08/09/2026
📅 NUTRITION SERIES #20
WHEN THE WEEKEND UNDOES THE WEEK
“I eat really well during the week… so why am I not losing weight?”
For some people, the answer isn't necessarily what happens Monday to Friday.
It might be the weekend.
🍕 Friday night takeaway
🍺 A couple of drinks
🥐 Breakfast out
☕ A large coffee
🍰 A few treats
🍽️ Saturday dinner out
🥘 Sunday lunch
None of these things is inherently a problem.
But put several of them together and two higher-calorie days can quickly reduce the calorie deficit you've created during the rest of the week.
⚖️ Here's a simple example.
Imagine someone needs around 2,200 calories per day to maintain their weight.
That's approximately 15,400 calories per week.
If they eat 1,900 calories Monday–Friday, they've created a theoretical deficit of around 1,500 calories.
But if Saturday and Sunday average 2,950 calories, their weekly intake comes straight back to:
15,400 calories.
They really were in a calorie deficit during the week.
Just not across the whole week.
The figures are purely illustrative – individual calorie requirements vary.
🍕 Does that mean no more pizza, meals out or drinks?
Absolutely not.
Nutrition needs to fit around your life.
Want the pizza? Have the pizza.
But do you also really want the garlic bread, chips, several drinks, dessert and the snacks afterwards?
Maybe you do, and occasionally that's absolutely fine.
But perhaps you don't.
Often it's the extras around the meal, rather than the meal itself, that make the biggest difference.
And if you do have a bigger weekend?
Don't punish yourself on Monday.
Don't starve yourself.
Don't try to exercise it off.
Don't decide you've ruined everything.
Simply return to your normal routine.
🥩 Protein
🥦 Fruit & vegetables
🌾 Fibre-rich foods
🍚 Appropriate carbohydrate
💧 Hydration
🏋️ Your normal training
One higher-calorie meal doesn't ruin your progress any more than one healthy meal creates it.
🎯 THIS WEEK'S SIMPLE ACTION
This weekend, simply notice what changes.
Do your portions get bigger?
Do you snack more?
Do you drink more calories?
Does one treat turn into an entire “treat day”?
Then ask yourself:
“Is there one thing I could change without making my weekend any less enjoyable?”
You don't need a perfect weekend.
Just a little more consistency between Monday and Sunday.
