One more thing about big meals. Or no meals.
When you don’t eat, “saving your calories” for the next meal, you’re not fooling your body. You are just playing games with your mind.
When you skip a meal, so you can feel better about eating the next one, a bigger one — your body knows. It slows your metabolism just enough to compensate for the skipped calories. So, you are already in a zero-sum calorie game. You really haven’t “saved” anything.
Then when you do eat, you will end up with low blood sugar just before you eat again. Now you get a double whammy. First, you are unreasonably hungry. You eat too fast, you eat too much, and you throw down the highest calorie food in sight. And you can’t help yourself. You know you are doing it, but you do it anyway.
Second, your body, knowing you may starve it again soon, says to itself, “Hey, Self, this dummy that is feeding us is doing it sporadically. So, let’s just save the next 300 calories we eat, and store them as fat. That way we’ll at least have some fat around to tide us over when we don’t get fed on schedule.”
Meanwhile your metabolism is still depressed, so you have some extra, unused calories to dispose of at your next meal. Guess what your body does with that? Can you spell “F-A-T”?
Hmmm. Skip a meal. Lower your metabolism. Eat more. Store as fat. Overeat. Store more fat.
Makes sense, this skipping a meal business. The perfect prescription for a person successfully trying to gain weight. Anyone want to get on that plan?
How Do You Control Your Appetite?
Conclusion 5: Don’t Not Eat
Next to come…
Making Love is the Antidote
©2009 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.
19 thoughts on “Don’t Not Eat: Rule 5 to Control Your Appetite #WeightLoss #InspirationTips”
I am so guilty of this, but that’s not because I am trying to starve myself, it’s because whenever I am on the roll with a certain task I get carried away with it and time passes….but I definitely will try to be conscientious not to skip a meal!
I have heard starving yourself is terrible. I’m glad to see you explain it in layman terms though here (and I laughed).
I think the key is not to miss meals but to have smaller dosage per meal. This would give your body ample time to burn and use up the calories before the next meal.
I often eat breakfast since I eat too much during lunch. I guess this is one of the reasons why I don’t gain weight that much. Well, thanks for sharing this article. Will share this with my gym mates. 🙂
This makes lots of sense! I will definitely try to continue eating 6 small meals a day!
SKipping a meal is the worst! Not only do you store more fat but you totally get cranky too! It’s not a good idea.
Such excellent tips!! I’ve always been about eating small meals. Best way to keep the metabolism going :):)
I’ve heard this before. When you skip meals you actually make your body go into survival mode and you can gain wait instead of loose. It’s always great to eat but just eat healthy. Great post!
This is so true! I have always been taught to eat smaller meals each day vs 3 big meals. It keeps your metabolism going and you lose weight!
I love this post.
I really think it’s true. YOu cannot lie to your body. And if you keep it up with missing meals, your body begins to hold on to bad nutrients.
Thanks for share, this is very eye opening!
I have always been made fun of for eating like a bird, frequently. I have hypoglycemia so I eat often, but can I eat a meal at resturant in one sitting.. No way, I’ll eat off the same meal for three days. Small frequent meals or “grazing” as they call it has helped me stay thin.
It makes so much more sense to listen to what your body actually needs… than to try and go the mind over matter route!!
I am forever skipping meals which is 1/2 the reason I don’t lose weight. Unfortunately I am just not hungry and totally forget what time it is–and no I don’t over eat to compensate. I just eat all the wrong foods!
I have a good friend who starves to try to lose weight. It never works and they are always so disappointed and depressed over it. I wish there was more education about this!
That is so true! People think starving themselves works to lose weight. Not so! Thanks for sharing!
That is why when you are trying to lose weight you should focus on 5-6 small meals through out the day. A handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, etc. It levels out your blood sugar and helps you burn fat.
This is so well-explained! I’ve always heard that it’s not good to skip meals (but have been guilty of doing just that for way too long). Having it talked out so I can understand the reasons behind it, really helps! As a newly diagnosed diabetic, this is going to be even more important for me.
Thanks for the tips! I always try to eat about 5 small meals, but it can be so hard when you’ve got to go to work through the day and kids to play with when you get home. I appreciate the reminder!
I used to always skip breakfast and it was so bad for me. Now I try to eat three meals a day.