I looked through the threads and saw some references to this, but I'm still not sure... does it matter when you eat or how you distribute the calories? Can you decide to not eat all day in order to splurge at a party while still staying within your caloric limit? I'm not saying this is something I would do all of the time, just every so often when something comes up. Is doing that really just asking for trouble, does it cause weight gain? I know it's calories in, calories out, but would my body process a bigger amount of calories at one time differently. I'm still starting out, but have been losing pretty steadily (although no huge numbers yet) so I guess I'm thinking can I put it all back on with one night like this or does it really not make a difference as long as I stay within my calorie allowance for the day?

I much prefer to spread my calories throughout the day, into 4-6 small meals, even if I'm going out, because then I won't over indulge at a party by telling myself that I've starved all day so I "deserve" this or that, and this is when I lose control on sweet or fatty stuff...

On an every day basis, it's better to have those smaller meals because it keeps you insulin levels even throughout the day and you aren't starving at the next meal... I also try to eat a portion of protein at every meal, this keeps me fuller and more satisfied longer...

I plan ahead if I know I'm going out to eat. It works for me - especially when the going out to eat is kept to a minimum.

IMHO - it's all about what you are doing 80-90% of the time. One party does not a failed eating plan make. It's the one party that turns into a day of bad choices that turns into a week of more bad choices...and so on.

Ready, you could do it, but I wouldn't recommend it. As long as you really were able to stick within your calorie range, it wouldn't hurt your weight loss, but it probably would make you miserable! You'll arrive at the party absolutely ravenous and eat everything in sight with reckless abandon. Not good!

There are some other strategies you can try for dealing with parties and whatnot. You could reduce your calories for 100 cals each day for a few days surrounding the party, giving yourself an extra deficit. You could eat very lightly on the days when you anticipate a calorie-fest--no starving, but the lighter meals in your arsenal. You could add in some extra exercise. You could eat relatively normally and give yourself very rigid rules about what you'll do at the party: 2 appetizers and 2 glasses of wine, for instance, or one small plate of snacks with NO seconds. Stuff like that (which, in truth, is what you'd want to do no matter what other strategies you employ.) It's important too, to take the opportunity provided by challenges like this to practice for your life of maintenance, once you've finished losing. It's better to look for workable party strategies that you can employ for a lifetime. Starving all day and then bingeing is really not a life-long strategy.

I would lay it down as a universal law: it is NEVER good to starve all day long and then binge at night. Not healthy and not happy making. But, in truth, it probably won't affect your weight loss.

Just for the record I wasn't talking about not eating all day and then eating the whole days calories at the party. It might help if I had read the OP a little more carefully. My bad. If I haven't eaten all day I can pretty much guarantee I will not be making very good choices by the time I get there. Also me + hungry does not make a happy partygoer.

Let's say the party was last night and you ate more calories than you had planned. My advice would be learn from it and don't go starving.

Good advice -- I think I needed to hear it even though I had a feeling it was probably not such a good idea! This is a tough time of year to start on a new plan (I posted a question about alcohol in another place on the board), but I guess there are tough spots throughout the year so I should stop looking for excuses! It's weird how different a normal day's calories are in actual amounts of food (and so many party items are chock full of buttery crusts and sugar and just high, empty calories and one little thing can be so many calories) so it still takes a bit of adjustment -- THANK YOU for helping me along

No worries. We want to help you to make the best choices.

I think it depends on planning, mainly. If you eat 1500 calories a day, normally spread out into meals and snacks, but you know you have a holiday gathering tonight-start planning in the morning.

Still eat meals, but choose very low calorie things that are filling. For breakfast, have a bowl of oatmeal (100-200 calories, depending on how much, etc.)

Have a vegetable or fruit for a snack later...and a grilled chicken salad for lunch.

You will have eaten approximately 600 calories, so you have 900 to play with at the dinner party. You haven't fasted all day, but you were more careful.

Then you plan ahead for the calories that you have remaining. A small portion of a main course, and room for a treat afterwards-a holiday cookie, a glass of wine-just make sure whatever you choose as the treat, is what you really want, and savor it. Take advantage of veggie trays, etc. to "munch" but keep calories in line.

You can plan ahead for small holiday splurges, and enjoy something as a treat without overdoing it.

I don't like to be hungry - ever. Even on the day of a party. So I like to spread my calories out over an entire day, eating at least 5 or 6 times throughout.

If I know I am having a party or an event on a particular evening, I actually try and cut back all week prior to it. Not major amounts, but 100 calories or so a day. I don't like to look at things on a day to day basis, but instead over a weeks time. Having that extra 600 calories or so to "spend" at a party really works for me.

The occasional anything is not going to hurt your weightloss efforts.

I agree with all the advice that you have already been given. If you have a special party coming up and want to be able to save a few calories for the party (food or alcohol) I would recommend cutting back 100 calories per day leading up to the party and 100 calories per day just after the party.

On the day of the party - definitely make sure you eat something throughout the day so you are not starving and can maintain some level of control that night.

So if you typically average 1500 calories per day then the week of the party you may look something like this 1400, 1400, 1400, 2000, 1400, 1400, 1400

Lori

I think it basically works like this--when you are eating lightly during the day, your body uses what you eat for energy, and any deficit is made up by burning reserves.

Then, when you eat more than usual at that party, you eat more than your body needs at the time, so the excess gets stored as reserves.

So, as long as you don't go TOO low during the day (like fasting) or TOO high at the party, it all balances out.

If you've been eating on plan for some time, you'll find that your capacity to overeat has also lessened, so you may not WANT to pig out at the party. And if you pace yourself--eat slowly--avoid seconds, thirds--then you can still be having a good time and enjoying what you have.

Be free from the extremes! Don't fast all day and then stuff yourself--that's a recipe for loss of control and subsequent weight gain.

Just my opinion!

Jay