While you might eat strictly all week, many dieters allow themselves to be a little more relaxed over the weekend. But such an attitude might actually be the reason why you're not losing weight, or worse putting it on, as one photo shows.

Sydney-based founders of science-based nutrition program, Jade Spooner and Amal Wakim, recently showcased the difference between a 'perfectly strict' Monday to Friday and a 'cheat' weekend - and what it means for your waistline.

'Is your Monday to Friday "perfectly strict" and weekends [are] an absolute train wreck?,' the pair posted.

'In the dieting world a restricted Monday to Friday and blow out Saturday Sunday pattern is a common vicious cycle.

'Your body recognises your intake on a periodic basis, which is why no matter whether or not it's the weekend or how "clean" you ate during the week - it still counts and may be hindering your results.'

In the photo, the pair illustrate a typical weekday diet - consisting of yoghurt, almonds, an apple, cereal, steamed greens and plenty of vegetables.

They then contrast this with what the typical 'cheater' might eat across a Saturday and a Sunday.

This is filled with pasta, wine, chocolate, acai bowls, giant salads and brunch-sized portions of avocado on toast.

'Consider this, if you're consuming 1,200 calories Monday to Friday followed by a 7,000 calorie weekend of dine out breakfasts, dense salad lunches, cheat meals, alcohol and treats, your weekly daily average = 1,850 calories,' the women said.

Put simply, if you're staying 'on track' for five days of the week, but falling spectacularly off the wagon the other two, then you won't reach your weight loss goals.

'Whether it's alcohol, your favourite dine out meal, chocolate or ice cream, the key is to maintain a more balanced approach and incorporate these as part of a balanced diet as opposed to a weekend blowout,' they said.

'Restrictive dieters find the weekend particularly hard as they have been so strict during the week the weekend becomes a free for all and includes binges and uncontrolled cheat meals.

'Diet flexibly, controlled and all the while maintaining a good relationship with food while seeing results.'

This isn't the first time the pair have shown the impact different calories have on your body.

In the past, they've shown how a 'simple healthy snack on the go' of a smoothie can easily add up to the equivalent of twelve and a half Oreo biscuits.

They've also looked at trendy 'raw slices', which contain the same calories as an entire KFC meal.

However, they do acknowledge that 'not all food is created equally in calories' and sometimes things are healthier than fast food, despite having the same calorie density.