Skipping meals; good idea or bad?

[Blancal0ve]

My friends tell me its really bad. I haven't had lunch (when i can help it) for 4 months. Now i skip breakfast and lunch. No snacks, just dinner. Bad?

[sovetskii13]

It is said to have 4 smaller meal per day since it's less stressive on your body. It's definitely bad to skip meals especially breakfast. That is the most important meal of the day because it's the one that gives you energy for the day. If you are looking for help with weight loss then it's best to skip your last meal. Why? Eating breakfast will give you calories and other things but you will burn them during your daily activities. But you don't burn the calories and fat after dinner since you are not very active after dinner. Makes sense.

[MadBoy]

Yeah, it's bad.

I have a question for you. What is your height and weight?

[Blancal0ve]

5 6". I'm now about 110. Why?

[MadBoy]

A quick google tells me you're definitely not fat.

Now, if you're naturally skinny due to high metabolism, you're hurting yourself far more than you think. Regardless of everything, your body needs energy and nutrition. Basically starving your body, only eating dinner, is very bad. I won't be surprised that you literally have no energy to do anything, deal with depression, and even have faint spells from time to time.

If you're starving yourself because you want to avoid fat due to having weight beforehand or just because you feel like that, I still recommend you stop starving yourself immediately.

[Blancal0ve]

I dont feel like i can change. Its like a cage that keeps getting smaller and i keep getting more trapped. I can't changge on my own. I learned this because over spring break i went on a trip with my parents and had to eat normally. But my thoughts didn't change and I've become more determined. My friends say i have an eating disorder

[MadBoy]

From what you tell me, it does sound like you have one.

Do you know exactly why you feel guilty eating? Or is it just the act itself that makes you feel guilty?

[Blancal0ve]

I dont completely understand why. Its just like, i feel better about my self when i dont eat, i have very very low self esteem, and when i eat, its like im ruining myself cuz ill get fat, and i hate the feeling of being full, its hard to explain. I dont like how i look abd i just want control. Im guilty cuz i know i could do better. Im a huge perfectionist and im afraid of people judging me

[MadBoy]

Well, if anything, starving yourself can slow your metabolism. And that's bad, and in some cases counterproductive. You can actually gain weight from doing that. And this is even worse than the usual fat.

If anything, I would try and either tell your parents about this and muscle your way through this with their help, or talk to a doctor or someone who specializes in eating disorders. One of the first steps to recovery is noticing the problem. Now you have to take action.

If you're really so scared of gaining weight, my suggestion would be to exercise as well as eating the usual 3 square meals a day. You will not only keep your figure (and then some, since working out can help someone look and feel much better (I know this from experience), but you will also have energy and a healthy body.

If you don't mind, what do you think causes your low self esteem? People judging you?

[Blancal0ve]

My friends, my childhood. Dont get me wrong, i know mine was good. Just fears i had when i was little contributing. My friends have teased me on several occasions, im not going into that, only saying that they did not listen to me. My new friends after that make me feel stupid. I want to be smart but they ( probabyl unknowingly) cut me down and make me feel so little. I was always afraid my mom didn't love me as much as my friend ( which is stupid now i know because thats not true). My parents are just strict and I want to be perfect. And thats not going to happen.

[MadBoy]

... To be honest, I don't know what to say here. But I do hope that you can boost your self esteem back up one day. Nobody can be perfect. And even if they could, then what is perfect? What is the perfect person?

And don't worry about being smart or anything. I'm sure you know things that some people your age don't. And I'm sure you're giving yourself less credit than you are really getting.

I really hope everything goes well for you in the future. I know it'll be hard (I've gone through it myself), but I want you to try and boost your self-esteem. Talk to your family about these issues, and hopefulyl something good will happen. Best of luck to you.

by the way, sorry for the lateness. It was 5 in the morning and I really needed some sleep... And if you need to talk to someone, I'm pretty much open. Here, I'll turn off anon so you know who I am.

[Anonymous]

I skip breakfast and sometimes I forget to have lunch. I'll eat a banana or something on the way to work in the late afternoon.
My bf gets mad when he knows Im not feeling good and he asks me if I have eaten anything :/
Also my parents get mad because they know how shaky I get if I don't eat for hours.

Not having a normal time diet can mess up your metabolism. Either your body starts eaiting itself, or stores the energy like fat because it doesn't know when it's next source of energy (food) is coming in.

[SammyGurl]

For me it's a bad idea, I get so ravenously hungry that I end up eating more than I would have by eating a balanced meal. A lot of girls I know skip meals a few of them end up going on junk food binges every once in a while because they do.

[Blancal0ve]

I could never do binges. I would be too guilty afterwards. I get really guilty and feel fat and stupid by eating. I just contain my hunger because its the only way i have control. Is that bad?

[SammyGurl]

Probably not if you are able to control the hunger level without your body wanting a binge, sounds like you are managing ok. I can't skip meals, maybe one meal on the days I work out in the gym, if I don't fuel up I end up getting light headed from blood sugar dropping to zilch. It's not a bad thing to treat yourself every now and then to something really good, home made cookies, ice cream, fruit I just try not to make it too frequent and in moderation.

[Blancal0ve]

Oh, im always light headed. I just ignore that. and im always cold. I really hate the idea of food. Im terrified of getting fat.

[SammyGurl]

As long as you balance things you're not going to get fat, being hypoglycemic all the time is nothing to ignore. Try eating veggies, you can consume quite a lot of vegetables and still not be taking in a whole lot of calories, it takes more for your body to process a lot of vegetables than they contain in calorie content. Fruits because of their natural sugars should be kept in moderate amounts.

[MrScTi]

It depends on how long you insist on fasting and how much body fat you have. Obese people are well-equipped to fast for several days without serious health consequences. Of course you need to hydrate.

Your lifestyle as well as the size of your meals serve as important factors as well. If you're sedentary and eat a 1,600-1,800 calorie dinner, you're going to be fine. What may become an issues is whether or not you're getting enough micronutrients in your meal.

[Blancal0ve]

My friend says I'm skinny and dont need to loose weight. Im a size 0 in jeans (smallest is 00) and my bmi is 18.1. I eat a mediumish dinner and thats it. My parents are into healthy so we eat really good stuff, all organic. I just get super guilty eating. Is that bad?

[MrScTi]

You shouldn't feel guilty when eating. That's the precursor to an eating disorder. At size 0 and a BMI of 18.1, there's no reason to feel guilt. Nourish yourself. Being paper thin isn't ideal so don't take it too far.

[Blancal0ve]

i can't help feeling guilty, I just do. I like having control and the thought of gaining the weight back makes me panic. It scares me so much. I can't realy control it anymore. At first it was a choice to skip lunch, and now I have no choice but to, and now the same for breakfast. Its like a cage that only gets smaller.

[MrScTi]

Make sure your meals are big and you eat foods that you enjoy. People do practice intermittent fasting where they only eat one or two large meals per day within 4-6 hours, and most of these people build muscle doing it.

Eat a big meal. If you want control, count your calories and make sure you get around 1600-2000 per day. That's control.

[Blancal0ve]

My dinner is mediumish. Not large. I hate the way i feel when im full. I no longer enjoy food. I used to and now I hate it because i feel fat and scared when i eat.

[MrScTi]

You need to tell your parents this and insist on seeking the advice from a professional. You shouldn't feel fat when you're not fat and you shouldn't feel afraid. This isn't healthy and you need to sort this out before it becomes a serious problem.

[Blancal0ve]

My friends think its an eating disorder. I'm not totally convinced.

[Accipiter]

It's bad. I once took a medication prescribed by psychiatrists and it killed my appetite to the point where I always felt full and would get by on as little as one slice of pizza per day. I was a total wreck. I couldn't function in school or in social interactions. Then it got to the point where I was throwing up and dry heaving due to an empty stomach.

[Blancal0ve]

Awww did you get better?

[Accipiter]

Yeah. I forced myself to eat more. But I still had a small appetite and ate much less than most people while on those meds. I thought it would be a good opportunity to lose weight, but it didn't work. I stopped taking those meds and felt amazing.

[Blancal0ve]

Im glad you got better

[Anonymous]

If you must skip a meal, skip dinner instead of lunch or breakfast. I hardly ever eat dinner, and sometimes I skip breakfast but I always eat lunch. If you have a sedentary lifestyle its not a big deal. Better than overeating with a sedentary lifestyle like most Americans do.

[kitkat9]

From reading some of your comments it sounds like you're well on your way to developing an eating disorder. This is serious; you need to talk to your family and possibly get some professional help.

[Blancal0ve]

I think thats the general consensus. I still have a really hard time seeing it that way tho

[kitkat9]

I'm sure it must be hard but it's so much better that you take everyone's advice and help yourself now before it gets a whole lot worse.

[Blancal0ve]

Yeah, I even talked to one of my friends who had an eating disorder. She says it sounds just like the one she had. I know I should listen but the hard part is that my parents can't find out.

[kitkat9]

Why would it be so terrible if they found out? Sure they would be pissed at first but it will be so much better for all of you in the long run. Imagine telling them now, or waiting until they get a call that their daughter is in a hospital and literally starving herself to death. I know that sounds a little extreme but it could happen. It's time to suck it up, act like the adult you are, and tell them.

[Blancal0ve]

Because I'm about to go to college. My parents are SUPER overprotective and i need to get away from it. They wouldn't let me go and i dont want them to think that im messed up because they dont deserve to have someone like me.

[kitkat9]

I'm trying to say this in the nicest way possible but you really need to get over yourself! You think your parents are overprotective but they just simply want what's best for you. Obviously you don't know what's best for you so maybe you should let them help you make the right decision about college. If you refuse to tell your parents about it and they don't find out until much later they will only blame themselves for not being able to see it, when you are the one who should've told them all along. Like I said, do everyone a favor and just ask for help!

[kartavyabanker]

Never ever skip break fast.. It's the main meal of the day.. It's really bad.. If it's your appetite problem you should go to gym.. If it's your thinking that eating makes you fat it's time to change your mentality

[Liveyyy]

you should really quit this type of eating. Try to eat more meals a day, like anywhere from 3-6 meals. I only say this because your metabolism is going to be so messed up if you only eat once a day.

[Blancal0ve]

I can't. Its no longer a choice. I can't eat lunch anymore without guilt and hating myself. I feel like thats bad But I don't know why.

[Liveyyy]

Maybe just slowly wean yourself into eating lunch with really small meals? Like a few grapes? And why do you think you hate yourself because of this? Are you anorexic?

[Blancal0ve]

My friends (the three I've told) think i am. I dont tho. It doesn't seem that important to me. I was just curious what other people thought. Im tired of being terrified. And thinking about eating lunch makes me panic

[Liveyyy]

Do you think you are fat? Or does eating lunch just scare you for a reason you do not know?

[Blancal0ve]

I need to loose weight and its never enough. I lost like maybe 20 lbs since last year. Now im about 110 but its not enough and i still think im way to heavy. I'm so afraid to gain weight, that i dont eat lunch, and now breakfast too. Its like anxiety

[Liveyyy]

You're definitely not too heavy, in fact you may be underweight. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to ditch this mindset and start eating more. If not, I think it may be a good idea to seek out help from a psychologist

[Liveyyy]

There are many types of doctors out there willing to help with eating disorders

[Blancal0ve]

Im just afraid I guess because its so final and i can't let my parents know.

[lumos]

Yes it's bad, since you most likely don't eat enough at dinner to make up for the fact that you don't eat breakfast or lunch. If you have an eating disorder, get help.

[Blancal0ve]

But then i can loose weight. Why is that bad? I'm fat and i need to.

[lumos]

According to your BMI, you're not. Skipping meals is not a healthy way to lose weight. It can seriously damage your body.

[Blancal0ve]

Im just always so scared. I get really panicy when i think about gaining weight back. I want to loose more

[lumos]

Get help.

[Blancal0ve]

easier said than done

[lumos]

Duh, no shit. But if you continue like this, your organs will take a lot of damage, and in the end you might even die a slow and painful death. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to recover. Don't you want to be able to eat normally again without feeling anxious, guilty and fat? Don't you want to be honest with your parents and the people around you? The only way to recover is to get help.

[maiez]

Do you often feel tired and out of energy? If yes then its bad, if you feel fine then dont stress it, but it couldnt hurt to eat more.

[Blancal0ve]

Im always tired and out of energy

[Phoenix98]

Personally for me it's really bad because I have a certain amount of protein, calories etc I have to consume a day and if I miss a meal that can mean setbacks which I can't have.

[Hello_Lemonz]

Bad...
Have at least breakfast.. Or small snacks..

[Blancal0ve]

I did and now i cut that out of my diet. Im afraid im gonna get fat so i stopped. My friend says im skinny and but i think i need to loose weight,

[Hello_Lemonz]

You can eat dear..
Just don't eat the junks.. (such as sugar and stuff)
You can be skinny and healthier (By healthier I mean fit) By exercising

[Anonymous]

Doesn't matter when you eat what you eat it matters what you eat and how much.

Like it's better to eat one large very healthy meal then five Minnie cheese burgers throught the day.

[Blancal0ve]

I eat really healthy. I have a normal sized portion of dinner. Now thats it.

[Opinion Owner]

Well if you're functioing ok with it then it's ok. When it's not enough yoir body will let you know. I don't know if you're trying to lose weight but cutting calories by more than 15% is not a good idea. If you lose weight too quickly you can become deficient in certsin essential nutrients plus yoir dkin can get loose

I don't know what normsl size meal means to you but you shouldn't gobelow 1200 calories. And yes you can get that in one meal. It's called half pigu. The logic brhind getting what you need in one meal instead of msny is thst It trains your body to feed off of what you eat during the day so you're not dependent on food to boost your blood sugar constantly. It is very healthy break for your endocrine system and It's advisable for people who are prone to diabetes. or hypoglycemia or anyone who wants to reach homeostasis with blood Sugar levels. Aldo make sure to get at least one half gram protidn per pound body weight.

[Klaatu51]

itis... it'sbetter to have 4-5 small meals during the day basically

[Blancal0ve]

I can;t bring myself to eat. I pretend I do so that my parents dont notice but now its just dinner. I get really guilty eating and I feel super fat and bloated. Is that bad? or is me loosing weight this way good?

[sillygirl13]

It is not good but I have done so too I just didn't get hungry or didn't have time and I usually don't have breakfast

[XNicholeMariex3]

Eh... I eat whenever I am hungry... I never have a set time of when I eat meals.

[justbanANNAz]

i do a lot but i dont even care about how bad or good it is. if it works, it works. *shrugs*

[Coolguy1928]

Bad. If you skip a meal your metabolism will be weakened.

[supergirl999]

it's not good if you want to get abortion like 4 times.

[Blancal0ve]

What does abortion have to do with this? Sorry, confused.

[justbeinghonest]

Haha what?

[Blancal0ve]

Haha so confused... typo? Did you mean "abortion"?

[supergirl999]

because your baby fetus will eat your body out til you get abortion.

[Blancal0ve]

okay thats nice.

[supergirl999]

trust me you will need it

[Blancal0ve]

Haha okay

[supergirl999]

good

[hypno-trip]

I think it's bad cause you can overeat. there were other reasons too...

[WhaChaChaKing]

Bad. It slows your metabolism so if you're trying to lose weight that's not going to happen.

[Octavion]

Yes. Your body needs nourishment.

[Octavion]

Yes as in it's a bad idea. Sorry

[Blancal0ve]

What is a better idea?

[Octavion]

At least have some snacks throughout the day. Get nutrient bars. Eat some fruit. Have something with protein. Basically anything. You shouldn't starve yourself.

[Blancal0ve]

But i feel SO guilty eating. I feel fat and stupid and I feel worthy when I dont. I'm a senior and now i'm 14 lbs less than at the beginning of Junior year and 2 lbs less than sophomore year. My bmi is 18.1

[Octavion]

Eat healthy foods and exercise. You will look so much more attractive if you do that then just starving.