Eating breakfast

Aaron_K123

Craft_queen wrote: »

When I first started my diet I tried to get into a habit of eating breakfast (something I didn't tend to do before).

The thing is though I find if I eat breakfast within an hour of eating it I am absolutely starving, whereas if I don't have breakfast I'll be hungry by maybe an hour of so before lunch but I can happily wait it out. I know everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you should make it your biggest meal but I struggle to find time for anything major and I feel like any kickstart it gives to my metabolism is out countered by the hunger it gives me an hour later and the amount of food I would happily eat in order to make me feel full.

Basically if I eat breakfast, I tend to go over my calorie intake because of the extra hunger. If I don't eat breakfast, I can stay within my calorie limit and enjoy a slightly larger lunch, dinner or snack which I really like.

So what I'm asking is: is breakfast really that important?

Thanks

No breakfast is not especially important, eating enough food but not to much is important. If eating breakfast causes you issues with that, then stop eating breakfast.

"breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is something we tell children so that they will eat their breakfast.

Wynterbourne

I usually only eat two meals a day. I consume my 'fast breaking' meal about three to four hours after I wake up because I'm almost never hungry in the mornings. On the rare occasion I am, I'll eat something small. I've lost 113 pounds. I'm just one more example that the whole "eat breakfast to kick-start your metabolism" BS is exactly that, BS. If you're not hungry at 'breakfast time' don't have breakfast.

jo_nz

I'm not a big breakfast fan. I like a small snack in the morning, although if it weren't for the kids, I'd probably wait until a bit later in the day.

I eat a little in the morning as an example because I do think it's important for my kids to eat something before school - not to kickstart their metabolism or any other guff, but because they then CAN'T eat until morning tea time, and experience (of my own children) tells me they will get hungry before then, and they also don't eat a lot then because they'd rather go and play....so bottom line, even though I don't strictly believe it, I tell my kids it is important to eat breakfast (sorry world, I am perpetuating the breakfast myth).

My actual underlying belief if that it's important to fuel your body. We all have to work with our own lifestyles, so if breakfast works, go for it, If it doesn't work, that's fine too.

Evamutt

I never liked the taste or smell of food in the morning BUT I started making a shake in our nutribullit several months ago & I feel SO much better all day. It's perfect for me because it's not solid food

Babs2Baby

I have never been a breakfast person. I just eat when I feel hungry. Normally I have big dinners so that might be contributing to that. If I eat breakfast I get a stomach ache and then around 12 I'm hungry again. It's kind of annoying. Just listen to your body when you're REALLY hungry. Normally I don't eat until 2pm, I guess that's what I get for being a night owl. lol. But like many people are saying, it's not about time its about what you put in your body and how much of it.

Evamutt

sorry, forgot to add that i was really hungry by lunch so i over ate but now i'm not very hungry so it's easier to intentionally eat what's good for me & to stay within my limit AND i found it's much easier to stay/live on this calorie deficit if i eat every so many hours & not let myself get hungry

SLLRunner

Craft_queen wrote: »

When I first started my diet I tried to get into a habit of eating breakfast (something I didn't tend to do before).

The thing is though I find if I eat breakfast within an hour of eating it I am absolutely starving, whereas if I don't have breakfast I'll be hungry by maybe an hour of so before lunch but I can happily wait it out. I know everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you should make it your biggest meal but I struggle to find time for anything major and I feel like any kickstart it gives to my metabolism is out countered by the hunger it gives me an hour later and the amount of food I would happily eat in order to make me feel full.

Basically if I eat breakfast, I tend to go over my calorie intake because of the extra hunger. If I don't eat breakfast, I can stay within my calorie limit and enjoy a slightly larger lunch, dinner or snack which I really like.

So what I'm asking is: is breakfast really that important?

Thanks

How early you eat in the morning is 100% preference.

For me? Try and pry that breakfast out of my cold dead hands....and I will come back to life.

kathyegging

Eating in the morning kicks off you metabolism, eat a small breakfast so in an hour you can have small snack like some almonds. Then in an 1 hour or so it will be time for lunch, as small lunch, then afternoon snack, then dinner then evening snack. You'll have to plan and keep everything small and with in your regiment however your insulin level will remain steady and if you watch what you eat your metabolism should increase, thus losing weight. Its very difficult to do 6 small meals I have problems if I don't plan them. I keep a jar of almonds and trail mix as a snack like a small palm size (SMALL)

kommodevaran

kathyegging wrote: »

Eating in the morning kicks off you metabolism, eat a small breakfast so in an hour you can have small snack like some almonds. Then in an 1 hour or so it will be time for lunch, as small lunch, then afternoon snack, then dinner then evening snack. You'll have to plan and keep everything small and with in your regiment however your insulin level will remain steady and if you watch what you eat your metabolism should increase, thus losing weight. Its very difficult to do 6 small meals I have problems if I don't plan them. I keep a jar of almonds and trail mix as a snack like a small palm size (SMALL)

You lose weight by eating less than you burn. Number of meals (or eating occasions) does not impact weight loss if calorie intake is the same. I'm not one to advice against planning, I love planning, but WHY do you eat 6 small meals when it's difficult, even very difficult? Please read through the thread

cerise_noir

Breakfast makes me hungrier throughout the day, so I wait until dinner time to eat. Much better for me as I tend to naturally eat later anyway.

ncfitbit

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

I eat breakfast b/c I like to. It helps me get some much needed protein and be more alert in the mornings. But it's not necessary for weight loss.

Me too and I agree. I don't have the problem others have of being hungrier after eating breakfast. A good, protein filled breakfast will keep me going for hours. Plus, I love breakfast foods so it makes me happy at the beginning of the day. Sometimes I will even eat it for dinner.

Cbestinme

Do you eat a big dinner or late dinner?

crzycatlady1

Meal timing/frequency don't matter-how many calories you've consumed by the end of the day do. Just make sure you're eating at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals and you're good to go

Francl27

I think that what you have for breakfast has a lot to do with how you'll feel later too... but I used to be the same way as you until I was on MFP for a while. Either way, just eat when you're hungry.

emilysusana

I force myself to eat in the morning only because I workout in the morning and don't want to do that running on fumes. You know your patterns and if breakfast in the morning makes you go over by the end of the day and skipping it, you feel fine, then by all means skip it! Skipping meals is no good if you feel deprived because that's not sustainable, but if no breakfast was your default and you have energy in the morning to do what you need to do, forget about breakfast.

DebSozo

"The best dietary protocol is the one you will stick to."

TanyaHooton

I don't eat breakfast all the time, or if I do, I don't eat much - a granola bar, some fruit, maybe a yogurt or cheese stick. If I don't eat it, it shaves off a few hundred calories. If I do, then I try to adjust the rest of my meal timing. I find that breakfast will keep me full longer in the morning so I eat lunch later and will not have an afternoon snack. If I don't eat breakfast, then I eat lunch a bit earlier and have a small snack.

My man doesn't eat breakfast at all, ever. He says it upsets his stomach to eat before 10 am. He is a carpenter, so a physical job, and he is not overweight. He also eats one giant meal a day - dinner + snacks + dessert sometimes - and this seems to fuel him enough. There's more than one way to get the calories you need.

I always have my coffee though. Morning w/out coffee is not a morning I care to encounter.

malibu927

kathyegging wrote: »

Eating in the morning kicks off you metabolism, eat a small breakfast so in an hour you can have small snack like some almonds. Then in an 1 hour or so it will be time for lunch, as small lunch, then afternoon snack, then dinner then evening snack. You'll have to plan and keep everything small and with in your regiment however your insulin level will remain steady and if you watch what you eat your metabolism should increase, thus losing weight. Its very difficult to do 6 small meals I have problems if I don't plan them. I keep a jar of almonds and trail mix as a snack like a small palm size (SMALL)

Your metabolism doesn't need a kickstart, and meal timing is a personal preference for the most part. I wake up at 4:45 and don't eat breakfast until 10:30.

jgnatca

I'm just going to pipe in that a scheduled breakfast after the night fast is indeed important for people with impaired insulin response, including diabetics.

OP, that's not the case for you. If your pill must be taken in the morning with food, figure out how small that meal can be through trial and error.

akilia112010

You don't really have to eat breakfast. It's basically as if you're intermittent fasting. Lots of people wait until lunch to eat.