For the first time in nearly a year, I skipped a meal.

Two years ago, I skipped several meals actually. I restricted myself to 800 calories a day in attempts to lose weight. Needless to say, it worked temporarily - I lost 10 pounds in a month. But once I stopped dieting the weight came back two fold.

After I learned about the proper nutrition my body needed, I began eating regular meals - 3 a day. All with nutrient dense food to fuel my body. And for the first time in a year, I skipped a meal.

It wasn’t intentional. My phone died during the night, preventing my alarm from waking me up with enough time to make breakfast. I ran out the door without even thinking to grab a protein bar or anything to serve as a meal replacement and headed to class.

That was when the effects started occurring.

I was sluggish. I couldn’t think properly. I was making several mistakes in my work that I never do. My mind was nowhere near as sharp as it usually is.

Our bodies need fuel. Even if it’s just a fruit or granola bar, our bodies need fuel. Skipping meals is the equivalent of not filling your car up with gas once it has reached empty, it won’t get you anywhere. Skipping meals is a quick fix to a problem that needs a long-term solution. If you’re trying to lose weight, skipping meals is not the way to go.

I promise, and anyone who knows anything about losing weight would agree, you can shed pounds and STILL eat every meal AND a snack during the day. It’s all about what you’re putting into your meals. Adding nutritious and healthy foods into your diet will go a long way.

Losing weight and staying at your target weight are two different beasts. The habits you make while losing weight stick with you long after you finish, why not make some good habits along the way? I see so many diet fads and weight loss tricks and the majority of them are not sustainable. You can do them for a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months, but once you stop you will not maintain the weight you worked so hard to get to if serious changes do not occur.

Don’t skip meals. Instead, work to incorporate healthier foods into your diet and forming good habits that will stick with you.