Okay to Skip Meals?

Jillian Michaels
Okay to Skip Meals?

Q: I'm trying to learn to listen to my body and eat only when I am hungry, and sometimes I just don't really want anything to eat. Is it okay to skip meals or to eat fewer than the recommended calories?

A: You should NOT skip meals. There are so many adverse effects to skipping meals. Not only does it slow rightyour metabolism but it can lead to overeating, because when you do eat you're overly hungry.

As for cutting your calories below your calorie allowance, this is tricky.

The first golden rule is never to let your daily calorie allowance fall below 1,200 if you are a woman and 1,500 if you are a man. Falling below these daily allowances can do real damage to your metabolism and result in excessive loss of lean muscle tissue. When you dramatically reduce your calories on a consistent basis, it can slow your metabolism or trigger a plateau.

Consistent exercise — plus the occasional high-calorie day — will help ward off a plateau.

Now, provided you are not going below 1,200, you CAN drop your daily calories below your allotted allowance, but make sure that you are exercising and taking the occasional high-calorie day to help you avoid a plateau.

Last Updated: 07/23/2009

I totally disagree with this point of view. If you are eating when you are hungry and trusting your body then this is bull...You will not over eat if you eat as soon as you feel hunger. Waiting until you are ravenous is not what this is about at all. If you are not hungry when it is "time" then you just wait an hour or what ever the time frame might be. When you feel your body asking for food then you eat. Don't wait until you are ravenous and this kind of over eating she talks about will not happen.

If your body needs fuel it will tell you. It may be hard to "hear" it when you first begin listening to it but it will happen over time. I think it is a grave mistake to eat when you are not really hungry. It is like saying you do not trust yourself to know when you are needing nutrients! We all do know when to eat if we just listen to our bodies.

Right now I'm watching the Atkins DVD - Atkins Complete Fast, Easy & Healthy (I got it at the library). One of the 'success stories' said that she sometimes skips lunch because she's just not hungry. If that were such a bad thing, I doubt they would have included it in the video.

The only meal I ever force on myself is breakfast.

i dont disagree with skipping meals..i hardly ever when listening to myself am hungry at lunch it is more like 2:30 or 3:00...but i do post alternative ideas just for the knowlege of having what is being said available...if that makes sense

Sometimes I skip meals because I am just not hungry. Eating when I'm not hungry got me up to 270lbs, so if I'm not hungry I don't eat. That also doesn't meant that I overeat the next day, either. So, I have to disagree with Jillian.

if you dont want to skip meals, eat less at a time. instead of indulging in the entire burger, eat half, then when you are hungry for dinner eat the rest. not only do you eat less, you bump up your metabolism by eating frequently. just dont overeat and you will most likely be hungry in 4 hours if you digest properly... i do not, so i have to eat very little every 1-2 hours. whatever works for you!

prettypastry - i also have a lazy stomach - so 16oz of anything liquid and im not hungry for hours...lol

I usually eat when I'm hungry. I don't think we have to eat because it's time. the thing is we have to make the difference between what our mind says and what our body needs. I know that if I follow what my mind says, I will eat very often, actually everytime I'm in the kitchen!! but I made the habit to listen to my body, and it works. I have lunch around 11 or 11.30 (which is not the "normal" time to have lunch) because my stomach gets crazy and I can't wait for noon. But if one day I'm not hungry I will wait until hunger appears to eat something. I don't agree with the feed-your-body-no-matter-the-hunger thing... thanks Veggies for your posts, they are always very interesting to read!!