Breakfast - a waste of calories?

tigersword

Breakfast definitely not a waste of calories. If the average person has slept 8 hours the body adjusts during that time by slowing the heart rate and other organs functions go down since they are not needed in the same way when the person is awake and receiving food. Breakfast allows you to begin fueling your body for the day and allows for optimum work in the morning.

I was a person who skipped it all the time I was sleepy or I wasn't hungry but when I was educated on food and its functions breakfast became the most important meal of the day.

Skipping meals period upsets your metabolic rate. Yes the body can take nutrients from fat in the body but it will also slow down the metabolic rate in order to do so. Doesn't take very much to put our bodies in starvation mode and a slow metabolism leads to weight gain.

No. If anything, your organs work harder while you are sleeping, as that's the time that the vast majority of repair and maintenance work gets done. That takes a lot of energy. The only thing that slows down is NEAT, because you are sleeping and not moving around. Again, your body, metabolically, is only concerned with how many calories you consume, not when.

If your TDEE is 2000 calories per day, you could safely and healthily consume 4000 calories every other day, with complete fasting on the day between, with no negative metabolic effects. In fact, that eating pattern will probably lead to a slight metabolic boost during the fasting day, due to hormonal resets.

Elizabeth_M

There's a reason why it's called breakfast - you have to break the fast! Your body has already gone a long time without food, since dinner, and you need to refuel and get your metabolism going again!

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have not had breakfast in my life. I love it more than any meal, I think!

jaded_rose

Not for me. I'm ususally starving in the morning and the most physically demanding part of my work day is in the first few hours of my day. I'm the stocker for my department and I have to break down, sort, and stock almost everyday. Though I usually only eat around 300 calories at breakfast. If I eat less it doesn't last. Though I do know people who just can eat breakfast. But that doens't work for me.

coconutbuNZ

There was this study, and they found out that there are more car crashes in Islamic countries during the month of Ramadan (they don't eat breakfast, and then fast all day until sunset)

So when I don't want to eat breakfast, I force myself to eat ~100 cal, because i'm sure as heck not getting in a car crash TODAY.

Actually that has nothing to do with eating breakfast. They don't drink anything all day, and they eat significantly less calories on a daily basis. They are dehydrated and malnourished most of the month. That's why they lose significant amounts of weight during Ramadan. It's absolutely meaningless to someone who consumes the appropriate number of calories per day, as well as stays hydrated.

Skipping breakfast just means that, skipping breakfast. Instead of a 300 calorie breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch, a breakfast skipper will eat a 600 calorie lunch to make up for skipping breakfast. Your body doesn't care when you eat calories, it only cares about how many you eat.

My husband has been to Islamic countries for work. It is not because they didn't have breakfast. It is because they have no road code and they don't know how to drive! :laugh: It is chaotic.

Articeluvsmemphis

breakfast is my refuge lol. I can eat a lot in the morning because I'm never not hungry. If I don't eat it it's truly something wrong with me that day (time-wise) I prefer to eat big, eat a nice lunch and I usually end up just grazing for dinner and keep it light.

coconutbuNZ

Also, I'm not anorexic, so I love to eat. Having a small serving of cottage cheese while responding to emails is better than thinking OMG WHEN IS LUNCH.

oh, I LOVE to eat...big meals .

I love my big fat chicken salad sandwich at lunch time. If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, does that mean lunch and dinner is unimportant?

Deipneus

I do not wake up hungry and don't care much about breakfast but I eat it every day. What works for me is to eat on a schedule and not when I'm hungry. That's what made me fat in the first place. But that's just me, individual results may vary.

angiechimpanzee

It doesn't matter, eat when you're hungry. The importance of breakfast is way overstated. usually I eat it but sometimes I don't, and when I don't I have more calories for later on so it works out fine.

angiechimpanzee

There's a reason why it's called breakfast - you have to break the fast! Your body has already gone a long time without food, since dinner, and you need to refuel and get your metabolism going again!

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have not had breakfast in my life. I love it more than any meal, I think!

A fast of 8 hours does virtually nothing to your metabolism. That's not a "long time" to your body - especially when early humans often went days until they could find food again. An extra 3 or 4 hours of not eating will not cause any damage to anyone's metabolism, and it's going to "get going again" whether you have breakfast or not. Your metabolism never stops, it's the basic bodily function necessary to keep you alive. it doesn't need to be "started up". it simply just goes.

Spokez70

I love breakfast so (important or not) I'm having mine.

mariagabriella

I don't particularly enjoy breakfast but I eat it otherwise I feel sick and dizzy. It's the only meal I can't skip without feeling sick!

I usually only have 300-400 calories for breakfast so it's my smallest meal, but I make sure I eat something that gets me going - good amount of protein and complex carbs and fiber.

sewedo1

I personlly love breakfast, but it's the one meal that I like to keep very simple and constant. I have greek yogurt and plain oatmeal. One of my sons does not like breakfast, but he will drink milk or a ready-prepapred smoothie/protien shake. You might try a drink option rather than a solid food.

NoAdditives

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?

I like it because I'm starving in the mornings. I'm breastfeeding so I pretty much eat all day long. Pumping 55+ ounces every day takes a lot from my body. If I don't eat breakfast I get extremely low blood sugar.

BigBoneSista

I use to never eat breakfast but since starting MFP I gradually was able to get my body to accept it. I would feel sick after eating early in the mornings but not anymore. If I would save my calories til later I would have to eat an abundance of food to just catch up. I eat about 2500 calories a day currently. That would be hard for me to get those calories in between lunch, dinner and a snack or 2.

Do I think its important to eat breakfast...I can't answer that question. You have to base that on you and you alone.

HonkyTonks

There was this study, and they found out that there are more car crashes in Islamic countries during the month of Ramadan (they don't eat breakfast, and then fast all day until sunset)

So when I don't want to eat breakfast, I force myself to eat ~100 cal, because i'm sure as heck not getting in a car crash TODAY.

Actually that has nothing to do with eating breakfast. They don't drink anything all day, and they eat significantly less calories on a daily basis. They are dehydrated and malnourished most of the month. That's why they lose significant amounts of weight during Ramadan. It's absolutely meaningless to someone who consumes the appropriate number of calories per day, as well as stays hydrated.

Skipping breakfast just means that, skipping breakfast. Instead of a 300 calorie breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch, a breakfast skipper will eat a 600 calorie lunch to make up for skipping breakfast. Your body doesn't care when you eat calories, it only cares about how many you eat.

My husband has been to Islamic countries for work. It is not because they didn't have breakfast. It is because they have no road code and they don't know how to drive! :laugh: It is chaotic.

I understand that during Ramadan no water is consumed during fasting periods - can't help

tigersword

^ That's true. Ramadan fasting means no food or drink at all between sunrise and sunset.

Now, know how to "boost your metabolism" first thing in the morning? Get out of bed. Moving boosts your metabolism over sleeping. That's the only reason your metabolism "slows" while you sleep. It has nothing to do with food. In fact, you burn just as many calories laying on the couch watching tv as you do sleeping, even if you ate breakfast before settling down in front of the tv. Sitting, standing, walking, talking, running, lifting, these are the things that increase metabolism over sleeping metabolism, not digesting food.

After all, digestion can take anywhere from 8-10 hours to get through the small intestine, and 3 days to get through the large intestine. Odds are good that when you wake up in the morning, your body is still digesting dinner in your small intestine. You don't actually enter a fasting state until your stomach and small intestine are empty. Most people never spend any time in the fasting state, which makes this entire debate silly.

kcragg

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper
Adelle Davis American author and nutritionist (1904-1974)

Not a new concept!

Hezzietiger1

I hate eating breakfast.. so I stop and get a lean 1 smoothie from smoothie king for breakfast every morning.. 22 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber.. 273 calories... taste is awesome.

tigersword

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper
Adelle Davis American author and nutritionist (1904-1974)

Not a new concept!

Yes it is. Breakfast didn't exist until the late 1700's. Biologically speaking, it's a very new concept.

Besides, isn't big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner the exact same thing as intermittent fasting, just in reverse? Why is it ok to eat a big meal in the morning, and a very small meal in the evening, and then nothing the rest of the night and the entire time you sleep, but it isn't ok to eat nothing while you sleep, nothing in the morning, and then eat all afternoon and evening?

crisanderson27

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper
Adelle Davis American author and nutritionist (1904-1974)

Not a new concept!

Nope...not new at all...but then...neither is the concept that the world is flat.

Things that make you go 'Hmmmm'.

janeseal

I'm up at 5.30 and try not to eat till 7.30 - 8.00 but I am always ready for my breakfast. I think its the most important meal of the day.

kcragg

Besides, isn't big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner the exact same thing as intermittent fasting, just in reverse? Why is it ok to eat a big meal in the morning, and a very small meal in the evening, and then nothing the rest of the night and the entire time you sleep, but it isn't ok to eat nothing while you sleep, nothing in the morning, and then eat all afternoon and evening?
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I imagine because most people are active during the day - burning the most calories. Whereas when you are fasting during the night you are asleep and so expending less energy and burning fewer calories.

Whatever you think about breakfast,personally I am always starving first thing in the morning and love breakfast. If I don't have any I feel light headed, sickly and eventually get a headache due to low blood sugar.

mocallaghan

I am trying to fit in something for breakfast but may be at my morning break or simply eating some fruit when I get to my office. I have the same 'thinking' as you but I do believe research says we are wrong.....and/or we should change our thinking. Breakfast kicks off our matabolism. Seriously, I am working on my "stinkin' thinkin'!" I associate the best end-of-day retreat from work and all is to have a nice (too big) dinner and that is where I commit my calories. I am trying to find something else to replace that reward I enjoy at the end of the day. I am working on lifestyle changes!!!

HMonsterX

Whatever you think about breakfast,personally I am always starving first thing in the morning and love breakfast. If I don't have any I feel light headed, sickly and eventually get a headache due to low blood sugar.

And that's your personal preference! Great! But from a weight loss biological standpoint, it makes no difference. It may make it easier for you to stick to the plan, but skipping/eating breakfast by itself makes no difference.

tigersword

Besides, isn't big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner the exact same thing as intermittent fasting, just in reverse? Why is it ok to eat a big meal in the morning, and a very small meal in the evening, and then nothing the rest of the night and the entire time you sleep, but it isn't ok to eat nothing while you sleep, nothing in the morning, and then eat all afternoon and evening?

I imagine because most people are active during the day - burning the most calories. Whereas when you are fasting during the night you are asleep and so expending less energy and burning fewer calories.

Whatever you think about breakfast,personally I am always starving first thing in the morning and love breakfast. If I don't have any I feel light headed, sickly and eventually get a headache due to low blood sugar.

When you are active makes no difference. Your body processes calories regardless. If you eat earlier in the day, your body spends all day digesting the food, and stores it and uses it as needed. When you eat later at night instead, your body spends all night digesting food and stores it and uses it as needed. In a 24 hour period, the result is exactly the same either way.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3508745
Here, this study showed that people eating at only 10AM, only 6PM, or 3 meals a day, all lost the same amount of weight, and there were no metabolic changes observed. Eating 3 meals didn't speed up the metabolism, and eating one meal didn't slow down the metabolism. And there was no metabolism boost when people ate in the morning, compared to when people ate in the evening.

It's personal preference, not biological necessity. As for you low blood sugar issues, that's a medical problem. Doesn't effect a healthy person without those issues, as it takes 84 hours of complete fasting before blood sugar actually drops to a low level. Most people "feel hungry" eating breakfast every day because they've trained themselves to feel hungry. Hunger is a hormonal response that responds and adjusts to your eating patterns.

crisanderson27

Besides, isn't big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner the exact same thing as intermittent fasting, just in reverse? Why is it ok to eat a big meal in the morning, and a very small meal in the evening, and then nothing the rest of the night and the entire time you sleep, but it isn't ok to eat nothing while you sleep, nothing in the morning, and then eat all afternoon and evening?

I imagine because most people are active during the day - burning the most calories. Whereas when you are fasting during the night you are asleep and so expending less energy and burning fewer calories.

Whatever you think about breakfast,personally I am always starving first thing in the morning and love breakfast. If I don't have any I feel light headed, sickly and eventually get a headache due to low blood sugar.

When you are active makes no difference. Your body processes calories regardless. If you eat earlier in the day, your body spends all day digesting the food, and stores it and uses it as needed. When you eat later at night instead, your body spends all night digesting food and stores it and uses it as needed. In a 24 hour period, the result is exactly the same either way.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3508745
Here, this study showed that people eating at only 10AM, only 6PM, or 3 meals a day, all lost the same amount of weight, and there were no metabolic changes observed. Eating 3 meals didn't speed up the metabolism, and eating one meal didn't slow down the metabolism. And there was no metabolism boost when people ate in the morning, compared to when people ate in the evening.

It's personal preference, not biological necessity. As for you low blood sugar issues, that's a medical problem. Doesn't effect a healthy person without those issues, as it takes 84 hours of complete fasting before blood sugar actually drops to a low level. Most people "feel hungry" eating breakfast every day because they've trained themselves to feel hungry. Hunger is a hormonal response that responds and adjusts to your eating patterns.

It can be shouted from the rooftops man, with all the proof in the world, and someone else will just pop in here, not read ANY of the information and say:

I am trying to fit in something for breakfast but may be at my morning break or simply eating some fruit when I get to my office. I have the same 'thinking' as you but I do believe research says we are wrong.....and/or we should change our thinking. Breakfast kicks off our matabolism. Seriously, I am working on my "stinkin' thinkin'!" I associate the best end-of-day retreat from work and all is to have a nice (too big) dinner and that is where I commit my calories. I am trying to find something else to replace that reward I enjoy at the end of the day. I am working on lifestyle changes!!!

Despite all the research, and evidence to the contrary.

yourenotmine

Me too thebigcb!!

jrose1982

I won't say I don't like breakfast, but some times my stomach just isn't ready for it - especially if I had a hard night. Seems like it takes awhile to wake up.

So, I like to eat something light - like a piece of fruit - when I wake up, just to tell my metabolism to get going. Then I prepare breakfast so it's ready when I am. I usually have oatmeal - I keep homemade oatmeal "packets" in my desk drawer so I can eat whenever.

Do what works for you. If you don't like to eat breakfast, don't. I think what matters is that you have enough energy throughout the day without overeating. Sounds like you found a system that works for you.

ahipsher

I feel sick by lunchtime if I don't have my breakfast.

Nothing huge. I normally have 1/2 a cup of old fashioned oatmeal with a banana cut up into it.
I'll have a protein filled snack between my morning classes to perk me up again if I'm feeling slouchy or hungry.

Breakfast is an important meal for me because I wake up starving (I try not to eat after 8pm). If I deprive myself until lunchtime I normally scarf down everything in the fridge and end up sadly entering half of my day's calories after a 20min chow down.

Edit: Oh, and I take vitamins in the morning (a multi, B12, biotin tablets [I have alopecia - it helps keep my hair on my head], and iron pills [again, for alopecia]). They're really hard on my stomach if I don't have something substantial to cushion them. Especially the biotin tablets. Ugh.

Mandimac81

I've tried to eat breakfast, only to be starving a few hours later. I don't really like breakfast foods either. I'll wait till 10:30 and I'll eat a granola bar if I'm feeling hungry. Usually, I can wait until lunch time though.