Do You Skip Meals? This Is What Happens To Your Body If You Do – Doctor NDTV

A post on the Instagram page “Nutrition By Lovneet” states the many ways in which the body reacts when you skip meals. Do you want to know what happens exactly? Read on.

  By: DoctorNDTV    Edited By:  NDTV Health Desk Updated: Feb 24, 2022 11:40 IST

3-Min Read

If you don’t have your meals or don’t eat for long hours, you’ll end up binge eating

Many people suffer from obesity or extra fat accumulation in the body and opt for different ways to get rid of the same. To do so, many people give a try to various ways like dieting, working out or even skipping meals, without any proper knowledge. Simply, the notion is that if you eat less (skip meals), you’ll end up losing weight. However, that’s not how it works. Also, sometimes, you just skip meals because you’ve been occupied by work. Whatever may be the reason, you should never stay hungry for so long. And if you do so, your body undergoes a lot of changes and does not help you in any way. A post on the Instagram page “Nutrition By Lovneet” states the many ways in which the body reacts when you skip meals. Do you want to know what happens exactly? Read on.       

The caption mentioned, “Well, skipping meals seems like the right thing for people who are trying to lose some weight. But skipping meals to lose weight does more harm to your body than good.”

Here’s what happens when you skip your meals:

1) Binge eating later

If you don’t have your meals on time or you don’t eat for long hours, you’ll end up binge eating. Why so? This is because when you skip a meal, your body automatically turns to survival mode. This makes your cells and overall body crave food which ultimately results in your response – eating a lot. Usually, the main aim is to eat healthy, but your body only tends to crave unhealthy food items. And, you will notice that you eat anything you like without restrictions when you are that hungry.

2) Your metabolism can change

If you are someone who skips meals on a regular basis, then let us tell you that your body may shift your system to starvation mode. This means that the body is trying to save energy. However, not eating your breakfast or dinner, decreases your overall metabolism and rather slows down the weight loss process.

3) You are likely to get hungry  

Are there times when you feel like your brain has stopped functioning and absolutely everything around you is irritating? Well, if that happens, remember that you’ve hit the “hungry o’clock.” This happens because skipping meals has also been associated with lower motivation and energy levels and even impaired cognitive function. During such times, your body begins to increase the production of cortisol (the stress hormone), leaving you hungry.

4) Can cause hormonal changes

When you don’t eat your meals properly, the level of stress hormone – cortisol – increases in the body because it starts thinking that you are starving. This may have adverse effects on your health. An increase in the levels of cortisol can result in weight gain, impact your immune function, increase disease risk, and blood sugar imbalances.

5) Can be at risk of Nutritional Deficiencies  

Skipping meals on a regular basis also means that you are eating less than you are supposed to or what your body requires. This affects your body and decreases your overall nutrient intake making you vulnerable to various nutritional deficiencies.

Take a look:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaFFxjFlHmW/

So, do make sure that you have your meals properly on time even if you are trying to lose weight.