Breakfast - a waste of calories?

HonkyTonks

No matter what I do I can't help but feel like breakfast (for me!) is a waste of calories. I know some people enjoy it, but I am neither hungry nor do I enjoy eating breakfast. So I usually don't eat it and save those calories for later in the day.

Just wondering if there are other like minded folk who don't think much of breakfast and prefer to save their calories for later in the day?

Or if you are a big breakfast fan, what you like about it?

MzLisa25

I agree. I have a small yogurt or hard boiled egg a few hours after I wake up at 9 or 10 am. But breakfast is a waste of calories for me too. I tried eating a good breakfast with protein and was still just as hungry later in the day so I prefer to save those calories

catcrazy

Its very rare I eat breakfast, !'m rarely hungry in the morning but even when I am I will usually see it again if I eat within 2-3 hours of waking. Always been the same so for me it is a total waste of calories.

I wake at 7.30 and my "breakfast" is usually around 11.00am. "Lunch" is then around 3.30pm, dinner around 7pm and if calories/appetite allow I have a supper/snack around 11pm. It doesnt matter (for the vast majority of people) when you eat as long as you are getting the required calories in.

thebigcb

I think you'll find mymost health experts will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Personally, I can eat all day every day(thats the probelm)

htmlgirl

For breakfast I usually have a serving of cereal (no milk) and/or a piece of fruit. They are about 100 calories each. Most days, I have to eat breakfast or I'm starving, but eating something small and drinking a bottle of water helps a lot.

MissYogapants

I'm not a breakfast person either, but I understand how important breakfast is so I usually force myself into having a bowl of Kellogs K with some milk. It's better than nothing at least. Also, I find that on the days I do eat a sturdy breakfast (400-600 kcal) I "automatically" eat less during the rest of that entire day; I don't feel the "need" to snack and I'll eat much more balanced.

Neenbean02

Since I was a little kid if I would eat breakfast I would get sick a couple minutes later. This would usully happen on the bus to school so I gave up and have not eaten breakfast since I was about 12 years old.

x__abbi__x

I always eat breakfast and its usually a small bowl of cereal or a bit of toast with a cup of tea. It seems to set me up until lunch time and its not a huge amount of my calories. Breakfast is meant to get the metabolism started thats why its so important xx

CaseRat

Breakfast isn't a necessity. Health 'experts' say that it's the most important meal, and there's the whole myth about breakfast skippers being fatter, but that's simply because most people that don't eat breakfast tend to pig out and eat more throughout the rest of the day.

http://www.leangains.com/p/my-transformation.html
^ This bloke here does intermittent fasting, eating only for 8 hours a day from around 1pm-9pm. He looks pretty damn good to me. A lot of people I know doing IF are succeeding in their goals of muscle gain or fat loss.

Masterdo

Well, there is a reason why the breakfast is said to be "the most important meal". Whether you are running or sleeping, you burn calories. You BMR is in fact the higher calorie burner in a given day, and that doesn't stop while you are sleeping. You need to eat stuff to stop the catabolism (your body getting nutrients from its reserves) back into anabolism (repairing muscles from workouts, etc).

Just another step to a better health in general, and a very easy way to experience better rest and recovery days in general.

EDIT : To give an extreme example, bodybuilders will eat slow to digest proteins before bed or even wake up to eat, "nocturnal eating" to prevent that from even happening. It's not a myth, it's just not "that" important for the average person, but there is no denying the benefits, however small they can be for you particularly

tamsinwhitfield

I don't particularly like eating breakfast, but I force myself to do it regardless - doesn't need to be heavy, and it does seem to be important for kickstarting metabolism, particularly if you train in the morning (I usually work out at 8am, so try to eat breakfast around 6.30am).

Weetabix with skim milk, yoghurt with banana sliced into it, boiled egg and some fruit - none of these are hugely filling or calorific. I also swear by a mug of hot water with a bit of lemon juice first thing.

swat1948

I'm an early riser, usually up at 5 a.m. but I don't eat till around 8. Instead I drink black coffee. I have hypothyroidism so I have to wait an hour to eat after I take it. Weekdays I have to deliver my grandsons to the school bus, so I eat when I get back home. I guess in the long run, it doesn't really matter as long as you stay in your calorie range. LOL I have to wait an hour after I take my thyroid pill...geez

DellG85

No matter what I do I can't help but feel like breakfast (for me!) is a waste of calories. I know some people enjoy it, but I am neither hungry nor do I enjoy eating breakfast. So I usually don't eat it and save those calories for later in the day.

Just wondering if there are other like minded folk who don't think much of breakfast and prefer to save their calories for later in the day?

Or if you are a big breakfast fan, what you like about it?

To an extent, I am of a similar mindset. I can quite easily go without breakfast and not even thin twice about it. However, I make a point of having breakfast nowadays as to me, it's just keeping my metabolism ticking over, if nothing else. I usually only have a yoghurt or some fruit but I think even that's better than nothing. I don't really like the idea of skipping meals x

Siannah

I need my breakfast. If I don't, I will eat rubbish mid-morning. But if you don't, I wouldn't worry about it and eat when you're ready for it.

CaseRat

Well, there is a reason why the breakfast is said to be "the most important meal". Whether you are running or sleeping, you burn calories. You BMR is in fact the higher calorie burner in a given day, and that doesn't stop while you are sleeping. You need to eat stuff to stop the catabolism (your body getting nutrients from its reserves) back into anabolism (repairing muscles from workouts, etc).

Just another step to a better health in general, and a very easy way to experience better rest and recovery days in general.

You're not going to start withering away by not eating for another 4 hours or so until lunch. Breakfast isn't needed.

Martucha123

it is a waste of calories
I skip it and have huge lunch
(and I mean it, I experience food coma after lunch LOL)

morganadk2_deleted

I need my breakfast. If I don't, I will eat rubbish mid-morning. But if you don't, I wouldn't worry about it and eat when you're ready for it.

^ This

Have to say , you would not run your car on empty , why do it to your body?

Masterdo

Well, there is a reason why the breakfast is said to be "the most important meal". Whether you are running or sleeping, you burn calories. You BMR is in fact the higher calorie burner in a given day, and that doesn't stop while you are sleeping. You need to eat stuff to stop the catabolism (your body getting nutrients from its reserves) back into anabolism (repairing muscles from workouts, etc).

Just another step to a better health in general, and a very easy way to experience better rest and recovery days in general.

You're not going to start withering away by not eating for another 4 hours or so until lunch. Breakfast isn't needed.

Well of course that is not that fast, but the benefit exists, however small they may be for a non athlete. The reverse though, the benefits or not eating breakfast is not shown anywhere. Ignoring a small benefit definitely won't kill you though, and probably won't affect your life if you are not specifically working out seriously, but you can't just go and say it's useless, because it is not

Leanne3552000

I don't function properly without something in the morning. I also love breakfast foods. I'm pretty sure I could live on breakfast foods especially yogurt. Now I can't wait for my breakfast in the morning mmm

HonkyTonks

Interesting, good to see there are some like minded folk who feel this way.

I can understand the importance of breakfast for some, particularly if you are prone to overeating if you skip meals due to being extra hungry. I can also understand some people just like eating breakfast cause it's yummy or enjoyable or part of their habit.

But I don't believe that your body won't run if you don't have it, because your body will still be using food from what you ate as energy, plus your fat stores etc.

Leanne3552000

And also it's not a myth that breakfast is important!