The importance of eating regularly for weight loss

February 23, 2011

Have you made the decision to lose some weight – for good? You have some life-altering decisions ahead of you, like eliminating bad or trigger foods from not just your diet but your house, cutting out sugary drinks, and minimizing fat-laden foods. Extreme choices about your diet, however, like skipping meals or not eating consistently through your day, can lead to some significant issues.

Why Do Some People Skip Meals?

Most people of average activity level need to consume around 1800 calories each day, in order to maintain a consistent weight and to stay healthy. Going over that limit will result in unnecessary calorie consumption and eventual weight gain. Some dieters try to monitor their caloric intake by skipping some meals throughout the day, while eating whatever they like the rest of the time.

Unfortunately, many people will make themselves so hungry doing this that they wind up overeating, and will actually consume more calories than they would portioning them out during their day. Remember, if your body feels deprived because you’ve skipped a meal, your body will retaliate by reducing your metabolism. In other words, your body will convert food into energy more slowly, and you could wind up gaining weight as a result.

Consistent Meals are Crucial

So if you start skipping meals, chances are good that needle on the scale will climb up, not down – your body is storing fat it’s already accumulated, and won’t burn the calories you consume when you start eating again. Get around this ‘feast-or-famine’ mentality by eating three main meals daily, along with one or two nutritionally balanced snacks in between.

Breakfast is crucial for weight loss, because that’s the meal that gets you the initial energy you need to start the day. A simple meal of cereal and fruits can suffice to get you jump-started. After a few hours, consider eating a small snack to give yourself a pop of energy – not to mention help you from overeating at lunch. Make sure your afternoon snack, and your nutritionally balanced dinner, are eaten relatively early in the evening. If you eat too late at night, you’re not giving your body a chance to burn off those calories.

Remember, eating consistent, nutritionally balanced meals are an essential component of your weight loss regime. If you begin to skip meals, you run the risk of not achieving your weight-loss goals.

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