Skipping meals will help you lose weight. Ian McGriff, head trainer at Tipton Lakes Athletic Club in Columbus, gets frustrated when he hears people talk about “not eating very much.” He said it is not true that an extremely low-calorie diet will result in rapid weight loss. “You have to find that balance for your body,” McGriff said. “Your body needs enough calories to give it energy. You need to listen to your body. Everyone is different.” McGriff recalled one person who was working out every day and eating very few calories but not losing much weight. By adding in more healthful foods, her weight loss actually picked up. McGriff never recommends skipping meals even though some people think it’s the answer to a slimmer physique. He
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Columbus Magazine
encourages them to eat regular meals and healthy snacks and to eat the largest meals of the day at breakfast and lunch, making sure to eat protein first thing in the morning to get the metabolism kickstarted for the day. Lesley Kendall, a registered dietitian at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, strongly discourages crash diets or skipping meals. One idea that seems to have gained a following is eating just one meal a day. “This is not a good idea,” Kendall said. “You should instead eat three to six small meals a day to help boost your metabolism. The longer you go without eating, the greater the risk is to overindulge later in the day.”