Stop eating breakfast. Here's why.

TateFTW

OP here. As this thread slows down I just want to reiterate that I chose the title of this thread based on the hopes that it would get people to read the article. I don't believe this article is definitive, but I also don't like that we are told over and over things like "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" I don't agree that EITHER is true 100% of the time. I want IF'ers to be open to more traiditional eating patterns just the same as I want more traditional dieters to be open to new ideas like IF and Carb cycling.

I'm a weightlifter. I LOVE squats. I hate performing them, but I love what they do to my body. I believe they are the best builder of overall muscle I can use, but they are still only a tool in my toolbox. There are thousands of other ways I can move against a source of resistance with the goal of bettering my body. Carb cycling, intermittent fasting, macronutrient timing, peri-workout nutrition, these are all tools in my toolbox that I can use when I believe they will help me reach my goals.

I just want everyone else to have all of this wonderful information that's out there. I want people to NEVER be afraid to QUESTION and try new things!

But then again, like I said, I'm a man of extremes. I like extreme diets, and I like extreme ideas. I like questioning the majority. Some people take the fact that the majority believe something is true to be evidence that it IS true. I don't feel that way at all. I think when people become complacent and just start going with whatever they are told that we have a responsability to our fellow man to question WHY people are so accepting of information that "sounds right" even when it flies in the face of the science, or at least is not fully SUPPORTED by the sceince, the latter being the case with the importance of breakfast.

Some people have been very passionate about either eating breakfast or not eating breakfast in this thread. I actually don't care about that. I'm passionate about questioning WHY you choose to do what you do! So many of you have GREAT reasons for doing what you do, wether that means eating breakfast or not, or even taking on a more extreme dietary approach like IF (By the way, you don't have to choose one or the other. The article just suggests moving breakfast back a couple hours, which is not nearly as extreme as IF.) If you have good reasons for the coices you've made, than that's awesome, BUT, if you do what you do because you heard it was the right thing to do, or because you never really thought about it, than it's time to become informed.

There are options out there, and one of them will work better than all the others for you. One of them will be the best path to success, and I don't want anyone to be left without the right tool in their toolbox.

Rilke

I choose to eat breakfast (and lunch) because I am hungry. When I am hungry I am grumpy. I do not want to be grumpy when I have to deal with hundreds of teenagers all day long.

So I "graze" constantly. And there is much rejoicing.

catwrangler

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JOJOTRAINER

I actually do just the opposite... my biggest meal of the day is breakfast and basically I taper my food intake from there. I never miss a meal (I eat 4 meals per day on average). I used to be a competitive bodybuilder and followed the same taper method and was easily able to lose 20 to 30lbs when needed. I think dinner should consist of a small amount of food and definitely don't eat 2 hours before sleep. And, I can't say this enough, drink lots and lots of water whether you are thirsty or not.

That's what works for me!

I've heard of people having success with this method as well. I'm glad it worked so well for you. One thing I've always believed is, if you want to know how to cut fat, ask a bodybuilder.

Ok. Ask A body builder and you get A answer. Ask another and you get another, ask a third and you get a third. Lots of body builders use IF. But as a general concensous the majority of body builders say consistent even protein intake through out the day is essential even when cutting. Even leangains dude says -

"Technically, training is not completely fasted - that would be detrimental. The pre-workout protein intake, with its stimulatory effect on protein synthesis and metabolism, is a crucial compromise to optimize results. The 8-hour feeding phase starts with the post-workout meal."

I have no problem with IF. I can make a damn good argument that a short term fast boosts your metabolism more than the breakfast boost. But I can also make a damn good argument that eating breakfast aids in your weight loss.

If you like breakfast eat it. It's not going to slow your weight loss down at all. If you don't like breakfast, skip it. It's not going to slow your weight loss down at all. And for the love of God stop arguing about it. That's mostly directed to the breakfast is essential people, but also a few of the IF people who can't seem to let it go.

There is no one thing that works for everybody. What works for me won't necessarily work for you. I was a very successful bodybuilder and my methods were used by hundreds of people.

happyheart15

I think this is bad advice.

╰☆╮PilatesPOPster╰☆╮

No thank you! (: I'll continue to eat my breakfast

whisperingdragon

I'm a natural born pig. If I don't eat breakfast and space out my meals during the day, I'll binge eat all night long.

Kudos to you though, if it works for you then hey that's great. :flowerforyou:

paper_doll_

You can find information to prove that this works, not just blogs but actually studies. You can also find information to prove that breakfast is essential, that milk with dinner creates results, that eating only twinkles can allow you to lose weight. Just do what you want and feels good for you and everything will work out. The only rule is stop telling people your way is THE way.

ABSOLUTELY!!

Jesung

You can find information to prove that this works, not just blogs but actually studies. You can also find information to prove that breakfast is essential, that milk with dinner creates results, that eating only twinkles can allow you to lose weight. Just do what you want and feels good for you and everything will work out. The only rule is stop telling people your way is THE way.

ABSOLUTELY!!

IF certainly works. Eating breakfast is not essential as IF demonstrates. Milk with dinner is no different from milk with cereal in the morning. You will lose weight on a calorie deficit, whether you are eating twinkies or steak.
Listening to a body that has been scrambled with unhealthy processed carbs and gluten does not sound like the best idea. If you don't eat breakfast for a few days, your body will adjust and you won't feel hungry until lunch time. Does that mean you have to eat breakfast and not eat it in order to be healthy?

Play_outside

I think it all depends on the person. I used to not eat for most of the day (sometimes not until 2-3pm) and I found that it made me sluggish, screwed up my metabolism, and definitely my brain was not on the ball-I'm an RN student so having energy and a functioning brain are very important. Also, I find that although I have usually had a pretty healthy diet, since I've been eating breakfast it encourages me to be more organized about my meals and more aware of what I'm eating.
To each their own

LoveDaLibra

To me, you starved yourself to lose weight by skipping breakfast and lunch. Sorry bud. Can't do it!

ivyjbres

Not like anyone's going to read this so far into the game, but allow me to be the voice of reason:

People are unique, different from each other and placed in different circumstances. So what works for one, may not/will not work for another. That does not make one right or wrong, true or false. It simply is one of the factors that makes up a persons lifestyle.

I'm not hungry when I wake up. I'm usually not hungry for hours. And when I eat breakfast, I tend to eat more throughout the day than if I skipped breakfast. However, having found out that I am both iron deficient anemic, and either hypoglycemic or diabetic, I find that I wake up much faster if I have a carb and iron loaded breakfast. Of course then I'm hungry all day, and yes, since being diagnosed as anemic and making myself eat breakfast, I have gained weight. About 20 pounds. And that's while using MFP. I'm still looking for a balance between waking up and being productive, or sleeping extra and maintaining my weight.

If breakfast works for you, great. If it doesn't, skip it. Do what works, and run your own race, not someone else's.

99Tinkerbell

Have to eat breakfast... will starve

hbrekkaas

I psychically can't give up breakfast or I feel like crap.
If I skip breakfast I get nauseousness, light headedness, hot and cold flashes, and pretty bad headaches.

So not worth it.

^^^This.

I get up at 5am, if I don't eat by 7 I'm feeling rotten for the rest of the day.

servilia

To me, you starved yourself to lose weight by skipping breakfast and lunch. Sorry bud. Can't do it!

Sorry but you're wrong. How is it starving if you just move those cals to later in the day? I get my 1200 in whether I split it up into 3 meals from breakfast - dinner or if I start at 6 and finish at bedtime.

shorty458

I disagree. Once I started eating more often, I have lost weight. Besides, MFP says I need to eat 1200 calories. There is no way I am eating 1200 in one sitting. To eat 1200 in one sitting, it would have to be foods that are loaded in calories. Even my trainer says to eat 5 little meals a day!

ninerbuff

When I was in competition, I actually ate a lot more food than I would ever eat now. I would actually eat almost every 2 hours from the minute I woke up until I went to bed. I trained 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at night. I lost a lot of weight doing that and of course, I did a lot of cardio. Needless to say, I would drop from 265lbs to 220 in a 15 week period and step on stage with 2% body fat! For those of you that have lost a lot of weight, try putting Preparation-H around your mid-section for about 8 weeks and you will be amazed at how your skin tightens up.

Take care..................... jojo

I did the same. Except the Preparation H. But I only competed in Amateur local contests, and the lowest I ever got was 8% body fat as a natural. Of course I know much more now, but competition hasn't been in my plans for a long time. Now I just look good, just to look good.

JOJOTRAINER

When I was in competition, I actually ate a lot more food than I would ever eat now. I would actually eat almost every 2 hours from the minute I woke up until I went to bed. I trained 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at night. I lost a lot of weight doing that and of course, I did a lot of cardio. Needless to say, I would drop from 265lbs to 220 in a 15 week period and step on stage with 2% body fat! For those of you that have lost a lot of weight, try putting Preparation-H around your mid-section for about 8 weeks and you will be amazed at how your skin tightens up.

Take care..................... jojo

I did the same. Except the Preparation H. But I only competed in Amateur local contests, and the lowest I ever got was 8% body fat as a natural. Of course I know much more now, but competition hasn't been in my plans for a long time. Now I just look good, just to look good.

Well, I took steroids which helped the "the look" as i am sure you guessed. But that was a long time ago! You must have looked awesome at 8%!

csmomma1

I am gonna be sarcastic for a minute... lol If we stop eating breakfast and lunch then heck with it lets stop eating dinner too. Guarantee we will lose weight!!!! Along with our lives, but hey! LMAOOOOOO

joseph9

To me, you starved yourself to lose weight by skipping breakfast and lunch. Sorry bud. Can't do it!

It really depends what works for you. If eating breakfast and lunch helps you stay on program, go for it.

Personally, I'm not an IF-er, but for social reasons, I end up eating well over 50% of my calories during or after dinner. Yesterday, I had a total of 670 calories for breakfast, lunch, and mid-afternoon snack, and 1230 calories at dinner.

Currently, I'm rarely hungry and I always have lots of energy, but if I noticed my energy levels dropping or had trouble getting intensity in my morning workouts, I would mix things up. Within healthy limits, whatever works, works.