Why Weekends Are So Tough (And How to Win Them Back)
The weekend is such a challenge to manage when you are trying to eat better, and if you’re trying to eat in a calorie deficit it can be even more challenging because you have less wiggle room.
Every Challenge I run, I see the same thing: after five solid weekdays, the weekend rolls in and the average gain is 1.2kg. Research backs it up—people eat 10% more calories on weekends, and over 60% of adults eat out at least once (compared to 35% on weekdays). That meal out is also probably packing 20–40% more calories than anything you’d cook at home.
It’s not just food. People sleep 40 minutes longer on weekends, but their sleep patterns go out the window—and that messes with hunger hormones. Add a drink or two and you’re fighting cravings for sugar and salt, plus the urge to just take it easy. All this is normal, and knowing this can help.
The chronic misleader is the ‘weekend mindset’. By Thursday or Friday, your brain is ready to let loose. That rush you get planning a takeaway and a night on the couch? That’s dopamine at work. But If you expect these urges—and plan for them—you can stop beating yourself up.
Here’s what helps me, and what I try to encourage clients to try:
Know what your weekend looks like. Map out plans with your other half or friends and family, put social events on the calendar, and accept if it’s going to be a busy one.
Set a weekend intention. Maybe it’s batch cooking, squeezing in extra walks, or sticking to a sleep routine. Give the weekend a theme, and you’ll steer it—not the other way around.
Plan your ‘damage limitation’. If Friday and Saturday are wild, set Sunday up to reset—good food, water, maybe a sea dip if you’re brave.
Ride the wave. Cravings will come, but like a wave, they’ll crash. Hold on, distract yourself, move your body.
Pick your season. If you have a stretch of quiet weekends, go all-in. Amazing things happen when you string two or three together.
If you need help figuring out the right season for you check this article out.
