Routines and days off: why one big dinner doesn't undo good habits
Photo: Regina Tommasi / Pexels
A family Sunday lunch, a friend's birthday, a holiday with a lot of pastries. These days are part of a good life, and nobody eating smaller portions should feel guilty about enjoying them. The question is simpler: are they exceptions, or have they slowly become the routine?
What the science says
Psychologists at University College London followed people as they tried to build a new daily habit, such as a glass of water with lunch or a short walk. It took a median of 66 days for the behaviour to feel automatic, with a wide range from a few weeks to most of a year. Crucially, missing a single day didn't meaningfully set people back (Lally and colleagues, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010 (opens in a new tab)).
So one day off isn't the problem. Habits are built by repetition over weeks, and they're forgiving of the odd gap. What does wear a habit down is when the gaps start to outnumber the days you do it.
Counting the days
Here's a quick way to see where you are. A week has 21 main meals. If Friday night, Saturday and Sunday all become "days off", that's around eight of them, well over a third of the week. Add a busy Wednesday and the exceptions start to look like the norm.
You don't need a spreadsheet. Just notice roughly how many meals in a week include something with protein and something with fibre. If it's most of them, you're doing well, whatever happened on Saturday.
Make the routine the easy part
- Keep weekday meals boring in a good way. A few reliable breakfasts and lunches take the thinking out of it. See our packed lunch ideas.
- Have one fallback meal. Eggs on toast, a tin of soup with a spoonful of lentils, or a yoghurt pot with seeds. Something you can make tired.
- Pick your exceptions on purpose. Choose the meals that matter, like the family lunch, rather than drifting into takeaways because nothing was planned.
- Don't "make up for it". Skipping breakfast after a big dinner usually means less protein that day, not a reset. Just have your normal next meal.
When it's a big occasion
Enjoy it. If you eat less than you used to, a small starter or a few shared plates may suit you better than a full main, and it's fine to take leftovers home. Our small plates guide has ideas.
One small habit
On Sunday evening, decide just one thing: what Monday's breakfast will be. Getting the first meal of the week back on track is usually all the reset you need.
Handy kit
- Snack boxes for packing a weekday lunch the night before. View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)#ad / affiliate