew I was gaining, it is a habit I need to break- not sure if this will ring true with you?

 

[kjs1628]

That is interesting. I would weigh yourself this week, then next week, you know how well you have really done! Also, pre-diet I would not weigh myself when I knew I was gaining, it is a habit I need to break- not sure if this will ring true with you?

ooh yes, good point. Thanks.

(Can you still give reputation points on here, and if so, how?)

 

[JanBow]

Yes can definately identify with that, I always avoid the scales when I've been bad!

You've got straight back to 100% kjs and so although the scales will have jumped out with your glycogen stores refilling, they will empty again pretty darned quickly with no more carbs coming in. I'd weigh purely out of interest, don't let it discourage you, you know you're back on the right track again x

 

[kjs1628]

3 days off, four days on. I sneakily weighed myself after the splurge and had put nearly 5 lbs back on of 8 lost last week.bleurgh.

Anyway proper weigh in this morning and back down to last weeks weight plus 0.2 of a pound. Can't complain, and have definitely learned a valuable lesson: I don't want to splurge again while I'm doing this.

Onwards and upwards. Can't wait for next week's weigh in!

 

[iwillbethinagain]

At least you know the damage now. I am having tomorrow off, not best pleased but kinda has to be done, I'm hoping to get back on plan n sat though it may be hangover dependent! Good luck for this week.

 

[Mstempt]

I really want sat night off as havd friends round, I was worried about alcohol whilst in ketosis but do many if you have alcohol? My plan is to have a curry, I will have chicken tikka main with salad and yog mint dressing and at least 2 popadoms, and I did want a little red wine, I keep hearing if u have alcohol it can be dangerous but if you are eating is this okay?.

 

[iwillbethinagain]

You should come out of ketosis before drinking and expect a little alcohol to go a long way. For me, coming out of ketosis (based on a previous attempt at atkins) would be the two popadoms as a starter but everyones different.