How Bad Is It To Skip Breakfast?

Autumn15

You really shouldn't skip breakfast...even if you just grab a glass of skim milk or something simple you need to get your metabolism up and running first thing in the morning and try to do 5 to 6 small meals through the day to keep that metabolism burning steady to get the most out of your calories all day long.

JohnGym

It isn't bad to miss breakfast. Sometimes I eat breakfast, sometimes I don't.

Eat when you are hungry. Just make sure you eat enough, but not too much each day.

tigersword

Think of your body as an engine. If the engine doesn't have enough fuel to burn, it will compensate and run less effectively, trying to store resources so it can keep running (low metabolism), but if you've got fuel going to it in a constant stream, (eating every 2 - 3 hours, meals and snacks) it will run more efficiently on a continual burn. That's what you want your metabolism to do. That's why eating and exercising together are so important, and why not eating slows your metabolism down, and that leads to diet disaster. The biggest change I've made since I've come here is to eat breakfast and eat all my calories, but it's made a huge difference.

Yes, your body is an engine. An engine has a fuel tank that stores fuel, that it then calls for when it's needed, so that you do not have to constantly fuel the engine in order for it to run. The body is the same way. Fat stores are the fuel tank, and your body calls on calories to fuel itself as needed. Metabolism does not equal digestion. As long as you eat the proper number of calories and nutrients your body will use them appropriately. If you eat one large meal all at once, your body will process it all and store it away, to call upon as needed to keep you running efficiently. If you eat several small meals per day, your body will stop and process each of them, and then store them away to dose out as needed. It really doesn't make a difference either way.

MB_Positif

I usually can't eat immediately after waking up, but I usually do within 2 hours or so. I have to say, when I had eggs at breakfast it changes the rest of my day. I usually don't snack very much at all on those days!

robin52077

MEAL TIMING IS A MYTH. It does not matter when you eat, as long as you are eating the appropriate amount of calories and nutrients each day, it doesn't matter when you eat them. Your metabolism doesn't randomly speed up and slow down based on whether you had breakfast or not. It usually takes 2 days of constant fasting, or months of underrating to slow your metabolism down.

exactly this

ladybg81

I do not eat breakfast until about 10 am because I am not really awake until then. It has worked for me. Waking up at 6 and trying to eat then is just too much for me. So, I wait until I'm hungry.

casie05

If you think that it's not important to eat breakfast, do not complain when your metabolism is so slow and you cant lose the weight you want to. Breakfast is SO important! There's a reason the saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a peon" is what it is...
Food is fuel..remember that.. Eat to live, don't live to eat

DizzieLittleLifter

I didn't read the responses, but some research suggests that skipping breakfast for a long period of time can increase your risk for adult onset diabetes. Even if it's something small you really should try to eat something before your coffee.

HMonsterX

There's a reason the saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a peon" is what it is...

And what it is is a total myth. It's been debunked many times, yet people still remember the old saying, and think its gospel, when it clearly isn't.

NewVonnie

If you think that it's not important to eat breakfast, do not complain when your metabolism is so slow and you cant lose the weight you want to. Breakfast is SO important! There's a reason the saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a peon" is what it is...
Food is fuel..remember that.. Eat to live, don't live to eat

Ridiculous....

NewVonnie

MEAL TIMING IS A MYTH. It does not matter when you eat, as long as you are eating the appropriate amount of calories and nutrients each day, it doesn't matter when you eat them. Your metabolism doesn't randomly speed up and slow down based on whether you had breakfast or not. It usually takes 2 days of constant fasting, or months of underrating to slow your metabolism down.

This^ is the right answer....

dtroyer

You should eat breakfast within 45 minutes of waking to fuel your body, which has not eaten since the night before. In doing so, you will start your metabolism sooner (which burns more calories) than waiting until lunch. Additionally, if your body thinks it is starving, it will not release the weight as easily. Eat your breakfast girl, even if its only an egg or yogurt. Make sure it has protein in it whatever it is. :-)

pope369

Its not that I dont have time for breakfast. I'm a stay at home wife so I have all the time in the world. Its just that some mornings I really just dont feel hungry at all until around noon. I dont want to force myself to eat when I'm not hungry, but I also dont want to pig out at lunch.

For me, it really has helped to eat something for breakfast, especially if I'm going to be doing any cardio exercises. Consider what you're planning on doing that day, and if it's an off day and you don't feel like eating, then there shouldn't be anything wrong with skipping breakfast, IMO.

Just my 2 cents . . .

pope369

You should eat breakfast within 45 minutes of waking to fuel your body, which has not eaten since the night before. In doing so, you will start your metabolism sooner (which burns more calories) than waiting until lunch. Additionally, if your body thinks it is starving, it will not release the weight as easily. Eat your breakfast girl, even if its only an egg or yogurt. Make sure it has protein in it whatever it is. :-)

Adding to my previous reply, yes, eating within 30-45 minutes from waking is what I've been doing for the past two months, and it's been working for me.

HangoverSquare

I often never feel like eating in the morning; but, I do anyways.

A grapefruit, some yogurt, or some Cheerios can go a long way. Oh, and a cup of coffee, of course.

onevision

I'd love to read these studies, because they completely seem to contradict intermittent fasting, which seems to work extremely well for many people as both a complete lifestyle and a way to lose significant weight. And it also seems to contradict the fact that the body lives off of fat reserves during fasting in general, for several days at a time. If your body suddenly stops burning fat while you sleep, then how is it continuously burning fat during multi-day fasts? Also, what does the body burn when your sleeping, if it doesn't burn fat stores? The human body is constantly burning and storing fat 24/7, as part of the metabolic cycle.

Also, I think that study had more to do with GI foods than fasting, as if you compare low GI foods to high GI foods eaten at different times, then you can't make an actual correlation between the meal times, as the foods are different.

The fasting mode stuff is taken from Zinczenko's Abs Diet and Tim Ferris' 4HB, and both reference research to support that view. the GI thing comes from a recent paper in The Journal of Nutrition.

I've not come across intermittent fasting, which sounds thoroughly unpleasant. It seems to me that grazing on healthy foods and being properly hydrated is a much more sustainable method for weight maintenance and all round wellbeing.

rock127

MandaLen13

First...breakfast is the MOST important meal which even aliens know.If you don't feel hungry then it is ok to skip but don't make it a regular habit.Sometime body doesn't feel hungry in the morning(one reason is heavy dinner) so don't force feed the body.Take something light(like coffee as you are taking) but don't go fully empty tummy till lunch.

Levedi

I get this too, especially when I'm tired or rushed. My stomach just doesn't feel up for food. Unfortunately, I also find that if I don't eat any breakfast, I'm more likely to over eat later. What works for me is keeping granola bars, nuts and fruit cups available for later when I do want a little breakfast. That way I can grab my tea first thing and then eat a small breakfast in mid-morning when my stomach has woken up a bit. It might work for you too.

tigersword

I'd love to read these studies, because they completely seem to contradict intermittent fasting, which seems to work extremely well for many people as both a complete lifestyle and a way to lose significant weight. And it also seems to contradict the fact that the body lives off of fat reserves during fasting in general, for several days at a time. If your body suddenly stops burning fat while you sleep, then how is it continuously burning fat during multi-day fasts? Also, what does the body burn when your sleeping, if it doesn't burn fat stores? The human body is constantly burning and storing fat 24/7, as part of the metabolic cycle.

Also, I think that study had more to do with GI foods than fasting, as if you compare low GI foods to high GI foods eaten at different times, then you can't make an actual correlation between the meal times, as the foods are different.

The fasting mode stuff is taken from Zinczenko's Abs Diet and Tim Ferris' 4HB, and both reference research to support that view. the GI thing comes from a recent paper in The Journal of Nutrition.

I've not come across intermittent fasting, which sounds thoroughly unpleasant. It seems to me that grazing on healthy foods and being properly hydrated is a much more sustainable method for weight maintenance and all round wellbeing.

Meal timing has been thoroughly debunked by scientific study. It doesn't matter if you eat 10 200 calorie meals, or 1 2000 calorie meal, to your body it's the same thing.

Also, the Abs Diet was written 7 years ago, and (I haven't read it) most likely based on outdated research. As for Tim Ferris, Nothing about the description of his book or anything I've read about him strikes me as legitimate, honestly. He reminds me of a snake oil salesman, remember, his earlier book recommended practicing "selective ignorance."

Intermittent fasting is quite simply, eating all of your daily calories in a 4-6 hour window, and not eating the rest of the day. There's no limit on drinking water.

theba2il

Just a suggestion...

"Slow-carb breakfast: Timothy suggests eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning, such as eggs, lentils and spinach. "If you don't change anything else, remember that," he says, noting this breakfast had a big impact on his dad's weight loss routine. "My dad went from roughly five pounds of fat loss per month to an average of almost 19 pounds!"~Tim Ferris 4 Hour Body via Rachel Ray show

NeonNikki

I think it depends on your body/personality?...right?---are you a binge eater/ have diabetes or underweight? ... or strength training? Then maybe breakfast and the six small meals a day is for you.

But if you're not hungry- you don't have a tendency to over eat then skip it. I love IF and am trying to get back into the IF routine. It just seems natural to me. BUT THAT"S ME. I'm not everybody. Forcing yourself to eat when your not hungry is not natural. That I DO KNOW. (unless you are on some meds-have some medical condition ect)

anyways. I say skip it if that feels alright.

Pebble321

In my opinion this is another one where you have to experiment to find what suits you best.
I've discovered that if I eat a reasonable amount (breakfast and a snack then a decent lunch) in the first half of they day then I'm less likely to want to snack voraciously in the afternoon. But, this is just me.
Why dont you try something light and simple (prepared the night before) for a month or so and see if you notice any difference. If it dosen't make you feel better then go back to your previous habits!

crisanderson27

It's pretty well proven that your body doesn't burn fat when in fasting mode. Fasting mode starts a few hours after you go to bed and lasts until you start feeding again. And recent studies suggest that people who eat a low GI breakfast within an hour of waking generally have 5% less bodyfat than those that eat high GI breakfasts or who fast until mid-morning.

I'd love to read these studies, because they completely seem to contradict intermittent fasting, which seems to work extremely well for many people as both a complete lifestyle and a way to lose significant weight. And it also seems to contradict the fact that the body lives off of fat reserves during fasting in general, for several days at a time. If your body suddenly stops burning fat while you sleep, then how is it continuously burning fat during multi-day fasts? Also, what does the body burn when your sleeping, if it doesn't burn fat stores? The human body is constantly burning and storing fat 24/7, as part of the metabolic cycle.

Also, I think that study had more to do with GI foods than fasting, as if you compare low GI foods to high GI foods eaten at different times, then you can't make an actual correlation between the meal times, as the foods are different.

Nicely put.

Another form of intermittent fasting is eat normally four or five days a week, and skip breakfast and lunch for two to three days a week. This puts you in a fasted state for 24hrs as you're eating dinner one day, then not eating until dinner the next.

A mix of both forms of intermittent fasting seems to be working wonderfully for me. FAR better than the way I was eating before...which was 100% clean, and included four to six meals a day (while still in a calorie deficit). I'm much, much closer to my goal...and losing weight weekly, like clockwork.

Oddly enough, my strength seems to be increasing with each workout as well.

Go figure.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Bad news is that skipping breakfast will make you gain more because it lowers your metabolism and can affect your blood sugar level. Our body needs food after a 7-or more hours of not eating to boost its metabolism. Plus it will help you be in control on lunch and afterwards and will prevent overeating. When I was still fat, I don't eat breakfast but I made it up by eating more at lunch and dinner which is not good. Then I learned the importance of a morning meal. Since then I slowly losing weight until I lost all my excess weight. You don't have to eat a heavy breakfast but at least eat something light like a piece of bagel or a fruit or a sandwich.

crisanderson27

Bad news is that skipping breakfast will make you gain more because it lowers your metabolism and can affect your blood sugar level. Our body needs food after a 7-or more hours of not eating to boost its metabolism. Plus it will help you be in control on lunch and afterwards and will prevent overeating. When I was still fat, I don't eat breakfast but I made it up by eating more at lunch and dinner which is not good. Then I learned the importance of a morning meal. Since then I slowly losing weight until I lost all my excess weight. You don't have to eat a heavy breakfast but at least eat something light like a piece of bagel or a fruit or a sandwich.

Hmm...oddly enough...this is 100% opposite of my personal experience. I did the eating clean/breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2-3 snacks thing. It worked for a short period...and then I stalled hard...nothing I did fixed it.

Now, eating only once or twice a day, after 4pm...my metabolism is a blast furnace. As an example...I now survive off mostly Taco Bell (yes...fast food, full of calories, fat, sodium...etc...all those things it's IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight while eating?), workout with heavy weight training ONLY three days a week for roughly 30-45 minutes a session, doing no cardio whatsoever...and I'm gaining strength, and losing fat like mad.

I'm not recommending everyone follow the above plan...but I AM recommending everyone keep an open mind that there's more than one way to do this. I plan on going back to eating clean shortly, but I will maintain my intermittent fasting eating schedule.

It's very, very effective.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Bad news is that skipping breakfast will make you gain more because it lowers your metabolism and can affect your blood sugar level. Our body needs food after a 7-or more hours of not eating to boost its metabolism. Plus it will help you be in control on lunch and afterwards and will prevent overeating. When I was still fat, I don't eat breakfast but I made it up by eating more at lunch and dinner which is not good. Then I learned the importance of a morning meal. Since then I slowly losing weight until I lost all my excess weight. You don't have to eat a heavy breakfast but at least eat something light like a piece of bagel or a fruit or a sandwich.

Hmm...oddly enough...this is 100% opposite of my personal experience. I did the eating clean/breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2-3 snacks thing. It worked for a short period...and then I stalled hard...nothing I did fixed it.

Now, eating only once or twice a day, after 4pm...my metabolism is a blast furnace. As an example...I now survive off mostly Taco Bell (yes...fast food, full of calories, fat, sodium...etc...all those things it's IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight while eating?), workout with heavy weight training ONLY three days a week for roughly 30-45 minutes a session, doing no cardio whatsoever...and I'm gaining strength, and losing fat like mad.

I'm not recommending everyone follow the above plan...but I AM recommending everyone keep an open mind that there's more than one way to do this. I plan on going back to eating clean shortly, but I will maintain my intermittent fasting eating schedule.

It's very, very effective.

Yours may have a different effect but in general the opposite is whats going to happen. I read in one article that Sumo wrestlers maintain their plus size bodies by not skipping breakfast and then stuffing themselves for lunch and dinner.

JohnGym

You guys who are saying that metabolism will not start or something similar are talking absolute nonsense. You really are.

Do a little research on intermittent fasting. What you are doing is regurgitating debunked myths which causes those people on here who are trying to learn, to learn the wrong things.

ladyhawk00

I think both "sides" of the current debate have valid points. First, IF (intermittent fasting) can be very effective, for someone who can follow the regimen and ensure that the appropriate amount of cals is actually eaten within the short time frame. But many people can't.

For a lot of people, skipping meals leads to snacking and binges later (often simple carbs), where too many cals are taken in. In this case, obviously, it won't help. The other common scenario (especially for women) is skipping breakfast and/or lunch, and not making up the calories later. This creates a cycle of underfeeding, decreased metabolism/LBM loss and thus decreased appetite, which reinforces the cycle.

If you can follow a healthy diet, meeting cal goals and macro/micro goals, without eating a certain meal or through IF, then do it. If you can't, then work on eating more frequently.

hemlock2010

I find that eating breakfast makes me hungrier through the rest of the day and therefore makes it harder to stick to my calorie goal. I have tried all different configurations of protein, carbs, and fats, and this result holds true for all configurations. I lose weight best when I skip breakfast, have a light lunch, and get most of my calories at dinner.

JohnGym

I think both "sides" of the current debate have valid points. First, IF (intermittent fasting) can be very effective, for someone who can follow the regimen and ensure that the appropriate amount of cals is actually eaten within the short time frame. But many people can't.

For a lot of people, skipping meals leads to snacking and binges later (often simple carbs), where too many cals are taken in. In this case, obviously, it won't help. The other common scenario (especially for women) is skipping breakfast and/or lunch, and not making up the calories later. This creates a cycle of underfeeding, decreased metabolism/LBM loss and thus decreased appetite, which reinforces the cycle.

If you can follow a healthy diet, meeting cal goals and macro/micro goals, without eating a certain meal or through IF, then do it. If you can't, then work on eating more frequently.

I agree with all of this.