The Skinny on Skipping Meals

Don’t have time for breakfast? Too busy for lunch? Do hours on end go by before you get a good meal in your body and then by the time you do, you are ready to eat everything in sight?

When we skip meals and don’t eat regularly, this slows a person’s metabolism down and the body goes into “starvation” mode. The body will cling to every calorie and stops burning fat, the body is protecting you from possible famine. When the body then gets food it will hold on to it and convert it to fat (for storage) because it doesn’t know when it might be getting another meal . This is why not eating does NOT help us lose weight over the long run. It actually hinders our weight-loss efforts and adds that extra padding just in case of emergency.

Ideally we should be eating 5-6 small meals a day that consist of lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. Start off with a stellar breakfast to fuel the body for the day’s activities- think of breakfast as setting the stage for what’s to come- letting the body know, you’re going to treat it well today. Two to three hours later have a healthy snack, some fruit, nuts & seeds etc.

Eating every 2-3 hours will keep the body regularly fueled. Think of your body as a car, you wouldn’t expect to get very far on EMPTY. You’ll find you have more energy throughout the day; you’re less cranky, sleep better and are even able to lose weight more easily because there is good fuel to burn and your metabolism is able to keep working at a steady pace. Add some exercise and watch that metabolism take off!