Great post by Sport-Specific Training

Let’s look at the problems of skipping meals or going so long without eating that it’s like a mini-fast. One of the biggest consequences is what I call primal hunger. That’s when your body gets so hungry that anything goes: all honorable intentions about health fly out the window. Your body is hardwired for survival, and if you go too long without eating, it goes into survival mode by sending you on a food quest. Although no true famine threatens your survival, your cells do not know that there are 24-hour grocery stores and fast-food restaurants on every corner! The bottom line is that if you go too long without eating, you are likely to eat too much at the next opportunity. Therefore, skipping breakfast, or any meal for that matter, will catch up with you. In fact, adding a timely snack or grazing is like a vaccine to prevent overeating.

Consider these other consequences of meal skipping:

Poor performance – Meal skippers don’t perform as well. They accomplish less work, are physically less steady, and are slower at making decisions.

Brain drain – The brain’s exclusive fuel, glucose, is compromised within four to six hours if you have not eaten. That’s because the glucose stored in the liver as glycogen, runs out during this time period. The liver is like a traffic cop for blood sugar. When blood glucose dips too low, the liver converts glycogen into glucose and releases it into the blood. But if its glycogen has been depleted, the body has to turn to less efficient fueling methods.

Calorie loading – Calorie loading easily occurs if you eat just one meal a day (typically dinner). Eating just one large meal tends to overwhelm your body with calories that it does not need at that moment. It’s like plugging all the appliances in your house into one socket. Even though the entire electrical system can handle all the appliances, if they are concentrated on just one circuit, you’ll blow a fuse. It is better to spread the nutrient load.