Most of us know what to do.
Lift weights 2-4x/wk.
Walk more/be physically active.
Eat mostly protein and vegetables.
Sleep 7-8hrs/night.
Eat less crap and drink less booze.
Some of us have a pretty good system in place to execute these
fundamentals at an ~80% – ~90% clip Monday thru Thursday.
It’s Friday thru Sunday that we can’t seem to nail down in any way
that’s consistent.
For weekends, I like to apply the “Four Quarters Plus Overtime” rule.
1.Friday Night
2.Saturday Morning
3.Saturday Evening
4.Sunday Morning
5.Sunday Evening
Pick one quarter (or overtime) that will be your indulgent period on
any given weekend. Plan the rest of the weekend around that quarter.
For example:
My brother got married in Austin, Texas last weekend. The main
celebration was on Friday night, where after the small ceremony, we
were heading to a fancy steakhouse with the immediate family to
celebrate.
We had some stuff planned on Friday during the day, a party on
Saturday, and some bouncing around/travel on Sunday.
Now, could I have just said “Eff it, it’s hard to stay on track when
traveling…plus my brother’s getting married,” and just over-indulge
the whole weekend? Sure. But aside from that thought process not
being in line with my goals…That simply doesn’t make me feel good.
My stomach would hurt. I’d feel bloated. I’d have less energy. I’d enjoy
all of it just a little bit less. It’s just not worth it.
I’d rather REALLY enjoy the things I want to enjoy most, and tone
down the indulgence the rest of the way.
The immaculate steakhouse dinner we had would have been less
enjoyable if I had stuffed my face and slugged down cocktails at the
bar between the ceremony and dinner.
So I planned.
I’d stick to proteins and veggies Friday during the day, and “undereat” at those meals relative to what I’m used to. I’d have one
cocktail, but keep it to clear liquor without a high-calorie mixer.
Friday night was all out. We ate like Kings and Queens. Bread at the
table, appetizers, steaks, sides, old-fashioned cocktails, martinis,
bottles of red wine, decadent desserts…All of it – with no concern
and most importantly, no guilt.
I knew I’d be paying for my indulgences on Saturday morning, so I
had to have a plan for that. Some hangover friendly steak & egg
breakfast tacos on corn tortillas were perfect for that. Healthiest
thing in the world? Eh. Not bad…But definitely not super “lean”. I’d
have loved some loaded cheese on those bad boys, and I prefer
flour tortillas…But I chose my quarter already. I’d rather make a few
micro-sacrifices on Saturday morning than have had to even
consider those decisions on Friday night.
The party started at 1pm on Saturday, and went all night. We made
sure to do some walking beforehand, and even had time to grab a
quick workout to sweat out the hangover. There weren’t tons of
“great” healthy options at the party, but there were some that were
better than others. I’d do my best.
No booze during the day. Once the Fourth Quarter hit (Saturday
night), I’d have a few drinks. Nothing crazy. Not like Friday…That’s
for sure.
Sunday was the same. Airport food isn’t always the greatest, so I
opted for an over-priced protein shake and even more over-priced
fruit, over some over-priced greasy airport restaurant food. Since I
didn’t over-indulge on Saturday night, this was easier to stomach.
Ask yourself the question each weekend – What quarter is most
worth it? Where do you want to indulge most freely and not have to
think about it? Where are you willing to make some sacrifices in
order to truly enjoy the more important stuff?
These small decisions add up over time. Calories DO count on the
weekends. I’d rather spend those calories on steaks and whiskey
than picking at chips and salsa.
You need to have a weekend plan. It will likely have to be different
than your weekday plan. The “Four Quarters + Overtime” framework
is a flexible one that can help you structure that plan in a way that
allows you to stay on track while still enjoying moments in life that
matter.