Be well this weekend!

If you're attempting to lose weight, it's best to maintain your changes throughout the week and only slightly slack off on weekends or days off. Even though it flies by, the weekend accounts for one-third of our week, so it has the potential to derail your diet goals.

Find healthier alternatives to your usual weekend indulgences instead of eating out or ordering takeout while watching TV. Get out of the house and do something active, like gardening or going for a walk, and set aside some time to plan out your week so that you don't veer off course.

Get healthy comfort food in no time at all by watching our video recipes.
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Make a menu plan

While it may be inconvenient to sit down and plan out your meals for the week in advance, doing so will help you stay on track and make healthy choices even when life gets hectic. Plus, if you don't have any food on hand, you might be less likely to spend money on takeout or other convenience foods.

Make a list of all the foods you'll need for the next few meals and snacks, and then only buy those items. Verify that you've incorporated enough fruits and vegetables to meet your recommended daily allowance of five portions. 

Make a week's worth of affordable, nutritious meals by following our sample menus.
Take a shot at these ten simple four-ingredient recipes.

Load up on veggies

If you want to cut back on calories without sacrificing flavor, load up on veggies and salad. If you pile this on top of your plate first, you'll have less space for the calorie-heavy parts of your meal. Overall, you'll consume fewer calories while still getting a diverse range of foods from different food groups. A smaller plate is another easy way to cut back on portion size.

Read up on the topic of appropriate serving sizes.
View our video to discover the secret to sneakily increasing your vegetable intake.

Instead of buying lunch, bring it to work

It is considerably easier to make nutritious choices and verify nutrition facts when you prepare your own packed lunch.

Why not give one of our nutritious lunch packages a try?

Wrapped eggs with tomatoes.
Pasta salad with three beans.
Salad with jewelled couscous.
Veggie salad with a roast.

When you're cooking, make sure to use measuring cups and spoons

It can be tedious to measure and weigh each ingredient. However, if you find that your portion sizes are becoming out of control, a simple and fast solution is to use measuring cups or spoons. If you want to cut back on the amount of rice, pasta, or breakfast cereal you typically eat, try plating up your usual serving size and then finding a cup or scoop that fits into it. Learn how much of each food group you need with the help of our healthy weight loss guide if you'd like more information on how to reduce portion sizes for weight loss.

Always use a measuring cup or spoon when working with oils and spreads. The calorie count of your food will rapidly rise if you pour oil directly from the bottle since one tablespoon contains 100kcals. Both good options are using a teaspoon to measure out oil or a low-calorie cooking spray. Less than a teaspoon of oil is usually sufficient for frying when using a non-stick pan.

Get going

Exercising regularly is beneficial for your heart, but it isn't usually sufficient to lose weight on its own. Diet alone isn't going to cut it; research shows that regular exercise and dietary changes work even better. Not only will you be burning more calories, but being active daily will also have a good influence on your mental health, which may encourage you to continue your positive habits.

View our animation to gain insight into the physiological changes during physical activity.
Eight simple ways to get moving every day will get you started.

Make changes where you can, even if it means sacrificing some things

Even with the best of intentions, returning to a routine after a break can cause things to get hectic again, making it difficult to prioritize healthy eating and regular exercise. You can avoid this and start over by concentrating on the small victories and the things that are within your control. 

edit: Connections Game