A lot of people may unknowingly be experiencing weekend weight gain. They could be diligent with their exercise and diet during the week but completely messing things up on the weekend. Its like taking two steps forward and 1 step back. A lot of people get frustrated and may not even realize the sabotaging effects of weekend weight gain.

Here are 8 reasons that could be contributing to people gaining weight on the weekend;

1.  Absence of a Routine

One of the main reasons for weekend weight gain is the lack of routine. Our weekdays have an orderly structure to them. Most people have fixed times for waking up, going to work, eating main meals and even exercise. This may not be  so on the weekends. As a result, people have a reduced awareness of their activities that are contributing to weekend weight gain.

2.  Parties and Nights Out

A lot of people spend the night out on Friday or Saturday. They usually consume alcohol and lots of food. Alcohol shuts down fat burning which causes all the additional calories consumed to be stored as fat. Most celebrations and parties are held on the weekend. There is no reason not to enjoy yourself at such outings. You just need to do things in moderation and be weary of the consequences of your actions at such outings.

3.  More Exposure to Food

There is limited exposure to food at the workplace during the week. A lot of people socialize on the weekends which increases the exposure to food. Increased exposure to food results in increased food consumption.

4.  Irregular Meal Timings

Meal timings on the weekend usually differ from that on weekdays. There is a tendency to eat less during the day and over consume during the later part of the day. This is again due to the fact that most socializing occurs in the evening or at night. This is contrary to the concept of tapering calories through out the day for weight loss.

5.  Missing Out on Exercise

Most people are more active on weekdays. The whole routine of going to work requires that people move about. While some people do spend a lot of their weekends outdoor, most people do not exert much energy. Why not take your children to the park and play with them. Those without children could take up recreational hobbies that require them to go outdoors.

6.  Influence of Spouse and Friends

Your spouse or friends have a very big influence over what you do on the weekend. In the absence of the weekday routine, your spouse and friends can affect how you spend your weekend. You could be spending Saturday evening in the park with your children or you could be having drinks with your friends while watching the ball game.

7.  Sports Programs on Television

Most major sporting events are held at prime time on Saturday or Sunday. This is true for basketball, football, soccer, Formula 1 or any other major sporting event. Viewers usually watch these events with friends over a meal. Alcohol is almost always present. Again, moderation is the key here.

8.  Alcohol Consumption

One of the main reasons for weekend weight gain are alcohol binges. Alcohol consumption does increase on Friday and Saturday as compared to the other days of the week. As mentioned earlier, alcohol consumption halts fat burning. This is not helped by the fact that people eat more on the weekends. All the extra calories are most probably going to be stored as fat.

Moderation is the Key

Weekend weight gain can be avoided by increased awareness of the factors that sabotage weight loss efforts. The key is moderation. You could still have a good time on the weekend without overdoing things.

What helps tremendously is to try and maintain structured meal timings and consume alcohol in moderation. Do some fun outdoor activity with friends or family. Alternatively, you could make a log of your weekend activities to identify those that are negatively affecting your weight loss efforts.

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