breakfast - to eat or not?

djpulford

Hi,
I am just starting out on my weight loss venture and am a little nervous as I have been here many times before and have failed every time.

Thought I'd give MFP a try as I've seen it work wonders for my friends.
My quandry however is I keep getting conflicting advice so am not sure what to do.

I am constantly being told not to eat if I am not hungry but then get slammed for not eating breakfast.

The problem I have is that I do not generally get hungry until between 12 & 3pm.
If I eat before this time and I am not truly hungry I feel ravenous for the rest of the day (no matter what I have for breakfast) which is not helpful at all.

So what do I do?

Eat breakfast and kick off my constant hunger or wait till later when I am actually hungry?

I also really struggle when I am working as I work 12.5hr shifts in a hospital. When i am on nights I am more of a nibbler than a meal eater but fruit just doesn't cut it. What are the best nibbles and snacks that I can just leave on my desk?

Helpful advice/suggestions welcome. Am in a really low place and struggling with my weight issues right now so no negative comments please.

Donna

Lindyandcheryl

Eat it whether you want to or not! Lots of protein....egg beaters and turkey sausage, it jump starts your metabolism. Read/search "fueling metabolism"......need protein steadily throughout the day. You should be hungry in the morning provided you didn't eat too much the day before!

_Zardoz_

Eat it whether you want to or not! Lots of protein....egg beaters and turkey sausage, it jump starts your metabolism. Read/search "fueling metabolism"......need protein steadily throughout the day. You should be hungry in the morning provided you didn't eat too much the day before!

No it does not jump start your metabolism. You are not a car your metabolism works 24 hours a day. Meal timing is just personal preference

Just find eating times that work for you and fit within your day activity

tennisgirl444

Research generally shows that people who eat breakfast lose weight.... if they don't normally eat breakfast. It also shows that people who skip breakfast lose weight... if they normally eat breakfast. For years, there was the "eat breakfast" debate because it led to weight loss in people who didn't eat breakfast. However, it appears that if you're overeating, any significant change in your eating patterns (ex. skipping meals, adding in meals, etc.) for the purpose of weight loss/calorie counting/etc. can be beneficial. So the moral is, don't worry about whether or not you're eating breakfast for now, but if you plateau, or have trouble losing weight, you might want to try switching up your typical eating pattern and see if you notice any changes!

gypsy_spirit

breakfast of champions

WolverhamptonFitness

Eat it whether you want to or not! Lots of protein....egg beaters and turkey sausage, it jump starts your metabolism. Read/search "fueling metabolism"......need protein steadily throughout the day. You should be hungry in the morning provided you didn't eat too much the day before!

No it does not jump start your metabolism. You are not a car your metabolism works 24 hours a day. Meal timing is just personal preference

Just find eating times that work for you and fit within your day activity

Im not sure how true this is - you might be right, but I believe there is a reason why people say it does start your metabolism.

Obviously it doesnt completely stop or start, but there is truth in the fact that it slows down when your not doing anything, or sleeping and speeds up when your body has taken food in.

snowflake930

[/quote]No it does not jump start your metabolism. You are not a car your metabolism works 24 hours a day. Meal timing is just personal preference

Just find eating times that work for you and fit within your day activity
[/quote]

^^Exactly this. Trial and error. Find what works for you. This is all about what will keep you going and give you the results you want. General guidelines. What works for some, may, or may not work for you! Finding your way is half the battle. Best of luck to you!

krennie8

up to you! i change it up. If I'm hungry I'll eat breakfast (like right now!) but I generally try to keep it small if I do b/c I know that for me I want a decent sized lunch especially and then to eat something other than a small salad for dinner. With 1500 calories/day, not easily done (imho). So, skipping breakfast when possible allows me to have that 900-1000 calorie lunch without going over my daily limit.

So, imho, just find what works for you and go with it!

SideSteel

Breakfast does not "boost" your metabolism. Any time you eat food you require energy to process/digest the food, but this is essentially a percentage of what's eaten. Whether you eat X amount of food over 6 meals or eat it in 2 meals the difference in thermic effect is basically negligible.

Now, breakfast may have a profound effect on your dietary compliance, but that can go both ways. There are people who prefer to skip (delay may be a better term) breakfast because in doing so they have an easier time adhering to their calorie intake. There are also people who experience better satiation throughout the day by eating breakfast (eating breakfast basically makes it easier for them to not overeat later in the day).

Consequently, this is one of those topics where "do what's best for you" really makes the most sense.

biggsterjackster

Yes, if I don't eat breakfast I snack sugary stuff all day and gain weight.

lolabluola

Breakfast does not "boost" your metabolism. Any time you eat food you require energy to process/digest the food, but this is essentially a percentage of what's eaten. Whether you eat X amount of food over 6 meals or eat it in 2 meals the difference in thermic is basically negligible.

Now, breakfast may have a profound effect on your dietary compliance, but that can go both ways. There are people who prefer to skip (delay may be a better term) breakfast because in doing so they have an easier time adhering to their calorie intake. There are also people who experience better satiation throughout the day by eating breakfast (eating breakfast basically makes it easier for them to not overeat later in the day).

Consequently, this is one of those topics where "do what's best for you" really makes the most sense.

wow. well said!

Beckilovespizza

I rarely eat breakfast and my metabolism is just fine eat when u are hungry and dont be ruled by times. On the days i do eat breakfast i find myself hungry all morning until lunch.

chene249

In the end i think you have to figure out what works for you. I went without breakfast for a period... was totally fine, and then now I'm back on breakfast, just because I miss those breakfast foods.

Do what works for you - experiment for a couple of weeks, see how you feel, take measurements (not scale) and determine how your body is best going to perform. Do you work out? Maybe breakfast is good etc etc.

Things to consider! (:

Kate7294

I personally have to eat something by 8-10 a.m. everyday myself. I get up at 6:30 a.m.
Though when I worked 4yrs at nightshift job 12hrs. I wouldn't eat till I'd been at work a couple hours. .....Usually 1 meal.

I do eat more often now. (PCOS and no longer pre-diabetic here) ***When you eat try not to eat too many carbs, more protein at least in your first meal. See if you still feel the same way. Good luck!

ink_b1tch

I am not a breakfast person, so I drink my protein shake in the morning sitting at my desk. Even though I am not hungry I am at least doing something. Snacks I like, nuts, dried fruit, pretzels, raisins, cranraisins....I try to focus on either protien or getting one or two of my fruits in. Nuts seem to make my hunger at bay.

donnat238

Cheese sticks, protein bars, nuts, fresh veggies and hummus are my go to snacks

AsianDanDQ

The MFP will allow you to track your calorie intake, but the timing of the meals are also important. A 1000 calorie meal in the morning and a 1000 calorie meal before bedtime aren't the same. The morning meal can be burned off as energy throughout the day, and the bedtime meal stores it as fat. So, my advice would be don't eat a lot if you're going to bed soon. As far as snacks, almonds and pistachios work good for me, tasty and filling. Do watch the labels as you will know how much you're taking in. It won't be easy, but stay the course. Believe you can do it, and you will.

WildflowerGypsy

[/quote]No it does not jump start your metabolism. You are not a car your metabolism works 24 hours a day. Meal timing is just personal preference

Just find eating times that work for you and fit within your day activity
[/quote]

Agreed!

WildflowerGypsy

i agree :-)

xcalygrl

Breakfast does not "boost" your metabolism. Any time you eat food you require energy to process/digest the food, but this is essentially a percentage of what's eaten. Whether you eat X amount of food over 6 meals or eat it in 2 meals the difference in thermic effect is basically negligible.

Now, breakfast may have a profound effect on your dietary compliance, but that can go both ways. There are people who prefer to skip (delay may be a better term) breakfast because in doing so they have an easier time adhering to their calorie intake. There are also people who experience better satiation throughout the day by eating breakfast (eating breakfast basically makes it easier for them to not overeat later in the day).

Consequently, this is one of those topics where "do what's best for you" really makes the most sense.

Listen to this. This guy knows what he's talking about.

MegE_N

Some people do the intermittent fasting thing (aka strategically skipping a meal) but it's not recommended for people who have portion control issues. I cut down to a very light breakfast (coffee and turkey bacon) and that's been working for me for the past few weeks - it keeps me full later into the day but also is low on my calorie count.

Don't let people 'slam' you for anything - part of being on this site is finding what works best for you.