After a long, hard week, many of us look forward to letting go and indulging in a few of our dietary weaknesses on the weekend. After all, if you eat healthfully and work out during the week, there’s no harm in treating yourself to a few of your favorite foods come Friday, right? Not exactly.
In a special article for MSNBC.com, registered dietician Karen Collins points out that bingeing on the weekend can “easily undo the benefits of eating healthfully the rest of the week.” Extra calories from small treats can add up—especially if you tend to go out and drink alcohol on the weekends.
Collins offers a few tricks for monitoring your weekend calorie intake: Choose lower-calorie alcohols like wine over mixed drinks, which often contain high-calorie mixers; take advantage of the weekend to try new physical activities instead of channel-surfing; and swap sugary treats for healthier “treats,” like specialty teas or tropical fruits.
