How to stop weekend binging
I hear this refrain from clients and patients EVERY week — something along the lines of:
“I'm good during the week, but get off track on the weekends. How do I stop overindulging on the weekends?”
If you're overeating sweets, snacks, and popcorn on the weekends, you are definitely not alone. One of the most common obstacles I come across as a coach is helping clients break the habit of weekend-itis—that cycle of overeating and feeling like you've lost control when the weekend hits.
It might start with going out to eat on Friday night that leads to overeating all weekend. Or bingeing after feeling deprived during the week. Or maybe your family brings over treats that you didn’t anticipate.
The result is understandable and common:
You eat what you didn’t intend to.
You eat more than you wanted to.
And you feel disappointed about it afterward.
You swear you’ll do better next weekend and “buckle down”—only for it to happen all over again.
So, what's the fix for weekend-itis?
Looking at this through the lens of a habit “chain” can be really helpful. A habit is just a series of events that keeps getting repeated. Each event is a link in the chain.
Here’s a really common example of a “Weekend Overeating Habit Chain” I see across MANY clients and patients:
Event 1: "I want cookies. I’ll just have 1."
Event 2: Eat a cookie.
Event 3: "I could have another one; it's just 1."
Event 4: Eat second cookie.
Event 5: "I might as well have another."
Event 6: Eat a third cookie.
Event 7: "Oh no. I can’t believe I’ve done this again." Feeling discouraged.
Event 8: Eat ice cream.
End Result: The habit of weekend overeating is reinforced.
Now, how can we break the chain? By breaking ANY link in the chain — you start rewiring your brain to form a NEW habit around weekend eating. Here’s an alternative ending to the previous habit chain:
Event 1: "I want cookies. I’ll just have 1."
Event 2: Eat 1 cookie.
Event 3: Go brush teeth.
End Result: You’ve had 1 cookie, but the overeating habit chain has been broken.
Here’s another alternative ending to breaking the habit chain:
Event 1: "I want cookies. I’ll just have 1."
Event 2: "Nope. I’m sick and tired of this same old thing. 1 cookie isn’t doing me any favors."
Event 3: Don’t eat the cookie.
Event 4: Move on with your evening.
End Result: You’ve broken the overeating habit chain and had 0 cookies.
At some point, you DO have a choice (even when it doesn’t feel like you do): Do you reinforce the old habit or do you break the chain? There are countless ways to break the chain, and it all starts with awareness.
The Takeaway:
What’s your chain of events that lead to overeating on weekends? Where can you break the chain?
If you’re struggling to stop the weekend overindulging, let’s dive in together. Set up a free discovery session with me to see how you can start creating new habits and set yourself up for success with your weekends.
