Give up your weekend binges for a nutritional plan that lets you eat cookies any day of the week.
Which of these scenarios describes you? A) I eat healthy foods during the week, but on the weekends I eat things that are bad for me. B) I eat healthy and fun foods every day of the week.
For most people, scenario A is real life. We eat healthy all week and then deserve to treat ourselves over the weekend, right? It sounds like it hits the 80/20 rule: Eat healthy 80% of the time and have fun 20% of the time. However, most people who eat like this end up gaining weight. Why is that?
I’m going to explain why you gain weight by binging on the weekends - even if you eat incredibly clean the other five days of the week. And then I’ll walk you through how to lose weight without restricting your favorite foods.
What weekend binges do to your health
First of all, binges mess with your metabolism, and not in a good way! We all want to boost our metabolism and there are ways to kickstart it with more food, but binging every weekend doesn’t work.
Your body craves consistency. Eating lower calories during the week and higher calories on the weekend confuses your body. It doesn’t know if it’s going to have enough energy to perform all of the tasks it needs to, so it holds onto the extra calories in case it needs them later, which causes weight gain, instead of boosting weight loss.
Binging can also lead to changes in your brain. When we eat, dopamine is released. This happens because our brain is rewarding us for giving it nourishment. When we overeat, we increase the dopamine release, which makes us feel great, for a little while. But over time, we need more and more food to release the same amount of dopamine. We want that rush of dopamine and end up gaining weight and having unhealthy mental attachments to food.
Overall, your body and mind suffer when you binge. If you want to lose weight and have a healthy relationship with food, then it is time to learn about balanced eating.
Change your weekend mindset and eat food you love all week
Instead of restricting yourself all week and then giving in to every temptation on the weekend, what if you ate foods that were good for you and foods that you loved every day of the week?
That’s what balanced eating looks like. Balanced eating helps regulate your body and allows you to eat fun food when it fits into your diet.
Your body needs certain nutrients in order to function at its best. Protein, fat, and carbs are all essential nutrients. If you try to cut one of those groups out, like traditional dieting encourages, then your body can’t function like it’s supposed to.
We should include lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fat sources in our diets every day to make sure we’re getting all of the macro and micronutrients that we need to keep our bodies performing at its best. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a cookie every now and then.
Food can and should taste good! Sometimes, food can benefit our minds more than our bodies. Maybe when you’re sick you crave the soup your mom would make for you when you were a kid. Your traditional diet conditioning may tell you that you can’t have it because it has carbs. But carbs aren’t evil! You’re sick and you need some comfort, so eat the soup.
Fun foods like cookies, ice cream, chips or whatever your favorite indulgence is, are perfectly fine to eat in moderation. I teach my clients to use the 90/10 rule with fun foods. For the most part, you should eat healthy, whole foods, but every now and then indulging in a cookie isn’t going to hurt your weight loss goals. In fact, in my Macros Made Easy program, I tell my clients to eat a fun food every day!
Everyone has different nutritional needs, which is what makes balanced eating so difficult. We can’t say that all women need X calories in a day because every woman’s body reacts differently. In order to have a balanced diet that fits your nutritional needs, you need to learn about food, your body and adjust your food until you see the desired results. This is where a coach can be helpful.
For years I went on my nutritional journey by myself. I tried a lot of different diets and had some success, but nothing that lasted. Then, I worked with a coach. She knew what my body needed and how to help me find lasting success. It was a game-changer.
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and are looking for someone to help you actually reach your weight loss goals, then schedule a free discovery call with me. I have studied nutrition for years and can help you figure out what a balanced diet looks like for you.
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