I notice when I skip meals I get moody, which isn't very healthy being a mother of 3 kids. What is the best way to lose weight without becoming a monster?

Natural Health Questions

By Archie Armada

If 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. Moods are the result of reactions in our internal chemistry.
The brain is responsible for releasing many hormones and chemicals that cause the body to react in response
to an external stimuli. We can’t avoid changes in situations so we can’t avoid mood swings. However, by being
knowledgeable about what causes emotions or mood swings, we can overcome bad moods.

Moods are affected by energy cycles. Our health, metabolism, food, and time of the day affect our energy
cycle, which in turn gives us good or bad moods. People are more energetic earlier in the day. This is the
time when you are in a good mood. You don’t wake up to a bad mood unless you have a splitting hangover.
Sunlight also affects us by influencing our body temperatures. Higher temperatures denote higher energy
levels, which give us good moods. Thus, we are generally happier in the morning. So you know why you tend
to be cranky at night! It helps to eat a light carbohydrate snack to put your mood back into equilibrium.

Skipping meals tends to leave people hungrier later in the day, and they make up for the lost calories anyway.
Skipping meals is not the answer for healthy weight loss.

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.

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 and mood swings, 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.

Exercise regularly, eat good fats, and 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. This is the principle that we follow in
our “Sheanformation” program.

Resources:
Streetdirectory by: Robert Bauer
Bad Mood Swings (allsands.com)