Every Monday morning, I normally wake up to some version of this message from one of our online members.
“Diet shocking, I just can’t do it, been camping so beer, wine, burgers, bacon butties etc, out at the weekend for tapas etc, so I’m afraid I’m a hopeless case!”
That’s a real message by the way.
And honestly, after nearly 20 years in this industry, it’s one of the most normal things I read on a Monday morning.
Solicitors probably wake up to divorce dramas.
Estate agents wake up to “is it still available?” messages.
Hairdressers probably wake up to cancellations.
Builders wake up to, “When are you starting mate?” texts.
I run a personal training company.
So Mondays are usually full of people convinced they’ve blown all their progress because they had a few drinks, a takeaway and acted like a normal human being for 48 hours.
And if your weekend got away from you a bit too, listen carefully.
One rough weekend does not make you a hopeless case.
But the way most people react to it on Monday definitely doesn’t help.
This is normally what happens.
People eat barely anything Monday to Friday trying to “be good.”
Coffee for breakfast.
Meal deal at lunch.
Protein bar in the car.
Tiny tea at night.
Then Friday comes.
A couple of drinks turns into six.
One takeaway becomes a full weekend free for all.
By Sunday night they feel physically rough and mentally annoyed with themselves.
Then Monday morning comes and they try to punish themselves for it.
“I’m not eating carbs this week.”
“I’ll skip breakfast.”
“I need to do loads of cardio.”
“I’ve ruined everything.”
No.
You haven’t.
You’ve just got zero structure.
Most cravings and binge eating are not because you’re weak.
A lot of the time your body is just fighting back after being underfed, overtired and hanging on for the weekend like a hostage negotiation.
So if your weekend was messy, here’s what I’d actually focus on this week.
First.
Eat proper meals again.
Not picky bits.
Not “healthy snacks.”
Meals.
Three decent meals a day will sort most people out faster than another detox plan ever will.
Example.
Breakfast.
3 eggs on a piece of sourdough toast with fruit.
Lunch.
Chicken wrap and yoghurt.
Tea.
Steak, potatoes and veg.
That alone would improve most people’s hunger massively.
Second.
Get your protein up.
Most people who “can’t stop snacking” are eating nowhere near enough protein.
Then wondering why they’re stood in the kitchen at 9pm eating cereal dry out the box.
Aim for a decent source every meal.
Chicken. Beef. Eggs. Greek yoghurt. Fish. Protein shake.
Simple.
Third.
Water.
Especially if your weekend involved alcohol.
Most people go into Monday dehydrated, under slept and over caffeinated.
Then mistake feeling rough for “needing sugar.”
Get 2 to 3 litres a day this week at a minimum.
Fourth.
Stop trying to survive on snack foods.
Cereal bars, rice cakes and little 90 calorie packets do not fill people up.
You need meals with volume.
Potatoes are better than crisps.
Fruit is better than sweets.
A proper sandwich is better than picking at rubbish all afternoon.
This stuff is not complicated.
People just keep trying to outsmart basics.
Fifth.
Sleep.
This one gets ignored all the time.
Bad sleep increases cravings.
End of story.
You already know this without a tracker.
After a bad sleep you crave takeaways, sugar and caffeine more.
You don’t wake up after 8 solid hours craving grilled chicken and broccoli.
If you do track sleep using something like an Oura Ring, WHOOP Strap or an Apple Watch, you can often see cravings get worse when deep sleep drops.
But honestly, you don’t need technology to tell you eating goes to pot when you’re knackered.
And lastly.
Stop writing yourself off every Monday.
That’s the real killer.
Not the burger.
Not the beers.
Not the tapas.
The “sod it, I’ve failed again” mindset.
That’s what keeps people stuck for years.
The people who get in shape long term are not perfect eaters.
They just get back on track quickly instead of turning one bad weekend into a three week spiral.
So if this weekend was messy, fine.
Draw a line under it today.
Get a high-protein lunch today if you haven’t already eaten.
Drink your water.
Go for a walk tonight instead of sitting scrolling with snacks.
Train this week even if you feel sluggish.
Get to bed earlier.
You do not need to “start again.”
One rough weekend is fixable.
Quitting for the week isn’t.
-Ryan
P.S
If food is the bit you really struggle with, that’s exactly what we help people with every week.
You’ll get a simple meal planner, easy recipe books, structure through the week, and weekly check-ins for accountability so you don’t feel like you’re winging it alone.
And no, you do not need to eat like a monk at weekends either.
You just need to be a bit cleverer with it so one meal out doesn’t turn into a full weekend write-off.
If you want help with that, hit the button below.