The breakfast debate

WendyLaubach

I take omeprazole for acid reflux (that's over-the-counter Nexium). A gastro doc told me earlier this year that it works properly only if you take it first thing in the morning and eat a little something 30 minutes later, to activate it. Sure enough, I've been doing that for about six months, and my symptoms have completely gone away after years of trouble. So I have to eat something for breakfast, but it needn't be much, maybe no more than a glass of juice or an egg. I'm happiest when my breakfast and lunch are moderate and I get a nice full dinner within my calorie budget. I don't get hungry or burned out during the day. Our primitive ancestors did lots of feasting and fasting as the dicey food supply warranted; I don't think this modern business of doling out the calories on a careful hourly schedule every day means much. Unless you try variations yourself and notice a real change, it's just a fad.

Carlos_421

Physiologically, when you eat makes no difference from a weight loss standpoint. Only what you eat does (as in, how much).

Psychologically, eating at certain times may work better/worse for you. Do what works.

cwolfman13

I like breakfast...

lcuconley

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I like breakfast...

this!

Just as some people are more satisfied eating 8x a day and others prefer a 6-hour "refeeding" window...you have to do what works for you. If I did not eat until lunch, I would be so famished, I would make bad choices.

ahoy_m8

Right there with you. FWIW, lots of people prefer an eating pattern they call 16:8 Intermittent Fasting (or 18:6 IF), wherein they consume all their calories for the day in an 8 hour window, typically something like 11AM- 7PM. Very popular around here.

Agree that the whole "breakfast is the most important meal" was a cereal sales ploy. Some people feel best with breakfast. Others don't. Figure out what makes you feel best.

Mezzie1024

Not as controversial as you thought, huh?

I like breakfast early, but I also like eating my dinner super early (ideally around 4-5pm), so I'm hungry when I wake up at 4:30. All that matters is that I get all my calories in at some point. When that is is entirely up to personal preference.

jusladycook

This has been really helpful thanks guys and girls

missblondi2u

Full disclosure--I don't eat breakfast most days because of the reasons OP mentioned (not really hungry and breakfast seems to make me eat more throughout the day). I've had no issues losing over 40 pounds in the last 6 months.

However (and I know I will trigger some nerves on this), there have been studies showing a difference in weight loss depending on meal timing, even when controlling for total calories. I posted this back in October (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10266540/meal-timing-and-weight-loss/p1) for the sole purpose of finding studies to disprove the breakfast myth because I don't eat breakfast. Although people made some great points about the first study relying on self-reporting and not completely controlling for activity, these factors would affect both groups in the study. What I was never able to find was a scientific study that showed the opposite (that meal timing is completely irrelevant).

I'm not in any way suggesting that you change your eating strategy. I didn't, and I'm doing great. For me, even if I could say with confidence that eating breakfast would increase my rate of loss, I would still do what I'm doing because it works for me and makes me happy.

I'm just throwing this out there as another point of view, hopefully one that another MFP poster can finally help disprove for me

prettygirlstorm1

You have to do what makes you happy and works with your schedule. I have to eat breakfast because I am so hungry when I get up in the morning ( I have an early dinner usually around 5 then a snack around 9).