Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually lead to weight gain. Some dieters choose to skip meals to save calories, thinking this a quick weight loss plan. Actually, all skipping meals does for you is create bad habits that aid weight gain. Instead of skipping breakfast, make time in the morning for a small healthy breakfast or grab a piece of fruit and some nuts to eat on the road or during a morning break.

If you are overweight or obese and your goal is to lose weight, it is important to not skip meals. It's important to keep your metabolism fired up with the right foods at certain times of the day. Skipping meals tends to leave people hungrier later in the day, and they make up for the lost calories anyway.

Reasons Not to Skip Meals

* Skipping calories gives you an uneven distribution of calories throughout the day.

* When you skip meals you are not giving your body the energy it needs to properly function.

* It is easy to create late-night cravings that foster poor eating habits by skipping meals.

* People tend to overeat when they are extremely hungry. Skipping meals allows you to reach that hunger level where you consume just about anything and forget when to stop.

* Skipping meals is known to cause low blood sugar.

* Skipping meals delays insulin response, which can lead to diabetes.

* Feeling deprived from skipping meals can lead to binge eating and weight gain.

Skipping meals is not the answer for healthy weight loss. The way to lose weight is to find a sensible weight loss plan that includes making healthier eating choices, exercising, and eating throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. Any fad diet or quick weight loss plan that tells you otherwise is only a diet scam and is out to make money from you. Metabolism plays a key role in how quickly you burn fat and lose weight; therefore, it cannot be overlooked as part of your plan for weight loss.

According to a study described in the December 2007 issue of Metabolism, people who eat only one meal per day are at greater risk of diabetes and experience higher lever levels of hunger. If you are the type of dieter who believes that skipping meals is a healthy weight loss plan and is a quick weight loss tactic, it's time to re-examine your eating habits and make health a high priority in your life. Making healthy choices will lead to natural weight loss.

The health risks associated with skipping meals are not worth it, even if it does bring a temporary weight loss. Instead of skipping meals, which can contribute to weight gain, break large meals into five to six smaller portions to eat throughout the day. Keep an eye on your total daily calories until it becomes a comfortable lifestyle change.

Eat small healthy meals frequently to keep your metabolism high, keep your hunger at bay, and lose weight. Losing weight naturally takes time and patience, but the payoff is a healthier life in which you can more easily maintain your weight loss.