Do you find that the weekends are the most difficult times to keep up with your nutrition? You know, all those events, dinners, parties and barbecues that happen, do they seem to throw you off? It is not to worry! I have some great tips to help you stay healthy on the weekends and still lose weight.

Let’s first take a look at what it takes to lose weight. We must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, there is no question about it. It takes a weekly deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound per week. This is a deficit of 500 calories per day. Now, what seems to happen to a lot of people is that they run into a deficit during the week, but they make the decision to have a “Cheat Meal,” or “Cheat Day,” or “Cheat Weekend.” Calories can add up faster than you can blink, especially when meals are eaten in restaurants. A single meal can be 2,000 calories or more (and that’s not including dessert). This could easily get someone out of their weekly deficit and back to maintenance calories. When we are consuming maintenance calories we do not lose weight. Now, this doesn’t mean we’re never allowed to indulge when we diet, it just means we need to be a little more strategic. For example, if you know you have a big dinner planned, stick with mostly lean protein and vegetables throughout the day. This will help keep your calories down so that when you eat out you don’t completely throw off your diet. Another example would be to personalize your dinner with a salad instead of fries or skip the bun on a burger and save it for another day or eat only half of the meal.

Well let’s get to it, here are some simple tips to keep you on track on the weekends.

Tip 1: Treat the weekend as if it were a weekday. Stay laser focused on those targets as hard as you do all week.

Tip 2: Fill up on plenty of green vegetables to keep you full.

Tip 3: Prepare healthier, lower-calorie versions of your favorite treats! (*See recipe below)

Tip 4: Host dinner or bring your own plate to a potluck that aligns with the way you want to eat. You will be in control of what is served and how much you consume.

Tip 5: Find other activities to do that don’t revolve around food and get active!

Tip 6: Enjoy today’s moments with your family and friends without so much emphasis on food and going out to eat.

So now that you have a few tools in your pocket to keep you on track this weekend, here’s a healthy, low-calorie snack if you’re in the mood for chocolate!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding – Makes 4 servings (vegan)

They mix:
2 avocados, just the meat
4 tablespoons raw cocoa or cocoa powder
4 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of sea salt or Himalayan salt

Divide into 4 servings of about 1/2 cup each and enjoy!