Not eating breakfast first thing? Is this bad?

2

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    mickeymaggie wrote: »
    I have been told by a number of sources that you need to get your metabolism moving as early in the day as possible with exercise and/or with food to lose weight. I never liked breakfast either and like the first poster would leave breakfast for a couple of hours after getting up. But when I started the goal to lose weight I knew I had to change my habits. So now I do some kind of exercise first thing and then I have breakfast. I still am not crazy about breakfast but I make myself have it because the results I've achieved.

    If you held calories equal and only ate your meals later in the day, you would have the same results. The reason many suggest breakfast in the morning is some studies would suggest people make smarter decisions when eating breakfast. But regardless of when you eat your calories or how many times a day you eat, if calories are equal, results will not vary.

    Almost, your bodies metabolism is always working. If it's not, you would be dead, but your metabolism controls most of your bodies functions.

  • sumjoy
    sumjoy Posts: 84 Member
    I eat when I'm hungry. I've found that eating just because someone says I must has the same effect as being told I have to clean my plate; it leads to overeating.
  • zeal26
    zeal26 Posts: 602 Member
    edited December 2014
    No, you can eat whatever way you want. I usually wake up around 8 - 8:30, and have a litre of water, then a cup of coffee. Breakfast happens at some stage between 11 and 12:30. I actually prefer eating breakfast later as I find I'm less hungry during the day.
  • agaraffa
    agaraffa Posts: 27 Member
    I don't think it's a bad thing... I get up about 5 and don't usually eat anything until 10:30.
  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member
    No.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Eat if you're hungry. Don't eat if you're not.


    Test. Can anyone see this message?
    No we can't ;)

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    mickeymaggie wrote: »
    I have been told by a number of sources that you need to get your metabolism moving as early in the day as possible with exercise and/or with food to lose weight. I never liked breakfast either and like the first poster would leave breakfast for a couple of hours after getting up. But when I started the goal to lose weight I knew I had to change my habits. So now I do some kind of exercise first thing and then I have breakfast. I still am not crazy about breakfast but I make myself have it because the results I've achieved.

    you were told wrong, this is all myth …

    eat less than you consume = weight loss; meal timing and frequency has nothing to do with it…

    so you can eat breakfast when you want, and exercise when you want...
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
    You need to eat breakfast to fuel that metabolic fire. Need to get that metabolism stoked back up.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I get up at 5:00, get to the gym around 6:00. When I get back from the gym, I have my first of two large cups of coffee. I generally won't eat until 10:00 or 10:30, though. I don't really feel hungry before then, and if I eat too early, I stay hungry all day long. That's what works for me, do what works for you.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    I'm starting to think that different people are defining "metabolism" in different ways.
  • blukitten
    blukitten Posts: 922 Member
    I used to not eat breakfast at all, changed that habit cause I wanted to equally space my calories throughout the day so that I would make smarter choices and not be famished. Now- I eat breakfast about 2 hours after I get up and if I don't I am starving- where I used to not be hungry at all for breakfast and still don't eat it on the weekends cause I like to sleep in.

    I have found that now that I am used to eating breakfast during the week- If I don't eat it at my regular time then I am starving and more likely to make bad choices for lunch or dinner because I am hungry.

    I agree with everyone else though-- find what works for you and your body
  • ithrowconfetti
    ithrowconfetti Posts: 451 Member
    Not eating breakfast is a bad thing, if it:
    • Causes you hunger pangs, and interferes with how you perform for the rest of the day
    • Causes you to make "poor" meal choices for the rest of the day

    Other than that, do not worry about the timings of your meals. I practise intermittent fasting, so my first (and sometimes only) meal is around 7 hours after I wake up, and I still have oodles of energy from dawn to dusk. I usually avoid eating too close to my bedtime, only because I'd often experience acid reflux or indigestion. Whether I eat two hours after I wake up, or ten minutes before bed, makes no difference in achieving my weight goals. Eat when you're hungry, and find what works best for you, OP!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Jacwhite22 wrote: »
    You need to eat breakfast to fuel that metabolic fire. Need to get that metabolism stoked back up.

    negative ghostrider…

    are you saying that your metabolism "burns out" when you go to sleep???????????

    it is bro-science like the that makes people like the OP think skipping breakfast is "bad"….
  • keefmac
    keefmac Posts: 313 Member
    Jacwhite22 wrote: »
    You need to eat breakfast to fuel that metabolic fire. Need to get that metabolism stoked back up.

    I must be a freak of nature then, never eat in the mornings and have a perfectly normal metabolism..
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
    The only times I ever eat breakfast are when my sweetheart takes me out, or cooks himself something that tempts me.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    I think you should do what works for you and not worry about what time you eat. Do you overeat or feel unenergetic if you wait a couple of hours for breakfast?

    I wake up and drink some water right away because I am thirsty. I don't usually eat for an hour or two after I wake up because I have things to do and am just not hungry immediately. My breakfast tends to bit a bit on the small side compared to lunch or dinner.

  • Christi102012
    Christi102012 Posts: 87 Member
    Can someone link a study/paper that supports skipping breakfast isn't horrible? My SIL seriously scolded me because I don't eat breakfast saying that I need to eat it to lose weight. I've lost over 15lbs since September and I rarely eat breakfast. I like saving those calories for a slightly larger lunch or dinner. Sure if I'm hungry in the morning I'll eat but otherwise no.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Christi102012 wrote: »
    Can someone link a study/paper that supports skipping breakfast isn't horrible? My SIL seriously scolded me because I don't eat breakfast saying that I need to eat it to lose weight. I've lost over 15lbs since September and I rarely eat breakfast. I like saving those calories for a slightly larger lunch or dinner. Sure if I'm hungry in the morning I'll eat but otherwise no.
    Here is a good article on the subject that links 12 research references. You can check the individual studies that the author links at the bottom of the article. http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html

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