Breakfast or no breakfast?

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asgerdur1994
asgerdur1994 Posts: 27
in Food and Nutrition
How many times a day should you eat?! the food program I'm doing now is made by a Bikini fitness competitor and trainer, and it says I should eat 6 meals a day but I'm working 100% and simply don't have the time to eat all this food.... my friend is saying I should change programs, and she'll make me one, but on her program I'm not supposed to eat at all until 2 hours after I wake up, and that way the body will learn to burn the excess fat, instead of just burning the breakfast I just ate... which way is better? how do I know who to listen to when everyone keep saying different things to me? I'm very active, I work a physically challenging job, and I go to the gym everyday or every other day. what kinda food program should I follow?
thanks! <3
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Replies

  • greynotesfall
    greynotesfall Posts: 28 Member
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    Honestly it seems to depend on the person. Most of what I read says to not skip breakfast because it gets your metabolism in gear. Some people swear by not eating until around noon for their first meal. You might have to try a few different approaches to see what works best for you. I've heard lots of people recommend 6 small meals a day, though. It keeps your metabolism going without eating enough to really be full, or to have to be hungry.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
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    you are asking US when YOU should eat?
    how would we know?

    you should eat when you are hungry.
    and not to be confused with emotional hunger. =)
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Most of the studies you'll see that say you should eat breakfast are correlation studies, which don't really give the whole picture. Eating breakfast gives some people increased mood, concentration, gym performance, or reduced hunger levels throughout the day. It has the exact opposite effect on others, making them irritable, sleepy, or more hungry throughout the day.

    As long as you're meeting your calorie and nutrition goals, meal timing is mostly personal preference. Eat in whatever way works best for you and your schedule.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Whenever. You burn fat by being in a calorie deficit and your metabolism is always functioning. Eat in a way that makes YOU feel best and you can adhere to. Keep a moderate deficit, get your proper nutrient intake for health and don't over complicate it.
  • tziol
    tziol Posts: 206 Member
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    You should know the best how you accept food. Dont try to apply schematic routine as it may not work in the same way for everybody. Generally, it's suggested to eat more meals and have less food in each than eat less meals and have more food in each - but that is also not a rule. You dont need to eat 6 meals just because the program says that. I would suggest you eat from 3 up to 6 a day between 2-3 hours each. If you have active lifestyle, then you shouldn't avoid breakfast to burn fat especially when you're hungry. Better option is to do 30 mins aerobic exercises 20 mins before breakfast. Wake up, drink a glass of water, do 25-30 mins medium-intensive aerobic exercises, then wait 15-20 mins and eat breakfast. This way is much more effective then simply avoiding breakfast and wait few hours.
  • keefmac
    keefmac Posts: 313 Member
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    I don't have an early breakfast, eat a snack at 11 am (technically my breakfast) lunch at 1pm snack around 4.30 and tea around 7pm ish.

    It doesn't matter how many meals you have, just the calories in those meals per day (or per week for some).
  • kiwigal1956
    kiwigal1956 Posts: 16
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    I stick with 3 meals per day usually - works for me. Kickstarted with a healthy and nutritious smoothie - then lunch with salad (chicken, protein (fish) or meat) and plenty of greens and reds (tomatoes and red bell peppers) - lil dressing - squeeze lemon; dins is again, fish or protein with either steamed greens or asian stirfry (no rice, pasta or bread in my eating regime) - and NO, it is not a diet.. just the way I am choosing to feed myself. Do what is right for you and what feels comfortable. Sounds like you have exercise all done, so ensure you are giving yourself enough nutrition with the foods you are eating :)
    -
  • DonM46
    DonM46 Posts: 771 Member
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    I can't face food until I've been up for a while. Started skipping breakfast when I left home -- 1965. Follow your personal preference. Your body doesn't function by the clock.
  • krazyforyou
    krazyforyou Posts: 1,428 Member
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    I usually eat one meal a day with a snack or two thrown in. It works for me
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Personal preference.
  • JZ_Evolution_Mark2
    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 Posts: 63 Member
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    You should always eat breakfast. When you dont eat breakfast you are increasing the amount of time that your body is going without food. Therefore you are training it to starve. Which in turn will affect your metablism... as your body will feel the need to hord all the food and store it as FAT... which is what you DONT want.
    You should always eat breakfast.. and the majority of your Carbs shouls be eaten in the morning and then as few as possible during the day... This is because Carbs are the bodies fuel for the day.. if you eat them early you have time to burn them off.. by eating carbs at night and late in the day you dont have a chance to burn them off (unless you do crazy cardio at the gym).. which will mean your body will store them as fat!!

    So in summary, YES PLEASE DO EAT BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    For the vast majority of non-elite athletes without preexisting medical conditions like hypoglycemia or diabetes, meal timing is all but entirely irrelevant. Skipping breakfast (with no other changes in overall caloric intake) won't make you magically start to shed pounds or send you into the quasi-mythical "starvation mode"; eating breakfast won't spontaneously turn your body into a fat-burning machine able to leap tall triglycerides in a single bound. In addition, the 'anabolic window' for when you should eat protein, or carbs, or fats, is largely bro-science, so the composition of your individual meals has roughly as much impact on your overall weight loss efforts and health as meal timing in general (in other words, practically no impact).
  • JZ_Evolution_Mark2
    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 Posts: 63 Member
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    Not really. Actually it is science and I have lived it... I was 70 pounds over weight and diabetic.. and by changing eating habits, diet and working out I have turned this around. One of my biggest mistakes was not eating breakfast.

    Think about the logic... when you sleep you are fasting.. (8 hours or so of sleep)... which means your body is not intaking any food so although its at rest it still is using calories for basic function... So if you wake and dont eat you're only extending the amount of time your body going without food.
    What you're saying is that without normal eating habits you can teach your body that it will recieve the needed nutrients.. THIS IS WRONG.. your body WILL store everything it can in an effort to not starve. I could get into the digestive cycle but wont here.
    I am 100% sure of what I'm saying. You are absultely WRONG in saying that its a preference... You NEED to have nirmal eating habits to train your body and increase your metabolism... Also you can ot eat garbage.

    If you like I can explain the chemistry to you as well... I am VERY versed in science
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 wrote: »
    You should always eat breakfast. When you dont eat breakfast you are increasing the amount of time that your body is going without food. Therefore you are training it to starve. Which in turn will affect your metablism... as your body will feel the need to hord all the food and store it as FAT... which is what you DONT want.
    You should always eat breakfast.. and the majority of your Carbs shouls be eaten in the morning and then as few as possible during the day... This is because Carbs are the bodies fuel for the day.. if you eat them early you have time to burn them off.. by eating carbs at night and late in the day you dont have a chance to burn them off (unless you do crazy cardio at the gym).. which will mean your body will store them as fat!!

    So in summary, YES PLEASE DO EAT BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING

    I feel like I'm reading bodybuilding.com circa 2008
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 wrote: »
    Not really. Actually it is science and I have lived it... I was 70 pounds over weight and diabetic.. and by changing eating habits, diet and working out I have turned this around. One of my biggest mistakes was not eating breakfast.

    Think about the logic... when you sleep you are fasting.. (8 hours or so of sleep)... which means your body is not intaking any food so although its at rest it still is using calories for basic function... So if you wake and dont eat you're only extending the amount of time your body going without food.
    What you're saying is that without normal eating habits you can teach your body that it will recieve the needed nutrients.. THIS IS WRONG.. your body WILL store everything it can in an effort to not starve. I could get into the digestive cycle but wont here.
    I am 100% sure of what I'm saying. You are absultely WRONG in saying that its a preference... You NEED to have nirmal eating habits to train your body and increase your metabolism... Also you can ot eat garbage.

    If you like I can explain the chemistry to you as well... I am VERY versed in science

    Yes please.

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