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The first strategy that comes to people's minds when trying to lose weight is resorting to skipping meals; that's when they don't know any better. People assume that skipping meals or eating less frequently helps us lose weight, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
Food fuels every part of our body and skipping a meal or fasting affects almost every portion of your body. Working through lunch, skipping breakfast, or going on the intermittent fasting bandwagon may appear small, but it can have a harmful impact.
One of the well-known advantages of eating three times a day is that the calories you ingest are divided across the day, avoiding hunger between meals while providing you with sufficient power for your workouts.
Negative effects of skipping meals
Skipping meals once a blue moon might be okay, but making it a habit to reach a certain goal will have detrimental effects on your long-term health.
Some negative consequences include:
1) Lowered blood sugar levels
If you skip a meal, your blood sugar levels may drop to a level where you feel tired, queasy, and potentially dizzy. A shortage of sugar within your body also hinders your brain from operating properly.
This implies you're more likely to be irritated, have a pessimistic attitude towards life, and feel drowsy.
2) Slower metabolism
Skipping meals can cause your metabolism to stall. When you don't eat for a lengthy period of time, your body goes into an energy-saving mode, making it more effective at accumulating calories as fat.
To save energy, your body might begin burning off muscle tissue for energy. This can result in muscle mass loss, which is harmful considering muscles burn more energy at rest than fat. As a result, your metabolism may stall even further.
3) Slowed brain functions
There are occasions where you choose to forego one meal to make up for a hefty meal. But, even skipping one meal weakens your body, and as a result, your brain can't perform actively, and you lose attention.
Since the brain is primarily powered by glucose, you might be unable to think properly as a result of low blood sugar levels caused by skipping a meal.This becomes worse if you make it a habit.
4) Mental health problems
Eating frequently throughout the course of the day tends to be healthier for your state of mind than missing the first meal of the day to cut calories or speed up your morning routine.
Those who frequently miss supper may establish a nocturnal eating habit, which will most likely consist of junk food. Furthermore, junk food boosts cortisol (a stress hormone) levels throughout the body, increasing the likelihood of mental health disorders.
5) Reduced sleep quality
Skipping a meal may deprive you of sleep, which is critical for your physical and mental well-being. You may become tired during the day if you do not get enough sleep.
Sleep deprivation or disruptions can have a major impact on daytime functioning, involving decreased concentration, slower response times and changes in mood.
Missing a meal now and then may not have major consequences, but making it a habit can change your body's metabolism. The way in which your body responds to missing meals depends on your age, diet, and health.
