I’m driving myself nuts eating like a little piggy every weekend even though I eat really healthy during the week. I even like my healthy food so it isn’t like I’m depriving myself. But I meal prep for M-F and don’t have it in me to cook on weekends so I eat tons of junk. So, does anyone else do this? Did anyone else get over this? Do you have some other food woes you want to get off your chest? Or some other random thing you would like to discuss?
I don’t know what eating like a little piggy means in your situation, but in mine, that meant going upwards of 5000 kcal surplus than my normal intake. Still mostly from healthy food (like nuts, I am addicted to nuts XD). Which I never really obsessed about, since I tend to use great amounts of energy some days of the week (cycling alone can go upwards of 3000 kcal some days). I really don’t like diets either. All I 've ever done, and still do, is try to understand what is good for me, why and in which amounts. I find food (all aspects of it, even having pots with the herbs I use most often when cooking) one of the greatest joys of life, along with movement (simple stuff, walking, running, cycling, swimming). And while I find their relation fascinating and I experiment a lot (been on keto for a year or so), I prefer joy and understanding being the guiding forces, not simple discipline and blindly following rules I don’t completely understand towards goals I don’t really care about.
There are a few things I 've learnt over the years that are pretty easy for me to follow, especially since I 've seen how badly they affect my mood when I don’t.
Even though I can handle carbs well (mostly thanks to decades in different sports and a pretty active life), I like to think that respecting the metabolic pathway our body uses to metabolize them will allow me to keep using it without issues later in life. Besides just feeling better when I do (no cravings, no crashes, no insulin related side-effects).
Overall I have a pretty good sense of what each food I eat contains (in every sense you can think of, macros/micros/phytochemicals/lipid types/amino-acid profiles/energy/water/fiber -its been almost 2 decades I look up every food I introduce) and do 2 simple things. Reloading glycogen stores (slowly) between days of long rides on the bike is ok. No bike or very diminished activity after a few days? Turn to foods that mostly contain fats (which also allow me to skip meals way easier) with fresh vegetables (limited carbs). Which is what I tend to do in weekends.
I enjoy cooking, or even preparing the materials I will cook beforehand. Got my own tofu, which I tend to make close to 3kg (really hard pressed, the way I like it) each time and lasts for a few months divided in portions, in the freezer. My own tempeh and seitan. All low (close to zero) carb/ low energy protein sources. These and eggs, are really easy to prepare in stir fries and can be really delicious.
Btw, I went from 96kg to 84 in 5ish months following the stuff I just wrote. Flat stomach isn’t something you lose or get with one meal, it takes bad habits to lose, and good habits to maintain. And I am not mentioning flat stomach as something related to the image of the body. I am mentioning it as an indicator of health. Having your vital organs take up the space they need to perform optimally, especially during movement, feels great.
Finally, if you read this far, don’t beat yourself up! It’s a learning process and it looks like you are doing fine. Don’t rush it either, habits take time to form, but can last a lifetime. The more you develop one good habit, the less effort it requires, freeing your focus to form the next one. Don’t try to change everything at once. And it shouldn’t feel bad, or else it’s not sustainable. Takes time, but it’s totally worth it!