How important is breakfast really??

19Lindsay76

Okay, so u always hear that eating breakfast is important because it gets your metabolism going for the day and all that jazz. But I really really have a hard time forcing myself to eat breakfast, i really hate it. Is it really that necessary? I workout in the mornings so I get my metabolism going in the morning anyway. Is that good enough...or should I really eat breakfast?

susannamarie

If you end up getting to lunch and nomming everything in sight, then eating breakfast would be a good idea. A lot of people mistakenly skip breakfast because they're trying to lose weight, and then end up munching chips and cookies all morning because they are hungry.

If you are one of the people who feels fine and more full without it, and you are meeting your calorie goals, no problem! You don't have to eat it.

prattiger65

I love breakfast and eat a big breakfast everyday. With that said, meal timing doesn't matter and eating breakfast doesn't " get your metabolism going ". Hitting your calorie goals and macros are what's important now matter when you eat. You could eat six small meals or one huge one and as long as everything else is equal, so will weight loss.

19Lindsay76

I pack my lunch for work and don't bring any $$ with me so i don't buy any junk so eating in between is definately not an issue

IronSmasher

As above.

It's all about preference and what helps you hit a healthy intake and exercise habit overal.

19Lindsay76

TY this is what i really needed to hear I really wanted to know that by skipping breakfast i am not making any mistakes...because i really want to eliminate it...i can't see eating breakfast if i am not hungry and it takes hours for me to be ready for any food in the morning.

liloldDee

I am glad to hear this too because I really have to force myself to eat breakfast, making it an unenjoyable meal. I must have a large mug of tea though!

19Lindsay76

I am glad to hear this too because I really have to force myself to eat breakfast, making it an unenjoyable meal. I must have a large mug of tea though!

I hear ya lol except for me it's my coffee that is a must have in the morning

jennifer_417

Everyone is different. Some people wake up hungry and LOVE breakfast, some people get hungry in the evening and want a big dinner. Just figure out works best for you. I pretty much like to eat all the time, so I eat small meals and snack frequently. It's what works for me, and if I come in under my calorie goal, I don't worry about it.

55in13

People tell me "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I say "Did you seriously just quote a McDonalds' commercial as nutritional advice?"... :bigsmile:

I think this is entirely in my mind, but I actually feel hungrier by lunch if I had a big breakfast, especially if it included grain. As others said, meal timing really isn't relevant. Studies have debunked that "keeps the metabolism high" junk science. I even read one study that stated there is often a small (as in not really significant) number of additional calories burned when you go several hours without a meal because of a minor change in hormones. Again, it said it was very small, not enough to worry about. I just found it interesting that it went slightly further than just debunking...

tedrickp

I think this is entirely in my mind, but I actually feel hungrier by lunch if I had a big breakfast, especially if it included grain. A

It might not be in your mind! I read a great article about how breakfast does make some people hungry...

http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html

Worth checking out if interested in the subject.

bonelessskinless

if i dont eat breakfast i eat a big lunch

then i get sleepy

that is bad

that may not happen to you

Deipneus

Okay, so u always hear that eating breakfast is important because it gets your metabolism going for the day and all that jazz.

Someone started a thread a while back that began something like: "Why you MUST eat breakfast".

Now I personally love breakfast, but if there is anything I've learned in a year and a half on MFP, it's that there is greater variety among humans than I even realized. People who hate breakfast, and successfully got in shape without it, pummeled the guy, and rightfully so.

I see a lot of benefits to breakfast, but if I hated it, I think I'd work around it. You are unlikely to maintain a routine if you detest it. Don't let others dictate to you.

Athena53

I hear ya lol except for me it's my coffee that is a must have in the morning

Yep- I'm sitting here with a mug of black coffee. I also ate one slice of whole-grain bread with nothing on it. I'll have a banana later. I'm not a big breakfast eater and I'm 60 so I don't think it's gonna change.

One exception: I used to stay in a hotel in Bangalore on business that had a HEAVENLY breakfast buffet. Since they had a heavy European and American business they included bacon and sausage and eggs, but I'd skip all that stuff and go for the Indian breads and the spicy stews and the pickled vegetables and an oatmeal/pancake type thing called idli. With coffee, too! Yum. I did find that I had less urge to snack between breakfast and lunch when I had a breakfast like that.

Probably a good thing I don't live in India. It would be hard to keep my weight down with all that good food.

jakkisr

I'm the same, just can't stomach it!

I changed my diary meal title to Morning 7am-12noon so i didn't have to feel I was doing a bad thing by not eating 'Breakfast' (not that I care, I haven't eaten it in about 35 years since my mum stopped nagging me before school!).

I do eat when I'm hungry though which is about 3 hours after I get up and I do drink tea. It works for me! And removing that word from my diary titles made a world of difference psychologically (don't ask why, I've really no idea lol!) Diary is open if you want to see

aTallLiam

Sometimes I leave my breakfast until 3-4 hours after I wake up. It just depends on when I feel like eating. If I wake up at 7am, I would usually eat around 10am. If I woke up at 11am, I'd eat around 12pm. Just depends, really. It is an important meal, and you should always try to eat breakfast when you can. It fills you up. A study showed that people who skipped breakfast, were more likely to overeat later that day.

joolywooly33

If I eat breakfast I have an insatiable hunger all day... I find that once you get used to not having breakfast (took me about a week) it is ok. I am quite happy to leave my metabolism asleep thank you very much :noway:

alisonlynn1976

I always eat it because I'm hungry in the morning. If you're not hungry, though, I don't see anything wrong with waiting a few hours until you are and eating then.

flanary888

I find that I do better throughout the day if I eat breakfast. I eat every 2-3 hours though, small meals. It works for me. I have friends who only eat b/t 12-7 every day and that works for them. You need to find what works for you

mamosh81

i never been a big breakfast eater so now i usually force myself to eat at least 100 cals since i have to take medication and its best to take it with food. I dont graze and also just have a shake for lunch saves me room for my beloved home cooked dinners i enjoy and are usually around 1000 cals :laugh:

leafss

Have a good quality protein shake in the morning high in Protein low in carbs. Doesn't have a huge caloric impact but definitely helps with any hunger or energy issues.

kr1stadee

Technically the first meal of the day is called breakfast, simply because you are breaking the nightly fast (sleeping)..

If you can get away with not eating breakfast, then don't eat it! Just make sure you meet your nutritional goals by the end of the day

neanderthin

I think this is entirely in my mind, but I actually feel hungrier by lunch if I had a big breakfast, especially if it included grain. A

It might not be in your mind! I read a great article about how breakfast does make some people hungry...

http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html

Worth checking out if interested in the subject.

Then there's the studies that show the opposite. It's really preference, nothing more.

SimpleStepsHealthCoach

When I was overweight I hated breakfast. I never ate it and I argued against it, "why should I eat more when I am trying to loose weight". Today, I look forward to my breakfast and feel lost without it. In fact, I am writing this while enjoying my breakfast. A good wholesome breakfast allows me to spread my calories throughout the day. Without eating in the morning I would have an extra 200-400 calories that I would need to consume later in the day and I much prefer grazing than big meals. The key here is the choose the right breakfast.

Breakfast can be an essential meal of the day if you choose the right foods for it. Unfortunately most Americans will choose cereal, pop tart, or even get their breakfast from a drive through. These choices are not the best and will not allow you to get the full benefits of what breakfast brings. Allowing yourself to have a protein based breakfast will help re-energize your body as it's been busy all night rebuilding and reparing you when you were sleeping. It's also been said by scientist and nutritionist that having a mindful breakfast in the morning can reduce cholesterol, improve concentration, provide your body with higher nutrients, help control weight, and provide more endurance throughout the day.

In the end, we are all different. For all the information I posted above, someone can counteract with other statistics. As a Health Mentor I always recommend all my clients to have some form of breakfast, but you have to do what you're going to do. If you already talked yourself out of it, then no post here will convince you otherwise.

My best to you.

tedrickp

Then there's the studies that show the opposite. It's really preference, nothing more.

The opposite of what? Not being obtuse - genuinely curious. There are a lot of studies referenced in that article and I am kind of obsessive about learning this boring crap :laugh:

I agree 100% about it being preference though actually - just thought article was interesting because there may be some people who do get hungry from breakfast (unless like you say that is all refuted). Not an issue for me anyways considering Martin's article was based around "Fit Joe"...that is not me!

neanderthin

Then there's the studies that show the opposite. It's really preference, nothing more.

The opposite of what? Not being obtuse - genuinely curious. There are a lot of studies referenced in that article and I am kind of obsessive about learning this boring crap :laugh:

I agree 100% about it being preference though actually - just thought article was interesting because there may be some people who do get hungry from breakfast (unless like you say that is all refuted). Not an issue for me anyways considering Martin's article was based around "Fit Joe"...that is not me!

I guess you and I could find research that would support any eating pattern referencing hunger and in that context all that data would be correct, but meal frequency is pretty much meaningless.

Tonebody19

Breakfast is MOST important for me. Not to get my metabolism going but to break the fasting from dinner the previous night. Ppl don't realize that your body is fasting over night. During the day I tried to eat every 2-3 hours of something small so my body can continue to burn off the calories even when I know I'm not going to workout. Your don't have to eat a big breakfast but a small fruit or something to BREAK the FAST is good...in my opinion. Hope this helps.

kikilita

Have a good quality protein shake in the morning high in Protein low in carbs. Doesn't have a huge caloric impact but definitely helps with any hunger or energy issues.

Thanks for the idea. This is what I need! I can't skip breakfast as I become very angry and hungry before lunch and have trouble concentrating. But, at the same time, I get tired of eating eggs. My roommate has also been filling our house with junk food such as cereal and waffles and I've started to fall to the temptation even though it'd been over a year since I'd had any before she moved in. I'll have to do the shake thing. That will hopefully help.

susannamarie

Have a good quality protein shake in the morning high in Protein low in carbs. Doesn't have a huge caloric impact but definitely helps with any hunger or energy issues.

Thanks for the idea. This is what I need! I can't skip breakfast as I become very angry and hungry before lunch and have trouble concentrating. But, at the same time, I get tired of eating eggs. My roommate has also been filling our house with junk food such as cereal and waffles and I've started to fall to the temptation even though it'd been over a year since I'd had any before she moved in. I'll have to do the shake thing. That will hopefully help.

If you are not one of the people who *must* have breakfast food for breakfast, there are a lot more options. When I am at home, I tend to just make extra helpings of dinner and reheat it for breakfast, because I am lazy and I also need breakfast.

19Lindsay76

Definately a lot of mixed feelings here about breakfast I guess it really does depend on the person. As for me, I think I will stick with my coffee for breakfast...if I put into consideration the fact that it is important to "break the fast" which i agree probably is important, i could add some coconut milk(i don't use regular milk at all) to my coffee...not sure how that would taste tho lol

elisa123gal

if eating breakfast helps control your hunger ..then do it..... if you don't want to eat it..and it just takes calories from other meals you enjoy ..then why? that's how I see it.

I eat my three strips of turkey bacon. it works for me.