Going 9-12 hours between breakfast and lunch?

immahappyhappyhorse

So I have breakfast at around 6.20am on weekdays, then I head off to campus. Depending on the day, I'll have lunch at 3+pm and sometimes I'll skip lunch completely and have dinner at 6 or so when I reach home. It's because I can't bring packed lunches out since the lunches I'd normally eat (chicken, eggs, cooked veggies, etc) spoil at room temperature (and lunch time is at 2+pm so I can't be carrying them around for 8 hours without them going bad). Plus it's pretty inconvenient to bring a whole meal there. On weekends I eat at normal timings. It's generally Monday to Wednesday that I may skip lunch, and Thursday that I may have lunch at 3+. Is this safe when I'm trying to lose weight? Like a form of fasting or something? Or will it cause a drop in metabolism or something, to go 9-12 hours between meals, affecting rate of weight loss? I don't really have a choice as the foods that can be left out without spoiling like banana and bread dont really fill me up. And the food at my campus are really bad for weight loss, all either oily or high in sodium and fat, fried, processed, with the only healthy stuff being fruit cups and water.

Enthusiast84

Eating times don't matter for weight loss. As long as you are eating at a defecit you will lose weight. I don't have my first meal until about 1pm most days and it's been working for me where I have continued to lose weight.

If you are content with your eating routine don't change it.

Good luck ☺

kommodevaran

Meal schedules don't become more or less safe by formalizing them and calling them intermittent fasting; eating like this is completely safe if you have enough fat on your body and no illnesses that requires eating more often; it might be less than optimal if your goal was weight gain. Your metabolism doesn't drop from not eating for 24 hours, it takes starvation, which is too little food for a long time. And no foods are "bad for weight loss". You lose weight when you over time consistently take in fewer calories than you burn.

Tq43

I think you're ok doing what you're doing. It's the calorie deficit that causes weight loss not the timing of your meals.
I can't go more than 3-4 hours without eating because I've a hiatus hernia and reflux, so small meals at regular intervals suit me.
If I didn't have tummy trouble, I wouldn't worry about the timing.
Good luck.

Mrs_P_6817

If I’m working I have my breakfast at 5.30 and I can get my lunch break anywhere from 12-6pm so I know how you feel. I’m a nurse, working on a busy ward which is why break times are intermittent. Have you tried taking snacks that won’t spoil such as fruit, carrot sticks or even a cereal bar. A sandwich once a day won’t hurt as long as you plan it into your calorie count. I keep a small bag of grapes in my locker so I can stick it in my pocket and eat like sweeties to keep me going till break. Our patients bring us lots of sweets, chocolate and cakes as a thank you and it takes willpower and planning to be able to resist them. That’s not to say I don’t indulge occasionally, but I do count what I have.

jefamer2017

You can always have at least a snack like almonds or something else that can be kept at room temperature just to keep you from getting too hungry. Also ready to drink protein shakes are pretty good.

Lounmoun

Are you functional on days when you don't eat anything for that long or are you tired, having trouble concentrating, irritable, hungry? Are you eating all your calories and getting enough nutrients at other times of the day or shorting yourself?
If you feel fine waiting that long and are eating enough at your meals then it doesn't matter much.

There are foods that don't spoil at room temperature or in a cooler for hours.
Nuts, seeds, nut butters
Tuna pouches, canned tuna, canned chicken
Fresh fruit, canned fruit, fruit cups
Fresh vegetables, canned vegetables, salad
Canned beans, hummus
Rice
Pasta
Bread, muffins, bagels
Granola bars, cereal bars, protein bars
Canned shakes or meal supplement drinks
Trail mix, dried fruit
Beef jerky, pemmican
Milk alternatives
Crackers
popped popcorn
Cereal

When I was in college the cafeteria sold sandwiches made to order and had a salad bar. If you didn't like the hot food these were always options.

Weight loss is about calories not type of food or timing.

amberellen12

I eat only two meals a day. 1st between 11 - 1 and my 2nd between 5 - 7. I generally fast for about 16 hours each day which allows the body to go into the catabolic state which cleans and repairs itself.

So to the point it won't hurt you to have long breaks between meals.