How Important IS breakfast??

BodyRockerVT

So I am not a good breakfast eater. I don't feel well in the morning generally and by the time I feel hungry it is about 11...which of course throws me off the schedule of the rest of my family and I am left eating at 11, 3, and 8 while everyone else eats at like 8, 12, and 6...it is annoying to say the least.

So in terms of health etc how important IS it to have breakfast in the morning? Would I benefit from forcing myself to eat earlier in the morning or am I better off just leaving it alone?

CassandraD82

Honestly once I started sticking to my calorie quota and not eating a big meal at dinner time I'm too hungry in the mornings to last til lunch.

I never used to eat breakfast prior to MFP. I still only eat a light breakfast - toast with promite works just fine for me.

city_of_frogs

I would force yourself to get something, anything into your digestive tract in the morning.
A peice of fruit, protein shake, snack bar. It sets your body up for the whole day

Gigi_licious

Meal timing is irrelevant.

asyouseefit

You could always snack around 11. That way you'd last until lunch and could have it with your family.
Meal timing doesn't matter from a diet point of view but can be important from a social/organizational pov!

Just_Bethy

Very.. because the body has been fed within 45 mins of waking (You break-fast) your body isn't trying to conserve its reserves so your metabolism is increased...it will burn more calories for the day til your next sleep mode and fasting period...I also hate breakfast and in the last 6 months I notice when I skip it for a few days my weight loss slows a bit....I go with a weigh loss shake first thing...

Robynm8

Breakfast in the morning is incredibly important. It gets your metabolism up earlier so it works harder throughout the day and increases your mood and attention early in the morning. When you wake up your glucose levels are at their lowest and that is the fuel that your brain uses most efficiently. A good breakfast in the morning is also supposed to be most of your calories for the day and gives your body more time to burn off those calories before bed. Ive found that if you find a food with a high glycemic index and/or high in protein I stay fuller a bit longer.

fitaliciag

I don't think you have to EAT in the morning because I DON'T. I do, however, drink a protein shake with frozen fruit blended in. it's a bit important to get your metabolism moving in the morning, but a big breakfast is not required. have a shake!

daves160

After your body fasts all night, you should eat something. Try a half cup of plain Greek yogurt with some honey or granola mixed in. Very light, and really helps your system.

Gigi_licious

I would force yourself to get something, anything into your digestive tract in the morning.
A peice of fruit, protein shake, snack bar. It sets your body up for the whole day

Why???? I don't know about anyone else, but it seems to me that I turned into a fat people by eating too much. A.k.a. eating when I'm not hungry. So I fail to see how force feeding would be a helpful method in weight loss.

jadimasi79

It is very important as you are going from 8pm until 11 am with no food so your metabolism slows down and it makes it harder to lose weight. Your brain doesn't function as well if you don't get energy in the morning. Keep in mind breakfast can be as simple as a piece of fruit, crackers and cheese, or half a sandwich.

kykykenna

Agree that timing of meals isnt really important....but I spent about 20 yrs not eating breakfast. Simply didnt like it. One day a friend asked what I was doing/struggling with in terms of weight loss....(couldnt lose weight no matter what)....I started telling him and he cut me off and said "You dont eat anything in the AM?" I said no. He said "Dont tell me anymore. That is one of your big your problems". So, figuring my way OBVIOUSLY didnt work, I would try it for 2 weeks. Told him if I gained weight I was going to be PO'ed....lol.....well guess shat??? Scale started going down! Now Im not saying I lost 20lbs by eating breakfast. I am saying for me, it was worth a shot. And it paid off. (I still hate breakfast. All I eat is usually an apple)
Im not really hungry, either, but hey...it is only an apple.

fitaliciag

A good breakfast in the morning is also supposed to be most of your calories for the day and gives your body more time to burn off those calories before bed.

not quite true. you should spread your calories around more evenly a bit during the day. DINNER should be slightly bigger because there is a longer wait until breakfast.

russelljclarke

It's very important, any dietitian or nutritionist would tell you that.

I love brekkie so much I often have two! Honestly, one before workout, and one after. LOVE it!!

fitaliciag

I would force yourself to get something, anything into your digestive tract in the morning.
A peice of fruit, protein shake, snack bar. It sets your body up for the whole day

Why???? I don't know about anyone else, but it seems to me that I turned into a fat people by eating too much. A.k.a. eating when I'm not hungry. So I fail to see how force feeding would be a helpful method in weight loss.

it's not "force feeding", once you get used to 200-300 calories 5 times a day, you will want to eat that breakfast. many small meal a day keeps your metabolism up!

LoriFleming

Breakfast in the morning is incredibly important. It gets your metabolism up earlier so it works harder throughout the day and increases your mood and attention early in the morning. When you wake up your glucose levels are at their lowest and that is the fuel that your brain uses most efficiently.

/\ This. Breakfast is incredibly important as it jump starts your metabolism for the day. I share your problem, I don't wake up hungry and my mornings are too busy for me to think about breakfast. Therefore, I started MAKING myself have some kind of breakfast, be it a protein shake or at a minimum a fiber bar. Something healthy is better than nothing.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I would force yourself to get something, anything into your digestive tract in the morning.
A peice of fruit, protein shake, snack bar. It sets your body up for the whole day

Why???? I don't know about anyone else, but it seems to me that I turned into a fat people by eating too much. A.k.a. eating when I'm not hungry. So I fail to see how force feeding would be a helpful method in weight loss.

it's not "force feeding", once you get used to 200-300 calories 5 times a day, you will want to eat that breakfast. many small meal a day keeps your metabolism up!

I have to agree there is no reason to force yourself to eat. Meal timing is irrelevant. Eating breakfast and small meals does not boost your metabolism. Very common myth

Gigi_licious

I would force yourself to get something, anything into your digestive tract in the morning.
A peice of fruit, protein shake, snack bar. It sets your body up for the whole day

Why???? I don't know about anyone else, but it seems to me that I turned into a fat people by eating too much. A.k.a. eating when I'm not hungry. So I fail to see how force feeding would be a helpful method in weight loss.

it's not "force feeding", once you get used to 200-300 calories 5 times a day, you will want to eat that breakfast. many small meal a day keeps your metabolism up!

I'm way too sleepy, so ill just say "okay" and bow out gracefully. That being said....okay.

1953Judith

There is a whole lot of information about the optimal ways to eat healthily and about eating breakfast. One of my biggest struggles as I move towards a more fit physical body is how to incorporate my new individual eating habits into the other circles of my life. So to me, there is another question in your post. How important is it to sit down and eat with my family? If you are able to find a way in the rhythm of your life to sit down and eat once a day with your family in a peaceful way, I'd encourage you to do so. It might be good for them to see your efforts and good eating habits. Time passes quickly.

Silverkittycat

So I am not a good breakfast eater. I don't feel well in the morning generally and by the time I feel hungry it is about 11

If you're hungry at 11, eat at 11.

I'd be questioning why you're not feeling well in the morning.

joejccva71

Ok folks please get off this "it boosts your metabolism" kick. You dont lose weight any faster by eating breakfast nor is it any healthier. Intermittent fasters dont eat breakfast, and they lose weight and are healthy. You think if you eat breakfast but eat junk you'll be healthy? What is unhealthy is being obese and sitting on the couch all day.

Some of the broscience in this thread is also unhealthy. Seriously.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Ok folks please get off this "it boosts your metabolism" kick. You dont lose weight any faster by eating breakfast nor is it any healthier. Intermittent fasters dont eat breakfast, and they lose weight and are healthy. You think if you eat breakfast but eat junk you'll be healthy? What is unhealthy is being obese and sitting on the couch all day.

Some of the broscience in this thread is also unhealthy. Seriously.

I was wondering when you would join us!
hehe

liftingbro

The bottom line here is that eating breakfast has no metabolic advantage.

However, there are non-metabolic advantages.

#1- Some people will be lethargic without breakfast.
#2- If you are hungry when you wake, it's best to eat something instead of potentially melting down going to mcdonalds.
#3- It might be a way to make an eating routine which can be as important as a workout routine for some people.

However, if you feel better eating later then by all means eat later, you won't be slowing down metabolism.

BerryH

Eat when you want, timing is irrelevant. It's just calories in versus calories out. I eat less and lose more weight when I wait until I get into work to eat - around 9 instead of "breakfast time" at 7am - because I don't need a mid-morning snack to keep me going.

grrrlface

Eat when you want.
I only mostly eat breakfast on the days I'm at college and I know I might not get a break/lunch until 1 or 2pm if we're having a busy salon day.
If I'm hungry for breakfast I'll also eat.

There isn't any advantage to eating it unless you feel you need a boost of energy when you get up on a morning but then I just have a coffee.

engineman312

i have found that when i eat a nice big breakfast, about 1/4 of my daily calories, i tend to lose weight more. yesterday i didn't eat breakfast until about 10am, and i gained (retained) weight. it also helps keep me full longer, and i love the feeling of having a 5am breakfast, and not being even the slightest bit hungry for a snack until 10am, and even then i only have a granola bar and a cup of coffee.

Sidesteal

It's already been mentioned but I'll reiterate:

It makes ZERO difference as far as metabolism goes. You can eat all your calories before bed if you want and it wont matter one bit as far as NET fat gain or fat loss for the day, provided we are hitting macros/cals at end of day in both scenarios.

That being said: You should structure your meal timing/eating schedule with the following in mind:

1) What best fits your lifestyle?
2) What provides you with the greatest gym performance?

And for the above, there is no right answer. This is where I'd default to "we're all different".

It's personal preference, but it won't make one bit of difference as far as providing you with some metabolic edge.

<

---

Eats most of his calories before bed.

Gigi_licious

Ok folks please get off this "it boosts your metabolism" kick. You dont lose weight any faster by eating breakfast nor is it any healthier. Intermittent fasters dont eat breakfast, and they lose weight and are healthy. You think if you eat breakfast but eat junk you'll be healthy? What is unhealthy is being obese and sitting on the couch all day.

Some of the broscience in this thread is also unhealthy. Seriously.

:flowerforyou:

engineman312

i don't understand how ppl can say the meal time is irrelevant. while no, you don't have to eat every 4 hours, or on a set schedule, you should have some kind of regularity to your meal intake. no one is saying "breakfast must be eaten by 8am," however, i feel that within 90 minutes of waking up, ingesting something has really helped me out. i used to skip breakfast all the time, or not eat until after i got to work, which was at least 2 1/2 hours after i woke up.

vim_n_vigor

Even as a small child, I would get ill eating breakfast. It doesn't matter what I eat, but if I eat before about 9:30 in the morning, I get sick. Not just an I don't feel good sick, but physically ill. For me, forcing myself to eat breakfast before I am ready is not going to happen. Eat when it works for you, and eat your calories.

asyouseefit

i don't understand how ppl can say the meal time is irrelevant. while no, you don't have to eat every 4 hours, or on a set schedule, you should have some kind of regularity to your meal intake. no one is saying "breakfast must be eaten by 8am," however, i feel that within 90 minutes of waking up, ingesting something has really helped me out. i used to skip breakfast all the time, or not eat until after i got to work, which was at least 2 1/2 hours after i woke up.

Eating breakfast within 90 min of waking has worked for YOU and might work for others. But that doesn't mean EVERYONE must eat breakfast. Some people aren't hungry in the morning and don't eat before lunch. Several of my coworkers are like that and none of them has weight problems!