Skipping meals leads to low metabolism. As we age, our metabolism naturally slows down. In fact, each decade, our metabolism declines between 5-10%. As people age (and we are all constantly aging), low metabolism makes it very difficult to burn body fat, maintain a healthy weight, and maintain peak muscle mass. One easy way to increase metabolism within just a few short days is to eat regularly.
Breakfast should be consumed within an hour of waking up. Meals and snacks should be consumed every 3-4 hours. Regularly skipping meals is a sure fire way to decrease your body's metabolism, which has lasting detrimental effects on health and body weight over time. One easy way to tell if your metabolism is low is a decreased feeling of hunger throughout the day, especially in the morning.
Besides lowering your body's metabolism, skipping meals can lead to a roller coaster of high and low blood sugars. This makes it difficult to focus on daily tasks and can lead to mood swings. If skipping meals during the day becomes a chronic problem, this can commonly lead to overeating at nighttime. Usually the nighttime snacking in this case includes high sugar choices and/or junk food. By eating more regularly throughout the day, this will help to balance your body's metabolism, internal clock, and blood sugar, which may lead to an overall feeling of stable energy and wellbeing.