Any dieter might tell you that they have been skipping meals to lose weight. Sadly, it’s a reality a lot of us face out of sheer desperation to try and battle the bulge.

I know I’m personally guilty on a regular basis for not eating breakfast. This is not really with the aim to lose weight, but out of lack of hunger and time in the mornings. I would choose a brunch-type breakfast over a standard cereal but time doesn’t always allow it.

Skipping meals, especially long term can have a negative impact on your weight loss journey. This is for a number of reasons which you might not have even expected or realised.

A typical week should have at least 21 meals, this being breakfast, lunch and dinner. This doesn’t include any snacks, planned and unplanned. So if you are eating significantly less than 21 meals a week you might find this helpful.

Skipping Meals To Lose Weight

Skipping meals slows down your metabolism

Not eating for prolonged periods of time can have a negative effect on your metabolism. You ideally want a fast metabolism if you are looking to lose weight. A fast metabolism means your body is using and burning calories quickly. When you skip a meal your metabolism slows down and doesn’t function as it should.

Energy levels can drop from lack of food

Breakfast is often hailed as the most important meal of the day. This is not only to kick start your metabolism after your sleep but to also provide you with energy. If your energy levels are low the chances are you have low blood sugar. You can only solve this by eating foods to give you energy. You can quickly feel light headed and feel faint from low blood sugar.

This can have a huge impact on your whole day. Your ability to be present during the day and your mood can be dictated by this blood sugar level where you have not eaten. Having a diet mentality can impact your general mood, so try to avoid making it worse by skipping meals. Long-term can even lead to long-term conditions such as diabetes.

Messes up your routine and  food planning

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. This quote was often used during my slimming world group meetings as a way of making us realise the importance of planning.

When you plan what you are going to eat for the week, meal times are less stressful. When you skip that meal you might find you might not want your next planned meal. Where you are hungrier than you expected you are likely to want a larger plate of food. Being hungry can lead to making bad choices and even binge eating.

Not eating impacts your mental health

People who regularly skip meals have bigger emotional responses, poor concentration and increased stress levels.

Often lack of food can affect your ability to sleep as well as a higher chance of depression and anxiety.

Next time you are thinking about missing a meal to help lose weight, consider these reasons not to. Instead, try eating smaller portions and spreading your food allowance throughout the whole day. Think more along the lines of little but often to improve your chances of losing weight.