Back when I was unknowingly being very restrictive around food, one of my habits was saving up "splurges" for the weekend, some call it a cheat day. In my mind, this seemed like a healthy way to enjoy my favorite foods while maintaining control over my eating and body.
As you can imagine, this approach didn't work out so well. Weekends became an opportunity for excessive "cheat meals," leading to overeating foods I had restricted during the week. I felt disconnected from my food preferences and bodily cues, swinging between strict rules and impulsive reactions. This chaotic eating pattern worsened my IBS symptoms, leaving me feeling physically uncomfortable and emotionally drained.
Sound familiar? Weekend binging is common because weekends often mean less structure and more socializing, including alcohol. However, when guilt over weekend eating leads to strict weekday diets, it fuels a harmful cycle of restriction and overeating.
Let's clarify what a true binge is. Binging involves consuming a large amount of food rapidly, feeling out of control, and experiencing significant shame afterward. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is diagnosed when these episodes occur regularly over three months. It's important to distinguish between occasional overeating and clinical binge eating.
Now, let's discuss how to curb weekend binging in simple steps:
1. Stop Restarting Every Monday: Avoid compensating for weekend indulgences with strict diets on weekdays. Plan meals based on nourishment, not guilt.
2. Shift Weekend Activities to Weekdays: If feasible, engage in weekend-like activities during the week to break the association with overindulgence.
3. Incorporate Weekend Foods on Weekdays: Include favorite weekend foods in your weekday meals to reduce cravings and normalize your eating patterns.
4. Don't Skip Breakfast: Maintain a regular eating schedule, starting with a balanced breakfast to stabilize your metabolism and prevent overeating later.
5. Consistent Eating Throughout the Day: Eat every few hours, whether it's a meal or snack, to prevent extreme hunger that can lead to binging.
6. Prioritize Self-Care on Fridays: Develop non-food-related ways to unwind after work on Fridays, such as yoga, socializing, or outdoor activities.
7. Plan Ahead for the Weekend: Ensure you have food options available over the weekend to prevent running out and resorting to unhealthy choices.
8. Manage Alcohol Intake: Be mindful of how alcohol affects your eating behaviors and plan accordingly to avoid impulsive overeating.
9. Practice Self-Compassion: Remember that occasional overeating doesn't define you. Use mistakes as opportunities to learn and adjust your approach.
If you're struggling with weekend binging, consider seeking support from a nutritionist or recovery coach. They can provide personalized guidance and empower you to develop a healthier relationship with food and eating.
Recovery is a journey of self-discovery and growth. Embrace each step with compassion and determination, knowing that you deserve to nourish your body and mind in a balanced and fulfilling way.
ARE YOU LOOKING TO DIVE DEEPER INTO SELF-CARE?
I Can Help in Developing A Plan For Self-Care
Do you want help developing a self-care plan that works for your own busy schedule? Do you want accountability in implementing a self-care plan? If you or someone you love is struggling to maintain optimal mental and emotional health, consider reaching out to Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. We are a Metro Atlanta, Conyers Georgia area. We are a coaching and counseling practice with empathetic, skilled counselors and recovery coaches who can help you set goals, develop a self-care routine, and move forward to build a more fulfilling life. Our team would be happy to work with you either just for a couple of sessions to develop and implement a Self-care plan or longer term to work toward overall better mental health within our membership site or other programs.
About The Author:
Dr. Nikki LeToya White MSEd-TL, Ph.D. RHN is the founder, director, and full-time board-certified trauma-informed nutritionist, folk herbalist, and wellness consultant at Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. She created Spiced Life Conversation, LLC Art Wellness Studio, and Botanica to provide the Metro Atlanta area with counseling and coaching services where clients are carefully matched with the right program for healing abandonment and childhood emotional neglect trauma that cause codependency, emotional eating, financial stress, and imposter syndrome as it relates to the fear of success and being abandon. We help you begin your emotional healing journey with ease. Recently, we have expanded to include an online membership site so we now provide support to people living all over the world. All of our recovery coaches provide at least one evidence-based treatment to assist in your recovery. Dr. White is a big proponent of self-care and helping people live a fulfilling life! She has been in full remission with both codependency and emotional binge eating disorder since 2016. In living a life in recovery from sugar addiction. I love my low-sugar balanced lifestyle.
Best Regard
Dr. Nikki LeToya White
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