Successful Holiday Eating, by Dr. Rick Kattouf
Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 10:48AM 
Ok, it is holiday time; that means office parties, family gatherings, decadent food…and more food…and more parties…and more food. So, let’s learn to manage this holiday season better than ever before.
The main thing you want to avoid is the “save up/make up” eating. What is the save up/make up eating you ask? Let me set the stage for you…you have a holiday party in the late afternoon/early evening, and like any normal person, you want to enjoy yourself at the party. You know there is going to be good food and you want to be sure you partake in the action.
In light of the party, you decide to eat less than normal early that day because you want to ‘save up’ your appetite/calories to ensure you are ready to eat come party-time. You may skip breakfast and eat a very light lunch. Now, it’s time for the party, you find your appetite greater than normal. You tell yourself you will stay under good control and not over eat, but your appetite seems to get the best of. What is wrong with me, you ask. You normally have better ‘self control’ than this. Whew, you just cannot just satiate yourself, and before you know it, it’s Game-On, and the eating (and possibly drinking) frenzy begins (usually holiday party foods are high in fat and sugar).
By night’s end, you are not feeling so great. You are not just full, rather, overly stuffed, ugh! You promised yourself you would not do this. Ok, not to worry; what is one night of over eating? Heck, you workout and your body can handle this, right? All you need to do is ‘make up’ for this overindulgence. It’s make-up time, let’s roll.
The next morning comes, and conventional thinking says to eat less than normal (and possibly work out more) because this will allow you to make-up for the night before. So, you skip breakfast, or eat very little; then comes lunch time, you go light…maybe a salad with chicken. On your ‘score card’ for eating so far on this day, you give yourself an A+; ahhh, you are displaying great eating control. And then, late afternoon/early evening arrives, and your hunger levels begin to increase; you were so ‘good’ all day, and now the overeating begins again!
Let’s examine what is going on here with the ‘save up/make up eating.’ The save-up or under eating (reduced volume of food, reduced eating frequency, etc.) creates a stress response in the body. Along the same lines, the make-up or over eating (too many calories especially late in the day) also creates a stress response. These stressors create an imbalance in serotonin, cortisol, and insulin.
When serotonin levels drop, the body will not let this go on. The body is very smart and will be sure to get you to increase these levels. The body starts to crave simple sugars, and a lot of them. So, it is not so much a lack of willpower causing you to over eat, rather, serotonin imbalances. When this occurs, you may find it very difficult to get these cravings under control.
As you can see, over time, this save up/make up eating can create a vicious cycle that can be tough to break. As mentioned earlier, these stressors will cause cortisol and insulin to increase. This signals the body to hold on to body fat and body weight…not what we want.
Ok, it s time to break this cycle, you ready? The main key for you on the day of the holiday party is to eat ‘right.’ This means eating breakfast and good, solid breakfast. Now, keep your eating frequency high…continue with your feedings and eat a mid morning snack, followed by a great lunch. Depending on the time of your party, include another afternoon snack. Now, come party time, you are of normal hunger levels, your serotonin levels are more stable, your cravings are at a minimum, and you will eat a normal volume of food at the party; as compared to over eating.
Keep in mind, your body’s highest caloric burn is in the first half of the day. So, eat early, eat often and you will avoid the save up/make up eating! Have a happy holiday season!
About the author:
Dr. Rick Kattouf II is the author of Forever Fit and CEO and Founder of TeamKattouf, Inc. Check out Coach Kattouf’s new meal plans on TrainingPeaks, and follow CoachKattouf and TeamKattouf Coaching on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.
Reader Comments (3)
Coach Kattouf,
A terrific article - clearly you nailed most of us with the save up / make up behavior model! A great read, very helpful and insightful reminder to eat consistently and in moderation. Not only do you feel better, but you get to enjoy the yummies of the holidays, too!
Hi Rachel, thank you for the kind words. I am glad you enjoyed the article!
Sincerely, Rick
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