Damage Control For Holiday Eating “Accidents” (Part 2)

A Burn The Fat subscriber asks if he knows in advance he is having a big meal at night, like for a holiday banquet or party, should he skip the meals earlier in the day to make up for it in advance (“banking calories?” Find out the answer in part 2 of “Damage control for holiday eating accidents”…

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BURN THE FAT Q & A
WITH TOM VENUTO, Fat Loss Coach
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QUESTION:

Tom, if I know I’m going to be having a big meal at night, like for a banquet or a holiday party and there probably won’t be any healthy food there, should I skip meals or cut back on my food earlier in the day?

Charles
san Diego, CA

ANSWER:

What you’re describing is commonly known as “banking calories” which is analagous to saving calories like mo-ney because you’re going to consume more later.

The answer is no - I usually do not recommend this. Here’s why:

If you skip meals earlier in the day to “prepare” (bank calories) for a big feast at night, you are thinking only in terms of calories, but skippping meals is also depriving yourself of protein (amino acids), carbohydrates, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and other valuable nutrients that come from healthy food, as well as the small frequent meals which help control your appetite, stabilize your blood sugar and provide a steady flow of amino acids to your muscles. Skipping breakfast is especially detrimental.

Not only that, but eating less early in the day in anticipation of overeating later in the day is much more likely to increase your appetitite, causing you to binge or eat even MORE than you thought you would at night when the big meal does arrive.

In fact, eating healthy, high fiber and lean protein food as usual earlier in the day is likely to make you LESS hungry for the holiday party meal and you’ll be more likey to eat only a harmlessly small amount of “party” foods.

I dont like the concept of “banking calories” if it means skipping meals or if it’s used as justification for binge eating.

Even if it worked the way you wanted it to, the starving and bingeing pattern may cause more damage than an occasional oversize meal, even if only on a psychological level. Some dieticians might even argue that this kind of behavior borders on disordered eating.

A better approach is to stay on your regular menu of healthy foods and small meals through the entire day - business as usual - and then go ahead and enjoy yourself at your party by treating yourself to a SMALL amount of “BAD” food.

This is supported by the 2nd Corollary of the law of calorie balance:

“Small amounts of ANYTHING - even junk food- will probably not be stored as fat as long as you are in a calorie deficit where you are eating fewer calories than you burn”

It should be a big relief for you to know that When you’re at a party, a banquet, dining out or eating at a relative’s house for a special occasion, you can eat whatever you want with little or no ill effect on body composition, as long as you respect the law of calorie balance ans as long as it is done infrequently.

However, you CANNOT starve and binge and expect not to reap negative consequences.

If you sincerely want to burn fat and be healthy, then you have to have the discipline to stick with your nutrition plan consistently and control your portion sizes.

To learn more about burning fat naturally in a healthy, sensible way, then be sure to take a look at Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and The Body Fat Solution

06 December, 2008 posted in Reader Q & A