Could fasting or skipping meals help me lose weight?

I’m trying really hard to lose weight and I sometimes skip breakfast so I can reduce my calories. I’m also trying to eat less and even if I’m hungry, I don’t snack. I eat two meals a day but it doesn’t seem to work. What more can I do?

You can find this website http://www.drbdiet.com/as/menu/mbiet|TheProgram#weightlossprogram useful.

Not eating actually slows down your metabolism. When you eat first thing in the morning it signals the body to start burning. When you skip meals it signals the body to go into starvation mode which it basically will store what you eat instead of burning it. Don't skip meals to lessen calories, just change the type of food, eat foods with lower calories instead of skipping for less calories.

I was at a lecture a nutritionist was giving recently and she had this to say, "Eat every two to three hours. This is VERY important. If it had been three hours since you had eaten and the only thing you had was a doughnut, I would tell you to eat the doughnut. It is that important. Okay, don't eat the doughnut. But eat every three hours." Like Thick2Thin said, not eating slows your metabolism. Skipping meals is a very, very bad idea if you want to lose weight. Remember to eat as many vegetables as possible. They fill you up and they have practically no calories.

I second this statment.

I have heard many times that breakfast is what starts your metabolism to start working and start burning calories, and I have read that you need to eat some kind of breakfast even if it is as small as a boiled egg to start your metabolism for the day.

Yes, I definitely agree with Thick2Thin, Divided By...and sararay! Eat often and it will keep your metabolism going.

Intermittent fasting has a glut of health benefits. You still need to eat your daily calories, you just do it in a smaller window of time. I disagree with the traditional dogma that skipping meals adversely affects your metabolism but I can't articulate the reasons as well as this article does:

Eating More Meals Does NOT Speed Up Your Metabolism
Eating More Meals Does NOT Speed Up Your Metabolism - Part II

Argue forever about metabolism and weight loss, skipping meals won't work as a lifestyle change. Reduce carbs a little, reduce animal fat a lot (except fish), increase exercise a lot, increase veggies and fruit (without cheese, toppings, etc), use a food diary, and weigh yourself often. You can find what works for you...maybe different than others.

It's been working for me and this food diary online makes it easier.

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea. My trainer tells us you need to eat 5-6 times a day. You can find out more at my guys website; http://www.getyouinshape.com/Tips/Weight_Loss_tips01.html

Good find. I haven't read anything on IF in a long time. I haven't finished those articles yet, but from what I remember IF slows your metabolism and that is actually a goal since slowing your metabolism is key to slowing the aging process (IF rat experiments, etc.). Although I guess in the end it doesn't matter as long as there is a calorie deficit.

I agree with what everyone is saying. skipping meals is a definate no no. If you are going to skip anything, make it your late day meal or snacking time. a good breakfast will kick up your metabolism. your body needs food to run, just like a car needs gas. just make good choices, and when you are hungry, go for a bag of carrots or a snap peas. something crunchy will get you through. pack some apples for work. it takes a while to eat one andyou'll feel full from all the fiber and it's sweet, so it takes away those cravings as well.

im not here to promote you not to eat but the less you eat the smaller your stomach gets.
u do 2 meals per day including breakfast??if so then you need to have a nice breakfast to keep u up for the day...if your 2 meals dont include breakfast then make them 3 meals and make dinner just a simple snack with soup...you wont feel too heavy when you go to bed.its also best if you stop eating after 21.00 otherwise you dont burn that much

What it comes down to essentially...to lose weight you need to regularily burn more calories on a daily basis than consumed...it's simple math!!

Eating in regular intervals maintains the effeciveness of your metabolism (not speed it up or slow it down)...think of it as your internal engine...in order to keep you going, you need to keep it fueled....so it's up to you what sort of food you put into your body (as per the calroic intake )

Skipping meals messes with your blood sugar levels and can cause you to over eat or binge.

Believe me, as a person who lost a lot of weight by skipping meals and definitely not eating enough- it does work. But you WILL gain it back as soon as you start eating more- again speaking from my own experience.
I think you'd be better off eating healthy and exercising in a way that you can maintain for the rest of your life

Here's really something REALLY terrifying. If you think skipping meals and eating a ridiculously tiny amount of calories are good for anyone... take a look at my starting weight. No I'm not proud of it. No I'm not BSing about it. And finally... no I'm not fooling myself about how my weight got so high.

I was/am a meal skipper. While I was growing up I was constantly accused of sneaking food (even beaten for it) and that was apparently why I was gaining weight. I was 13 and had an undiagnosed underactive thyroid gland (really... normal if your in your 40's not normal when your hitting puberty). I don't have the typical love/hate relationship with food. I HATE EATING! I hate having food around me. I hate that I have to eat. I hate eating alone. I hate people seeing me eat. I hate the fact that people think all I do is eat. It's so bad that I have NEVER carried snacks for my children.

It's SO easy not eat. It really is. Up until the last year or two I could go without for two days before I HAD to eat something. And no it wasn't always healthy but I never stuffed myself stupid.

Then about 6/7 years ago I was living with this eastern european man and his life & his friends lives (also eastern european) seemed to revolve around food. Friends would come over & food would come out. If he felt I hadn't eaten enough he would urge more 0n me, even if I was full. We regularly go through TWO pounds of real butter every week! I was eating all day every day and guess what? I lost 40lbs in two months. I wasn't even dieting. My doctor calls it grazing and she recommends it. I've been trying to recapture that way of eating ever since.

But being a single mom with 2 kids it's much harder to do. When I was with him, we shared the meal prep and he would always offer me food and I was happy.

Whatever you do... do not... I repeat... do not skip meals. If you want to be 300lbs go ahead and skip otherwise eat your meals. If it's hard to eat first thing in the morning, it is for me, then grab a hard boiled egg, or a banana and then eat something later. I have no time in the morning for breakfast & being lactose intolerant a glass of milk or bowl of cereal is out of the question. I just grab a quick bite in the morning on my way out the door. It used to be a piece of fruit but now I'm on Atkins. I grab a hardboiled egg or a piece of cheese or a cheese string. And then I have breakfast about 9/9:30.

Good luck!