What Skipping Dinner For 14 Years Can Do To Your Body

Actor Manoj Bajpayee revealed something extraordinary about his lifestyle - he has not eaten dinner for the past 13-14 years. What began as an attempt to follow his grandfather's simple eating habits eventually became a long-term routine built around early meals and intermittent fasting. While the actor says the shift helped him feel lighter, healthier, and more energetic, experts caution that such a practice affects every individual differently.

In a 2023 interview with Curly Tales, the actor shared that the change started when he tried replicating his grandfather's minimal and disciplined diet. Over time, he experimented with 12-14-hour fasts and gradually pushed dinner out altogether.

He explained that intense hunger pangs marked the early days of the transition, but slowly the body adapted. Manoj Bajpayee now eats only between 9 am and 3 pm and practices 18-hour intermittent fasting when preparing for demanding roles. According to him, the kitchen at home "remains non-operational after lunch", illustrating how firmly the routine has settled into his lifestyle.

What Happens To Your Body When You Skip Dinner For Years?

Health experts emphasise that while the human body is capable of adapting, long-term dinner elimination affects people in varied ways depending on age.

Dr Sunil Rana, Associate Director and Head of Internal Medicine, Asian Hospital, told NDTV, "The human body adapts to dinner abstinence, yet this adaptation does not guarantee the best outcome for every person. People who skip meals for extended periods will experience stomach acid buildup, weakness, and sleep disturbances."

He noted that while some may experience weight loss, others may develop early morning or night-time hypoglycaemia. "The body will begin to break down muscle tissue instead of fat when it receives insufficient calories throughout time," the doctor added.

Over many years, he warns, the impact can become more serious, saying, "People who are 40 years old or older might develop constipation together with vitamin deficiencies because their main intake of nutrients occurs during dinner time... The practice of skipping dinner for many years produces subtle damage to your long-term health when not monitored by a doctor."

Skipping Dinner May Trigger Unhealthy Habits

Dr Vikram Jeet Singh, Senior Consultant Internal Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, told NDTV, "People who skip dinner for three years or more will experience different health issues based on their daily activities and their eating habits and their regular food consumption."

He acknowledged that some may feel lighter and more energised, but "the body requires extra time to digest food, which results in better energy levels and weight loss for people who avoid dinner."

However, he cautioned that the habit can backfire, saying, "People who skip dinner may even tend to develop unhealthy eating patterns during late hours, which produces negative results. The practice of skipping dinner becomes dangerous when people perform it without receiving medical guidance."

The doctor added that a balanced alternative is better for most individuals. "A light dinner taken in the early evening leads to better health results than completely avoiding dinner consumption."

Skipping dinner shrinks your eating window significantly. For some, this aligns with circadian rhythms and may aid metabolic health. For others, especially those with high-energy jobs, long fasting windows can result in fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, and loss of muscle mass.

Manoj himself admitted that the initial adjustment was extremely challenging. That struggle is typical because the body is conditioned to expect calories in the evening, especially if late dinners were the norm.

Long-term fasting can alter the production of hunger hormones like ghrelin, reducing evening cravings over time - but it may also disturb sleep in those prone to acid reflux or fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Reduced fibre intake in the evenings and fewer overall calories may also lead to constipation, as noted by experts.

Does This Mean You Should Stop Eating Dinner?

Not necessarily. Manoj Bajpayee's routine works for him because it evolved naturally over many years, suits his metabolism, and is part of a disciplined lifestyle.

For most people, completely cutting out dinner for years is not advisable.

Doctors agree that:

1. A light, balanced dinner is healthier than skipping it entirely.

2. Long fasting windows should be attempted only under medical guidance.

3. Individual factors - age, health conditions, medications, work schedules - determine whether such a routine is safe.

Manoj Bajpayee's 14-year no-dinner lifestyle is extreme but not impossible - the body can adapt, and some people may even thrive. However, as experts warn, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Long-term dinner elimination can lead to acid buildup, low energy, nutrient deficiencies, digestive issues and potential muscle loss if not monitored.

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