Just go with me on this scenario...You've had an awesome week. You prepped your meals and made healthy choices, avoided running to Jack-in-the-Box down the street from work for lunch when your shrimp salad no longer looked Instagram worthy, and popped in your Insanity DVDs and rocked out with Shaun T everyday this week. Now it's Friday night, you're out with friends and next thing you know, you're standing at the taco truck order 3 chicken tacos with a beer in hand and wake up with a hangover so tough, you can't and spell workout much less get up to do it. Sound familiar?

Weekends, especially holiday weekends, can really put a challenge on our health and fitness routine. During the week, we typically have a set schedule which makes sticking to our plans easier. But come 5:00 on Friday evening, those plans usually go out the window with that email your boss sent at 4:48. You generally have more opportunities and availability to make unhealthy choices over the weekend. 

But just because those choices are there, doesn't mean they have to interfere with your healthy lifestyle. So how do I plan to avoid becoming Weekend Wasted? I'll be incorporating these 3 tips to stay on track and avoid waking up on Monday with a world of regret and guilt. 

1. PLAN AHEAD. If you're anything like me, when you decided to change your lifestyle into one of healthy choices, you knew you would have to have a plan...a schedule. That schedule shouldn't only apply to the weekdays. Although you may not have exact plans for the weekend, you should still try to plan things out as much as you can to avoid being put in situations where temptation may override your "I can do this" voice in the back of your head. 

Here's a couple of tips when planning ahead really comes in handy

If you know you're going out to eat, check out the menu before you get there, and make a healthy choice. When you get to the restaurant hand the waiter the menu back right away and don't even open it to be reminded of the other choices you could be making. Also, drink a couple of glasses of water before your meal arrives. Often times when you think you're hungry, you're really just dehydrated.

Going out to a bar or lounge? Opt for drinks with lower calories and make the decision on what your drink of the night will be before you even step foot through the door. Also, alternate between the alcoholic beverage and water to maintain a balance. Then hit the dance floor and burn off some of those calories.

2. EAT. Yes, I said it. I was one of those people that would skip a meal when I ate something unhealthy because I thought not eating would cancel out the bad choice. Ha! Well it doesn't. It does just the opposite of that. It's easy to get off track with meals on weekends. You sleep in and skip breakfast. Or stay out late and want to stop at Whataburger for a taquito on the way home. 

But try to stay on schedule with your normal eating routine as much as possible. Keep your alarm set, hop up and drink a Shakeology shake for breakfast and then go back to sleep. But don't forget or get so caught up and everything around you that you aren't fueling your body appropriately.

3. WORKOUT. Easy! On weekends, when sleeping in has been on your brain since Monday morning at 5:30 when your alarm went off, it's easy to ditch your normal workout schedule for some extra zzz's. I workout in the mornings on weekends because chances are, I'll be out late and the odds of me getting to it when I get home are zilch. So take 30 minutes and pop in a 21 Day Fix or T25 video and sweat it out for 30 minutes before you get your day going. You'll also be more likely to make healthier choices throughout the day because you'll be feeling great from your workout and won't want to cancel it out with unhealthy options.

These tips are not revolutionary or Noble Peace Prize worthy. But they are what work for me. They are simple, easy to follow, and they work. Give them a try this holiday weekend. I'd love to hear if you do, so come back and let me know how it goes!