I only eat dinner...good or bad?

LizC26

There is absolutely no scientific evidence that supports eating breakfast or "6 small meals" to boost metabolism. I only eat in the night time--8 hr window, and I've lost 20 lbs. I am less hungry throughout the day than if I had eaten breakfast, and I feel great--not sluggish or anything... It's all about what works for you and your body.

Good Luck

sandhillcrane

I think it's a horrible idea. That said...how's it working for you? I wouldn't expect my car to travel 350 miles on an empty tank. Same goes for my body.
Also, WHAT are you eating? ahhhhhh....I really have nothing left to say. I just wouldn't do it.
In any case, good luck!

Samsara9

Hmmm....I am a firm believer in eating when you are hungry, stopping when you are full, and NOT eating if you aren't hungry, regardless of the time of day. Some days I wake up and am starving, others, I am not hungry till late in the afternoon, or at all. Generally speaking, I don't eat breakfast, eat a small lunch, and eat a largish dinner (with maybe a later snack), AND....I eat after 7pm :noway: . I am on maintenance now, and am 5'9" and 135lbs, so doing well on the weight front...I also do at least 5 yoga classes a week and some other forms of cardio (dancing usually). I think we have all stopped listening to our bodies, and eat from either the belief that if we don't have 3 squares, we are going to start storing fat, or we are going to put ourselves into starvation mode. There is a lot of emotional based eating going on as well (guilty :embarassed: ). I think the best message from this post is "listen to your body" and do what works for YOU :drinker: , all other opinions be dam*ed. But...that is just my 2 cents :bigsmile:

Samsara9

Oh, and my ticker is off...I've stopped logging!

tigersword

I think it's a horrible idea. That said...how's it working for you? I wouldn't expect my car to travel 350 miles on an empty tank. Same goes for my body.
Also, WHAT are you eating? ahhhhhh....I really have nothing left to say. I just wouldn't do it.
In any case, good luck!

You fill your car's gas tank once, and then you drive until it's empty. You don't have to stop and refuel it six times a day to keep the engine running...

Nancy_hc

Like many people have said - this is fine to do. Your body wont start "storing fat" until you've depriped it from its necessary caloried for more than 72 hours (ish) and also you have energy stores that really do last you all day. Your body adjusts to how you're eating so for people who eat regular meals (me) its going to expect that and get moody when I dont give in to it... duh. If you're body is use to getting a large meal once a day, then its works around that. Our bodies are amazing! I'm actually transitioning to doing what you're doing... but on purpose! You're still getting the calories you need, you're good. Plus, I also agree that you should eat when you're hungry and dont when you're not... our body tells us what we need. listen to it.

Apazman

I think there is a lot of confusion here about hunger and how you have to eat x times a day and all that.

Can't we all agree that if you find something that works for you, lets not trash it?
Some people have excellent results with eating 3 times a day ... or 5 times a day ... the same could be said about 1 time a day.

I have been on it for a while and it works for me. I am not starving, or a slave to my stomache.

I think people are getting to caught up in the arguing about what is better and forgetting that this works for her, and if it does, support her in it. Just because it doesn't work for you or can't work for you doesn't mean it can't work for someone else.

I know the fasting thing seems unorthodox to most but it works for some. So unless you have tried it and can provide some real risks that YOU ran into personally, can we please try to be supportive?

Because it kind of sucks to be told that what's working for you is all wrong .. and it shouldn't be working because of your metabolism, and people telling you that you are hungry when you aren't and that you are in starvation mode.

People can crap on whatever Ideas you have ... its easier to pull the trigger than play the guitar, easier to destory than to create.

We all have the same goal.. lets all try to show eachother some MFP love.

poisongirl6485

So, do all these people who insist you get fat only eating once a day and that it isn't healthy really think that human beings evolved eating several meals a day? A hundred thousand years ago humans were lucky to eat one meal every few days. In the Middle Ages, people generally ate once a day, if they could even eat every day.

If you had to eat several meals a day in order to survive and be healthy, the human race would've died out hundreds of thousands of years ago.

This is the premise of the Fast-5 program. And it makes sense.
lol i love this.

darrcn5

OP, if it works for you and you honestly feel as if you can get all of your nutrients in one meal, then I say go for it. Different things work for different people; from some of the responses, you would think there is only one "right" way to lose weight.

jazzybean1

There's a lot of misinformation in here OP. I'd advise you to read this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/348521-intermittent-fasting-support-group

And just so you know, before this week, I was eating 1000-1400 calorie dinners and only 2 meals per day. I kept losing fat, inches, and pounds. I've lowered my daily caloric intake this week (because I was losing 1 pound a week and I want to lose more), but still, my dinners will be at minimum 800 cals. Please take all opinions into consideration, not just the ones who claim what you're doing is unhealthy, without trying it out themselves.:flowerforyou:

bump

bmqbonnie

If it works for you, go for it! I know I'd binge uncontrollably if I tried that so I won't, but if it works better for you then keep on keepin' on. Maybe consider a different approach if it stops working.

cprys8942

seriously, quit with the excuses. i'm a senior in college taking 18 credit hours and working 20 hours a week. there are plenty of places on campus that have things like protein bars or fruit and vegetables, and you can eat between classes. i'm SURE you don't have class all day every day.

if you only want to eat one meal a day, that's fine. do what works for you. but quit complaining about not having time to eat because you're in college, its bull. we really do have more free time now than we will later.

umm you're rude and you can get off this thread. don't tell me i'm "complaining" because all I did was ask what peoples opinions were about only eating 1 meal a day.

cprys8942

woah, i did not mean for this thread to get so out of control. listen people, if you want to disagree with my eating habits then go ahead but do NOT disrespect me. I'm on this website for the same reason as everyone else...to get SUPPORT from other people. So if I tell you that eating 6 meals a day right now would be difficult to do, I'm not complaining or making excuses, I'm simply saying that I'd rather not attempt such a drastic lifestyle change. I realize that when I graduate college I'll have less time than I do now...but that means nothing to me right now so please just stop and don't comment unless you're at least going to be respectful.

M3CH4N1C

How is that a myth?? Eating food once a day at dinner is better than not eating at all.

daisymae9801

For one thing, no meal should be more than 600 calories so you body can process it and it doesn't turn straight into fat and since the min calories per day is 1200 net then there is no way to get that in 1 meal.

You are also forcing your body to store fat by not feeding it.

Amd where did you get that info from?

mrbreckles

I've not had breakfast or lunch for a while now. I eat dinner and after ill have some cereal or yoghurt and maybe something sweet.
I drink 1-2.5 litres of water during the day at work; which in itself it pretty physical. I'm a mechanical engineer so im shifting some heavy material around a lot of the time. Add to that I practice parkour a couple of times a week, weather permitting.
Im 11st 2 and 5foot 11 and i'd consider myself fit and healthy. Blood pressure, blood sugar, peak flow, heart rate etc all ok too.

You really do just need to listen to your own body. Eating 3 meals a day doesn't work for me. The thought of eating in the morning makes me feel sick, but for others you wouldn't make it to lunch time without a headache or other symptoms if you didn't eat in the morning.

It is a case of researching and having to maybe give up certain foods/drinks and to do some exercise if it means being healthy im afraid.

schondell

This is called Intermittent Fasting A LOT of people eat this way around the world, there are also a few groups that you can join on MFP. No such thing as kickstarting your metabolism in the morning, it doesn't shut off.

messyinthekitchen

Eat when you're hungry.

now_or_never13

When you don't eat all day, your body thinks you're starving so it goes into fat storage mode. I don't like to eat breakfast either so I started drinking a protein shake and now it's routine. Food first thing kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

What is your source on this?

Your metabolism is functioning all day and all night... timing of meals has no impact on your metabolism.

lasmit4477

When you don't eat all day, your body thinks you're starving so it goes into fat storage mode. I don't like to eat breakfast either so I started drinking a protein shake and now it's routine. Food first thing kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

This is untrue!


Meal timing is of no importance. As long as you are eating at a deficit, you will lose weight. It doesn't matter if you eat all of those calories at once or if you spread them out during the day. It's all personal preference.

Squem8

I don't know about it being good or bad but I also didnt use to eat breakfast and made the decision to commit to having breakfast every day.

It used to be difficult to face breakfast in the morning but the more I have eaten it the more I have got used to it and I now miss it if I dont have it, so I reckon your body gets used to your daily routine and if you did want to change your eating habits, you would probably adapt to it pretty quickly

now_or_never13

You don't need to eat breakfast to kick start your metabolism. That's Just what the breakfast cereal companies want you to believe. If you eat your calories and hit your macros in one sitting, you don't find yourself hungry then you have nothing to worry about.

I never eat breakfast anymore. I eat all of my calories in an 8 hour window more or less, I have tons of energy. I'm getting stronger at the gym and I'm losing weight at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds a weak.

I don't know when I've ever felt better in my life.

I suppose many nutritional experts work for cereal companies then... I don't buy it. -- In your case you may not eat breakfast, however you are continuing to lose weight because you are allowing your metabolism to continue to be active by giving it multiple sessions throughout the day in which you are giving it needed fuel. Eating all your calories over an 8 hour period is much different then eating all of them at one meal. Doing so will slow, if not halt, the active processes of a healthy metabolism. This is not scientific, but I feel if you're built with a smaller frame, then the regularity of a functioning metabolism is even more vital. That's just an opinion though

Your metabolism will not "halt"... you would be dead if it did.

Nutritionists recommend eating frequently because it stops you from getting too hungry and therefore stops you from binging and eating far too much. Some people find it is best for them to eat small meals throughout the day because it stops them from overeating and snacking. Some people find it better to eat once or twice a day.

It all comes down to what works best for each person. Some people can't eat in the morning because it makes them sick. Some people would prefer to eat one or two large meals later on in the day. Some people have to eat throughout the day to stop them from getting too hungry and overeating.

Eat whenever it works best for you. DOn't go based on what someone else says.

There is no truth to eating first thing in the morning hurts your metabolism. Eat when you want to eat.

lasmit4477

The only metabolic issue that could occur is that the OP may be restricting her calories too low depending on the duration of how long she has been in this low of a deficit and depending on her lifesytle/activity level.

cedarghost

If my metabolism ever gets so broken that it has to be "kick-started", will somebody please put me out of my misery?

WendyTerry420

I know that everyone says that eating breakfast is important when you're trying to kickstart your metabolism during the day...but I honestly don't like eating food in the afternoon. Not only does it make me hungry all day, it kind of just makes me tired. I usually drink a few cups of coffee and water during the day, eat my 1200 calories at dinner and then go to the gym sometime at night. Also, when I do eat breakfast or lunch I feel like i'm more tempted to pig out at dinner. When I only eat dinner I get full very quickly. Any advice?

If it is working for you, then just keep doing it. The whole "you have to eat breakfast" thing is a myth.

whitneyps7

When you don't eat all day, your body thinks you're starving so it goes into fat storage mode. I don't like to eat breakfast either so I started drinking a protein shake and now it's routine. Food first thing kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

It takes 72 hours of not eating for the body to even consider it's in starvation.

^^i agree

WendyTerry420

For one thing, no meal should be more than 600 calories so you body can process it and it doesn't turn straight into fat and since the min calories per day is 1200 net then there is no way to get that in 1 meal.

You are also forcing your body to store fat by not feeding it.

Amd where did you get that info from?

No doubt! People come up with some weird stuff! My dinner is always between 600-100 calories, sometimes more.

cmriverside

Eat my way, it's the only way. Here is thread #2,546,876 discussing this, and this is why.

I'm sure only people who eat my way are doing it right. Carry on.

marvybells

I don't think there is anything wrong with it if that is what you are comfortable with. I prefer to graze all day long...

WendyTerry420

So you eat 1200 calories in one meal? What are you eating?

My opinion: it's bad. Very bad. Mainly because it's tough to eat enough fruits and veggies and lean meats in one meal to meet your dietary needs. Without seeing your diary, it's tough to comment on how good/bad your eating is.

I think you need to focus on being healthy and not just being skinny. It's not good to starve your body and then stuff it with food. Try to focus on eating all your fruits/veggies/proteins/fiber.

Why would it be tough? 1200 calories is plenty of room for meat/veggies/fruits/grains.