Desperate to Lose Weight?  The Consequences of Skipping Meals   

Whether it's because of a bathing suit or a class reunion, there's usually something pressuring women to lose weight.  That self-inflicted stress can push you to choose what seems to be the easiest and fasted way to watch the numbers drop on the scale: skipping meals.  The truth is, this method sabotages your metabolism and causes weight gain.  By not eating regularly, you send your body into starvation mode, set yourself up for poor food choices, bad eating habits, and a host of other health issues.   

Does this sound familiar?  Your days are busy, so lunch is an easy meal to skip.  By 3 o'clock and you're starving.  You might hit the vending machine to calm the hunger pangs and then the drive-thru after work because you're exhausted.  Mentally, you may think you saved calories with only two meals and one snack, but it's the calories in each meal and their source, making the difference.  You can eat throughout the day and only consume 1,700 calories when you fill up on vegetables, lean protein, and a few fruits, keeping your blood sugar level.  However, the restaurant meal, could easily exceed 1,700 calories and be high in bloat-causing sodium.  A  2014 study showed "people who ate at a fast food or full-service restaurants consumed an extra 200 calories per day on average than people who ate at home".  Or are you one to forgo breakfast?  

When you cut out meals, your body isn't getting the fuel it needs to function.  Your metabolism is a chemical process that maintains life.  When it 's compromised, in order to ensure survival, it slows down or nearly stops, depending on how little it has eaten, and appetite will drop as well.  When food is ingested, calories will get stored as fat because your body doesn't know when it will get another meal.  This cycle causes weight gain and can be easily avoided by eating regularly.  Irregular eating habits also throws off your blood sugar, leading to diabetes risk and binging.  Drops in glucose also ruins concentration.  Your nervous system uses it for energy to think and produce "pleasure" hormones, like serotonin.  Without it, mental fatigue and depression set in.  These and other mood swings can also be caused by this or a lack of vitamins and nutrients.

It was estimated, in 2011, 31 million Americans skip breakfast.     According to a 2013 study by the research journal, Obesity, eating a big breakfast lowers fasting glucose and insulin levels as well as triglycerides.  They took two groups and put them on a 1,400 calorie diet.  One group had a big breakfast (700 calories) and the other a big dinner (700 calories) and each had 500 for lunch.  Aside from the above improvements shown in their blood tests, the "big breakfast" group lost an average of 17.8 pounds each and three inches off their waist line, compared to a 7.3 pounds and 1.4 inch loss for participants in the "big dinner" group!   "In addition, studies of young people found that breakfast-skippers consume 40 percent more sweets, 55 percent more soft drinks, 45 percent fewer vegetables and 30 percent less fruit than people who eat breakfast," states, the Institute of Food Technologists.  Hopefully, we've convinced you not to skip this meal.  Here are 21 easy breakfasts to get your metabolism revved up. 

These are all terrible prices your body pays for vanity, using this method to lose weight.  Eat regularly (especially breakfast), watch portions, read labels, and fill up on veggies to keep excess fat off, improve concentration, prevent mood swings, keep food cravings controlled, and notice improvements in your blood tests, if any are off.  You will also have more energy for day to day activities and workouts.  All leading to better and faster results to get fit and feel fabulous for life--not just one occasion!  You are worth it and we look forward to seeing you soon! 

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