We live in a society that is obsessed with weight and physical appearance. Children, teenagers, and adults often feel pressure to get their body to look a certain way, and weight loss is often encouraged and praised. If that is not bad enough, one way many people attempt to lose weight is through skipping meals, which is not good for your body.
Although some people may lose weight at first by skipping meals, it usually backfires on you eventually. I do not recommend skipping dinner, even if you want to lose weight. In order for your body to reach a healthy weight that it feels comfortable at, your body first needs to be getting the nutrients it needs, when it needs them. Eating regularly throughout the day, including dinner, will provide your body with consistent fuel and nutrients.
Read on for more information about if it is okay to skip meals, if teenagers should do intermittent fasting, the best way to lose weight, and the truth about eating at night.
Is it Okay to Skip Meals?
A lot of people skip meals. Some people do it because they don’t feel hungry, or they are busy, or because they are trying to limit how much they eat so that they can lose weight. But just because some people do it doesn’t make it healthy or a good idea!
In fact, skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do for your body. Your body is working hard keeping you alive and giving you energy to do the things you need to do all day long and it needs to be nourished regularly to sustain what it is doing.
Skipping dinner or other meals can have negative consequences including:
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Mood swings
- Increased likelihood of overeating
- Obsessive thoughts about food
- Disordered eating
- Decreased energy
- Worsened sports performance
- Impaired exercise recovery
Even if you don’t feel particularly hungry at a certain time of day, it is still not a good idea to skip meals. In fact, going longer than 4-6 hours without food in your system could have negative results!
If you have been skipping meals for a long time, your body may have stopped giving you hunger cues. You might even feel a little bit nauseous when starting to eat again. Don’t worry, this often goes away as your body gets back to eating regularly.
Should Teenagers Do Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is one of those fad diets that really isn’t promoting healthy eating habits. Fasting regularly puts a lot of stress on your body! Think about it, if you aren’t giving your body the nutrients it needs to function at a baseline level, it has to figure out how to survive on its own.
Maybe you have heard about the benefits of intermittent fasting like improved fat-burning ability, but the pros really do not outweigh the cons. Plus, the weight loss that people sometimes see while doing intermittent fasting is really more about eating less than they are burning (It’s not really about the fasting).
Fasting often leads to missing out on nutrients that are necessary for teenage body’s that are still growing and developing and is strongly discouraged!
What is the Best Way to Lose Weight?
It seems like so much of a focus is put on weight, but in reality, weight is not the best measure of health. It is much more about the habits in your life.
It is usually not recommended for teenagers to lose weight. Since they are at such an important stage of growth and development, weight loss can cause complications. It is actually very common for teenagers to have fluctuations in their weight as their body changes. Do not get too caught up with the number on the scale!
If a teenager is gaining an inappropriate amount of weight, the focus should be more on slowing the rate of weight gain by implementing healthy eating and exercise habits. Working with a dietitian can be helpful because many teenagers have not learned basic nutrition principles and how to implement them.
For teenagers that want to be healthy and achieve a weight that is appropriate for their body, here are a few tips!
- Develop a positive relationship with your body. Even if you don’t always love your body, you can at least show respect and talk positively about your body and it’s amazing capabilities. Lasting changes always come from a place of self-love, NOT self-hatred.
- Eat carbohydrates, protein, and fat- every day, at every meal! Your body needs all of these nutrients and they work together to give your body the fuel that it needs.
- Don’t go long periods without eating. This will help you feel more energized, have less mood swings, and regulate your appetite! You shouldn’t go more than 4-6 hours without eating, but your body might need fuel even more often than that!
- Eat a variety of foods! Each food contains different nutrients and can benefit your body in different ways.
- Move your body every day doing something that feels good and is enjoyable. Exercise should not be used to “punish” your body, and instead is a great way to take care of your body.
- Include healthy snacks in your day. Snacking gets a bad reputation sometimes, but it can be a great way to keep your body energized. Most snack foods are not well-balanced with carbohydrates, protein, and fat on their own so you will have to pair at least a couple food groups together to get the nutrients you need!
- Don’t cut out food groups because you fear they are unhealthy. There is really no “good” or “bad” foods, and cutting out foods that you like can actually make your brain crave that food even more! Instead, give yourself permission to eat all foods, but eat the ones that bring you satisfaction and make you feel good!
- Remove distractions when you eat. It is so easy to lose touch with your body when you have other things taking your attention. Take the time to enjoy your food and be mindful about what you are eating.
- Pay attention to your 5 senses while you eat to help you stay present and mindful as you eat. You can notice the flavors, the smell, the texture on your tongue, the presentation on your plate, and you can even listen for a sizzle or crunch!
- Include a fruit or vegetable at every meal. They will be rich in vitamins and minerals as well as fiber!
Will Eating At Night Make Me Gain Weight?
Have you heard that you shouldn’t eat after a certain time or it will get stored as excess fat in your body? I am here to say that you can disregard that myth. Your body uses food the same, no matter when you eat it.
But, remember that we want to be getting in the nutrients and energy when our body needs it the most, so eating enough earlier in the day is extremely important. Sometimes when teens don’t eat enough early on, they get extremely hungry at night time and can even end up overeating.
Nighttime is also a time where teens are either up late, stressed with homework, or unwinding after a long day. Either way, you might be drawn to more sugary and fatty foods that are not the most nutrient dense.
It is also common to have more distractions at night- maybe you are watching TV, reading a book, or studying for a test. You can’t always get rid of the distractions, but you can practice mindful eating so that it is more of a habit and easier to do, even when distractions are still around.
What Should I Eat For Dinner?
When you are planning what to eat for dinner, aim to make a quarter of your plate starch, a quarter of your plate protein, and half your plate vegetables! You might need a slightly bigger portion of starch if you have a very active evening routine, so see what feels good to your body!
Remember, eating something is always better than eating nothing, so your diner does not have to look perfect! Life happens, and dinner doesn’t always happen the way that we plan. Keep snacks available so even on those crazy days, you don’t have to go without food!
Summary
Skipping dinner, or any meal, is really not a healthy option for teenagers (or anyone for that matter)! Skipping meals can result in mood swings, disordered eating, poor concentration, poor workout recovery, stunted growth, and more (none of which are good).
Instead of cutting things out of your diet, think about what you can add and what small improvements you can make. Maybe you can include more fruits and vegetables with your meal, or add protein to your snacks. Start small and you might be surprised how much of a difference those things make!
If you respect and care for your body, you can maintain a healthy weight and you will feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally!
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