20 Feb Why Skipping Meals is a Bad Idea

If you are trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to skip a meal here or there.  In fact, many people who are dieting choose to skip breakfast in an effort to reduce the number of calories they eat.  While it may seem logical that skipping meals will help you drop the pounds by reducing your caloric intake, skipping meals is an unhealthy way to treat the body and can lead to malnutrition.  In addition, it can actually make it more difficult for you to lose weight. 

The reality is that skipping meals causes your body to go into what many people refer to as “starvation mode.”  In other words, your body begins to shut down some of its process in preparation for starvation.  As a result, it actually begins to store more of your food as fat, which makes it more difficult for you to take the pounds off.  This starvation mode also causes your metabolism to slow down and can make it more difficult for you to tell when you are hungry and when you are full.  Furthermore, in an effort to conserve energy, your body will not allow you to burn off as many calories as it will when it is properly fed.

Of course, skipping meals can have an effect on your body in other ways as well.  Skipping meals deprives your body of important nutrients, including depriving your brain of glucose.  As a result, your may experience poor concentration, low energy levels and possibly even loss of memory.   You are also more likely to experience bad moods and you can even put yourself at a greater risk of developing anemia or experiencing bone loss.  You may even become more susceptible to colds and other illnesses if you skip meals.

If you want to keep your body healthy while also making it easier to lose weight, focus on eating 6 small meals per day rather than skipping meals.  By eating every 2 to 3 hours, you will maintain your metabolism while also providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly.