Go ahead and eat!
Want to lose weight? Don’t eat! Right? So wrong. Skipping meals might seem like a great way to shed pounds, but this technique does not feed the body in a nutritious way, and can really backfire.
Myth #4: Skipping Meals Is the Key to Losing Weight
It’s a Weight Loss Myth that skipping meals helps you lose weight—especially if you’re skipping breakfast or lunch and making up for it at dinner. When you “fast” during the day and then binge at dinner (because you’re starving), you can incite risky metabolic changes.
Skipping meals elevates fasting glucose levels and delayed insulin response. This makes you far more likely to gain or retain weight, especially when you follow a period of starving with a big, robust meal. After all, skipping meals can also make you much hungrier later in the day, inciting you to overeat or binge. There’s another danger to skipping breakfast, though: If you chronically skip meals, your body will get used to being inactive, and your metabolism will slow way down. Ironically, that makes you far more likely to gain weight. While skipping meals might help you lose weight in the short-term, this tactic always fails in the long run.
Well, not always. Fasting has its place and can be a health-boost when done right. But if you’re going to skip a meal, there are two very important things you need to know:
- The best meal to skip is always a late-night dinner. In my Curb Your
Cravings Weight-Loss Program, I work clients up to this ideal, making sure
their last meal of the day happens early in the evening so that there’s a
good solid 12-hour period before the next meal. - Before you do this, you must first establish great eating habits at every
meal—meaning that you eat the right things, in the right proportions and
the right amounts. And that should always include a nutritious breakfast
with protein and healthy fats.
Once you have that second thing down, the first becomes much easier. Letting your digestive system rest for 12 hours at night can give your body a chance to renew before that healthy breakfast.
Let’s recap:
- Eat three healthy meals a day
- Always make lunch your biggest meal, and dinner your lightest
- Eat a protein-rich breakfast that includes healthy fats
- Eat more leafy green vegetables
- Don’t be afraid to eat a light snack between meals (emphasis on the light!)
The bottom line: Think of food as nourishment, not a weakness you should resist. Breakfast is a key element to a healthy lifestyle. Aim to eat healthier at every meal, and you’ll keep your body well-fed—that’s the best way to lose weight!
Lose Weight for the Long Run
Learn to Eat for Nutrition & Enjoyment
Trying to lose weight? You’re not alone. Today more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese—not surprising when you consider our culture of take-out and eating on the run. That’s why we’ve developed our Curb Your Cravings Weight-Loss Program. Now you can lose weight and feel great with the right support tools to finally get long-lasting results while becoming a healthier and more balanced you.
“I highly recommend Happy Belly Health if you’re looking for a reset and a better relationship with food.” – Maddy, San Francisco
