Skipping Meals - Is it Really That Bad?

Have you ever felt lethargic, unable to focus, craving carbohydrates and sugars, weak or even dizzy when it has been a while since you've eaten? These are the initial signs and symptoms you'll get when skipping meals or going too long without eating. Your body may be able to adapt over time to this behavior, but what is happening within your body is silent and much worse.

So many of us skip meals in an effort to cut back on calories, boost weight loss or because we run out of time. In reality, however, we’re really working against ourselves. Let’s start by understanding what happens to your body when you skip meals.

There Is A Lot Going On Behind The Scenes

When you skip a meal it starts to cause your hormones to become imbalanced. Sure, one meal won’t cause much harm, but when you continue to skip meals over a prolonged period of time it begins to cause dramatic effects internally. Not only is there significant hormonal imbalance, but you are also affecting your metabolism and the fundamental processes within the body.

When you skip a meal it causes low blood sugars and triggers something within the brain – and this starts a process to try conserve energy and store what you eat as fat, a sort of "feast or famine" type of effect. The brain sends signals to the rest of your body that you are starving, and it goes to work by putting your body into “starvation mode”. This is a natural process and actually a good thing (if you are on a desert island), but not so great for weight loss or maintenance.

Your Body Tries To Protect You, But You Won’t Like The Impact

The "feast or famine" response happens silently within the body and helps to conserve energy, and if needed, prevents you from starving to death. The outcome is fatigue, hunger, cravings and your body holding on to everything you eat and storing it as fat. The end result? You will likely end up gaining weight since your body is in fat storage mode.

So, while skipping a meal may sound like a great idea to cut back on calories or eat less throughout the day, you are ultimately working against yourself. Not only will find it challenging to make it through the day due to lack of energy, but you'll also find that losing weight becomes harder and harder as you age.

How Should We Eat?

Small, frequent meals make all the difference. Shoot for eating a breakfast within 1 hour of waking, which includes some form or protein (Greek yogurt, eggs, nuts/natural nut butters, seeds, etc.). Protein helps to keep you feeling more full and satisfied and prevents your blood sugars from dropping too quickly. Strive to eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and your energy levels high. Remember, food is our fuel. Long periods of time without eating leads to feeling lethargic, unmotivated, "hangry" and unable to focus. A consistent lifestyle like this can cause serious damage to our metabolism making it harder to maintain and lose weight as we age.

So do yourself a BIG favor: take a few moments each evening to put your meals and snacks together for your day. This will help you to have what you need to keep your energy levels high, your hunger at bay and your metabolism functioning for you - not against you.