Bloat Less God Bless: Avoid Skipping Meals

Dec 6

Ok, real talk—when life gets busy, skipping meals can feel like a quick fix. Maybe you’re thinking, “If I skip lunch, I’ll eat less, and that has to help with weight loss, right?” But here’s the thing: skipping meals often backfires, especially when it comes to bloating and your metabolism.

I know it might seem like a harmless shortcut, but skipping meals can actually increase bloating and decrease your metabolism, leaving you feeling frustrated and stuck. Let’s chat about why this happens and what you can do instead.

How Skipping Meals Leads to More Bloating:

Slow digestion:
Without regular meals, your gut motility (how food moves through your digestive tract) slows down. Food and gas can linger in your stomach and intestines longer after you finally do eat, leading to that uncomfortable bloating feeling.
Overeating Later:
Skipping meals can leave you ravenous, and when you finally eat, you’re more likely to overeat. Your stomach has to process a larger meal all at once, which overwhelms digestion and leads to—you can guess—more bloating.
Stress on the Gut:
Going too long without eating can increase cortisol (your stress hormone), which directly impacts your gut. High cortisol levels can alter gut motility and contribute to bloating and even weight loss resistance. Read more about cortisol and weight here.
Bile Build-Up:
Your liver produces bile to help digest fats, but when you skip meals, that bile can build up in the gallbladder. When you finally eat, the extra bile release can cause bloating, discomfort, or even digestive upset.

Skipping Meals = A Slower Metabolism

Your metabolism is like a fire—it needs consistent fuel to keep burning efficiently. When you skip meals, that fire slows down to conserve energy because your body thinks food is scarce.

Here’s how it impacts your metabolism and weight loss efforts:

Reduced Calorie Burn:
Skipping meals signals your body to hold onto energy (calories) because it doesn’t know when the next meal is coming. This slows your metabolism, making it harder to burn fat over time.
Muscle Loss:
When your body doesn’t get enough food, it may break down muscle for energy. Less muscle means a slower metabolism, as muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even at rest.
Thyroid Disruption:
Your thyroid, which is the control center for your metabolism, is sensitive to calorie and nutrient intake. Skipping meals can reduce the production of thyroid hormones, slowing your metabolism even further.
Blood Sugar Swings:
Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar to crash, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, and reaching for quick-fix snacks. These swings can also disrupt your hunger hormones, making it harder to regulate your appetite.

What to Do Instead :)

If you want to avoid bloating and keep your metabolism humming, here’s how to approach meals:

Eat Regularly:
Aim for balanced meals every ~4 hours to keep digestion and metabolism steady. Think protein, veggies and healthy carbs with each meal. Fat is important too so cooking with butter, adding nuts or avocado also helps gut health and metabolism.
Snack Smart:
If you’re on the go, pack easy options like a handful of nuts, a hard-boiled egg, or a protein bar (that would be my last option) to avoid skipping meals altogether.
Start Your Day Strong:
Breakfast really is important. A morning meal kickstarts your metabolism and sets the tone for steady energy throughout the day. Just be sure it is rich in protein to avoid blood sugar swings.
Hydrate Strategically:
Staying hydrated supports digestion and can help reduce bloating. Drink water with minerals between meals to support hydration and proper stomach acid production.
Listen to Your Body:
Skipping meals might feel like you’re being “good,” but your body thrives on consistency. Pay attention to hunger cues and honor them to support your health and energy. If you feel like you don’t have hunger cues, this is where functional testing can be needed to find the root cause. Learn more about that here.

Questions? Email me at Kelseyscot.co@gmail.com

Xoxo Kels