Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Skip a Meal

To drop a few pounds fast, you’ve skipped lunch. Or maybe you’ve only eaten a small piece of fruit for breakfast. But, dealing with hunger pangs and drops in energy levels are only a couple of things that happen when you skip a meal. Other alarming things happen, too.

Your blood sugar plummets

Skipping just one meal causes your blood sugar levels to crash. Because sugar is the primary source of fuel your body runs on, if you don’t have enough of it, every organ in your body is affected. You’ll start to feel tired and unwell. Without calories, your system switches to starvation mode to try to conserve energy. As a result, your metabolism slows down.

You start to feel foggy

Without a steady supply of nutrients, you start to feel foggy, moody, and irritable. When you do eat again hours later, your body feels relief, but only temporarily. Your metabolism remains low, and your blood sugar crashes again, causing you to experience brain fog and lack of energy. If you keep on skipping meals, your body will start to use your muscles as a fuel source.

Bottom line: Don’t skip meals

Not only does skipping meals take a toll on your body, but it also leads to a slower metabolism and hunger pangs. Instead, lose weight by eating smaller, healthier meals throughout the day. Make sure to eat high-quality, nutrient-rich food, such as lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

References

1. “Skipping Meals: What Happens When You’re Not Eating Enough,” Self, January 4, 2019.
2. “What Happens to Your Body When You Skip a Meal,” Women’s Health, November 4, 2014.