4 Steps to Ditch Weekend Overeating

Ahhh the weekend. Two days of relaxation, socializing and kicking back. But a busy schedule or a planned “cheat day” can lead to overeating that interferes with your goals. You may be staying on track during the week and eating foods that are in-line with your goals, but a weekend of overindulgences can sabotage your long-term plans. If you’re at risk for over-enjoying on Friday or Saturday nights, here are some tips to help you through the weekend and assist you in making guilt-free choices.

1 – Eliminate the Temptations

Self-control. You already know if you have it or if you don’t. If you don’t, you’re not alone and you likely already know your trigger foods. Whether it be peanut butter, chocolate, bread, candy, or wine – when it’s in your home, it isn’t lasting very long. Take control of your eating this weekend and opt out of buying the foods you know are a temptation. Your home is supposed to be a safe space so aim to eliminate the foods that tempt you to overindulge. The easiest way to avoid excess and unwanted calories is simple, don’t bring them into your home. Treat yourself occasionally, but aim to keep them out of the house and out of your routine.

2 – Ditch Cheat Days 

In theory, cheat days are amazing. Once a week we get to let our hair down, not worry about the nutritional content and put aside the boiled chicken. Cheat days were originally exclusive to the community of bodybuilders and physique athletes, but now as mainstream diets become more restrictive people feel the need to reward themselves with a cheat day. Issues arise when our Friday cheat day spills over into Saturday and by the afternoon we throw our hands in the air and declare a “cheat weekend”… every weekend. This system isn’t great if you have health and fitness goals. Thankfully, it can easily be conquered by eliminating cheat days and introducing cheat meals or snacks. Follow the 80-20 rule of being consistent with your goals 80% of the time, and enjoying cheat snacks or meals for 20% of your weekly meals. If you average 3 meals a day then you can enjoy up to 4 cheat meals every week.

Learn more about this topic here.

3 – Own Your Choices

Do you barter with yourself about food choices? “I’ll skip dessert tonight, but this weekend I’m going to collect with an ice cream cake.” This mindset of restricting yourself one day and allowing yourself to overindulge the next isn’t helpful for the health of your body or mind. We end up doing a lot of mental gymnastics in an effort to justify our overeating and in the end, you’ll likely still feel guilty about how much or what you’ve eaten. It’s time to leave this restriction-binge pattern behind and own the choices you make. If you want to have dessert go for it and enjoy it, but always take the time to make a rational and informed choice. For example, “I’m going to treat myself to a donut because I ate vegetables with every meal this week.” Or, “I’ve been reaching my water goals every day this week so I’m treating myself to some wine”. You are free to eat and drink anything you want. Just remember to make rational decisions, follow your 80/20 rule, leave the guilt behind, and own your choices.

4 – Plan Ahead 

If you’re guilty of eating out of boredom then this tip is for you. Too often we gravitate towards the junk foods like chips and chocolate because it’s easily accessible and ready to eat. If you want to lead a healthier life then try making healthy foods as readily available as the treats. Spend 10 minutes cutting, peeling, and storing your vegetables and fruits. The next time you want a snack you will have something healthy to grab that will make your body feel great. Want to spice up those veggies? Dip them in hummus or guacamole for extra nutrients. Along with snack prepping goes meal prepping. If you already know what you’re going to eat on Saturday night you will be less likely to call out for pizza or take a drive to the nearest A&W. Give yourself 5 minutes every Thursday to write down the healthy and delicious foods you want to eat this weekend.

Bonus – Low-Calorie Ideas