how to explain skipping breakfast

lma0423

Most of the time I do intermittent fasting. I eat my first meal around 12 pm and my last around 8pm... So basically I just skip breakfast. I love it bc I find it much easier to stick to my 1300 calorie allotment with 2 big meals and I don't really get hungry until 12 as long as I've had coffee (little milk). The problem is when I tell people I skip breakfast most usually freak out. I typically hear "breakfast is good for you" <-- like what does that even mean? and "you're gonna gain weight if you don't eat breakfast".. no I'm not.

I honestly don't care what these people, most of them my friends, think about my eating patterns but I hate that they think they're right and that I'm totally wrong! So whats a quick thing to say to them to get them off my back... I've tried being like there's a lot of research behind it, but I can never think of any on the spot.

Nouurann

I do ADF, eating 2,700 calories one day (when I eat, I want to ear A LOT lol, I still weigh and measure everything though) then the next day I eat 300 (If I don't start eating, fasting isn't a problem, I usually make a big salad and graze on it all day). Yeah. Try explaning that to people lol. I literally just say how you organize your calories has nothing to do with whether. Or not you lose weight. It's about the sheer number of calories over an extended amount of time, any pattern is irrelevant. I average a healthy 1,500 calories a day, while never really dieting. Non fast days don't include the hassle of substituting one item for another to not exceed a calorie goal, I can generally eat three large yummy solid meals with room for desserts and snacks :-). And on fasting days, I don't constantly think about food and am still satisified enough from the day before with great energy. So moral of the story, tell people how it is. Don't act shy about your eating habits. I used to be embarrassed about saying I do ADF, but I've noticed the more confidently you talk about it the less people judge...or at least show their judgements. Don't give them room to criticize. Know what works for you and stand by it.

Sorry if there are any typos, on my phone at work lol.

samamps88

Yeh I often get that I just respond with well I have lost a good few stone and now have single digit body fat and you dont! So skipping breakfast must not always make you fat.

Acg67

Most of the time I do intermittent fasting. I eat my first meal around 12 pm and my last around 8pm... So basically I just skip breakfast. I love it bc I find it much easier to stick to my 1300 calorie allotment with 2 big meals and I don't really get hungry until 12 as long as I've had coffee (little milk). The problem is when I tell people I skip breakfast most usually freak out. I typically hear "breakfast is good for you" <-- like what does that even mean? and "you're gonna gain weight if you don't eat breakfast".. no I'm not.

I honestly don't care what these people, most of them my friends, think about my eating patterns but I hate that they think they're right and that I'm totally wrong! So whats a quick thing to say to them to get them off my back... I've tried being like there's a lot of research behind it, but I can never think of any on the spot.

Simple, burden of proof is on the claim maker so it is up to them to prove their statements. It is likely if they try they produce the studies that associate weight gain/loss with eating/not eating breakfast

JoRocka

something wrong with


"I'm not hungry"???

followed by meal timing is largely irrelevant- it does not jump start your metabolism- and it has absolutely no impact on weight loss.

The only time it really matters is when you are trying to put on weight- sustaining a bulk is hard to do if you are cramming all your food in to a shorter time period.

laineybz

I don't eat breakfast on the day's i'm at work. On my days off, i do eat breakfast but it's more like brunch around 11.30/12pm. Makes me smile when people say you'll gain weight if you don't eat breakfast seeing as people at work tell me to put weight on.

LolBroScience

something wrong with


"I'm not hungry"???

followed by meal timing is largely irrelevant- it does not jump start your metabolism- and it has absolutely no impact on weight loss.

The only time it really matters is when you are trying to put on weight- sustaining a bulk is hard to do if you are cramming all your food in to a shorter time period.

hah, debatable

LolBroScience

Most of the time I do intermittent fasting. I eat my first meal around 12 pm and my last around 8pm... So basically I just skip breakfast. I love it bc I find it much easier to stick to my 1300 calorie allotment with 2 big meals and I don't really get hungry until 12 as long as I've had coffee (little milk). The problem is when I tell people I skip breakfast most usually freak out. I typically hear "breakfast is good for you" <-- like what does that even mean? and "you're gonna gain weight if you don't eat breakfast".. no I'm not.

I honestly don't care what these people, most of them my friends, think about my eating patterns but I hate that they think they're right and that I'm totally wrong! So whats a quick thing to say to them to get them off my back... I've tried being like there's a lot of research behind it, but I can never think of any on the spot.

It's certainly difficult to communicate this with most people. I just tend to avoid any conversation regarding my diet, training etc unless the person is very fitness minded themselves.

Just hit em with a:
"works for me"
"I'm not hungry"
"I eat breakfast - just later"
etc..

amberrea82

I've always wondered what the true benefits were instead of just "you have to eat breakfast". I've never been a breakfast person. I don't really care for breakfast food. Maybe throw back a glass of milk if I'm feeling a little pang in the a.m. but that's all I really feel like. And I'm sure my results so far show that you don't "have to" have breakfast to lose weight...just sayin'.

tonileigh820

I feel ya there. I very rarely eat breakfast as well. I'm just not hungry until midday. I usually just tell people, it's my body not yours. You can eat how you want and I will eat how I want!

Mr_Knight

The problem is when I tell people I skip breakfast most usually freak out.

So don't tell 'em.

...but I hate that they think they're right and that I'm totally wrong!

Let it go....

PRMinx

The problem is when I tell people I skip breakfast most usually freak out.

So don't tell 'em.

...but I hate that they think they're right and that I'm totally wrong!

Let it go....

^This. I can assure you there are many more important things in life to get worked up about. This is definitely not one of them.

JoRocka

something wrong with


"I'm not hungry"???

followed by meal timing is largely irrelevant- it does not jump start your metabolism- and it has absolutely no impact on weight loss.

The only time it really matters is when you are trying to put on weight- sustaining a bulk is hard to do if you are cramming all your food in to a shorter time period.

hah, debatable

I'm sure you can bulk doing IF. But most people find it hard to cram that amount of food in for a short window- over a long period of time. Of course we can all put down 3000 plus calories at dinner- but doing it day in and day out for months is hard.

I remember Waldo saying something to the affect that the consistent suprlus over the course of the day- constantly is is what helps in repair/grown.
There is a reason bodybuilders set alarms to eat when they are bulking- other than they think it's fun to do.

^This. I can assure you there are many more important things in life to get worked up about. This is definitely not one of them.

indeed.
Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.

Branstin

So let them freak out. Whose body is it anyway? If you ask 10 people if you should or should not eat breakfast in order to lose weight, the odds are you will get a combination of 10 different answers. Sometimes, I think people confuse eating breakfast to maintain focus and concentration with weight loss. When my sons were school-age, I fed them breakfast so they could focus and concentrate better in school. I eat breakfast because it helps me focus, concentrate, and avoid late night over eating. This is the way “my” body works. I can’t attest for other people so my reply to people like that is different strokes for different folks. As long as your options are healthy, especially for the long haul, don’t waste time on other peoples’ opinions.

bcattoes

I eat pretty much the same, though I don't do IF or have any rules. I rarely eat anything until noon, sometimes not until 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. And I get flack from my friends and family about it.

My response is usually just "I don't eat when I'm not hungry".

If I was hungry when I woke up, I would eat. But I never am.

DeadliftAddict

I have given up on telling people I intermittent fast. As soon as I say those two words. I get this weird look followed by "What is that?!". Then they get into so many other questions or comments about how breakfast is so important. So I just avoid it all together.

DeadliftAddict

something wrong with


"I'm not hungry"???

followed by meal timing is largely irrelevant- it does not jump start your metabolism- and it has absolutely no impact on weight loss.

The only time it really matters is when you are trying to put on weight- sustaining a bulk is hard to do if you are cramming all your food in to a shorter time period.

hah, debatable

I'm sure you can bulk doing IF. But most people find it hard to cram that amount of food in for a short window- over a long period of time. Of course we can all put down 3000 plus calories at dinner- but doing it day in and day out for months is hard.

I remember Waldo saying something to the affect that the consistent suprlus over the course of the day- constantly is is what helps in repair/grown.
There is a reason bodybuilders set alarms to eat when they are bulking- other than they think it's fun to do.

^This. I can assure you there are many more important things in life to get worked up about. This is definitely not one of them.

indeed.
Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.

^^Great comment. It isn't hard to get in 3000+ calories in 8 hrs to bulk. If you need more time, add two more hours. Still doing IF but now you have a 10 hour eating window. If you can't do it in 10 hours give up all ready. Meal timing is crap.

ItsCasey

I don't even get why this needs to be an issue. The best way to get people to stop discussing your business is to stop discussing it WITH them.

a_stronger_me13

I don't even get why this needs to be an issue. The best way to get people to stop discussing your business is to stop discussing it WITH them.

+1

And why is your calorie goal so low in the first place?

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I just say "Yeah, no, the whole 'You HAVE to eat breakfast' thing is a myth". They usually don't believe me but I don't care.

PRMinx

I don't even get why this needs to be an issue. The best way to get people to stop discussing your business is to stop discussing it WITH them.

This. I'm kind of confused as to how and why this is even coming up...