How to Minimize the Damage from Holiday Eating

“Paradoxically, dramatically spiking calorie intake once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate doesn’t downshift from extended caloric restriction.”

– Timothy Ferrris – author “The Four Hour Body”

This is our last post of the year. I hope you are able to take some time off, relax and enjoy your family.

If you are like me, you’ll also be enjoying lots of great food.

Instead of writing a technical post today, I’ve decided to make it immediately practical and share some secrets on how to minimize the damage from all that great holiday food!

A few disclaimers first:

This article is not justifying a full week of devastating binges.

This article is meant to encourage you that the occasional binge is completely acceptable. Enjoy some holiday treats!

Our source: Timothy Ferris is the guinea pig of life and body hacking. He has written several best sellers including “The Four Hour Body”, “The Four Hour Work Week” and “The Four Hour Chef.”

The Four Hour Body (4HB) proposes that you can have the body you want by working out only four hours per week and I believe it. The only problem is the discipline required to follow the eating plan!

Ask any trainer or really fit person you know, diet is everything in body composition.

Ferris proposes a “slow carb” diet that eliminates white carbohydrates and most fruits from your diet.

The most interesting part, and the focus of this post, is the “cheat day” that he recommends each week.

Why a cheat day? There are two primary reasons:

  1. You will cheat – You are human. Having a cheat day gives you something to look forward to and a chance to get all the stuff you’ve been craving all week. Planning a cheat day limits the damage and keeps you on track all week.
  2. Metabolism – It keeps your metabolism from downgrading. Continual caloric restriction tricks your body into downgrading your metabolism. Your body thinks you are starving so it wants to preserve every calorie (most likely stored in fat) that it has. This needs to be avoided and a cheat day helps your body understand that you are not starving to death.

If you want to make it through the holidays without packing on a ton of weight you are going to need to schedule cheat days. Not a week of cheat days, but your body can probably handle a couple without too much damage.

Here are tricks recommended by Ferris to minimize the damage:

  • Make your first meal of the day high in protein. Don’t start your binge in the morning! Shoot for 30 grams of protein. Some fiber would help as well. This will decrease your appetite for the upcoming binge and level your blood sugars.
  • Drink a small amount (4 oz will do) of grapefruit juice before your binge meal. If you drink this with some coffee, the coffee will extend the blood sugar limiting effect.
  • Exercise – not a lot. Immediately before and within 90 minutes after your binge meal. This opens up your muscles so they can use the onslaught of calories you are taking in. This keeps those calories off your hips and gut! Ferris recommends air squats. I’d add pushups or wall presses. 60-90 seconds is all that is needed before and within 90 minutes after your binge.

Ferris also recommends a few supplements that I personally find too expensive to experiment with. Go with the basics above and your body will survive the holidays with much less damage! Check out “The Four Hour Body” for more great ideas.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I am looking forward to a great 2015! We’ve got a lot of great things planned for you and your business.

Thank you for being a part of our values driven community!

Image courtesy of www.flickr.com.

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