Post a long weekend, holiday weekend, or for some, ANY weekend we can get caught in that old school diet mentality thought pattern of “I am going to start my new diet on Monday” as a knee jerk reaction to whatever we ate on the weekend we feel is “bad” for us.
“I feel like I’m ‘good’ all week, I nourish my body, I drink my water, I move my body, I prioritize sleep … but then the weekend comes & it all goes to sh*t!!”. I hear this from clients ALL the time!! & I personally lived it for years.
This internal narrative can be a dangerous in terms that it can keep us in this cognitive neutral pathway in our brain that leads to:
1. Starting & stoping constantly with our goals ( ie I’ll start again Monday)
2. It can cause a restriction & binge cycle every week that can lead to disordered eating, and hormone & metabolic damage
3. Mentally it takes a toll as we feel “guilty” for the weekend binge & feel like a “failure” & we don’t know why we “just can’t stick to it”
This thinking results in a behavioural pattern that just leaves us feeling stuck.
When I work through these thought patterns with my clients, we don’t talk about how we need to “stick to it!” On the weekend, instead we talk about reframing our thoughts.
Awareness: We acknowledge the weekdays & weekend routines are different & therefore we need to first remove this unrealistic expectation that it’s going to all look the same for most of us.
What is, Is: We honour the flow of the weekend that exists & look at what realistically YOU need built in to continue to prioritize how YOU want to feel?? Is this not cooking? Is this more rest? Is this prebought meals ahead of time cause the weekend is busy?? WHAT actually is needed? Then built your weekend from that.
Build in Joy: what are the things you do on the weekend for joy? Is it family pizza night on Saturday? Is it Sunday brunch with friends? Joy is a key pillar in your well-being so reframing these events as part of you living your life & seeing their value, ditching that old school diet “perfectionism” mindset for a more holistic look at ALL the things you do in your week to feel happy & full of energy is essential.
For some this can take some “unlearning and relearning” with our mindsets post a weekend or holiday. These 3 areas are a simple and effective place to start as it relates to reframing our thoughts which in turn impact our emotions, that then influence our actions.
If this is an area that you want to spend more time working on for a positive relationship with food and body on your own terms, connect with me for 1:1 coaching or check out the Mindful Eating Mastery Group Coaching Program here.
XO, Jo