Breakfast - a waste of calories?

marycmeadows

If you're not eating breakfast, you're really not feeding your body properly - and your body responds better when you feed it properly, simple as that.

Personally, my breakfast is usually 300-400 calories, 40-50g of protein, and contains beans, lean protein, and veggies. Best way to start the day - makes me feel great - and keeps me full.

If you eat right, you don't need to 'save' those calories for later in the day - by lunch time, I'm not even hungry, but I eat because I do believe in feeding my body right.

librarygoddess2

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

Agreed. When you eat in the morning you Break your Fast. This starts your metabolism up at the beginning of the day. If you don't eat breakfast it won't make you "fatter" but it definitely will be harder to lose weight. That was the first thing I started to do when I started my weight loss and it really did help. I didn't do anything differently except that and I saw great results.

It also helps you not feel so hungry at coffee time and at lunch which you may overeat at if you're more hungry. It's also best to eat slow metabolizing foods this will make your body work harder which sets your body up for a faster calorie burning rate throughout the day. An apple, a smoothie, even a protein bar is better than nothing.

autumnk921

5 - 6 days out of the 7... I do not eat breakfast....My body doesn't feel hungry usually until I have been up for at least a couple of hours & I am def not going to force myself to eat....I am not that worried about the calories it's just I go by what my body tells me...It wouldn't be a waste of cals if I were hungry & I would then eat but not on a normal day....

HMonsterX

Breakfast is a personal preference, no need for it if you're not hungry

/thread

This.

Never ate breakfast, either when at my heaviest, or up to this day at my fittest. I always have energy, never get hungry, hit my macros, eat what i like, create a calorie deficit = profit.

Why overcomplicate things?

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

I really like breakfast, personally, but there are studies that show it may be significantly important to weight loss and brain activity. I would suggest making a power smoothie or protien shake instead, just to wake your system up from those 8 hours of sleep

thechubner

I really enjoy breakfast and know it's healthy, but I can see your point. I've done the diet where you rate your hunger from 1 to 10 (one being starving and 10 being stuffed) and they suggest keeping your hunger level between 4 and 7. Eat when you're first hungry and stop when you're not hungry anymore (as opposed to full). This means that if you're not hungry at 7 am when you wake up you don't eat then. You eat later when you start to feel hunger. There is validity to "saving your calories" for sure. Good luck

keiraev

I think it's up to you whether you eat breakfast or not and I don't believe any of the stuff about it revving up your metabolism etc

From personal experience I eat breakfast because:

-It gives me energy first thing in the morning.

-I have quite low blood sugar after I've been asleep all night and sometimes feel a bit faint if I don't eat within an hour of waking up.

-If I don't eat breakfast I want to eat EVERYTHING by mid morning.

-I get to eat loads of lovely carbs first thing

marieautumn

i'm not hungry when i eat breakfast, but its better to eat more earlier in the day, rather than binge at night with a big meal. I dont like sweets in the morning (which most breakfast food is just sugary junk) so i have an egg and bacon sandwich consisting of 2 strips of turkey bacon, 1/4 cup of egg beaters and 1 slice of toast. all together its less than 100 calories and it gives me energy and fills me up so i'm not starving at lunch.

HelloSweetie4

I'm not usually hungry in the morning, but I know I have to eat something. Breakfast kick starts your metabolism and sets you up for the rest of the day. If you don't eat breakfast, you're more likely to choose unhealthy foods or binge eat later in the day.

SassyCalyGirl

Its the most important meal of the day!

LadyWingsFan

I do not believe any of the stuff saying it gets your metabolism going. I find when I eat breakfast, it's just extra calories, even if I eat protein. Therefore, I don't eat breakfast during the summer (I'm a teacher so I don't work then).

However, during the school year, I will make myself eat something, since I don't have the chance to overeat while I'm teaching haha SO....I will either make myself drink a slimfast or eat a Chobani greek yogurt. I eat a smaller lunch, and I eat my leftover calories at dinner, which is my biggest meal and I enjoy doing it that way

Whatever works for you is my mantra. I do not find that eating breakfast revs my metabolism more. There really is no difference for me.

medennison123

if your not hungry for breakfast you have not been eating it long enough

ashreynolds09

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

This right here! I could eat breakfast foods all day, everyday! I will say though, I do find it difficult to eat as soon as I wake up. I normally don't have breakfast until I get to work... in which I make myself a bowl of oatmeal.

laurasimmons

No way, I love my breakfast! I am cranky if I don't get something to eat in the morning.

SewingLynx

I feel the same way about breakfast, I just don't want to eat at that time. I'm also one of those types that likes to stay up late instead of getting up early. So, I do know that your metabolism will be better if you eat breakfast, but I don't like eating anything because my tummy just doesn't want food after waking! So, what I recommend, to keep your metabolism going is to have a protein shake. I highly recommend Myofusion Probiotic series, made with water (1 scoop) and then if you want some extra nutrients, shake in some fat free greek yogurt. It's a nice little drink, but not too much and then you wont have to worry about it being a waste of calories. Just something in your tummy when you wake up is good.

BTW That supplement can be bought on bodybuilding.com for about $25.

Good luck!

Helloitsdan

From Eat Stop Eat

I feel Brad is pretty awesome with some of his remarks.

Q: I heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Will it affect me if I miss breakfast on a fast day?

Brad: There is no scientific evidence to prove that breakfast is any more important than lunch or dinner for adults. As a matter of fact there is no scientific evidence proving three meals per day are any better than one.


I prefer skipping breakfast because I can eat like a champ later.
I enjoy 3 large meals and a small bedtime snack.
This bedtime snack used to be breakfast but since I started IF I can use those calories later in the day.

angie_sample

im not a big breakfast fan either. But i eat every morning and have done so since i started this journey. Have lost 71 pounds, i believe eating breakfast was a big reason why. I think it jump starts ur metabolism, my dietician says if u cant eat anything at least have a cup of milk. Get some protein in ur system. I usually eat 1 egg, 1 piece of turkey sausage and 1 cup of milk. Oh and i take my multi-vitamin.

DawnMarieMomofTwo

i am with you, ive never been big on breakfast and dont ususally eat it untill more like an AM snack (around 10am). and i ususally only have under 200 cals but i do try to eat something because i have personally noticed when getting those healthy breatfast's in i tend to lose more weight. i ususally do something easy a yogurt with freash fruit or a smoothy :happy:

pippiagain

I really don't like any breakfast foods, except toast loaded with butter and bacon-but then, I can eat those anytime! So, breakfast was a hard one for me, too. I really just wasn't hungry. But I started eating the same old routine breakfast every day--I know-boring for most, but so easy to grab and no choices to struggle with. I save the choices for later in the day. I just have a piece of toast with pbutter, and an apple, and I eat them fairly late-about 10-but am totally ready for lunch at noon! My body got used to eating earlier, and now, if I miss it, I am starving!

whatluckycat

No way, I love my breakfast! I am cranky if I don't get something to eat in the morning.

Me too! I'm hungry in the morning, no way I would skip breakfast. I don't eat breakfast at home though, I don't have time for that in the morning, I wait until I get to work and eat it at my desk.

hpsnickers1

If you aren't hungry then don't eat. Google Intermittent Fasting.

Breakfast does not "kickstart" your metabolism. You will not "binge" later in the day if you don't eat breakfast.

Hunger is a signal that your body needs nutrients. If you don't feel the hunger then you don't need to eat.

Dinner is my biggest meal (Our primitive ancestors didn't eat as soon as they woke up - no refrigeration). They did their "hunting and gathering" during the day. The biggest meal (if it was a good hunt) would've been in the evening.

I've also eaten big dinners an hour or so before bed.

It's sad that people have to eat as soon as waking due to being all day sugar burners (you need to "fuel up" every couple of hours because sugar is just immediate fuel - the body has become adapted to burning sugar and has "forgotten" how to use fat as fuel. So going overnight with no sugar will screw your morning up because you have to make sure you get some sugar in you. And "complex" carbs must be broken down into "simple" carbs for the body to take care of them. So even "complex" carbs are eventually "simple" carbs (i.e. sugar). You eat sugar all day long then your body gets used to using sugar as fuel. You remove the sugar and eat fat all day long and your body will get used to using fat as fuel.

The entire digestive process takes about 5-6 hours to complete. If you are eating every 2-3 hours then your body is spending the entire day digesting food and using the food you just ate. No wonder people get so drowsy during the day. If you have no food in your system then guess what? The body has to use what's there (i.e. your fat tissue).

mixedfeelings

I never used to eat or like breakfast, I'm not hungry in the morning, in fact I can go hours without eating. Since using this site though and increasing my exercise I have started eating breakfast mainly as I end up with a lot of leftover calories which I don't want to do and I like to spread my calories throughout the day.

Sometimes it's a bit of cereal other days yoghurt and fruit, or odd egg and soldiers every so often. The only time I don't eat breakfast now is when I sleep through till 12pm, off work recovering from a procedure otherwise I wouldn't get the luxury of this.

I thought I better add this. I remember a doctor once saying it didn't really matter about breakfast, I asked about it and he just said if you weren't used to eating it you were just adding extra calories if you weren't spreading it out.

LALOCHA34

Breakfast is the MOST important and my favorite.:flowerforyou: It is the only meal I care to eat. Lunch and dinner are meh! That is just me. One thing I have heard that some people do is eat non-breakfast foods for breakfast. You need to get your body going. Maybe even just eating breakfast a little later. Good luck!

-Laura

pullipgirl

I've been struggling with eating breakfast, but now I just have hard boiled eggs and coffee for breakfast and I'm not hungry again until right at lunch time. It keeps me from overeating during the day.

TheChocolatePrincess

I have never been a big fan of breakfast foods (eggs, sausage, toast, etc.), though I do like fruit. I try and have a small piece of fruit and a cup of coffee or a protein drink just to jump start my metabolism. I remember reading somewhere that your metabolism doesn't really get started for the day until you eat something and have water (something to that effect).

My breakfast calories (including my vitamins) don't normally take up more than 200 calories.

sincereme

I like to eat breakfast in the morning because it helps me stay energized and focused. On the days when I don't eat a good breakfast, I tend to feel sluggish and I end up OVER eating the rest of the day. Works for me!!!

ElizabethRoad

jump start my metabolism. I remember reading somewhere that your metabolism doesn't really get started for the day until you eat something and have water (something to that effect).

That does not make any kind of sense. What does "jump start" even mean? Jump starting is what you do when your car battery is dead. If your metabolism is not working, you are dead.

FaugHorn

I never used to eat breakfast, I wake up at 6am to go to work and thought it was too much of a hassle. Instead I would eat some oatmeal or a muffin at work around mid-morning. Once I got pregnant though I really need to eat something right after waking up or I get light-headed and don't feel very well. Not sure what I will do after this is over though.

I think to each their own, especially if you don't wake up crazy early or work out early then your body just may not have the need for those calories. If you're working out then I'd think (even if you don't feel like it) that you body would appreciate a little protein drink or yogurt to recover.

MissNations

I don't need a huge breakfast, but I need SOMEthing otherwise I'm crankyyyyyyyyyy. :mad:

Favorite breakfast is 2 scrambled eggs with some kind of veggie in there and coffee. Protein is filling and caffeine helps me wake up. Have you tried just having a smoothie or something?

Tristis

I find by eating a small breakfast, I actual eat less for lunch and throughout the day because I'm not starving when lunch time hits. For breakfast, I usually eat greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, or hard boiled eggs. Sometimes, I will have a shake or smoothie. Rarely, a replacement meal bar. If I'm running late, I'll grab a poptart from the vending machine at work. I know poptarts aren't the best, but the benefits of eating less throughout the day outweighs the sugary breakfast.