Whether you use acronyms or not, your body understands #TGIF. You might not scream it loud or use the hashtag on your social media, but trust me when I say your body knows the weekend is here. I particularly think as soon as the day breaks on Friday, my body parts and my emotions hold a conference room in my heart (weird choice, uhn?) not because I have a large heart but because they don’t want to involve my brain, who is a party pooper, obviously. They talk about all the fun they have been denied, all the stress they have been put through and all the pampering they deserve.

How do I know this? Before the close of day on Friday, I already have a well thought-out plan on how to paint Lagos red, how to just give myself some good loving and pay a thoughtful homage to my pallettes. The plan always has a lot of desserts, high carbohydrate and fat & oil meals in large quantities and some sweet slushes and cream. Feel me yet? If I go with my plan consecutively for weeks, I might not be able to fit into my house anymore because a weekend habit as sweet and as great as that will spill into my weekly activities. I’ll become the colleague with M & M’s on their table, the one who orders in pizza and doughnuts. I’ll become the one who demands sweets and creams as part of the employee programme. But I don’t want to be that colleague and I don’t want you to either.

So, let’s discuss how we can prepare ahead for the weekend to avoid these weight gain traps.

“Individual eating habits tend to change dramatically over the weekend,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise

Let’s get into the top habits you’d want to practice to avoid feasting like a calorie junkie at weekend:

1. Start Your Day Right: It’s a weekend; no rushing to work or to a meeting. Pause and take a great healthy meal. Need help? Check out our protein breakfasts. This way, you’ll likely eat less during the day and also get good nutrition.

2. Enjoy eating out: Don’t lock yourself indoor if you’re an outdoor person. If you’re a foodie who love various food experiences, please savour your moments. Just don’t overindulge. Go out to that favourite doughnut place or that sea food lounge, eat just enough, take pictures and move on. Staying indoor and refusing to hang out will probably lead to you chunking on anything and everything in the kitchen.

3. Tone down the alcohol: Just because alcohol isn’t food doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the amount of calories it adds to your body weight. So, you might think, I only had a slice of pizza but you forgot that you washed down that slice with more than enough shots that make up for the other slices you didn’t eat. Plus study also shows that people who drink more tend to eat more.

4. Find a substitute for soda: Water is your best bet. Let water be your first option 75% of the time if it can’t be your only choice 100% of the time. You know there’s a way to drink water that doesn’t make it seem like it’s water you’re drinking? If you want to spice up a glass, try any of our spa water recipes.

Overall, be as healthy conscious as you can be everyday of the week. Enjoy your weekend, don’t miss out on food and fun. Practice what works, don’t overindulge and have a good time.

Do you have other weekend trick? Please share in the comment section.