Ever find yourself feeling great all week about listening to your body, but then feeling out of control with food on the weekends, only to wake up Monday in a spiral of guilt, vowing to ‘be good’ and “get back on track”? 

You’re not alone.

When I was in the thick of my own diet mentality, there were certain things I’d only let myself have on the weekends. Like if I went out to eat, it was only on the weekend, because I’ve convinced myself that restaurant food was “bad” (hint: it’s not). Same thing with alcohol, going out with my friends, tailgating…you get it. 

Today, let’s dive into why weekends are so triggering, why it isn’t actually about your willpower, and tools you can use to eat intuitively every day of the week (including weekends). 

Why weekends are so triggering

Weekends are supposed to be relaxing, fun, restful…so why are they so triggering? 

It comes down to a combination of psychological, emotional, and physiological factors, namely:

• Deprivation backlash. If you’ve been trying to “be good” — whether you’re going by the diet culture’s or intuitive eating’s definition — all week, your body is ready to rebel. 
• No or little structure. Weekdays are generally structured: breakfast, drop off kids, work, lunch, work, pick up kids, home, dinner. Weekends tend to be looser, which can feel more chaotic. 
• More social events. The foods you’ve labeled as “off limits” in the past or felt out of control around are probably available at that party, restaurant, or event, which can trigger a last supper mentality. Plus, being at social events can make it harder to be in tune with your body. 
• Emotional release. All that stress from the workweek is released on the weekends…often via food, alcohol, or numbing behaviors. Or you’re out, having fun, and it can be hard to keep track of how your body feels in those situations. 
• Weekend mindset. The all-or-nothing thinking of “Screw it, I’ll start over Monday,” kicks in, opening to a I’ll-deal-with-it-later mentality. 

The binge-restrict pendulum

If you’ve worked hard at being “good” all week, you’ve just set yourself up for the perfect storm of weekend binges. 

Think about it this way: the harder you pull back (restrict yourself, even if just mentally), the harder the pendulum will swing the other way (binge). 

When we have certain foods and drinks that we only allow ourselves to consume on the weekends, it gives them “charm”…which only makes us feel out of control around it, overriding our hunger/fullness cues. 

The best way to combat this pendulum effect is to work “weekend” or “special” foods and drinks into your week. This neutralizes their charm and helps you be less likely to binge them on the weekends. 

It’s not all about willpower. Here’s why. 

Diet culture has told us over and over again we can be “healthy” if we just have enough self-control. 

But let’s be real: that’s never been an effective long-term solution. 

What is an effective solution is to learn how to lean on all your intuitive eating skills, no matter what day of the week it is or what situation you’re in. This will help you listen to your body during the weekend and create more structure and routine to help you stay on track. 

What to do instead: Intuitive eating tools for weekends

Here are my favorite intuitive eating tools to keep you connected to your body throughout the weekend.

Check in before the weekend begins. 

Ask yourself what you truly need this weekend. Challenge yourself to go deep beyond the chores, the regular tasks. What do you need emotionally, physically, and socially?

Use those answers to make a loose plan (be flexible here) that includes meals, snacks, rest, joy, and connection. Try to keep a similar eating schedule as the weekdays as much as possible and avoid designating certain foods as “only for the weekend.” Regular meals and snacks still matter on the weekends, even when your schedule is different.

Remember, structure isn’t the enemy – rigidity is. Anchoring yourself with gentle structure can help you stay on track without the pressure.

Download my Menu Planning Guide for 6 easy steps to meal planning for intuitive eating, plug-and-play templates for menus and grocery lists, and more.

Let go of the “last chance” mentality

So many of my clients experience a “last chance” mentality on the weekend, especially on Sundays. But here’s the truth: permission to eat doesn’t expire on Sunday night. You have permission to eat whenever your body needs nutrients. It has absolutely nothing to do with what time or day it is. 

Remember, food will always be available. You don’t have to eat it all now.

Practice neutrality and staying connected with your body in social situations 

Weekends are the time to socialize and, more often than not, this happens around food. Margs and tacos for girls’ night out, date night at the fancy restaurant, family dinner at the grandparents’ house, Sunday brunch with your best friend. 

When you’re going into a social situation, check in with your body before you go and notice: 

– How you’re feeling
– Where your hunger and fullness cues are at 
– Your thoughts and emotions about food 

Get curious (not judgmental) about what feels satisfying and how you want to feel after the event. It may take some practice, but this will help you stay connected in the moment. 

Try to check in with your body throughout the social event. How do you feel? What do you need? What is your body telling you? Remind yourself that food is food. There is no moral value associated with that piece of cheese, that apple, that brownie. It’s all food.

Take a moment to reflect afterwards. No judgement here – just be curious. What went well? What would you do differently? 

Plan for recovery, not restriction

If you do binge, the answer is never to restrict or detox the next day.

I’ll say it again for the folks in the back: the answer is to never restrict the next day.

Instead, treat your body with compassion. It’s asking for support and love, so respond with nourishment and self-compassion. Try my 3-step compassionate framework to move forward with kindness after a binge. 

Case Study: Meet my client, R*

Here’s what this looks like in real life. 

My client — let’s call her R — used to sleep in every weekend. Her dogs would wake her up at their regular time (a.k.a., bright and early) for their breakfast, but after taking care of them, R would go back to bed or lounge around without feeding herself. She wouldn’t eat until the afternoon, then overeat or binge most nights. 

Her big aha! moment came when she realized she was taking care of her dogs…but not taking care of herself. She deserved breakfast too. 

We made two big changes:

– Adding in breakfast 
– Incorporating her “weekend foods” into her regular week 

Starting off her day with breakfast allowed R to get the fuel she needed to kick off the day and helped her eat in a similar pattern that her body was used to during the week. And instead of saving all her “fun” foods for Friday or Saturday nights, R had it on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, making these normal weekday foods for her.

She started checking in with herself before, during, and after social events to stay more connected to her body, and soon, the weekend binge became a thing of the past. 

Before you go

If you listen to your body throughout the week only to feel like it all goes out the window on the weekends, know two things: 

– This is common
– It doesn’t have to be this way 

If you want to change that, start with getting curious about the root cause. Are you saving certain foods for the weekend? Saying screw it every Saturday night? Is it just the difference in your eating schedule? 

Once you have more clarity on the culprit, we can work on evening things out so you aren’t constantly wobbling between “I’m doing great with intuitive eating” during the week to “I’m failing” on the weekend. 

Remember, you are worthy just as you are. 

*Name has been changed

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Search for Ep.198 (Transcript): Why You Binge On Weekends (And How to Stop)

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– Check out my course, Non-Diet Academy
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