Why Weekend Sabotage Happens and How to Overcome It

James Hill:

Welcome to Weight Loss And, where we delve into the world of weight loss. I'm Jim Hill.

Holly Wyatt:

And I'm Holly Wyatt. We're both dedicated to helping you lose weight, keep it off, and live your best life while you're doing it.

James Hill:

Indeed, we now realize successful weight loss combines the science and art of medicine, knowing what to do and why you will do it.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes, the “And” allows us to talk about all the other stuff that makes your journey so much bigger, better, and exciting.

James Hill:

Ready for the “And” factor?

Holly Wyatt:

Let's dive in.

James Hill:

Here we go.

Holly Wyatt:

Today, we're going to tackle something that throws a lot of people off. This is something people talk about pretty frequently. We're going to talk about what you do on the weekends. I think there's a real familiar pattern of doing well all week long, Jim.

James Hill:

Oh, yeah.

Holly Wyatt:

You really do what you're supposed to do or what you want to do. And then feeling like it all unravels on the weekend. It all goes south on the weekend.

James Hill:

Yeah. And here's the thing. In maintenance, being a little bit more relaxed on the weekends may actually be okay. It's healthy to build in some flexibility. Holly, one thing we like, we like flexibility.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

James Hill:

But when weekends turn into two days of autopilot, overeating, and the big one, I'll start over on Monday. That's where progress may stall.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard people talk about starting over on Monday. So if you've ever said, I'm good all week, then I lose it on the weekend, or I eat like a different person on Saturday or Sunday, or I'll always start strong on Monday again, or even why do I undo all my progress every weekend?

James Hill:

Then this episode is for you, because the goal isn't to make weekends perfect. It's to make them work for you, not against you. So in today's episode, we'll break down why weekends are tricky, what's really going on, and what you can do to finally break the cycle without giving up the fun or the flexibility.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes. All right, Jim. So let's get started. Let's start with that first question and break down. Why are weekends tricky? Why do you tend to do well during the week and then the weekends throw you off? Why are they tricky? Why are they different?

James Hill:

I think a big issue is we are creatures of routine. We love routines. We work best when we're in routines. And I think for many people, they see Monday through Friday as, man, they have their routines. They stick with it. They're automatic. And the weekends are sort of disruptive. It's something different. They're away from their regular routines and patterns.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, they're just different. You kind of get used to the five-day weekdays. You do them over and over again, and then suddenly the weekends come, and your meals change, and your activity changes, and sometimes your sleep changes.

James Hill:

Yeah, that's where the parties are. They're on the weekends more so than during the week. And so you have all these things maybe you have to deal with that could be disruptive that you don't deal with at least as much during the work week.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And I also think there's this kind of, and we're going to talk a lot about this because this to me is key, this reward or relief mindset. I made it to the weekend. Now it's been stressful or I've done everything all week long. And now I'm just going to be completely different. I deserve this either a reward or finally I get to not, do the things I've been doing all week.

James Hill:

But Holly, that's built into our nature in a way. We work during the week saying, man, if I can just get through this job and get till Friday, I get to have the weekend off. And I think people carry that over to their weight management too. And that can be problematic.

Holly Wyatt:

That is a big problem because they start treating weekends as a break from healthy living.

James Hill:

Ah! Yeah.

Holly Wyatt:

And that's a way, like you're saying, we start thinking of it that way. And I think that comes back to really hurt us. Like, why is the weekend the break from healthy living? What's so wrong with healthy living that you need a break from it?

James Hill:

Yeah, it reminds me of the work we did with the National Weight Control, Holly. Remember that?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

James Hill:

We asked them about that. We asked them if they take weekends off, if they take holidays off, and it was a little bit surprising, but basically they said no. I'm on every day, all days, weekend, weekdays, even holidays. I might be a little bit more flexible, but they don't sort of say, ah, I'm just going to relax and not worry about the weekend or a holiday. They incorporate it as part of their plan.

Holly Wyatt:

So, Jim, I looked up that data because that paper we wrote when we got all that data, you're exactly right. But here's the key. They're consistent but they're flexible. They're not consistent and rigid.

James Hill:

Yeah, I love that. Consistently flexible.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, they're consistent. They definitely don't throw it out on the weekends. That was very, very clear in the data that we collected, but they're also a little bit flexible. So I think sometimes we think of being consistent means rigid, the right way, you know, black or white thinking, good or bad, right? On or off.

James Hill:

These people, they go to parties, they have celebratory meals, but it fits in their plan. They don't just say, to hell with it. It's the weekend. I'm not going to worry. They worry, but they're flexible enough to still have fun and make sure it's within their plan.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So I think sometimes when we've gotten the message out that they're consistent, people think that's consistent and very rigid perfectionism.

James Hill:

Right.

Holly Wyatt:

And it's actually not.

James Hill:

Flexibility.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

James Hill:

So why is weekend sabotage such a potential problem?

Holly Wyatt:

Well, I think it wouldn't be if it was just for one meal. The weekend is a full two days. And if you just go into those full two days and just eat whatever you want and have no choices, you just kind of a free for all, it can make a big difference. I mean, let's just think of the numbers. Let's just think about food intake. Let's say all week long for five days, you restrict your calories. You're in weight loss mode so you're restricting your calories, and you do a really good job. And you're actually 1000 calories in deficit so that would be 5000 calories for those five days. So, you're about a pound and a half down in terms of fat burning somewhere in there, not exactly, but you know, between one to two pounds down from this effort that you've put in to restrict your calories during the week. So you may think 5,000 calories, you've worked really hard to restrict for five days, but Jim, to eat 2,500 calories on Saturday extra and to eat 2,500 calories on Sunday.

James Hill:

Wow, that can really disrupt you.

Holly Wyatt:

I can do it in one setting, right? It's not that hard, right? And so all that work from that five days, yes, two days, the weekend can cause a problem.

James Hill:

So what about exercise? In some ways, it may be the opposite of people feeling like, I'll get all my exercise on the weekends. I'll have more time. What do we know about that, Holly?

Holly Wyatt:

Well, I was going to ask you that question, Jim, but I think that we don't know for sure. So what you're talking about really is you don't do any exercise for five days. And then on the weekend, you decide, I'm going to do four hour bike ride on Saturday and a two hour hike on Sunday and get all my exercise minutes in on the weekend. I don't know that we know for sure, but I think that we think there's something about consistency and that it may not be quite as good to do it that way.

James Hill:

Yeah. Now, let me say that it's better than doing nothing.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

James Hill:

And some of the downsides are if you try to do too much, you can get injured or, you know, there are negative things there. But when it comes to exercise, anything is better than nothing. And so even doing it on the weekends is better than doing nothing on the weekends. But I do think that we have this sense of there's something about consistency that may be important. And we've talked before about metabolic flexibility, and I think consistency might play a role there. And again, in the National Weight Control Registry, people don't get all their exercise on the weekdays. They're consistent. They do it every day.

Holly Wyatt:

But once again, here, I love that consistency and flexibility are coming kind of together. And I do think that's a different way of thinking about things. People think about consistency as not being flexible. And I think that's been a shakubuku for me, you know, really start to think about consistency being a flexible thing, not a rigid thing.

James Hill:

So again, I don't know this, but my guess is the people in the National Weight Control Registry don't do exactly the same thing on the weekends they do during the week, but they're still on plan. They will still tell you, I'm consistently sticking to the plan I have.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, and then maybe they do a little bit more. Once again, they're flexible with it, but it's not black, white, all or nothing.

James Hill:

Right.

Holly Wyatt:

That's the consistency part. And so I think what makes weekend sabotage really such a powerful pattern is you get into this yo-yo pattern of working really hard, maybe losing some body fat and then gaining it all back and then losing and gaining all back. And that makes you feel like you're stuck. That makes you feel like you're not successful and that really can get into your head.

James Hill:

You and I always talk about how weight loss maintenance is different from weight loss. And in weight loss, you can do all these crazy stuff and not eat for a while and do tons of exercise. But the thing about weight loss maintenance is this is forever. This is finding a way to be on your lifestyle plan that fits day in and day out, weekday and weekend with your life. And that's the difference.

Holly Wyatt:

And that's why when people ask me a question, I always say, first, are you in weight loss? Are you in weight loss maintenance? Because my answer is going to be different.

James Hill:

Yeah, I think we've learned there are a whole bunch of crazy stuff you can do in weight loss and it's perfectly fine and it may actually help you lose weight, but it's different in weight loss maintenance.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. We just had a question, I think this last week about I need to achieve balance in weight loss. I'm like, not really.

James Hill:

No, no, it's not about balance. It's imbalance.

Holly Wyatt:

Right.

James Hill:

Just eat less and you're fine. But you can't do that forever.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. The strategies you use don't have to be something you have to do forever. You don't have to figure that out. You do have to figure that out for weight loss maintenance. So I think if you let that weekend kind of sabotage you, it really kind of fuels this all or nothing mindset. I blew it, so I might as well go all in.

James Hill:

And we see that. That really derails people when they get to that point of saying, oh, I've already blown it. What the heck? I'm going to just let it go.

Holly Wyatt:

Right. And so Sunday night, I'm eating the whole pizza.

James Hill:

Yeah.

Holly Wyatt:

Because I'm as well and I'll start over Monday. And that does a ton of damage, that mindset, that thought process.

James Hill:

So, Holly, we've talked a lot about the word we love, mind state. And we did an episode on mind state. How does weekend sabotage fit into the different mind states, in your opinion?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I love this question, Jim. So I was thinking about it.

James Hill:

That's why I asked it, Holly.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, you knew I was thinking about it. So one of our last episodes, we really went through some different mind states. We talked about a victim. We talked about a victor and we talked about a voyager. And I would suggest going back and listening maybe to that episode. But I think we can use those types of mind states and really think about how weekend sabotage would be seen through each mind state, through each person. Maybe a victim, someone who is a victim mind state would say, going into the weekend, I deserve a break, right? I deserve a break. It's been too hard. I just need to let go and I deserve this, which is really saying, you know, and being a victim to their lifestyle. A victor, which we talked about, mind state, where they believe they're in control, they would think something and say something and do something. I'm going to control everything. I'm going to be this warrior, right? This victor. And when they do that and they're so rigid that it's got to be about perfection, they snap and they overdo it.

James Hill:

So they don't have the flexibility, maybe.

Holly Wyatt:

Exactly.

James Hill:

Ah.

Holly Wyatt:

Exactly. And so one thing happens on the weekend and they get off, they eat a little bit more, they go to a party, something, and boom, it's over, right? They overdo it, way overdo it, way overcorrect almost, you know? And then also then when they come back on Monday, they're the ones that then really restrict calories. So that's not exactly what we want. But the Voyager mind state.

James Hill:

That's the good one. That's the best one.

Holly Wyatt:

That's the best one. It really combines everything. And remember, a mind state is what you believe and how you react. It's not just what you believe. So a Voyager is going to believe they can succeed, going to believe they can do it. And then what do they do? What's their whole mind state around it? So they might think and say, how will I enjoy the weekend and support my goals?

James Hill:

Oh, the fun thing that I love to put in there.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So I believe I can do this, right? I believe that I can enjoy the weekend. I don't believe that it's too hard that I deserve a break. I believe that I can continue to do this. And how will I do it? I know I can do it, but what will I do exactly? And it will support my goals and be fun and be enjoyable.

James Hill:

I love it. Consistency and flexibility together.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. Not perfectionism.

James Hill:

Right. And go back to the episode on mindset and listen to it if you guys can, because one of the things that we're clear on, you can move from one mindset to the other. You are not stuck in a victim mindset. You can move from a victim to a victor, and that's a huge jump, and victors can be successful. But the even bigger leap is then to go to a voyager mindset where you do it and you get maximum enjoyment out of doing it.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And so, Jim, you were talking about mindset, but it's also a mind state.

James Hill:

I get mixed up sometimes, but mind state is sort of the bigger concept. So a victim mind state, you can go to a victor mind state, and then ultimately you can go to a voyager mind state.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, because a mindset tends to be just what you think and believe, and then the state takes what you think and believe and puts it into actions, what you actually do about it, which is really what you want, right? You want the way it starts in your mind, what you're thinking and believing, but then it's how you use that to interact and to react, really, to your day.

James Hill:

So how can people who are maybe caught up in this making weekend so much different from the week, how can you begin to break that pattern and incorporate both the consistency and the flexibility?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. The first thing I would say is you got to be aware you're doing it. You got to say, okay, I see what's going on here. You've got to believe you can make a change. There's that mindset coming in. And then you've got to have some tools to take action to get started, right? Recognize awareness, believe you can succeed, and then tools to say, okay, how do I start? And I think that's what you're asking. What are those tools? How do you start it? So I would say plan for the weekends like you plan for the weekdays, but with intentional flexibility. The weekends are different. So don't just say, I'm going to do exactly what I do on the weekdays. The consistency is, I'm going to plan. It's not exactly that I'm going to plan the exact same thing. You know, you don't aim for perfection, but you say, okay, I'm not going to just throw up my hands. What can I do? This means you can enjoy a meal out or, you know, a glass of wine or a lazy morning, but you choose those moments on purpose, not on autopilot.

James Hill:

Yeah, I like it.

Holly Wyatt:

What else, Jim? What's one other tool they can use?

James Hill:

Well, I think you can set some non-negotiables ahead of time. A Voyager might say, what helps me feel good and stay grounded, even when I'm relaxing or having fun? Maybe it's getting in movement. Maybe it's eating vegetables at lunch or logging your food. You can decide what's worth it and what's not.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, this is a big one. I do this sometimes. It's like, you know what? There's one thing I'm going to do this weekend no matter what. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to do everything that I need to do. But there's a non-negotiable. I am going to get my movement in for sure. Or I am going to start my day with a healthy breakfast. Or I am going to make sure I get some vegetables in with my evening meal or whatever it is. But it becomes a non-negotiable that I know I'm going to do ahead of time. And I know that it's going to feel good to stick with it. To not just throw my hands up and say let me just go wherever because in the reality while you may think that feels good, it doesn't. It doesn't get you where you want to go and it really doesn't. So picking something, not perfection, but a non-negotiable.

James Hill:

Yeah, and we talk a lot about flexibility and flexibility is not a slip up. If you're flexible during the weekend and say, man, this party's come up, it sounds like fun, I'm gonna go and do it and I'm gonna have a little, you know, I'm gonna eat some good things and maybe have a drink. That's not a slip. It's a skill to add that flexibility in and you don't feel like, oh, I have blown it because you planned it and built it in.

Holly Wyatt:

Right. And like we just said, one meal slip up isn't the problem.

James Hill:

Right.

Holly Wyatt:

It's the whole weekend, multiple meals. It's the I'm just going to eat anything and everything I want on Sunday night because I know I've already screwed up and I'll start over on Monday morning. That's what screws you up. Not the little slip up, not the one meal here or there. And I always say another tool that people can use to break this pattern, and we talk about this in State of Slim, we've been talking about this in State of Slim Energized a lot, is use your Monday through Friday momentum to fuel, not to earn your weekend. That's a really different concept. It's like, I'm going good. I have momentum.

James Hill:

If I'm good during the week, I get to have some fun during the weekend. That's not the right way.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. It's not a reward. I mean, this is a true mindset shift when you say it's not a reward. The lifestyle should feel good, Jim. If it doesn't, you have a problem.

James Hill:

Yes.

Holly Wyatt:

If you need to reward yourself from your lifestyle, that means that lifestyle is something you really, really don't like. And that lifestyle is what you need to do the majority of the time.

James Hill:

Yeah. For weight loss, you can go out and do things you don't like for a while and that's perfectly fine. But weight loss maintenance. forever. And if you're doing things you don't like, you're not going to stick with them.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So I always say use that momentum for Monday through Friday to keep going in your weekend. Don't treat it like it's a reward for the restriction for your week, but see it as, oh my gosh, I get to continue to build this week and support even a better weekend, not something to take a break from.

James Hill:

Yeah. So I'm listening to all this, Holly, and I'm wondering, what does a healthy weekend look like in real life?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And I think it's going to be different for different people. But I think in general, we can talk about it's not perfect, but it's not chaotic.

James Hill:

Ah, somewhere in between perfection and chaos. I like it. There's a lot of white space there.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And it's intentional. You're intentional about it, right? You're not throwing up your hands. Let me see where the wind blows me.

James Hill:

I'm going to go in and see what happens. I don't have a plan.

Holly Wyatt:

So it doesn't mean sticking to a rigid plan or throwing everything out the window. It means staying aligned enough with your goals to feel good on Monday.

James Hill:

Yeah. So it's not all about restriction necessary. It's intention. You go into it intentionally planning your weekend, having fun, being flexible, but still feeling like you're sticking with your plan in the big picture.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. I think a healthy weekend, at least for me, reflects behaviors that I'm trying to build in my life, that I want in my life, that I want to do to keep living, not just following a plan. How do I want my life to be, basically? This could mean exercising or planning ahead for a special meal. It could mean different things to different people, but it really is about building the life you want to keep living, not something you want to run away from.

James Hill:

Yeah. In our book, Holly, we talk a lot about losing weight. It's not about the scale. It's not even totally about health. It's about happiness and health is a big part of it. So in real life, healthy weekends should include food, fun, people, permission. If you're maintaining a weight, the goal is to create a weekend rhythm that supports your long-term success and your happiness.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes. Yes, I like this, Jim. Hopefully people can get their hands kind of wrapped around this. It's going to mean different things for different people, but this kind of I'm good during the week and I'm not good on the weekend, that's what we've got to work against.

James Hill:

Okay, Holly, I know a lot of people have asked us about this topic. Let's look at some questions that our listeners have thrown to us.

Holly Wyatt:

All right, I'll start off. How do I stop the screw it mentality once the weekend starts? I think we've all experienced that, right? It didn't go as planned. Now I'm just going to throw up the towel and say.

James Hill:

All right. You know, I would say it starts with awareness, awareness of this issue. And in fact, as we look at mind state, pretty much everything on changing mind state starts with being aware. You're not going to change it unless you're aware. Okay. So reframe, be aware that the weekend's coming up, being aware of how you're thinking about it and reframe the weekend as a continuation of your life, not a break from it. You're not saying, oh, my gosh, the weekend, all this other stuff during the week, it's out, something new. It's a continuation. It's not going to be the same.

Holly Wyatt:

So, Jim, it's not taking a vacation from your life.

James Hill:

It's not taking a vacation. Weekends are very much a part of your life. And one of the things we're big on is habits that you stick with. We're creatures of habit. It saves our brain energy when we operate based on habits and routines. So develop those for the weekend. It might be one of the things I love to do is when I do my long bike rides. And if I go out and do a three-hour bike ride, man, I am golden. I feel so morally superior the rest of the day. I can have a little fun eating. And so that's a routine that works for me. Find something you can do that makes you feel good about how you're handling the weekends. And you don't need to be perfect. Just intentional. One choice, one bad choice doesn't have to spiral into two bad days.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And I really like what you said about coming up with some new habits that are for the weekends.

James Hill:

Yeah.

Holly Wyatt:

That fit.

James Hill:

I don't have time during the week to do a three-hour bike ride, but I have time on the weekend morning. So that's when I do it. And then it makes me feel good about the rest of the weekend.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. I think that's key to have different habits and to make those the non-negotiables. And then to recognize that one slip up doesn't mean to spiral into two days. That's not going to work.

James Hill:

Okay, Holly, here's another one. Should I weigh myself after the weekend or wait until midweek?

Holly Wyatt:

All right. Now this, I know I get this question all the time. And I know people say, you know what? I'm not stepping on the scale. I'm not getting on the scale. I think we're going to do a whole episode on this, Jim. Is the scale your friend or is the scale your foe? But my personal belief is we need to use weight as a data point and not tie emotion to it. And basically what you're saying is I'm not going to step on the scale because it's going to be an emotional event for me. If I see my weight is up, it's going to impact me emotionally and it's going to impact my day. And I understand that, but let's try to move away from that. That's my belief. So I think you should weigh daily. It's a habit. You don't pick and choose which mornings. You get on the scale.

I can always tell a little bit myself when I want to get on the scale versus when I don't, but I get on the scale every single morning. To keep in touch, you know, basically with your data. And if you do it every single morning and you make it a non-negotiable, not something you're going to think about, am I going to get on, am I not going to get on, it really takes the drama out of those fluctuations. You start to understand them, Jim. You start to be smarter. Yes, your weight is probably going to go up if you had some indulgence meals, if you had some alcohol, if you slept a little bit late, if you went on a three-hour bike ride, you may have some inflammation from that. Your weight is going to be up. But so what? So what? I understand it. I also know it's going to come back down. So expect the number to be higher, but don't let that change what you do. Don't react to it emotionally. Don't try to fix it with extreme behavior. I've seen people do that too. Oh my gosh, the scale's up. I'm not going to eat anything today. Just return to your normal rhythm. Take it as a data point. Don't give the scale any power.

James Hill:

Love it.

Holly Wyatt:

All right. Next question. Can I still lose weight if I eat more on the weekends?

James Hill:

Well, Holly, yes, but it's a math game. You lose weight when you take in fewer calories than you expend. If you're taking more in the weekend, it takes away from the deficit in other places. So overall, it's the total amount of calories in and calories out. So if you have a deficit during the rest of the week and you eat a little bit more in the weekend, you're probably okay. But if you have two days of saying, I've been good during the week, I enjoy some time off, you can undo everything. You might actually gain weight. So it's your choice to decide how to build that in. One splurge meal likely won't hurt your progress. You're not going to be able in one meal to overeat enough to totally derail yourself. But two full days, it could. And if your weekend's consistently under your weekdays, you're likely stuck. You're in a bad place. You're going to be hard to maintain your weight or you're going to regain it or you're going to have trouble losing it. The key is balance. Enjoy your weekend. Stay connected to a few core habits and look at the long term, not the short term.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I agree. So you can definitely eat more on the weekends, but you can't just eat whatever you want if you're losing weight, like we always talked about.

James Hill:

And by the way, Holly, if you're getting your physical activity in and your metabolic flexibility is high, even when you do overeat, it's not going to be as bad for weight gain as if you're sedentary.

Holly Wyatt:

Right. And then that was what I was going for in weight loss maintenance it's even a little bit different, right?

James Hill:

And that's why if you're in weight loss maintenance and you're getting your exercise, you're metabolically flexible, and you're eating a healthy diet, you have a little bit more leeway to overeat occasionally and have some fun without suffering negative consequences.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So it will help you stay in balance for eating a little bit more calories to stay in balance or the types of calories you're eating, your body will be able to burn them without storing them. But I think in weight loss, sometimes you do, you've got to be a little bit more strict. And one meal, probably okay. Multiple meals might undo what you did during the week.

James Hill:

All right. Last one, Holly, and this is a good one. What if my family's weekend habits sabotage mine?

Holly Wyatt:

Oh, and is this not a victim mindset or mind state question?

James Hill:

It is.

Holly Wyatt:

I have no power. My family has complete power and I know some of you right now are saying but Holly you go you don't understand my family, and I get it. But be careful guys. Because no one really can take your power away. So, suggestions, this comes up frequently, involve your family where you can. I wouldn't tell them what to do or what they need to do becauseyou can't control them just as much as they can't control you. But you can suggest active plans or cooking together or creating some shared goals. We always talk about be the change, which is do the behaviors you want them to do without telling them they have to do them.

James Hill:

Yes.

Holly Wyatt:

They're contagious. They do rub off. So if they're not on board, that's okay. Be the change. You can still eat a healthy meal. I don't know anyone who really forces someone to eat something they do not want. That's just not true. You get to decide what you want to eat. But I also would say in this question, it feels like the listener wants to force their family to do what they want to do, you know, to eat healthy. And that's not going to work either. So that's, I think, important. So have some non-negotiables. Do what you need to do. give yourself permission to do it differently and go at it from that angle. You have more power than you think when you're be the change and you realize that you're not a victim, that you do have that power, and then there's lots of possibilities. There's lots of ways to do it.

James Hill:

Love it. Okay, it's time for the vulnerability segment. So, Holly, have you ever had a weekend that totally threw you off? And did you learn anything from it?

Holly Wyatt:

I've had lots of weekends that have thrown me off in the past and I've learned from them. And now I recognize when I'm getting into that cycle and I use some of the tools that we've talked about here to say, okay, Holly, you know, at any point during a weekend, I have the power to make a decision. I can either do something that's gonna feel empowering and get me back on track, let's say that I've gotten off. Or I could throw in my hands and just say, start it over on Monday, and I know that's not going to feel good for me. So, I always have that choice. I've kind of learned to be aware, to know where I am, what's going on. And then I'm a firm believer I have different routines on the weekend than I do on the weekdays. And that really helps me.

James Hill:

Okay.

Holly Wyatt:

Let's see. So, Jim, what do your weekends look like now? Are they different than your weekdays? Do you overcorrect?

James Hill:

Absolutely. Again, for me, it's the activity part. I am active every day and more so on the weekends. So again, most weekdays, I'll get an hour, at least an hour day of exercise. On the weekends longer, usually two to three hours. And that really centers me and helps me with the rest of the weekend. And again, you know, I feel like if we go out to dinner or go to a party or go to a happy hour with friends, if I've got my bike ride in, I feel like I'm under control. And for me, it's the exercise. If I get it in, I feel like I have some flexibility on the other stuff. So where I get into trouble is where we go away or something and I can't exercise on the weekends. And then oftentimes I'll overdo it on the food and, you know, gain a little weight or whatever.

Holly Wyatt:

So I just want to point out to the listeners, you do get exercise during the week. It's not that you're getting all of it on the weekend.

James Hill:

I get an hour every day. I very rarely get less than an hour a day, Monday through Friday. But on the weekends, it's more. And that allows me to enjoy my weekend more.

Holly Wyatt:

So I want to just point out that that's perfect example of consistency and flexibility.

James Hill:

Right.

Holly Wyatt:

He's consistent. But then on the weekends, he does more. Why? Because it feels good, because it's a positive for him.

James Hill:

And I love the exercise. It's not like I'm forcing myself to, I love it when I have three hours to go on a bike ride. This is fantastic. And then I feel so good afterwards. Holly, I come home and take a nap. And you know, the older I get, the more I love naps. And then I enjoy the rest of the evening.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And for other people, exercise might not be the thing, but I think that idea is-

James Hill:

Right. But find something.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes, yes. It's like what part of my lifestyle do I really enjoy that I'm even gonna do more of? The mind state of I'm not gonna do anything that I normally do makes you think what I'm normally doing really is bad, right? I need a vacation from it. No, that makes no sense now to me. You don't need a vacation from your lifestyle. If you need a vacation from your lifestyle, you need to change your lifestyle because it isn't going to work. You're going to spend most of your life living that lifestyle. And so you don't want to be running away from your lifestyle. If anything, when on the weekends, this was a big shift for me on the weekends, I finally have time to do some of the things that I want to do that maybe are more difficult during the week in terms of my lifestyle.

James Hill:

Absolutely. All right, Holly, put the pie on the plate for this episode.

Holly Wyatt:

Ooh, there's so much. To me, I think the majority of what we've talked about, Jim, is really about thinking about it differently. I think if you recognize this pattern, and so many of us have this pattern of being really, you know, living this lifestyle during the week, doing certain behaviors, whether it's for weight loss or for weight loss maintenance, and then on the weekend, things go south. If you recognize that, if that tends to be you and it's not serving you well, you can change it, right? Awareness, and then you can change it. What else would you add?

James Hill:

Well, when you bring awareness, structure, and flexibility, you stop the yo-yo and you build real momentum, especially in weight loss maintenance. It's about finding a way to live your life so you don't have to think about every little decision you make. You have routines, you have rituals that you build in flexibility. These things become second nature. And that's what's going to allow you to be successful long-term.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I agree. You don't have to be perfect, but you do have to have that intention. Awareness and intention. And then I I think the other big thing is new routines and habits for the weekend.

James Hill:

We run on routines and habits. Get some good ones for the weekend, and they'll be different than during the weekdays. But Holly, if weekends have been your stumbling block, don't beat yourself up. It's common. We see it all the time. But as we talked about in this episode, it's fixable.

Holly Wyatt:

And of course, I'm going to say this one more time. Don't give up the fun. You can have fun. It can feel good. It can support the life you want. And that's what this is really all about. So thank you for joining us on Weight Loss And, and we will see you on the next episode.

James Hill:

Thanks, everybody. Bye. And that's a wrap for today's episode of Weight Loss And. We hope you enjoy diving into the world of weight loss with us.

Holly Wyatt:

If you want to stay connected and continue exploring the “Ands” of weight loss, be sure to follow our podcast on your favorite platform.

James Hill:

We'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions by reaching out at [weightlossand.com](http://weightlossand.com/). Your feedback helps us tailor future episodes to your needs.

Holly Wyatt:

And remember, the journey doesn't end here. Keep applying the knowledge and strategies you've learned and embrace the power of the “And” in your own weight loss journey.