Stop eating breakfast. Here's why.

servilia

I almost never eat breakfast or lunch. It makes me sluggish even if I'm eating the right foods. My eating window starts around 4-6pm and ends when I go to bed, usually around midnight. I love it and it works for me And yes I usually get all the calories MFP tells me to have unless I don't feel hungry.
I'm not trying to push this on anyone, but people please don't be ignorant and assume that others don't know what's right for them. There is definitely a science behind IF. Not that I follow it perfectly, I do drink my coffee with a bit of sugar and milk during the day.

TateFTW

If it works, more power to you. I don't know that I could do it and, frankly, I'm not willing to try with my lifestyle the way it is right now. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist so I couldn't begin to speak to if it is healthy or not. I can say, as others have said, when I don't eat breakfast (which I'll admit, I sometimes forget to) I'm grumpy, to put it politely. The thought of packing in an entire day's worth of calories in one or two sittings actually makes me sick a bit, but then again I don't enjoy eating large meals. When my stomach takes in that much at one time I get lethargic.

To the OP! Grats, you really know how to get a thread going and blow up in a short amount of time. (Do not blast me on this, I say it with a light and jesting air)

We all know everyone's body works differently. Find what works for you and is healthy. I'm still looking.

Definitely no blasting from here! I actually love your post. Honestly, I had no clue this was going to get so out of hand.

One thing I like is that you admit, just like I do, that you aren't a doctor. I'm not either. All I ever wanted to do was to get people to read an article that would challenge the crappy information we've heard for so long.

TateFTW

Wow, you guys have been busy while I've been sleeping!

First I'll touch on my caloric intake, as a response to those who wondered.

My intake changes day to day. When I did strict IF'ing, I actually fasted 3 weekdays a week, which were also my weight training days. On these days I didn't eat until 4 and my total intake was 1200 calories, very low. the other 2 weekdays my intake was 16-1700, and on weekends my intake was maintenance calories, around 2400. This meant my weight fluctuated, peaking Monday Morning then dropping through the week. I worked it out to where I would have a 3500 calorie deficit every week, and I lost almost exactly 1lb every week.

Currently my intake still fluctuates day to day, but in an even more extreme way. I'm currently fasting every weekday until I get off work at 3, then consuming around 15-1800 calories with less than 30 net grams of carbs. On the weekends I won't be fasting per se, but I'll be attempting to keep calories under 2k while still keeping carbs under 30 net grams. Once a week I have my carb up meal, which is no holds barred. It's a free for all, I just have to make sure I get a ton of carbs. The original plan was for the carb up to be on a planned day once a week, but that wasn't working for me. I found I needed a carb up more often, so now I'm going by weight. Last time I did a carb up I was 205 that morning, so now my goal is to be 204, at which time I'll do my next carb up.

I'm going to say, once again, that I've never said that anyone else should do this diet. It's extreme and not meant for most people. I designed it for me.

It was never my intention to get anyone to eat like me, or even to change to IF. Just STOP believing things just because you hear it over and over. Breakfast is not "key". Breakfast won't affect your metabolism negatively. If you're tracking your calories, why would it matter if studies show that people who skip breakfast eat too much later? You won't have that problem, because you're awayre of your intake. You're also too smart to be one of those people who says "I skipped brekfast, so I can have half a cheesecake for lunch", aren't you?

Don't just believe anything. Ever. Research, study, come to some conclusions of your own, or find someone elses conclusions that make sense to you then research them yourself to see if what you THINK is right really is.

And by the way, the studies that showed that breakfast was the most important meal of the day WERE funded by cereal companies.

heyjude1358

And you think your metabolism stops when you go to bed?

Well, I personally am not tossing and turning enough to be considered active while sleeping. So yes it SLOWS. Thankfully doesn't stop, or else I would probably be dead. :huh:

hah!

CouleeRunner

There is nothing wrong with IF. There is nothing wrong with eating breakfast either. Do what makes you happy if it is working for you.

Everyone supporting eating breakfast is getting sh*& on saying that they are closed minded. All of you who are supporting IF as the only way are just as closed minded.

The whole arguement is going nowhere.

joseph9

Because if you went back to the ORIGINAL POST you would see that the author mentioned NOTHING about getting his caloric requirements in one day, he ONLY mentioned skipping meals. SIMPLE ANSWER HERE.

Hmm. He didn't say that he WAS or WASN'T hitting his numbers for the day, but the articles that he cited were pretty clear that they were comparing the same number of calories per day, just with the calories front loaded or back loaded. To the extent that TateFTW was unclear, it looks like that has been clarified.

Do we all agree that:

1) Eating too few calories or not getting your nutrients is bad for you, but

2) As to when you eat your calories, protein, fat, whatever, if it's working for you, great.

3) On the other hand, if you're having trouble sticking to your diet, getting enough energy, not yelling at your kids, and/or seeing the weight change you want, then maybe try something else.

HMonsterX

TateFTW

3) On the other hand, if you're having trouble sticking to your diet, getting enough energy, not yelling at your kids, and/or seeing the weight change you want, then maybe try something else.

YES!

That, and don't believe everything you hear. Yup, that's pretty much it.

Kikilicious84

I've read through the article and the entire thread and went and read "****arounditis" and I must say... Thanks for posting this and starting this debate.

I'd never heard of IF until this thread but I've never really eaten breakfast until about 1000-1100ish and by then it's lunch. You've (and a lot of others) have given me more things to read up on and I thank you!

strawberryromper

I pretty much never eat a 'traditional' breakfast. I'm not hungry when I wake up and I highly doubt that it's doing me any harm. I don't eat until well after noon most days. That said, I don't really care what anyone else does and I hope it works for them.

Jennyzfit

You could probably find an article to support any diet or nutrional philosophy. Stick with sources you know are valid and do what works for you.

I totally agree with this statement.

Jennyzfit

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

strawberryromper

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

I've read this a lot, but I've never actually seen a study to indicate that you do harm to your metabolism by eating less often than every four hours or so. I did see a website link to a study indicating that it does take much longer to slow your metabolism by not eating (and that you do not go into "starvation mode" if you eat, say, less than 700 calories one day- basically that it takes a longer period of severe calorie deficit to trigger a slowed metabolism). I think someone else in the thread has already linked to that one though.

Acg67

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

::SIGH::

Jesung

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

You should read these
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20339363

Jennyzfit

I've never read the studies either. With exercising and having an active day this works well for me.

4theking

Look no further than this thread to see why this world is so stinking fat. If you don't eat every three hours you will hit starvation mode, get sick and die. Common sense is rarely seen these days...........sad.

saturn2002

I don't agree with anyone skipping breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the reason why I states this during the night we sleep for 8 or more hrs without eating, so we must feed our body, this is why it's called BREAK-FAST we are breaking our 8 or more hrs fast . Now if you stated you had your larger meal at breakfast and eat lighter for the rest of the day I could agree with you.. No matter how you change your eating habits you should have a meal in the morning to break your fast.
Good luck with your healthy life style.

_CHRISTIE_

You could probably find an article to support any diet or nutrional philosophy. Stick with sources you know are valid and do what works for you.

I agree with this! I used to not eat breakfast...hence why I ended up 200 lbs... now that I eat breakfast I do much better with balanching the rest of my meals.... I think to each their own, but I don't think for a lot of reasons what you are doing is healthy but that's just my opinion!

HMonsterX

I don't agree with anyone skipping breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the reason why I states this during the night we sleep for 8 or more hrs without eating, so we must feed our body, this is why it's called BREAK-FAST we are breaking our 8 or more hrs fast . Now if you stated you had your larger meal at breakfast and eat lighter for the rest of the day I could agree with you.. No matter how you change your eating habits you should have a meal in the morning to break your fast.
Good luck with your healthy life style.

...did you read any of this thread?

Jennyzfit

Look no further than this thread to see why this world is so stinking fat. If you don't eat every three hours you will hit starvation mode, get sick and die. Common sense is rarely seen these days...........sad.

Thank You Thank you!

strawberryromper

Look no further than this thread to see why this world is so stinking fat. If you don't eat every three hours you will hit starvation mode, get sick and die. Common sense is rarely seen these days...........sad.

Thank You Thank you!

I'm confused about if you know what's going on here and are being snarky, or if your thank yous are genuine...

Acg67

You could probably find an article to support any diet or nutrional philosophy. Stick with sources you know are valid and do what works for you.

I agree with this! I used to not eat breakfast...hence why I ended up 200 lbs

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Jennyzfit

I meant a genuine "thank you" because I truly believe you should eat every 4 hours. I don't mean eating full meals either. With MFP you can still get your calories in by eating every 4 hours. It's all about choices of what your eating.

strawberryromper

I meant a genuine "thank you" because I truly believe you should eat every 4 hours. I don't mean eating full meals either. With MFP you can still get your calories in by eating every 4 hours. It's all about choices of what your eating.

But they were being sarcastic/hyperbolic, so you were thanking them for agreeing with something that they were only "agreeing" with because they think is silly.

Jennyzfit

My apologies if I offended anyone.

debswebby

My husband eats once a day - his main meal at about 9 - 9.30 at night. He has never had a weight problem.
He says that whether you eat 3 meals a day or 5 or 1, you should only eat when you're hungry and not when the clock tells you to. If you want breakfast, eat breakfast. If you're not hungry at 12 or 1 don't have lunch. It won't kill you. We have forgotten how to listen to our bodies. Our bodies tell us when its time to eat not the clock.
Its taken me a long time to get used to this and I still haven't really. I've been trained from a young age to eat by the clock.

But you know, everyone is different and what works for one, won't work for someone else. You need to find whatever method is going to make this easier to bear and if it ain't broke don't fix it

hooma

Lol this is a funny thread. It would be cool if you had to take a reading comprehension quiz proving that you actually read OP's article before commenting on it. I'm sure there are people who would still disagree and could cite valid reasons, but that would take the conversation much further than "nu uh" and "yea huh."

I've been thinking about trying IF for a few weeks now and am trying to read up on it. Thanks for posting this article. The only reason why I hesistate is because I like my morning routine and I finally found a cereal that is decently healthy and delicious (not the most compelling reason). And if it doesn't work than I guess I'll have no choice but to...start eating breakfast again!

SergeantSunshine_reused

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

You obviously do not know anything about metabolism.

TateFTW

You need breakfast every day and to eat about every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism up. Metabolism up means burning calories and running your body effeciently. Kinda like a car needs gas to run. Wierd anology but it's the only one I can think of right now.
Here's to wishing you good health.

oh. my. holy. god.

Is someone playing a joke on me right now? Where's the hidden camera?