The ole' breakfast debate

ohboyitskris

Howdy,

I'm thinking about cutting breakfast from my routine. I have issues with not sticking to my caloric intake throughout the day because I'm always hungry and would prefer to eat more during lunch time. I've seen some articles explaining how intermittent fasting can be beneficial for some people.

Anyone have any positive/negative experiences with this?

Sorry in advance if this is not the right discussion board...

CorneliusPhoton

Skipping breakfast is a great way to help keep yourself in a calorie deficit!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

Need2Exerc1se

I rarely eat breakfast. I think the way I typically eat would qualify as IF, though I never call it that nor had I ever heard the term when I started eating this way. But as odd as it sounds I'm usually hungrier throughout the day when I eat breakfast than when I don't. Typically I don't get hungry until around 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. so that's when I first eat. I've experienced no negative affects from this.

Alatariel75

Timing of eating is irrelevant for weight loss. If you don't want to eat breakfast, don't. I personally hate it and find it much easier to stick within my calorie goal without it, to the point that being forced to eat it ( to take meds 12 hours apart with food) has pretty much stalled my weight loss.

StealthHealth

I rarely eat breakfast and save those calories for my evening meal. It's my preferred way of eating when losing weight.

lemurcat12

Just see how you feel. I like breakfast currently, but used to skip it, was never an issue for me.

CorneliusPhoton

I have actually had to scrounge around for more food after dinner because I was too low in calories for the day. IF plus some cardio exercise sets you up for some good eatin'!

ohboyitskris

Thanks for the feedback you guys!!! I used to not eat breakfast but that was before when I was awful at taking care of myself. Breakfast became so much of a normal thing for me the past year and a half so getting rid of it is a bit scary. It was super helpful in creating healthy eating habits though.

My biggest concern is the hunger pains in the morning but I feel like with time my body will get used to it?? We'll see, this is my second day trying it out and I feel super fine so thats a plus.

lilligraz22

I love my breakfast. Favorite meal of the day. For years I skipped it but now I need it. Nothing big but it gives me the fuel I need.

CorneliusPhoton

ohboyitskris wrote: »

My biggest concern is the hunger pains in the morning but I feel like with time my body will get used to it?? We'll see, this is my second day trying it out and I feel super fine so thats a plus.

Drink lots of water and keep yourself really busy during your fast. Black coffee and tea are fine too. Some people will take a small shot of cream in their coffee. If weight loss is your only goal, then the calories in the cream are no big deal and are negligible. If you want the other benefits of IF that come with keeping your insulin as low as possible for a long time, then skip the cream.

StealthHealth

CorneliusPhoton wrote: »

I have actually had to scrounge around for more food after dinner because I was too low in calories for the day. IF plus some cardio exercise sets you up for some good eatin'!

^^Truth!!! last night my supper (after main meal) was 600 cals of peanut butter and jelly sandwich, just to hit my macros and get the cals in.

ohboyitskris

CorneliusPhoton wrote: »

Drink lots of water and keep yourself really busy during your fast. Black coffee and tea are fine too. Some people will take a small shot of cream in their coffee. If weight loss is your only goal, then the calories in the cream are no big deal and are negligible. If you want the other benefits of IF that come with keeping your insulin as low as possible for a long time, then skip the cream.

Yeah I could never give up my coffee in the morning, and as soon as I have it the hunger pains subside. Water is also great and I feel more accountable with my water intake for the day. Thank you for your advice!! From what I've seen there is so much more that goes along with IF so that is pretty exciting.

Raptor2763

I've done intermittent fasting with limited success. If you want to fast, I'd either do a Modified Apple Day OR a full reset. In either event, don't forget that steak and large tomato for dinner that night. It's critical.

iangelab

check out intermittent fasting, specifically 14:10 you eat in a 10 hour window I am from 11-8 and this helps immensely to keep me in my calorie range . I use coffee with stevia and green tea to curb hunger and yes the longer you do it the easier it gets. I do find some days I am still hungry and if it is really strong, I eat something very small when needed but overall I really have enjoyed this type of eating and it has been very effective for weight and specifically fat loss. I was a "breakfast" person so I thought I would not be able to do this but it has been a very easy transition and I love not having the hassle of breakfast in the morning, makes it much easier.

sunnybeaches105

I rarely eat before 10-11am. It works fine for me an allows me to stay within my calorie goals

SashEdwards

This is a great post. For years I was hammered with "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". I was never a breakfast person, never ever. Over the last 6 months, I thought healthy eating to lose weight meant having to eat breakfast to kick start my metabolism to help me lose weight. So, I started eating breakfast. I too find eating breakfast makes me starving all day - which for me, on 1200 a day intake, adds up pretty quickly and also makes it harder I find to make positive eating decisions. Learning here that it doesn't matter when you eat, it's really calories in vs calories out has been reassuring, and I've slowly started cutting it out to help curb the hunger, but it's still a bit scary to get rid of it. I've now been brainwashed into thinking my weight loss will stall if I don't kick start it with breakfast! So many misconceptions....

ohboyitskris

I love all of the positive feedback, it makes this a whole lot easier knowing that it is successful for others!!

SashEdwards wrote: »

This is a great post. For years I was hammered with "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". I was never a breakfast person, never ever. Over the last 6 months, I thought healthy eating to lose weight meant having to eat breakfast to kick start my metabolism to help me lose weight. So, I started eating breakfast. I too find eating breakfast makes me starving all day - which for me, on 1200 a day intake, adds up pretty quickly and also makes it harder I find to make positive eating decisions. Learning here that it doesn't matter when you eat, it's really calories in vs calories out has been reassuring, and I've slowly started cutting it out to help curb the hunger, but it's still a bit scary to get rid of it. I've now been brainwashed into thinking my weight loss will stall if I don't kick start it with breakfast! So many misconceptions....

Right!? I read an article (from buzzfeed?) a few weeks ago saying that everything we know about having to eat breakfast is wrong. That really got me thinking about my attachment to breakfast. Plus I'm so hungry throughout the day and am barely able to stick to my calorie goals. I've been frustrated and ready for change.

zyxst

Sometimes I eat in the mornings, sometimes I don't, sometimes I just have a can of diet root beer. All I can say is try it and see how you feel. I've never found water to take away hunger though.

StealthHealth

ohboyitskris wrote: »

I love all of the positive feedback, it makes this a whole lot easier knowing that it is successful for others!!

SashEdwards wrote: »

This is a great post. For years I was hammered with "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". I was never a breakfast person, never ever. Over the last 6 months, I thought healthy eating to lose weight meant having to eat breakfast to kick start my metabolism to help me lose weight. So, I started eating breakfast. I too find eating breakfast makes me starving all day - which for me, on 1200 a day intake, adds up pretty quickly and also makes it harder I find to make positive eating decisions. Learning here that it doesn't matter when you eat, it's really calories in vs calories out has been reassuring, and I've slowly started cutting it out to help curb the hunger, but it's still a bit scary to get rid of it. I've now been brainwashed into thinking my weight loss will stall if I don't kick start it with breakfast! So many misconceptions....

Right!? I read an article (from buzzfeed?) a few weeks ago saying that everything we know about having to eat breakfast is wrong. That really got me thinking about my attachment to breakfast. Plus I'm so hungry throughout the day and am barely able to stick to my calorie goals. I've been frustrated and ready for change.

I think the "Breakfast is most important meal of the day" idea comes from studies that showed that people who ate breakfast were lighter (less fat) than those that skipped the meal. But, that doesn't (and I doubt the researchers claimed it did, although the media reported it as such) establish that breakfast is the cause of the lower weight.

Classic: correlation =/= cause.

There is some sense in the argument "if you skip breakfast you are likely to eat more later in the day" but that is not applicable to anyone who is using MFP as intended - If you calorie count and routinely stick to your allotted calories over consumption later in the day is not going to happen.

Antonia_I

I personally can't skip breakfast. I have naturally low blood sugar anyway, and if I don't eat something protein heavy in the morning, things are not pleasant. I have had luck with skipping dinner. I didn't eat after 2pm for a couple of months and it worked pretty well for me.

kelliward1

Antonia_I wrote: »

I personally can't skip breakfast. I have naturally low blood sugar anyway, and if I don't eat something protein heavy in the morning, things are not pleasant. I have had luck with skipping dinner. I didn't eat after 2pm for a couple of months and it worked pretty well for me.

I can't either....my blood sugar would go low and I would start feeling bad and shakey. I leave for work early so I pack a breakfast to take with me to work. On my days off I most always eat breakfast....if I don't have time in the morning I'll have a Carnation Instant breakfast shake (not the best thing, but better than nothing). You just have to learn to listen to your body to see what it needs. There is no wrong or right...its what is right for your body.

ashcky

I feel nauseous if I don't eat breakfast but some mornings are so busy! Today my son had an early appointment and I blended up a smoothie. That's a good way to make sure you are getting some nutrients.

extra_medium

CorneliusPhoton wrote: »

I have actually had to scrounge around for more food after dinner because I was too low in calories for the day. IF plus some cardio exercise sets you up for some good eatin'!

I wouldn't sweat being low for a day or two if you're not hungry though.

CorneliusPhoton

Regarding the blood sugar comments: I understand that it is an issue for some people, and if you have a medical condition, you should definitely consider speaking to your doctor before any diet change.

Otherwise, if you are prone to the shakes, it might be worth looking into what you are eating. Reactive hypoglycemia (too many carbs and the ensuing sugar/insulin spike and drop https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/hypoglycemia/Pages/index.aspx#nodiabetes) is easily treated by eating more protein, fiber, and fat and less carbs (or by eating every few hours to maintain that high blood sugar and insulin state at all times).

I used to get the shakes big time. I would have to bring food with me wherever I went, or make sure I knew when I would be eating next because I'd get so weak and shaky. Donut for breakfast? I'd feel like I could pass out. Even if I eat plain oatmeal I get the shakes. Now, eating oatmeal with a handful of nuts and protein powder to balance it out completely prevents the shakes. Overall, since increasing my fat, fiber, and protein intake and decreasing simple carbs (balancing the carbs with protein and fat at every meal), I am even able to run and do strength training in a fasted state without getting the shakes. Your results may vary, of course, but just wanted to throw this out there. Sometimes "low blood sugar issues" is simply due to eating too much sugar, especially for breakfast. It is best to keep sugary foods and drinks to a minimum if you are in a fasted state.

angelwowings23

I'm all about the IF. I never ate until dinner (ya know, before IF was a "thing") but when I started to incorporate nutrition into a focal point of my fitness journey, I did what ya hear you're supposed to... Start eating 3 square meals a day and a couple small snacks. Let me tell you, I hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch regularly since I was about 14. This turned into such a fixation on food and when I can eat and how much to eat...and I NEVER felt satisfied at the end of the day...which led to the occasional binge fest. I started IF as a 16:8 protocol and liked it, but that still was making me focus too much on the clock and "when I got to eat" in general. I finally realized I had been on the right track for all these years, but where I fell short was not paying attention to WHAT I was eating at the end of the day. I'm literally now doing IF from 7pm to 5:30pm the next day. I just throw all my calories in at the end of the day. I make sure everything I eat meets my macros and I finally feel full before I go to bed. No binges needed. I'm having great results with it so far! I love it! So...long story short, I'm all for skipping breakfast (and whatever other snack or meal you want to skip...as long as you don't go over 48 hours on a fast, your muscle mass is not compromised).

RachelElser

If you aren't hungry in the morning, great, do it. If you are and skipping causes you to massively overeat at lunch, may not so much. I am not a morning eater, but I bring PB toast to work with me and at 10ish when I am hungry I eat it.

MoveitlikeManda

Iv not ate breakfast since I was about 8, my mum usd to make a big deal over it but I just didnt want it.

I still skip breakfast now but the difference is I now stick in my daily calorie goal for the rest of the where as befor I would start picking at around 3pm (would skip lunch too most days as just didnt fancy it) then have a massive dinner so with the pickin and big dinner plus drinking booze id be way over calories.

these days I dont tend to eat until around 1pm but then dont randomly pick everytime I go in the kitchen and what I do eat is weighed and logged and in my daily goal

ccrdragon

I eat breakfast 2 days a week (Saturday and Sunday) simply because it is a family 'thing' to breakfast together on the weekends - other than that, my first meal usually occurs sometime between noon and 1:00. I have had no problems doing this and find that I am not hungry in the mornings (even tho I get up at 4:30 to do a morning workout those same 5 days that I am skipping breakfast).

One other thing that I have read is that caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant, so yes to the coffee in the morning instead of eating (plus, I am much more pleasant to deal with after I have had coffee in the morning).

PaulaWallaDingDong

Why is it even a debate anymore? It's so tiring.