Skipping Meals, Venison, Weight Loss without Exercise
Tag it:
Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN American Institute for Cancer Research
Weekly column for the week of January 16 , 2006
Q: Why is skipping meals discouraged as a weight loss strategy?
A: Although it might seem that cutting out a whole meal?s worth of calories would lead to weight loss, studies show that this strategy rarely works. Most people who skip a meal and its 300 to 600 calories usually increase how much they eat at other meals in the day by at least the same amount of calories. These people, like others who come to a meal overly hungry, tend to eat rapidly, which makes it difficult for them to sense when they?ve had enough. People who skip meals may also snack more. Although the snacks might be small in size, they can add up to a substantial number of calories and replace the calories missed at a meal. Furthermore, even if you manage to keep a low daily total of calories for a few days by skipping meals, weight loss requires reduced calorie consumption over an extended period of time. Meal-skipping that leads to considerable under-eating for a few days often results in more days of overeating.
Q: How does the fat content of venison compare to beef and pork?
A: Venison is usually leaner. Trimmed of outside fat, a three-ounce portion (the size of a deck of cards) of venison contains from one-and-a-half to two grams of fat, which is about the same amount in an equal portion of turkey breast. Ground venison may be higher in fat, but it is still lean with about seven grams of fat in three ounces. In comparison, the same size portion of lean cuts of beef (top, eye and tip of round) and the leanest pork (tenderloin and sirloin or loin chops) contains four to eight grams of fat, when outside fat is trimmed off. Other lean pork cuts (rib chops or sirloin roasts) carry eight to ten grams of fat in three ounces. Even these are lean, however, compared to the 10 to 15 grams of fat in the same size serving of ribs, salami or bacon. Regardless of the fat content of the meat you choose, you should limit your red meat portion to three ounces, so you have plenty of room for the vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans that are vital to good health.
Q: If I keep my calories low enough, can I lose weight without exercising?
A: It?s certainly possible to lose weight without any exercise if you reduce your calorie consumption enough, but the likelihood of keeping the weight off is much lower without exercise. Studies show that without exercise about a quarter of the weight people lose is muscle tissue. Since muscle is a major calorie-burner, you would need to keep your calorie intake lower than someone of the same weight who has more muscle. The difficulty of keeping your calorie intake low is probably why physical activity is one of the best predictors of who can maintain a lower weight in many studies. Regular exercise is also beneficial because it lowers the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and several forms of cancer. If you have trouble getting off the couch, think of ways to be active that you haven?t tried in the past. Consider all the variables like whether you?d prefer to work out alone or with others, indoors or outdoors. Would you enjoy taking up a sport like tennis or a more leisurely activity like dancing and walking? Or do you want to work more activity into your daily activities like taking the stairs instead of the elevator? There should be at least one activity that you will enjoy doing to keep fit and healthy.
Reprinted with permission from the American Institute for Cancer Research
Diets 
