Eat less now to save calories for later

 Eat less now to save calories for later

"Banking calories" is similar to saving money because you'll consume more later. Eating healthy foods earlier in the day will fill you up and make you less likely to overeat later. High fiber foods, healthy fats, and especially lean protein are the most effective at suppressing your appetite. I dislike the concept of calorie banking - why would you eat less (starve) in order to burn more fat, then overeat (binge) and regain the fat? A bingeing and starving pattern will almost certainly do more harm than an occasional large meal.

Assume you're on a diet and have an upcoming banquet or holiday party. You're expecting a large meal for dinner, as well as an open bar with plenty of "party snacks." You're not sure if there will be any healthy food, but you know you'll be in a festive, partying mood! What are your options? Should you eat less earlier in the day to make room for the big feast?

What I just described is known as "banking calories," which is similar to saving calories like money because you'll consume more later, and it's a very common practice among dieters. However, if you're serious about your diet and fitness goals, the answer is no, you should NOT "bank calories!" Here's why, and what you should instead do.

To begin with, if you're being completely honest with yourself, you'll admit that there's almost always something healthy to eat at any gathering. You know those tables at holiday parties that are piled high with chips, dips, pretzels, cookies, salami, candies, cheese, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless array of other goodies? Did you notice that there's usually a tray of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery, fruit, turkey breast, and other healthy snacks as well?

You always have options no matter where you are, so make the best decision you can based on whatever your options are. At the very least, you can opt to eat a small portion of "party foods" rather than a large portion.

If you skip meals or eat less earlier in the day to save calories for a big feast at night, you're depriving yourself of the valuable nutrition you need all day long in terms of protein (amino acids), carbohydrates, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that come from healthy food, as well as the small frequent meals required to stoke your metabolism's furnace.

Not only that, but eating less early in the day in preparation for overeating later is more likely to increase your appetite, causing you to binge or eat much more than you anticipated at night when the banquet arrives.

Eating healthy foods earlier in the day will fill you up and make you less likely to overeat later in the day. High fiber foods, healthy fats, and especially lean protein are the most effective at suppressing your appetite.

I dislike the concept of "calorie banking." Your body simply does not function in this manner; instead, it seeks equilibrium by adjusting your appetite to the point where you consume the same total amount of calories in the end.

Even if it worked perfectly, why would you eat less (starve) in order to burn more fat, then overeat (binge) and regain the fat? Why did you allow yourself to gain weight in the first place?

A bingeing and starving pattern will almost certainly do more harm than an occasional large meal. Some dieticians may even call this type of behavior disordered eating.

A better approach is to stick to your regular menu of healthy foods and small meals throughout the day - business as usual - and then treat yourself to a "cheat meal," but keep your portions small.

It should come as a relief to know that on special occasions, such as a party, restaurant meal, banquet, or holiday dinner, you can eat whatever you want with little or no negative impact on body composition as long as you follow the law of calorie balance. You CANNOT, however, starve and binge and expect to avoid negative consequences.

You don't have to be a "party pooper" or completely deprive yourself of foods you enjoy to burn fat and be healthy, but you do need the discipline to stick to your regular meal plan most of the time and control your portion sizes all of the time.