Skipping Meals — How bad is it? (Or is it okay?)
Recently, someone asked me how important is it to eat breakfast, pointing to a study that said those who ate breakfast weighed less and that eating breakfast within 30 minutes was critical for weight loss.
Before I continue, let me preface that I do think it's important to eat, and eat well, which is why we lay out a breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedule on our meal plans. That said, I'm not sure I buy into the notion that specific times are better (or worse) for everyone unanimously.
I've worked with enough clients over the years to have clear examples of people who eat after 7 p.m., or 9 p.m., or that skip breakfast or lunch, etc. and yet they still lost weight or maintained a healthy weight.
Here's the real problem with skipping meals (i.e., breakfast): Most people who skip a meal are so hungry by the time the next meal comes that they'll eat anything in sight, often picking the food that will come to them the quickest rather than picking whatever is healthiest. Skipping meals also makes it more likely that you will overeat.
For example, every time I've missed a meal and found myself starving, I ordered way too much food, ate the food feverishly with abandon to quell the hunger pains, and then felt uncomfortably stuffed afterward. Happens every time.
Same with midnight or late-night snacking. It's usually not the time you're eating that's the problem — it's what. Most people aren't getting up for celery sticks, they're getting up for cookies and ice cream. That's the problem, not the time of day.
Over the years I've found every body seems to have its own food time preferences. For example, I can't eat first thing in the morning if I plan to exercise. I have to exercise on an empty stomach (or several hours after I've eaten) or I'll want to puke. My husband, meanwhile, has to eat as soon as he rolls out of bed, especially if he plans to exercise.
Remember, 98% of the time it's about the food you're choosing and whether you are setting yourself up for success or failure by skipping a meal or snacking.
Having a plan in place (and prepared healthy food) helps you make better choices and avoid these traps.