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 fora banquet or a holiday party and there probably won’t be any healthyfood 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’regoing 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 valuablenutrients that come from healthy food, as well as the small frequentmeals which help control your appetite, stabilize your blood sugar and provide a steady flow of amino acids to your muscles. Skippingbreakfast is especially detrimental.
Not only that, but eating less early in the day in anticipationof overeating later in the day is much more likely to increaseyour appetitite, causing you to binge or eat even MORE than youthought you would at night when the big meal does arrive.
In fact, eating healthy, high fiber and lean protein food asusual earlier in the day is likely to make you LESS hungry forthe holiday party meal and you’ll be more likey to eat only aharmlessly small amount of “party” foods.
I dont like the concept of “banking calories” if it means skippingmeals or if it’s used as justification for binge eating.
Even if it worked the way you wanted it to, the starvingand bingeing pattern may cause more damage than an occasionaloversize meal, even if only on a psychological level. Somedieticians might even argue that this kind of behavior borderson disordered eating.
A better approach is to stay on your regular menu ofhealthy foods and small meals through the entire day – businessas usual – and then go ahead and enjoy yourself at your partyby 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 asyou are in a calorie deficit where you areeating fewer calories than you burn”
It should be a big relief for you to know that Whenyou’re at a party, a banquet, dining out or eatingat a relative’s house for a special occasion, you caneat whatever you want with little or no ill effect onbody composition, as long as you respect the law ofcalorie balance ans as long as it is done infrequently.
However, you CANNOT starve and binge and expectnot to reap negative consequences.
If you sincerely want to burn fat and be healthy, thenyou have to have the discipline to stick with your nutritionplan consistently and control your portion sizes.
To learn more about burning fat naturally in a healthy, sensibleway, then be sure to take a look at Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and The Body Fat Solution

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