How to Stop Binge Eating on the Weekends — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC

With less structure and more socializing, there are a lot of factors that increase the risk of binge eating on the weekends. Learn some of the vulnerabilities for weekend binge eating in this post, along with seven tips to help you break the cycle of starting all over each Monday.

9 Tips for How to Stop Binge Eating on the Weekend

Back when I was a new dietitian, I tried really hard to practice what I preached. I thought my approach to nutrition was healthy and balanced because I wasn’t counting calories or cutting out food groups, but in hindsight, I was unknowingly struggling with some orthorexic tendencies.

One of the ways I tried to navigate enjoying the foods I loved while still being healthy (at least, what I thought was healthy at the time), was to save up “splurges” for the weekend. I would plan my meals and eat clean during the week, and that way I could enjoy socializing and all my favorite fun foods on the weekend without feeling guilty. In my mind, this seemed like a totally rational and balanced way to approach food.

As you might imagine, that didn’t work out so hot. Weekends turned into a giant “cheat meal.” Friday through Sunday, I stuffed myself with all the foods I avoided during the week. Then the guilt I felt for being so out of control fueled me to try and be extra “good” during the week, which of course left me feeling deprived yet again when the next weekend rolled around.

I thought I was being healthy by limiting the foods I viewed as unhealthy to the weekends, but in reality, I was anything but. I felt tired, anxious, struggled to focus, and was plagued with reflux and abdominal pain during the week, a pain I now recognize as intense hunger. On the weekends, I didn’t feel much better. My relationship with food was crap, even though I thought of myself as a flexible eater because I technically wasn’t dieting and allowed myself to eat all the foods I enjoyed.

Sound familiar?

Why Do I Struggle With Binge Eating On the Weekends?

With less structure and more socializing, balance and nutrition tend to take a back seat on the weekends. That’s OK! It’s very normal for eating patterns to shift from the weekday to weekends, and not something you need to worry about. Remember, humans are designed to be flexible with food.

However, for many people, weekends are a time they are more vulnerable to binge eating and feeling out of control around food. Quick note: eating “bad” foods or overeating isn’t necessarily a binge. While the definition of a binge is a bit subjective, it’s commonly defined as eating a quantity of food much larger than one would typically eat in a specific period of time to the point of uncomfortable fullness, followed by intense, and sometimes debilitating shame and guilt.

It’s normal for weekend eating to look different than eating during the week. There’s generally more socializing, downtime, and dining out, and that has an impact on food. I wish my random Tuesdays had time for a big plate of fried seafood enjoyed in the sun, but alas, I’m usually busy seeing clients so that stuff typically waits for the weekends. Remember, every meal doesn’t have to involve a multivitamins worth of nutrition!

There are many reasons you might be more vulnerable to binge eating on the weekends:

Less structure - Weekday schedules tend to be more predictable, and many people who work or are in school have specific times in their schedule for meals and snacks.
More social eating - Socializing on the weekends often involves interacting with fear/binge foods at parties or when going out to eat.
More downtime - For many people, binge eating is a coping mechanism that allows for them to numb or avoid feeling feelings. With more downtime on the weekends, that often means more time for feelings like anxiety, sadness, grief, or anger to make their presence known.
Alcohol - Alcohol can increase the risk of binge eating when you’re imbibing, as well as the next day, as it can lower blood sugar levels (increasing hunger and cravings) and anxiety levels.

These vulnerabilities are a lot more manageable when you’re not going into the weekend in a state of deprivation from dieting and restricting all week. It takes a lot of effort to maintain restriction, both physically and mentally. I think of the restriction as a beach ball being held under water, where the second you loose a little bit of your focus and grip, it goes flying up above the surface. To learn more about the restrict-binge pendulum, read this blog post.

If you’re only allowing yourself fun foods on the weekend, it creates a bit of a last supper effect. If you don’t know when you’re going to get to eat your favorite foods again, of course you’ll want to eat it while you can. Limiting access to certain foods can interfere with your ability to learn how to eat these foods competently as part of everyday life.

*Saving certain foods for the weekend creates a “last supper” mentality. Incorporate these foods during the week, ideally as part of a balanced meal to help normalize them.*

Do you struggle with binge eating on the weekends? Here’s a few tips for how to navigate this.

Tips For How to Stop Binge Eating on the Weekends

Stop trying to start all over Monday.

When you kick off Monday trying to compensate for the weekend, it just sets up a cycle where you’re likely to be doing the exact same thing the next Monday. There’s nothing wrong with starting the week with some kind of plan in place for food, or for that plan to prioritize nutrition if that’s a goal of yours. However if you’re trying to compensate for or undo the weekend, which isn’t how bodies work, you’re just digging yourself into a hole of deprivation. If you’ve binged over the weekend, it’s OK. What’s done is done. Can you move into this week with a focus on nourishing your body instead of restricting it.

Incorporate “weekend foods” during the week.

If you’re struggling with weekend binging, chances are there are some foods you’re not letting yourself eat during the week. What foods do you binge on over the weekend? Try to intentionally incorporate these foods during the week. To help normalize them, plan them in as part of a typical meal or snack. For example, try a baggie of cookies packed alongside your usual lunch salad, fries as your carb source at dinner along with salmon and roasted veggies, or pack cheez-its and an apple for an afternoon snack.

Don’t forget to eat breakfast…

Sleeping in later on the weekend, it’s easy to skip breakfast. Try to eat something within about an hour of getting out of bed, even if you’re sleeping in past a usual breakfast time.

Even if you sleep in past a typical breakfast time, your body still benefits from food within about an hour or so of waking. Weekends can be a nice time to slow down and make a satisfying breakfast (or brunch or lunch!) with a little less of a time crunch. I would never have time to make this bowl of oatmeal with caramelized bananas, coconut and chocolate chips during the week, but it was a nice way to kick off a Sunday!

… and then continue to feed your body consistently throughout the day.

Without your usual weekday schedule, you might find yourself going too long without eating. It doesn’t matter if undereating is intentional or unintentional, it can trigger a binge - not to mention headaches, mood swings, and digestive issues. Meals and snacks may not fall at the same times they do during the week, but do try to eat something about every 3-4ish hours, even if it doesn’t fit the usual 3 meals and snacks schedule that it does during the week.

Decompress after work on Friday.

Food can be a way to relax, and that’s OK, but it’s also nice to have other tools in your self care toolbox. If you can, do something after work on Friday that helps you transition into the weekend.

Plan to have food available on the weekend.

Do you run out of food at your house by the weekend? For those who do any kind of meal planning, I find there’s a tendency to plan for the week without thinking about the weekend. That’s not to stay you need to meticulously plan out meals for the weekend (or during the week, for that matter), but it is helpful to make sure you have some foods available at home, even if it’s just leftovers, frozen meals, or ingredients for a pantry meal.

Make sure you have enough ingredients/foods on hand for easy and satisfying meals on the weekend. Many of my clients who struggle with binge eating on the weekends find that not having enough “meal foods” causes them to binge on snack foods. This was an easy weekend meal of Stouffers lasagna, toast and a salad kit.

Consider alcohol.

Consider how alcohol plays a role in weekend eating. I think it’s important to note that while alcohol lowers inhibitions, if all foods were available to you all the time, you probably wouldn’t be binging when you are drunk or buzzed. If you find yourself consistently binging when you drink, there’s likely some level of restriction going on when you’re sober.

Be aware of how alcohol affects you the next day. Alcohol decreases ghrelin, a hunger hormone, so you may undereat and wake up the next morning feeling pretty hungry. It also causes your blood sugar to drop the next day, hence the morning after starchy carb cravings. This explains why me and my college roomies were at Hardee’s almost every Saturday morning! This is totally normal, and in the absence of fatphobia, can be an enjoyable and satisfying eating experience. But when you combine hangover hunger with “hang-xiety,” that creates a situation where you’re more vulnerable to binge eating.

If you’re drinking alcohol, you need food. Saving up calories for alcohol is a recipe for bad decisions and bad hangovers. Thank goodness for the pizza we ordered at this brewery, when I ordered a beer not realizing it came in a wine bottle sized serving!

If you drink, regardless of how it impacts eating, it’s always good advice to slow down and drink plenty of water. Be sure to have a substantial meal or snack before drinking, as drinking on an empty stomach is usually a bad idea. You might even want to pack a snack if you know you’ll be out late.

Need Support to Stop Binge Eating on the Weekends?

If you’re struggling with regular weekend binging, you may need support from a dietitian who can help you understand the factors that are impacting your relationship with food and causing you to binge. We work with clients in multiple states throughout the US providing recovery and intuitive eating coaching, and are also in network with BCBS. Learn more about our services here, and reach out if you’d like to get more information.

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