Skip a Meal to Lose Weight

There's thousands of diet plans out there by now, but the fact remains that it's hard work shedding those pounds. Tons of diet plans promise you that you won't be hungry. But a diet goes hand in hand with deprivation-there's no way around it.

The one way that I've found to be most effective to start out a diet is to skip a meal. What this diet does is shrink your stomach, so when you do eat a meal, you get fuller faster.

This diet works very effectively for a short-term diet plan. For most people, if you eat a very small breakfast and lunch, you can eat whatever you want (within reason) at dinnertime, and you still won't be able to consume enough calories to gain weight. Many people aren't very hungry first thing in the morning anyway.

Of course, this diet hinges around dinner. You should eat until you're satisfied at dinnertime, but concentrate on eating lots of veggies that will fill you up. Drink plenty of water and eat lean protein, too, at the start of the meal, so when it comes time for dessert, you are full and won't gorge yourself on sweets.

One good thing about this diet is you can go to bed full every night. There's few things as uncomfortable as trying to fall asleep hungry. When you're lying in bed, you have nothing else to focus on except your hunger, so it is easy to give in to those late night cravings. It's much easier to forget hunger during the day, when you have work and other activities to occupy yourself.

If you try out this diet, you do need to make sure you get enough nutrients. Take a complete multivitamin each day. Although breakfast and lunch will be small, you should make sure it's something nutritious. Oatmeal is generally a lean yet nutritious option, especially if you make it with hot water instead of milk. Fruits and veggies are, of course, also excellent options.

Other than that, keep a big water bottle at hand so you can keep hydrated during the day. A lot of times, when someone feels hungry, it is actually thirst: drinking some water will help stop the urge.

Skipping a meal may not be heralded as the most healthful way to lose weight, but it is effective for some people. It actually simulates the eating habits of many naturally skinny people: they don't eat a lot at most meals, but don't deprive themselves when they want to eat something. Like any other diet, skipping a meal should not be taken to the extreme: if you start to feel lightheaded, definitely eat something immediately.