Skip Meals Much?

As I sit here fasting for the Jewish holiday and counting down the hours and minutes until I can eat again, I am even more baffled by people who regularly skip meals or "forget" to eat. How, exactly, does one do that? My body is simply not calibrated to skip meals. And forget to eat? I'd have to be unconscious.

Fortunately, the eating plan that has allowed me to lose 25 lbs. and maintain that weight loss for well over a year does not advocate skipping meals. I can't imagine any good weight-loss plan doing so. By eating every few hours or so, you're allowing your blood sugar to remain on an even keel and keeping something in your stomach so that you don't overeat the next time you do eat. You just can't make good eating choices when you're over-hungry, and you're very likely to eat more than you should before your stomach can signal your brain that you're full. That leads to weight gain, yo-yo dieting, all the bad stuff that keeps you from reaching your goals.

So eat! Don't skip meals! If you're shoring up calories for a splurge later in the day, just cut back on earlier meals and snacks--don't skip them entirely. If you have to pick a meal to skip, I'd go with dinner because you'll probably go to bed soon after and won't likely be doing anything strenuous before you eat breakfast. (And you don't need me to tell you how important breakfast is.) But even so, not a good practice. Whether it's just a snack or a full meal, eat something every 3-5 hours while you're awake, and stock up on quick snacks that will see you through until the next time you're hungry (for inspiration, see my last post about my 10 favorite snacks). And wish me luck: a little over three hours to go!