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You’re doing everything right. You’re paying close attention to what you eat, exercising several times a week, and sticking to your plan. But when you step on the scale, the number hasn’t dropped as much as expected.
Why is that?
The answer is simple: Your body is not in a calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than your body burns over time. This is the only way to lose weight. Putting in effort and not seeing the results you want is frustrating. In this post, I’ll highlight one of the biggest obstacles I see people face week after week: weekend eating habits reversing weekday progress.
The Scale Isn't Lying
Whether you love it or hate it, the scale provides data. The scale isn't perfect, but if you are working to lose weight and it doesn’t go down after a week or two, it's a sign that your body isn’t in a calorie deficit.
At this point, many people feel tempted to challenge that conclusion. After all, how can you not be in a calorie deficit if you've been eating well all week, tracking your intake, and making deliberate choices? But let’s take a closer look at what might be happening.
The Weekend Shift
Many people stay on track Monday through Friday, paying attention to what they eat and drink. Then, the weekend comes, and their habits shift. They go out for drinks, enjoy restaurant meals, and allow themselves more flexibility. They might even plan a “cheat meal,” a “cheat day,” or an entire “cheat weekend.”
There’s often a very understandable reason behind this shift. Many people don’t want to feel restricted or deprived, so they justify these extra indulgences. While I firmly believe that long-term success comes from a sustainable approach—not extreme restriction—the reality is that weekend choices can erase a week’s progress in just a few days.
Your Body Tracks Everything—Even When You’re Not
Your body doesn’t operate on a Monday-Friday schedule. It processes what you eat 24/7. If you create a calorie deficit during the week but consume enough on the weekend to bring your weekly intake back to maintenance (or even a surplus), your weight won’t decrease. It might go up.
This doesn’t mean you must become overly strict all seven days and eliminate every food you enjoy. But it means you might benefit from bringing more balance to your overall eating patterns. Have smaller swings in your weekday vs. weekend eating. Create a more stable eating pattern.
A Better Approach: Consistency Over Extremes
Rather than swinging between extremes—strict eating during the week and relaxation on the weekend—consider aiming for a more consistent, moderate approach. Instead of depriving yourself Monday through Friday, allow yourself to eat some foods you enjoy throughout the week while maintaining a calorie deficit. Instead of completely relaxing on the weekend, eat some of the foods you want while maintaining a calorie deficit.
The key is to maintain a calorie deficit on weekdays and weekends. Furthermore, reducing the gap between your weekday and weekend habits will create a more sustainable routine that leads to lasting results.
Take Action
If this sounds familiar, try this simple experiment:
Track your calorie intake for an entire week, including weekends. Notice any significant differences between weekdays and weekends.
Adjust your approach. If weekends are significantly higher, adjust your plan.
Focus on long-term sustainability. The best weight loss plan isn’t the most extreme—it’s the one you can stick with.
By making your eating habits more balanced throughout the week, you’ll stay in an actual calorie deficit and finally see the progress you’ve been working for.
Are you tired of Seeing the Scale Stay the Same?
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