You slept through breakfast, worked through lunch, or arrived home so sleepy that you headed straight to bed. Will there be consequences?
While your body's exact reaction to a missed meal will depend on your age, health, and diet, the act of skipping can jump-start a range of physiological processes—both good and bad.
1. Fact: You're more likely to gain weight, too.
Yup, the overeating thing has something to do with it. But the real danger kicks in as you move from skipping a meal here and there to severely restricting yourself. At that point, you actually start messing with your metabolism…and storing everything you eat as fat. "Our bodies are programmed to survive at all costs," explains Kirkpatrick. "It dates back to caveman days: If a caveman was in the forest and all his food ran out, his body would lower his metabolism — so he wouldn't need as many calories to stay alive."
2. You could run low on nutrients.
While skipping a meal here and there—sometimes referred to as "intermittent fasting"—can be beneficial, Longo says harnessing those benefits requires careful planning. Otherwise, you risk nutrient deficiencies linked to fatigue, poor mental function, and other health concerns. If you're considering fasting on a regular basis, consult with a registered dietitian or other nutrition pro to ensure you're getting enough protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids in your meals and snacks.
3. Your blood sugar is out of whack
Skipping even one meal decreases your blood sugar levels by a lot. (And, after eating, it stays higher if you stop exercising) You need sugar (glucose), because that’s the body’s fuel. (Cars don’t run without gas, do they?) Not enough sugar in your bloodstream circulating to the organs will have you feel tired, sluggish and bad-tempered, at the very least.
Then, when you finally decide to eat, you’re probably much hungrier, causing you to eat more than you normally would, which also leads to bloating. Your blood sugar level spikes way too fast, entering a roller coaster of ups and downs and increasing the risk of diabetes.
4. Your metabolism slows down
Not giving your body the nutrients and calories it needs to function properly will affect your metabolism. If the body has fewer calories to burn on regular basis, it will slow down, Engle says. This affects your ability to burn calories in general – the body doesn’t get rid of them as fast. This will prevent you from losing weight. Think about that next time you wonder why you’ve been working out but the number on the scale doesn’t change.
5. Your brain turns into MUSH.
Let's say that last night you made acquaintance with a delicious pepperoni-and-pineapple pizza … and consequently pushed it a slice (or two) past your usual limits. So to compensate, you think: "Bright idea 💡, I'll skip lunch!" But even after missing a single meal, your body is all like, HELL NO. And your blood sugar takes a dramatic nosedive — dragging your ability to think straight right along with it. "Your brain runs primarily on glucose," explains Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic. "When there isn't enough sugar in your blood to pull from, you lose your ability to focus." In other words, it's not *just* those hunger pangs and visions of French fries keeping you preoccupied in Spanish class. Your brain straight-up can't function. If you fall deeper into a diet, it gets even worse.
6. Your body stores fat
The body goes into starvation mode because it thinks a crisis is coming for which it needs to save energy. “You definitely don't want to skip meals to save calories because it sets your body up for larger fluctuations in insulin and glucose and could be setting you up for more fat gain instead of fat loss,” according to the authors of a study conducted at Ohio State University.
7. You get bad breath
Chewing food increases saliva. Bad breath is the result of decreased saliva, which flushes away bacteria from the mouth. When you skip meals, saliva decreases, your tongue is dry, and bacteria growth increases.
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Source: theactivetimes
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