Stop eating breakfast. Here's why.

TateFTW

Eat CLEAN foods when you are hungry. Eat less calories than you burn. It doesn't matter what time you eat. You can lose weight eating breakfast or you can lose weight eating all of your calories in one sitting once per day. Any website or program that says one way or the other is better is just BS.

I agree with the principle of your post, but how is attempting to scientifically study which method of eating might be preferable BS?

This article is research based, and the conclusion which the author reached was that eating breakfast might actually hinder fat loss. Beyond that, his point was that what we've been told for a long, long time might not be entirely true. That's all.

adrian_indy

To each their own. This is why weight loss tips are so hard, because people have such dramatically different life styles and genetics, advice is often meaningless. That being said, if breakfast was making you sluggish, try changing what you eat or doing a quick 2 minute exercise drill before eating. For ME and me alone, I have noticed that when I skip meals, even if I have a huge calorie deficit, my fat seems to get more stubborn and my performance in the gym drops off. Hind sight is 20/20, and although there might have been other contibuting factors, when i was in the Army I weighed roughly 190 and was completely lean, except for love handles (slight). I would skip breakfast after PT and sleep. It wasn't until I was deployed to Kososvo I began eating a more balance diet.

I dropped to about 185 ish and came home with my first and only 6 pack. The way I look at it is like this. The main thing to do when losing weight is count your calories and exercise. Little things like 4-6 meals a day, a morning 2 minute drill, a lean source of protein with every meal, doing an exercise with every commerical break when watching TV at night, ect, are all great tips to help stimulate your metabolism. By themselves, you probably won't see results. But all of these little tricks combined with the regular exercise and diet will not only hasten weight loss, help bypass plateaus, but will help maintain long term goals instead of yo-yoing. That's my take after reading up on it and watching myself.

reneelee

sumo wresters eat this way!

TateFTW

I found the article interesting and I like that it's backed with actual cited studies. What I don't like is the vague usage of the term 'breakfast'. Is it assuming that you're consuming food the second you get up? The closest I found was "maybe we should hold breakfast off for a bit when we get up, at least until cortisol levels return to normal and growth hormone levels fall naturally, which takes a few hours"

A few hours? Couldn't we get something a bit more solid than that for an article with so much research? I get up at 4.30, do my workout, then have food at around 8 or so, depending. That's three and a half hours in. If you're getting up at 8, then eating lunch around noon would be four hours.

So... what's the breakdown? Calling things 'breakfast' and 'lunch' is fine, but for people aren't operating on your schedule, well, it can get confusing. If it were 'don't eat until you're x hours into your day' then maybe the fallout would be less.

I totally understand what you're saying, but I think the point is not to tell us exactly how to eat, but rather to suggest ways we can change our eating plan to take advntage of how our bodies work. Responsability of implementation lies with the user of the information.

123456654321

This thread.

TateFTW

sumo wresters eat this way!

They also eat over maintenance calories. Way over.

heathersmilez

Eating 1200-2000+ cals after 3:00pm is bound to cause stomach aches, discomfort, difficulty sleeping b/c of so much digestion late in the day and diarrhea which yes, would contribute to weight loss.

Not everyone NEEDS breakfast but eating more often in the day is proven to reduce binge eating and also may help keeping your metabolism going.

Acg67

Eating 1200-2000+ cals after 3:00pm is bound to cause stomach aches, discomfort, difficulty sleeping b/c of so much digestion late in the day and diarrhea which yes, would contribute to weight loss.

?????

hypotrochoid

I found the article interesting and I like that it's backed with actual cited studies. What I don't like is the vague usage of the term 'breakfast'. Is it assuming that you're consuming food the second you get up? The closest I found was "maybe we should hold breakfast off for a bit when we get up, at least until cortisol levels return to normal and growth hormone levels fall naturally, which takes a few hours"

A few hours? Couldn't we get something a bit more solid than that for an article with so much research? I get up at 4.30, do my workout, then have food at around 8 or so, depending. That's three and a half hours in. If you're getting up at 8, then eating lunch around noon would be four hours.

So... what's the breakdown? Calling things 'breakfast' and 'lunch' is fine, but for people aren't operating on your schedule, well, it can get confusing. If it were 'don't eat until you're x hours into your day' then maybe the fallout would be less.

I totally understand what you're saying, but I think the point is not to tell us exactly how to eat, but rather to suggest ways we can change our eating plan to take advntage of how our bodies work. Responsability of implementation lies with the user of the information.

Actually, after reading your response and thinking, "crap, he doesn't get what I'm saying." I re-read the article and found what I was looking for.

"Growth hormone levels peak roughly two hours after waking without breakfast"

So, based off what's being stated in the article, one should delay eating at least two hours after getting up to maximize fat burning.

That sounds a lot less controversial than "don't eat breakfast", no?

shellbell525

I can't believe how closed minded people are. I am a believe in intermittent style fasting. But every person is different just because you don't think you could follow it or that it wouldn't work for you doesn't mean that it's wrong. Open your mind and read the studies.

TyroAna

Rather skip Dinner.

You're metabolism slows down at night, and we don't need that much food at night.
Big breakfast, big lunch, small dinner.

daves160

I can't see how anyone could think that is a good way to go. My body need fuel, and if I waited that long to eat, I get dizzy, sleepy and weak feeling. Then to gorge myself???? Forget it!

I will stick to eating 5-7 small meals per day.....including breakfast.

TateFTW

I found the article interesting and I like that it's backed with actual cited studies. What I don't like is the vague usage of the term 'breakfast'. Is it assuming that you're consuming food the second you get up? The closest I found was "maybe we should hold breakfast off for a bit when we get up, at least until cortisol levels return to normal and growth hormone levels fall naturally, which takes a few hours"

A few hours? Couldn't we get something a bit more solid than that for an article with so much research? I get up at 4.30, do my workout, then have food at around 8 or so, depending. That's three and a half hours in. If you're getting up at 8, then eating lunch around noon would be four hours.

So... what's the breakdown? Calling things 'breakfast' and 'lunch' is fine, but for people aren't operating on your schedule, well, it can get confusing. If it were 'don't eat until you're x hours into your day' then maybe the fallout would be less.

I totally understand what you're saying, but I think the point is not to tell us exactly how to eat, but rather to suggest ways we can change our eating plan to take advntage of how our bodies work. Responsability of implementation lies with the user of the information.

Actually, after reading your response and thinking, "crap, he doesn't get what I'm saying." I re-read the article and found what I was looking for.

"Growth hormone levels peak roughly two hours after waking without breakfast"

So, based off what's being stated in the article, one should delay eating at least two hours after getting up to maximize fat burning.

That sounds a lot less controversial than "don't eat breakfast", no?

Well, truth be told, I figured getting as many people as possible to open the thread and read the article would be worth tossing a little controversy out there. I figured people would get it when I started my post by asking if I got their attention. I was obviously wrong. *shrugs*

By the way, thanks you SO MUCH for JUST taking this as information. That's all I ever wanted people to take from it. I just want everyone to know as much as possible so they can use it to maximize their potential. I used to just want to lose fat and look better, but now I've done that and I want to go to the next level and have things like abs. To get there I've tried to learn as much as possible. It's cliche', I know, but information is power.

cclaborn22

I can totally respect your opinion, and definitely that it works for you :-) I LOVE breakfast, and I actually look forward to my oats with blueberries in the morning. Especially since breakfast is my postworkout meal, and I completely believe that it helps rev up your metabolism. I also have eggs/egg white with breakfast and I've noticed that I feel more satiated throughout the day from my breakfast.

Contrary to eating a bigger meal later in the day, I believe since majority of people tend to slow their bodies down towards the end of the day---the same should be happening with how we eat. Enjoy a big breakfast and taper off the meals the rest of the day. :-)

JaydeSkye

Ladies, QUICK... build a cage and get some mudd, these boys are about to go at it... and we're going to watch one hott hell of a bloodbath.

Loser has to eat .... BREAKFAST. Ready??? GO!!!

4theking

Eating breakfast does not speed up, rev, or kick start your metabolism. Those that think that, have no idea how the human body works. I follow IF, never eat breakfast and eat the majority of my calories just before bed and I am in the best shape of my life and getting better every day.

Katebms

I have to say, if I eat breakfast I get REALLY hungry by about 10am and feel like that for the rest of the day!! I do try and eat breakfast but when I don't get chance I eat later and don't have any trouble actually sticking to calories for the day!! Everyone is different!

Interesting read btw!

Scoobies87

I think if I skipped breakfast I would pass out.

TateFTW

I had NO IDEA that this thread would get so crazy. I'm sorry to everyone who got slammed by someone else who somehow felt so threatened that they had to make things personal.

Now that things have slowed down, I thought I'd tell everyone what I'm doing to cut fat. I figured a couple people might be curious about what I'm doing after all this hubub.

I'm uisng a version of a couple different diets. You can look up "the anabolic diet", "the metabolic diet", or "carb nite" to see the science behind what I'm doing, as well as more sensible versions of the more extreme diet I'm using at the moment. I'm also using intermittent fasting, but ONLY as a way of controlling my intake. I think meal timing isn't that important, and skipping Breakfast and lunch is a great way of making it easier to eat less. (By the way, it is easy. After a couple days of IF'ing, I hardly ever get hungry during the day, and it's never more than I get during a normal calorie restricted diet anyways.)

Here's what I'm doing;

On an average day I eat no more than 30 net grams of carbs a day. By "net" carbs I mean I subtract the fiber I get from my carb intake. If I eat 50g of carbs and 21g of fiber, then I've met my goal of staying under 30g carbs per day. On these days I get 60% of my calories from fat. This means I'm using fat for energy instead of carbs, keeping my insulin and glycogen levels extremely low. This high fat, low insulin state also supports muscle building hormones such as testosterone and HGH. I've had multiple symptoms of higher testosterone levels since I started this diet.

Once a week I'll "carb up". How much I consume during my carb ups depends on my goals. To really cut fat, right now my carb up is only one meal. My last carb up involved annihilation of a Cici's pizza buffet. It was epic. I consumed over 2500 calories and 350g of carbs in one sitting. This carb up does a couple things. It helps to keep my metabolism from slowing as much as it would if I were to simply lower my intake all the time. This allows me to REALLY push my intake down on my normal days if I feel like it. I've been able to lose upwards of 1lb a day, although some of that weight was water and muscle glycogen left over from the last carb up. It also restores my muscle glycogen levels, helping me work hard in the gym to maintain my muscle and strength levels.

It's also awesome to let go and just enjoy eating for at least one meal. If one were to not get so crazy, one could eat multiple carb-heavy meals throughout an entire carb up day. This is great for social occasions. If you plan ahead for parties, instead of passing on the cake, you can be asking them to pass a second piece.

This diet is EXTREME, and NOT RECOMENDED by me for the average person. Normally these diets are not combined like this, but the downsides are purely psychological. On my low carb days sometimes I feel like complete crap. Some days I eat less than 1600 calories, while other days I eat over 2k in one meal. The fact that my metabolism stays up also means that I'm hungrier than Hell on my low intake days.

This diet works extremely well for fast fat loss with good muscle retention, but it's not a realistic way of eating long term, and if you think that I'm saying that this is a good diet for everyone, then you didn't pay attention to the last paragraph. No, I'm not selling anything to you and no, I'm not suggesting that you should eat like me. Get informed and figure it out for yourself!

ninerbuff

Wouldn't work for me because I work out in the morning and don't want to catabolize what muscle I have by having low glycogen stores before heavy lifting. To each his own.

TateFTW

I can totally respect your opinion, and definitely that it works for you :-) I LOVE breakfast, and I actually look forward to my oats with blueberries in the morning. Especially since breakfast is my postworkout meal, and I completely believe that it helps rev up your metabolism. I also have eggs/egg white with breakfast and I've noticed that I feel more satiated throughout the day from my breakfast.

Contrary to eating a bigger meal later in the day, I believe since majority of people tend to slow their bodies down towards the end of the day---the same should be happening with how we eat. Enjoy a big breakfast and taper off the meals the rest of the day. :-)

For someone who trains in the Morning, I think we can all agree that a good, balanced post training meal is EXTREMELY important. I train in the afternoons. If that weren't the case then my plan would be completely different, because I can't be hungry in the evenings. I just can't get to sleep hungry.

joejccva71

Wouldn't work for me because I work out in the morning and don't want to catabolize what muscle I have by having low glycogen stores before heavy lifting. To each his own.

I don't believe my ears.

Wait, what Niner?

adrian_indy

Eating breakfast does not speed up, rev, or kick start your metabolism. Those that think that, have no idea how the human body works. I follow IF, never eat breakfast and eat the majority of my calories just before bed and I am in the best shape of my life and getting better every day.

That's a broad statement. I guess all of the nutritionists, scientists, and personal trainers who advocate 4-6 meals small meals a day including breakfast have no idea how the human body works? Like it was said ealier, people are different and need different approaches. You genetically seem to be able to get away with eating like crap and late at night while not doing cardio. I never could, but like I said, we're all different.

TateFTW

Wouldn't work for me because I work out in the morning and don't want to catabolize what muscle I have by having low glycogen stores before heavy lifting. To each his own.

Just so you know, you don't necisarily need carbs pre-workout. You'll have plenty of muscle glycogen from your carbs the night before. Muscle glycogen is stored in the muscle when you take in carbs, and stays there until you use it. Of course, once your muscle and liver glycogen stores are filled, any extra carbs will get stored as fat.

Also, the catabolic state that occurs when you're glycogen depleted means you're using fat along with some proteins for energy, but your body generally prefers fat over protein. I've trained plenty in a glycogen depleted state with no real issues.

jezzi16

Eating 1200-2000+ cals after 3:00pm is bound to cause stomach aches, discomfort, difficulty sleeping b/c of so much digestion late in the day and diarrhea which yes, would contribute to weight loss.

?????

Yeah Huh? I don't wait until 3 to eat but I don't think it is going to cause stomache issues unless it's a personal issue you're already dealing with

TateFTW

Eating breakfast does not speed up, rev, or kick start your metabolism. Those that think that, have no idea how the human body works. I follow IF, never eat breakfast and eat the majority of my calories just before bed and I am in the best shape of my life and getting better every day.

That's a broad statement. I guess all of the nutritionists, scientists, and personal trainers who advocate 4-6 meals small meals a day including breakfast have no idea how the human body works? Like it was said ealier, people are different and need different approaches. You genetically seem to be able to get away with eating like crap and late at night while not doing cardio. I never could, but like I said, we're all different.

It's not that they don't know how the body works. They're just re-stating the same crap they've heard over and over. Eating throughout the day helps with appetite, nothing more. In fact, it has be theorized that taking in carbs so consistently throughout the day can actually have a negative affect on insulin sensativity in specific cases.

Jolenebib

What works for some, doesn't always work for others. I've heard of people who didn't eat breakfast, lose weight once they started eating breakfast. I don't eat right when I get up...I eat a couple hours later at work, when I am hungry. But I need breakfast to function properly, my body is not happy when I don't eat and my blood sugar levels get too low. So I eat breakfast.

xSophia19

Where the heck did you read this from?! LOL

4theking

Eating breakfast does not speed up, rev, or kick start your metabolism. Those that think that, have no idea how the human body works. I follow IF, never eat breakfast and eat the majority of my calories just before bed and I am in the best shape of my life and getting better every day.

That's a broad statement. I guess all of the nutritionists, scientists, and personal trainers who advocate 4-6 meals small meals a day including breakfast have no idea how the human body works? Like it was said ealier, people are different and need different approaches. You genetically seem to be able to get away with eating like crap and late at night while not doing cardio. I never could, but like I said, we're all different.

I base what I do off of new science not gentics. I would agree that most nutritionists and personal trainers have not adopted the new science thats out there but that does not mean its not legit. I don't do something because everyone says I should. I study the science and make informed choices.

joejccva71

Anytime you diet to lose weight/burn fat you lose muscle...it's a natural thing. However it's not because you trained in the morning on an empty stomach while you depleted your glycogen levels. Glycogen is dependent on CHO, so what if I ate bacon and eggs in the morning or had a very low carb protein shake in the morning before working out. I still ate breakfast by my glycogen levels are still low or depleted because of the lack of CHO.

And muscle glycogen depletion is very efficient for stubborn fat burning.