Can we have a civilized debate on breakfast? To eat or not to eat!

DanerTee

So, I dunno what to think about the whole, breakfast is the most important meal of the day vs CICO, doesn't matter what or when, but matters how many calories you consume.

Reason I ask is, I have a fairly low target of 1330 cals per day, and I find that if I skip breakfast I have more calories for lunch and dinner. My trigger craving time is the evening, so if I am forced into a light dinner because of breakfast and lunch, I am much more prone to binge eating. If I skip breakfast, which is a time of day I'm legit not hungry, so I don't miss it, I can eat more in the evening and avoid having a craving AND hunger to contend with.

Am I screwing myself in some way? Is this an OK thing to do? Has anyone out there skipped breakfast and continued to lose weight just as fast as with breakfast?

Thanks!

Sabine_Stroehm

What you're likely doing is some variant of intermittent fasting. If it works for you, and you're field enough for your lifestyle, go for it.

Mentali

That's what I do. I find that having breakfast doesn't make me want lunch or dinner any less, so I just skip it.

cwolfman13

Meal timing does not matter...having breakfast or not having breakfast does not matter...eating 3 meals per day or 6 meals per day does not matter.

I'm not sure what you mean necessary by "vs. CICO"...weight management is CICO regardless of whether you follow intermittent fasting or you eat 3 meals per day or 2 meals per day of 8 meals per day. CICO is just an equation. Calories are a unit of energy...your body uses that energy...when you consume more energy than you require, that excess energy is ultimately stored for later use...your body fat is essentially your backup generator. When you consume less energy than your body requires, that backup generator kicks on to make up for the deficiency and you burn fat.

It's simple...keep it that way.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Do whatever works for you. If you don't feel like you need breakfast and you'd rather have those calories at dinner, go for it. There's no "starvation mode" if you don't eat breakfast, and eating it doesn't "start your metabolism" as someone will surely be along to claim at some point in this thread. It's all about sustainability.

esjones12

There is a lot of emerging science that shows many benefits to not having breakfast. Around 6:10 in this podcast you can hear two top health and fitness professionals discussing the benefits of it: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2016/08/the-ryan-munsey-podcast/

I've been struggling to stay on my nutrition plan due to outside circumstances....but when I'm on it I can easily go from 7pm to 12:30pm with just a bit of green or oolong tea when I wake up and an optional snack of 1/4c cashews at 10ish if needed. I too have always struggled with binge eating (tied to my emotions)....I do best when I stay BUSY during the evenings. If I'm just at home sitting around the food in the cupboards start talking to me.

That all being said - every body is different and will respond to different nutrition habits differently. I can go days without carbs....some people can't. So give it a try and see if it works better for you! Just make sure overall you are covering your nutritional needs.

diannethegeek

If you have a medical need for breakfast, then you should probably eat it. If you don't, then it's entirely personal preference based on what makes you feel best.

MiMi_5151

I stopped eating breakfast a couple weeks ago to follow a 14/10 IF. It's been great. I love being able to have a decent lunch and then have plenty of calories remaining to use for a great dinner, including a beer or glass of wine . I had stalled in my weight loss and this help get me back losing again. As others have said, when/how often you eat isn't as important as maintaining your deficit. For me, I can accomplish this by skipping breakfast. Your mileage may vary.

RelevantGains

The title makes it seem like this is a hot topic. Typically I just see that it's personal preference. If you like breakfast, have it, if not, don't

I find that pretty civilized!

Francl27

There's really no need to debate this... it's really different for all of us. If you're fine without eating it, don't.

queenliz99

I don't eat breakfast either.

DanerTee

thanks everyone, I figured it didn't really matter if I ate breakfast or not, but you know what "they" say and yeah, I don't want to hinder my progress. Also, even if skipping breakfast were "bad" I'd think it is safe to say that a 2000 calorie night binge is somewhat worse!

King_Spicy

I usually just eat when I can and don't even follow a diet, but Harvard seems to hate breakfast skippers. They have half a dozen pages about it and this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMztsypJKY

airigami

@King_Spicy They probably think like that since if you eat breakfast, you can focus more and not be so sleepy. But from my experience, eating breakfast just made my stomach upset and it was hard to eat with the family who wanted breakfast. Not to mention most breakfasts have sugar on it. Unless you're eating mostly fruit and good eggs; Bacon, Pancakes with Syrup, Coffee, Cereals (if not the good kinds), etc. are usually full of sugar and are not the healthy kind anyways. That's why it's always best to let people choose if they want breakfast.

jdhcm2006

I eat it b/c I'm used to it. Normally, I'll wake up and after about 10 minutes my stomach is being a grouch and telling me to eat and drink something. But I tend to push it off for an hour and a half or so until I get to work. I personally find that putting a little food and some water in my belly helps me pay attention better, but that's just me. Plus, I really love breakfast foods.

King_Spicy

airigami wrote: »

@King_Spicy They probably think like that since if you eat breakfast, you can focus more and not be so sleepy. But from my experience, eating breakfast just made my stomach upset and it was hard to eat with the family who wanted breakfast. Not to mention most breakfasts have sugar on it. Unless you're eating mostly fruit and good eggs; Bacon, Pancakes with Syrup, Coffee, Cereals (if not the good kinds), etc. are usually full of sugar and are not the healthy kind anyways. That's why it's always best to let people choose if they want breakfast.

@airigami , no, they were all articles related to weight loss and diseases

Hornsby

King_Spicy wrote: »

airigami wrote: »

@King_Spicy They probably think like that since if you eat breakfast, you can focus more and not be so sleepy. But from my experience, eating breakfast just made my stomach upset and it was hard to eat with the family who wanted breakfast. Not to mention most breakfasts have sugar on it. Unless you're eating mostly fruit and good eggs; Bacon, Pancakes with Syrup, Coffee, Cereals (if not the good kinds), etc. are usually full of sugar and are not the healthy kind anyways. That's why it's always best to let people choose if they want breakfast.

@airigami , no, they were all articles related to weight loss and diseases

Could you post some?

King_Spicy

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/breaking-the-fast

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/01/14/healthy-breakfast-can-help-you-lose-weight/

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/multimedia-article/why-should-i-eat-breakfast/

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/a-healthy-breakfast-may-protect-against-heart-disease

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/skipping-breakfast-may-increase-coronary-heart-disease-risk/


These were the top results from "harvard health breakfast." I'm sure there are others out there, but this was just a quick dig

bunnyluv19

Coffee,only in the morning for me I prefer to use most of those calories for my bedtime snack.

Hornsby

King_Spicy wrote: »

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/breaking-the-fast

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/01/14/healthy-breakfast-can-help-you-lose-weight/

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/multimedia-article/why-should-i-eat-breakfast/

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/a-healthy-breakfast-may-protect-against-heart-disease

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/skipping-breakfast-may-increase-coronary-heart-disease-risk/


These were the top results from "harvard health breakfast." I'm sure there are others out there, but this was just a quick dig

Okay. Those are just articles with opinions. No biggie. Was hoping for something real is all.

King_Spicy

I would take Harvard's opinion well above my own. lol

Hornsby

King_Spicy wrote: »

I would take Harvard's opinion well above my own. lol

Those aren't Harvard's opinions. They are just the publisher.

Ready2Rock206

I need to eat breakfast because otherwise I'm hangry and difficult to be around. But just because I need breakfast doesn't mean it is the right plan for everyone. Do what works for you.

Troutsy

DanerTee wrote: »

So, I dunno what to think about the whole, breakfast is the most important meal of the day vs CICO, doesn't matter what or when, but matters how many calories you consume.

Reason I ask is, I have a fairly low target of 1330 cals per day, and I find that if I skip breakfast I have more calories for lunch and dinner. My trigger craving time is the evening, so if I am forced into a light dinner because of breakfast and lunch, I am much more prone to binge eating. If I skip breakfast, which is a time of day I'm legit not hungry, so I don't miss it, I can eat more in the evening and avoid having a craving AND hunger to contend with.

Am I screwing myself in some way? Is this an OK thing to do? Has anyone out there skipped breakfast and continued to lose weight just as fast as with breakfast?

Thanks!

To each his own. Some people like to eat breakfast as it keeps them full until lunch, other people I know skip it all together because their stomach's don't tolerate food that early in the morning. As long as you are hitting your calorie and nutritional needs you should be golden OP. It sounds like you've identified something that works for you to keep you from binging at night and that's awesome.

PaulaWallaDingDong

King_Spicy wrote: »

I would take Harvard's opinion well above my own. lol

"Harvard's" opinion (actually it was one of their bloggers) is that calorie counting apps like MFP aren't helpful. That pretty much did it for me. Just because a blog carries the name of a prestigious institution, that doesn't make it more valid than the opinion of any other schmo.

cerise_noir

You can eat it if you want to , but you don't have to eat it.

For me, personally, I'd have to have around half my daily intake of fiber and about 1/3 of my fats and protein to make a breakfast last.

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

King_Spicy wrote: »

I would take Harvard's opinion well above my own. lol

"Harvard's" opinion (actually it was one of their bloggers) is that calorie counting apps like MFP aren't helpful. That pretty much did it for me. Just because a blog carries the name of a prestigious institution, that doesn't make it more valid than the opinion of any other schmo.

This. SO much this. "Calorie counting doesn't help"--- errr, no thanks.

VintageFeline

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day was the creation of the marketing department of a breakfast cereal manufacturer no? Kellogs IIRC?

Therefore. Eat it or don't, whatever works for you. On workout days I need it. On days I don't and have plans for bigger meals later in the day, I happily skip it.

King_Spicy

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

King_Spicy wrote: »

I would take Harvard's opinion well above my own. lol

"Harvard's" opinion (actually it was one of their bloggers) is that calorie counting apps like MFP aren't helpful. That pretty much did it for me. Just because a blog carries the name of a prestigious institution, that doesn't make it more valid than the opinion of any other schmo.

Which article was this? Link?

Only thing I could find for calorie counting was them recommending it: http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/calorie-counting-made-easy

and this NYtimes article referencing a harvard study using it, stating that macros and nutrients need to be included into the calorie counting: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?_r=0

ccrdragon

VintageFeline wrote: »

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day was the creation of the marketing department of a breakfast cereal manufacturer no? Kellogs IIRC?

Actually, I think it was the USDA (Dept of Agriculture) and was designed to sell the products from the farms that they were supporting (but I may be wrong on that...)

For the OP - I eat breakfast every day, it's just that Monday thru Friday, I don't eat it before noon (on days that start at 4:30)... I eat breakfast at the normal time on he weekends because of family commitments (or else I would eat it much later then as well). If it works for you to skip breakfast, then by all means, skip it.

CatchMom11

I do understand you questioning because it's been pounded in our brains that breakfast is the most important meal because it gets your metabolism going... yada yada yada.

Without knowing anything about IF, I have found that I do prefer skipping breakfast most days and those end up being the days that I'm successful and see progress. I thought maybe it was just a fluke, but then heard about IF.

Return2Fit

I got into Intermittent Fasting some years back and found it a useful tool for calorie control and it might even have reduced my body fat in weight maintenance though I can't say for sure.
The fat loss could be from other actions I engage.

Best of luck to you, and remember, breakfast is for sissies...
DEBATE OVER ---> sorry...another one of my silly attempts at humor...