Out Of Control Over Eating on Weekends

ElleTeeBunny

I don't eat a lot during the week and I vigorously exercise during the week. I keep the weekends as my rest days and do not exercise. I am finding myself over eating to the point I can't stop. I will eat an ice cream and then I have another and then I will eat pretzels and chips and just over indulge. I also find myself having too many social drinks too with friends on weekends.

Is the alcohol causing this overeating? Is it because I don't eat much during the week? Is it due to both? I want to stop this over indulgence over the weekends. I eat so much to that I get very sick stomachs and wish I could throw up! I want to stop this.

It makes me gain 4-5 pounds each week and then I exercise it off during the week and the weight seems to go back to what it was.

Thank you.

Lietchi

It could very well be the alcohol if you're eating at the same time as you're consuming drinks - alcohol tends to lower inhibitions in most people, so that could push you towards overindulging.
It could also be because you're overly restrictive during the week: the classic restrict-binge cycle. But without knowing what it means precisely for you to 'not eat a lot' during the week, it's hard to tell.

Just FYI, but those 4-5 lbs gained over the weekend aren't (entirely) fat unless you're eating 28000-35000 calories over your maintenance level. Most of that will be extra food waste in your system and extra water weight from extra carb intake and more sodium intake, which is why your weight lowers again as the week progresses (fat loss doesn't happen that quickly - fast changes in weight, up and down, are usually linked to changes in water weight and food waste).

dianamethyst211

The alcohol may be contributing to your over eating on the weekends. I am going through similar. Much more difficult for me to stay on track, Saturday and Sunday. Try to keep the high calorie foods, out of your home, so that they are not there to access. Also track your cocktail calories, and cut back on the amount of drinks that you have. ( I know it’s difficult, but those calories definitely matter and the alcohol will cause binge eating) big (( hugs )) we can do this!!

lessjess22

This is a textbook binge-restrict disordered eating pattern. You may want to consider seeing a nutritionist or therapist to help you with this. A nutritionist could help you plan a more satisfying meal plan to help reduce your urges to binge. A therapist could help you work on your relationship with food. if you don't feel either of those are necessary, try eating more during the week and see if it helps.

ElleTeeBunny

Lietchi wrote: »

It could very well be the alcohol if you're eating at the same time as you're consuming drinks - alcohol tends to lower inhibitions in most people, so that could push you towards overindulging.
It could also be because you're overly restrictive during the week: the classic restrict-binge cycle. But without knowing what it means precisely for you to 'not eat a lot' during the week, it's hard to tell.

Just FYI, but those 4-5 lbs gained over the weekend aren't (entirely) fat unless you're eating 28000-35000 calories over your maintenance level. Most of that will be extra food waste in your system and extra water weight from extra carb intake and more sodium intake, which is why your weight lowers again as the week progresses (fat loss doesn't happen that quickly - fast changes in weight, up and down, are usually linked to changes in water weight and food waste).

During the week, my "not eat a lot" means I only eat 1400-1800 calories per day and exercise vigorously by doing my exercise bike for 50 minutes and leg workouts for 30 minutes Monday-Friday.

Thank you everyone so far that has responded. I really appreciate all this advice and it makes me feel better knowing I am not alone and other people go thru this too.

Lietchi

lauratrovato wrote: »

Lietchi wrote: »

It could very well be the alcohol if you're eating at the same time as you're consuming drinks - alcohol tends to lower inhibitions in most people, so that could push you towards overindulging.
It could also be because you're overly restrictive during the week: the classic restrict-binge cycle. But without knowing what it means precisely for you to 'not eat a lot' during the week, it's hard to tell.

Just FYI, but those 4-5 lbs gained over the weekend aren't (entirely) fat unless you're eating 28000-35000 calories over your maintenance level. Most of that will be extra food waste in your system and extra water weight from extra carb intake and more sodium intake, which is why your weight lowers again as the week progresses (fat loss doesn't happen that quickly - fast changes in weight, up and down, are usually linked to changes in water weight and food waste).

During the week, my "not eat a lot" means I only eat 1400-1800 calories per day and exercise vigorously by doing my exercise bike for 50 minutes and leg workouts for 30 minutes Monday-Friday.

I need to correct myself, 4-5lbs is 14000-17500 calories over maintenance (I'm used to metric 🙂)

1400 calories a day pounds on the low side and 1800 sounds better. Personally, losing from 208 to currently 135lbs, I never ate less than 1700 (and often more, depending on exercise). But I also never really 'banked' calories for the weekend (eating less during the week to be able to eat more during the weekend).
Obviously it will depend on your stats - you may or may not be my height and weight and our metabolism can differ even with the same stats.
It might be worth a shot to increase your weekday average a bit to see if that helps with the binges.

But as another poster said, therapy might also be helpful, it really depends on the root cause of the binges.

Runaroundafieldx2

Work your calories out over 7 days.
I use my spare calories to enjoy my weekends.
Including many alcoholic beverages. Then you still hit your goals but it's sustainable as you're enjoying life as well

Xellercin

Well first, you aren't gaining 4-5lbs of fat every weekend. If the scale isn't going down *on average* then you are probably eating enough on the weekends to offset the deficit you have on the weekdays, and you are seeing a huge bloat that comes and goes.

Regardless, what you are doing doesn't sound sustainable or enjoyable, so I would work on changing it.

If you think alcohol might be triggering this behaviour, then take a break from alcohol for a few months and see what happens.

If it's a matter of over restriction during the week, then try adding a bit of high quality, nutrient dense foods and see if that resolves it.

However you approach this, it sounds like something is too extreme, and causing you to snap every single weekend. IMO that's not a healthy relationship with food or your body.

Approach this systematically and try to figure out what the easiest and healthiest approach is so that you don't have to go through what sounds like a horrible stressful routine week in and week out.