Skipping meals

FiresongUK

I never seem to have the time or appetite to eat breakfast on a morning. Other than occasional days like weekends I have been skipping breakfast for about 10 years. Some people say it's really bad for me to do that, I'll ruin my metabolism, etc. but recently with IF being all the rage I've been seeing more people dispelling that and even promoting skipping meals. I don't overeat later in the day to compensate so generally if I skip a meal I'll end up consuming about 200 calories less on that day. So what's the truth behind it?

Jessicahanzlik

It's really not a big deal, as long as you eat you alloted amount of calories per day and not go over, your fine.

slatrenta

Meal timing is a myth. As long as your hitting your macros at the end of the day you will see the results you want.

YorriaRaine

It really doesn't matter when you eat, as long as you are under your calories. Generally people find when they eat breakfast it makes them hungrier later or something like that.

However, looking at your diary, it says your calorie allowance is 1200. Generally, based off other people's forum post, its not a good idea to have your net calories be below 1200.

ItsCasey

IF isn't about skipping meals. It's about eating all your calories within a certain window of time. You still eat the same amount of food, just not on the typical breakfast/lunch/dinner schedule. If you don't like to eat breakfast, then skip it, but you still need to eat all your calories at some point.

jimmmer

isn't eating breakfast supposed to kick-start your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day? or is that one of those myths cereal companies came up with that i've been buying into for years?

Myth.

I don't eat before lunch time. You could eat throughout the day, 3 times a day or even once a day (some people do this very successfully).

What's important is your overall energy balance (surplus/deficit) and the macro-nutrient make-up (Protein/fats/carbs) of your diet.

tigersword

IF isn't about skipping meals. It's about eating all your calories within a certain window of time. You still eat the same amount of food, just not on the typical breakfast/lunch/dinner schedule. If you don't like to eat breakfast, then skip it, but you still need to eat all your calories at some point.

True intermittent fasting IS about skipping meals. Alternate day fasting and eat, stop, eat are both intermittent fasting protocols. Things like Leangains and The Warrior Diet aren't really intermittent fasting, they're really just an eating schedule. Leangains adopted the IF term for marketing reasons, mostly. Martin made up his own definition. Nothing wrong with Leangains, but it's not really fasting.

wilsoje74

I never seem to have the time or appetite to eat breakfast on a morning. Other than occasional days like weekends I have been skipping breakfast for about 10 years. Some people say it's really bad for me to do that, I'll ruin my metabolism, etc. but recently with IF being all the rage I've been seeing more people dispelling that and even promoting skipping meals. I don't overeat later in the day to compensate so generally if I skip a meal I'll end up consuming about 200 calories less on that day. So what's the truth behind it?

Still eat your allotted calories. I'm guessing you were able to eat enough calories in the past since you need to lose???

sfbaumgarten

Eat when you want. I'm not an official breakfast eater, but I do start snacking in the morning and don't stop until I go to bed at night. My standard meals are lunch and dinner.

As long as you eat at a deficit, you'll lose weight.

FiresongUK

Still eat your allotted calories. I'm guessing you were able to eat enough calories in the past since you need to lose???

I did - mostly made up of fried chicken, alcohol and pizza haha. I probably can make the 1200 a day, sometimes it just feels like I'm eating a bit too much though having those extra 200 cals at some other point throughout the day. I found myself yesterday forcing a sandwich down my neck at 10pm because I realised I was way under my calorie goal, even though I wasn't hungry. It'll probably just take some getting used to.

Nutmeg76

Everyone eats break fast, some people just don't eat it until 9 a.m or 12 p.m. etc. There is no reason to eat first thing in the morning if your body doesn't tolerate it well. But, as hte others have said you have to make sure you eat enough over all calories, if you don't that will cause problems with your metabolism.

a_stronger_me13

Still eat your allotted calories. I'm guessing you were able to eat enough calories in the past since you need to lose???

I did - mostly made up of fried chicken, alcohol and pizza haha. I probably can make the 1200 a day, sometimes it just feels like I'm eating a bit too much though having those extra 200 cals at some other point throughout the day. I found myself yesterday forcing a sandwich down my neck at 10pm because I realised I was way under my calorie goal, even though I wasn't hungry. It'll probably just take some getting used to.

Eating more calories doesn't always mean eating a larger volume of food. Pick more calorie dense options and you probably won't feel like your force feeding yourself anymore.

Spiderkeys

I was never a breakfast eater, I started eating breakfast when I began dieting as this saying goes, you must eat 3 meals a day and snacking between them or you mess up your Metabolism and won't lose weight, is just a myth, I'm just living on a small lunch, and big dinner, and pounds are dropping off, sometimes I only have 1 meal a day, and my metabolism is dropping pounds too fast sometimes.

Technically you wouldn't have to eat at all, but I wouldn't recommend it, you probably end up with irreversible organ damage.

girlinahat

I had always been a keen proponent of breakfast until recently. I’d eat a bowl of oats with greek yoghurt at about 7am, and yet I STILL felt ravenous by 10.30 and would need a snack. Lately I’ve been delaying my first eating until 10.30 – that might be a piece of cake, it might be some oats and yoghurt. But I DON’T find I’m eating more because I delay when I start eating, I end up as you say, eating 200 calories less a day, and sure, sometimes I’m a bit hungry before I eat but that soon goes away with a coffee.

I don’t consider it skipping meals though – more just delaying the usual pattern of eating.