Breakfast - essential or not

dreawest

What is the general concensus around how important breakfast is? I have noticed people say that it doesn't matter when you eat, just as long as you are in you target you should be ok. My problem is that everything I've been told by doctors and such is that I sabatoge myself and my metabolism by skipping breakfast. When I was on here last time (there will not be another last time as I am ready now) I was in a program that stressed the whole big breakfast and increasingly lighter meals as the day progressed.

Here's the thing. If I skip breakfast I have a much more successful day, I don't feel deprived and I can enjoy a full dinner with my family. On days when I do breakfast its as though it wakes my stomach up and I want a tonne of food for breakfast and lunch and then have to be careful in the evening. Mentally it is so much easier to simply skip breakfast, I'm not hungry, just haven't gotten around to eating yet.

So, how important is timing? Should people avoid eating before bed even if its within your limit and planned for? (I've started going to Curves after work some nights so I'm not home till 7 and then eat around 8 before a bedtime of 9)

And should I be eating withing an hour of waking up? I tend not to be hungry until I eat and then I want more but if I wait a few hours then I'm good with a light snack at work.

What do people think? Does when I eat influence my weight loss or simply how much I eat?

Francl27

It's not important at all. And you got to do what works for you.

links_slayer

don't buy in to the meal timing stuff.

2,000 calories in one sitting or spread throughout 5 small "meals"...doesn't matter - unless you have a medical condition and need to worry about things like blood sugar levels, as an example.

kerndog87

I don't think it matters, if I eat breakfast early in the morning I am hungry all day but if I wait and eat when I feel hungry first I have a much more successful day. Do what feels rigth for you and what helps you be successful.