Diet starts Monday, right? - MSNBC

There's something about weekends that sends caution — and calories — to the wind. Even if your workweek is all about smart snacks and sensible dinners, for many of us, all bets are off come 5 p.m. Friday, says clinical psychologist Robert Maurer, PhD, author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life.

"It's almost like a dam bursting," he says. We're tired and feel like we've earned the right to put healthy habits on hold. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study revealed that adults take in an extra 222 calories — nearly 15 percent of the number of calories an average woman needs each day — over the course of the weekend (including Friday).