Weight Loss is Slowed Down on Weekends, Scientists Found

According to medical researchers from Saint Louis, weekends and holidays can compromise even the best weight-loss efforts. The scientists found that people who attempt to follow a strict diet and intense exercise regime lose pounds more slowly than they wish to, simply because they tend to overeat during holidays and weekends, when they are not busy at work!

Previous research stated that the biggest gain of weight was observed during such holidays as New Year and Thanksgiving. The new study adds to the body of dietology by confirming that most people eat an increased amount of calories and are also prone to gaining excess pounds during Saturdays and Sundays.

If your goal is to lose weight, be aware of what you are eating in the end of the week, says lead study author Professor Susan Racette. Once you weight loss is stalled due to unhealthy, high-calorie weekend treats, you may experience a weight-loss “plateau” even during the next several days when you return to your strict dietary regime.

During the study, the scientists followed a group of middle-aged, slightly overweight adults who attempted to eat a low-calorie diet for both health-supporting and weight-loss purposes. The study was also aimed to determine if a low-calorie dietary regime in humans was associated with slowing down ageing and hampering disease the same way it had been shown in animal experiments.

“However, laboratory animals do not have holidays”, says Dr. Racette. “On weekends, people change their workday habits and eat in a very different way. Humans often have to attend social events, formal dinners, restaurant parties, and other social activities that habitually involve high-calorie food.”

“An interesting observation is that the study volunteers were not always aware that they ate significantly more calories during holidays and on weekends. Some of them were really surprised to see additional pounds on the scale, which had accumulated by Monday morning,” comments Racette.

This new finding helps understand why some dieters tend to hit weight-loss plateaus and why many of them do not lose weight as fast as they would want to.

In order to minimize a diet-compromising effect of week-end feasting, people on diets should carefully plan their weekend meals, measure portions, and practise moderation in holiday food intake.

Tim Ford