Why Skipping Meals Can Lead to More Hunger & Cravings
I have a morning habit that I love.
I wake up and make myself a cup of tea. I sit down, enjoy it, and eventually start checking email.
Then maybe I prepare for a client....or start writing...or just get absorbed in whatever I'm working on that day.
And somewhere along the way, I completely miss the window when my body quietly says:
"I could use some breakfast."
Eventually, the quiet message becomes much louder.
FEED ME. NOW.
By then I'm over-hungry. Breakfast happens later than would have been helpful, which pushes lunch later, or I skip lunch altogether.
The interesting part?
I spent more than 25 years working as a dietitian. I saw this pattern with clients all the time.
And I still do it myself.
Because knowing something and consistently doing it are two very different things.
What I also know about myself is that if I miss a meal earlier in the day, there's a very good chance I'll want a snack that evening.
And usually I'm not dreaming about carrot sticks!
It's the bowl of chips.
Some popcorn.
Something sweet.
Something satisfying.
For years, we've been encouraged to look at those evening moments as the problem.
"Why do I always want to snack at night?"
"Why don't I have more willpower?"
But sometimes we're asking the wrong question.
Before judging what happened at 9 p.m., it can be helpful to look at what happened at 9 a.m., at noon or maybe at 3 p.m.
Our bodies are remarkably good at protecting us.
If we haven't given them enough energy earlier in the day, they don't simply forget about it.
Hunger becomes less patient.
Food becomes more interesting.
And quick, satisfying sources of energy can become especially appealing.
That's not your body sabotaging you.
It's your body trying to make up for what it didn't get earlier.
This is also why simply deciding to "stop snacking at night" may not work very well.
Sometimes the more helpful place to start is breakfast. Or lunch. Or that afternoon stretch when you regularly realize you've been running on coffee and good intentions.
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A Gentle Reflection
If evenings tend to be a difficult time around food for you, try something different this week.
Don't focus on changing the evening.
Instead, look backward.
Did I eat enough today?
Did I go too long between meals?
Did I notice hunger when it was still a whisper—or did my body have to yell?
And then experiment.
Maybe breakfast happens a little earlier.
Maybe lunch gets protected in your calendar.
Maybe you keep something easy nearby for the days when life gets busy.
Not because there's a perfect eating schedule you need to follow.
But because your body tends to be much more patient with you when you're patient with it.
And if you still want the popcorn tonight?
Enjoy the popcorn.
The goal isn't to eliminate evening eating.
It's to understand what's driving it, and make sure your body is getting what it needs throughout the day.
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Want to explore this further?
Evening eating isn't always about physical hunger. I've written more about some of the other
reasons we eat when we're not hungry here: 👉 [Why Can't I Stop Eating?]
Until next time, perhaps pay attention to the whispers.
They're often much easier to respond to than the screams.
Warmly, Shelley