Breakfast - a waste of calories?

bcattoes

i always eat breakfast

it kick starts your metabolism, the earlier you do it the better! if you eat it then you will start burning right away also!

Do you really think that the metabolism boost from eating breakfast burns more calories than you consumed at breakfast? Not trying to be snarky, but let's be realistic. Eating at any time of the day doesn't cause enough of a boost in metabolism to burn off all the calories eaten. You can't chug down a smoothie or some eggs and suddenly start burning 100's of extra calories just from your metabolism alone.

It would be nice if we could, but the body just doesn't work that way.

DawnM62

as a rule I wouldn't have breakfast but this is about getting healthy right?

so now in order to kick start my metabolism I will have maybe a fresh home made smoothie either fruit or maybe a fat free yoghurt and honey one sometimes special K generally about 100-200 cals and try to have 2 cups of water

jenniferpowell1980

I couldnt miss breakfast, i always wake up hungry. I start with something from my usuals: weetabix, boiled egg on seeded bread, porridge with blueberries or scrambled eggs with salmon flakes. I then either walk or cycle to work then have a second breakfast of a grapefruit with honey which i also could not do without as am starved again once i get to work!

tigersword

i always eat breakfast

it kick starts your metabolism, the earlier you do it the better! if you eat it then you will start burning right away also!

Do you really think that the metabolism boost from eating breakfast burns more calories than you consumed at breakfast? Not trying to be snarky, but let's be realistic. Eating at any time of the day doesn't cause enough of a boost in metabolism to burn off all the calories eaten. You can't chug down a smoothie or some eggs and suddenly start burning 100's of extra calories just from your metabolism alone.

It would be nice if we could, but the body just doesn't work that way.

This exactly. TEF is an average of about 10% of your TDEE. So you eat a 300 calorie breakfast. The "boost" you get is you burn an extra 30 calories. Huge burn, right? And it only took an extra 300 calories of food to get that massive 30 calorie burn...

Also, TEF occurs whenever you eat. So, you save that 300 by skipping breakfast, and eat a 600 calorie lunch. Now you've "boosted" your metabolism by burning an extra 60 calories. The exact same "boost" a 300 calorie breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch would've given you.

Oh yeah, and that's the other thing. TEF, or the Thermic Effect of Food, also known as "the metabolism boost from eating," is already a factor of your TDEE, or, the total number of calories that you burn to maintain weight. You aren't "boosting" or "kickstarting" anything, because it's already a part of your daily calories burned. There's nothing extra about it.

Zara150

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Never skip it !!! You will burn all those calories throughout the day all the same!

linz1125

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

Me too...I usually get up, get ready, and then make a fruit smoothie to take on the drive to work, and then I will have a very light snack about 10 or so. For the smoothies, I use 1/2 cup greek yogurt, about 4-5 strawberries, some blueberries, and a slpash of cranberry juice. Its amazing, easy, and I can eat it on the go.

I think the idea is that the first meal should have a lot of nutrients, not necessarily that it be calorie packed. Also that it gives the body a little fuel to work with so it doesn't store fat (which we are trying to get rid of!)

bcattoes

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Never skip it !!! You will burn all those calories throughout the day all the same!

What makes it more important than lunch or dinner? I do a pretty strenuous workout most evenings. How exactly is breakfast going to help me more with that than food eaten before and after it?

photojunkie52

No way! Breakfast is soo important! It revs up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day. EAT BREAKFAST.

weigh2goal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body has been resting all night, therefore, your metabolism drops. Think of it as putting coal on a fire to get it going. Food is the fuel that gets the metabolism going.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

HonkyTonks

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body has been resting all night, therefore, your metabolism drops. Think of it as putting coal on a fire to get it going. Food is the fuel that gets the metabolism going.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Have you got any evidence to back that up? That your metabolism "drops" when you go to bed and food "starts it up again"? I'd love to see it?

HonkyTonks

No way! Breakfast is soo important! It revs up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day. EAT BREAKFAST.

No

Helloitsdan

No way! Breakfast is soo important! It revs up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day. EAT BREAKFAST.

No

LOL

crisanderson27

I REALLY hate the "you don't run your car on empty," arguments against intermittent fasting. I don't run my car on my empty. I also don't have to fill my car every morning before I turn it on because it is perfectly capable of storing fuel. 5 gallons of fuel will run my car the same amount of distance, whether I put all 5 gallons in at once, or whether I fill it a gallon at a time. The human body operates the same way. It will run just fine, whether you decide to eat 5 small meals a day, or 1 large meal a day, if you eat the same number of calories either way, your body operates the exact same way.

I love this!! I too hate the 'car on empty' argument. This is a great answer.

Besides, all I have to do is look at my thighs to know my car is never totally without fuel. :grumble:

Thank you both!! I'm posting from my phone...so you saved me a TON of typing.

torygirl79

Unless you have an eating disorder there is no point in forcing yourself to eat a meal if you are not hungry.

Slee1977

I've heard breakfast jump starts your metabolism

ElizaRoche

I hate breakfast!!!... I dont like any of the foods that you normally eat on the breakfast , YUCK...
So I normally skip it, or, ill eat one egg once in a while, with a slice of weath bread , and some fruit.

But other than that, I rather skip it... Plus Im NEVER hungry in the morning!

OfficerFuzzy

I only have coffee.
In my diary I have coffee as a food group, so I don't think that counts.

I find if I eat breakfast I snack more throughout the day.
I'm not hungry until about two-ish, so that's when I eat.

It's what works for you.

Musikelektronik

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?

You've lost about 150 lbs. (73 kg), so I consider you the expert on this topic! If you say it's a waste, it's a waste!

BeebsAbs

yes, but while you sleep, think how slow your metabolism gets. 7-8 hours with nothing is gonna slow it right down.
Thats where the kick start comes from

Breakfast also makes you feel better then not eating anything and lasting until lunch.

Also you need to account for the BMR, even if you sit in an office chair all day you are burning ALL day no matter what. That is fact. and You do need to fuel the engine for it to work.

Even drinking cold water burns calories!

SO getting the metabolism started early for it to burn higher throughout the day IS the best way to do it.
Eating every 2-3 hours small nutritious meals also keeps the metabolism at this higher state so it continues to burn

BeebsAbs

i think in this case, not eating breakfast, your body is attempting to go into survival mode, so storing the fat because it is not sure when it will get any food/nutrients agin so stores the fat for energy

when you snack eat an apple or peanut butter on oatcakes or almonds, they really fill me up and stop that craving!

docktorfokse

I eat sometimes when i don't really feel like it because i know it's good for me.

I don't eat sometimes when i want to because i know it's good for me.

crisanderson27

yes, but while you sleep, think how slow your metabolism gets. 7-8 hours with nothing is gonna slow it right down.
Thats where the kick start comes from

Breakfast also makes you feel better then not eating anything and lasting until lunch.

Also you need to account for the BMR, even if you sit in an office chair all day you are burning ALL day no matter what. That is fact. and You do need to fuel the engine for it to work.

Even drinking cold water burns calories!

SO getting the metabolism started early for it to burn higher throughout the day IS the best way to do it.
Eating every 2-3 hours small nutritious meals also keeps the metabolism at this higher state so it continues to burn

How slow does your metabolism get when you don't eat for 7-8hrs?

Just curious...I mean, if you can explain that to me...the rest might make sense.

i think in this case, not eating breakfast, your body is attempting to go into survival mode, so storing the fat because it is not sure when it will get any food/nutrients agin so stores the fat for energy

when you snack eat an apple or peanut butter on oatcakes or almonds, they really fill me up and stop that craving!

Survival mode? Really? After not eating breakfast from dinner time the night before?

I'm SO fooked!! But, wait! By survival mode you must mean that your body will shed all its unwanted fat (since you DID show it that you need those muscles by hitting the gym HARD the day before), maintain as much lean mass as possible, and overall improve your strength, alertness, and ability to focus.

If so...I agree COMPLETELY!

PlaidLee

I never used to eat breakfast. It used to be a coffee and a cigarette. Since I started on here and am trying to get healthier and quit smoking, I have found that breakfast is helping. I typically have a light breakfast - either a hard boiled egg, half an avocado and an apple or some frozen fruit blended together - no juice (ie. Banana, blueberries, pineapple, etc...) I have found that it gives me that boost in the morning that I need and unlike what I used to do , in the evenings after I have dinner, I don't feel like I need to keep snacking all night long. It's just changing my body to expect food at different times during the day. Nothing scientific - everyone is different!

mfpcopine

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 frequently skip breakfast, except for a couple of cups of coffee with skim milk. I don't mind eating breakfast occasionally, but I find that it revs ups my appetite and I'm apt to eat more over the course of a day.

Recently, I've been practicing a form of Intermittent Fasting (IF). I only drink tea, water, or coffee with a tiny bit of milk as part of my 14-hour fast. I resume eating around noon or 2, depending on when I last ate.

Gloria415

I'm no expert on the subject but... I felt the same way you did. My dietitian explained to me that I or anyone for this matter should have breakfast within an hour of waking up. By doing so you are actually starting up your metabolism.

mfpcopine

I REALLY hate the "you don't run your car on empty," arguments against intermittent fasting. I don't run my car on my empty. I also don't have to fill my car every morning before I turn it on because it is perfectly capable of storing fuel. 5 gallons of fuel will run my car the same amount of distance, whether I put all 5 gallons in at once, or whether I fill it a gallon at a time. The human body operates the same way. It will run just fine, whether you decide to eat 5 small meals a day, or 1 large meal a day, if you eat the same number of calories either way, your body operates the exact same way.

I love this!! I too hate the 'car on empty' argument. This is a great answer.

Besides, all I have to do is look at my thighs to know my car is never totally without fuel. :grumble:

Another argument used in favor of IF is that early human beings had to actively pursue food, hunting, gathering, just walking and as food was scarce they were often in a fasted state. Not eating for 10, even 24 hours is not going to hurt you. (IF is not recommended for diabetics (at least w/o supervision), pregnant women and children, all of whom have special nutritional needs.).

mfpcopine

I'm no expert on the subject but... I felt the same way you did. My dietitian explained to me that I or anyone for this matter should have breakfast within an hour of waking up. By doing so you are actually starting up your metabolism.

Your metabolism doesn't stop. It may slow down, but not to the point where you won't lose weight. What eating does do is set off hormonal responses that make you feel hungry. People who don't eat breakfast are merely delaying that response.

soaps54

I always used to skip breakfast - just didn't care for eating in the morning. I have to say though, since I started logging and forcing myself to eat in the mornings, breakfast has turned in my favorite meal of the day. For whatever reason, I really look forward to my oatmeal, boiled eggs, crackers, and a few minutes of SportsCenter each morning. :-)

crisanderson27

This:

I always used to skip breakfast - just didn't care for eating in the morning. I have to say though, since I started logging and forcing myself to eat in the mornings, breakfast has turned in my favorite meal of the day. For whatever reason, I really look forward to my oatmeal, boiled eggs, crackers, and a few minutes of SportsCenter each morning. :-)

Is because this DOES carry over:

Your metabolism doesn't stop. It may slow down, but not to the point where you won't lose weight. What eating does do is set off hormonal responses that make you feel hungry. People who don't eat breakfast are merely delaying that response.

If I eat breakfast, I'm ravenous all day. If I don't eat breakfast...I can easily go clear to the next dinner without eating. This is after a 2000-3000cal series of 'evening meals' the night before...usually over a 4-5hr window.

It is amazing to me how prevalent the antiquated belief that food in the morning is what causes your metabolism to activate...even though it's been PROVEN that it doesn't stop, and barely (if at all) even slows down when sleeping. Just GETTING UP in the morning, increases your metabolism the tiny amount that it will be increased from your sleeping metabolic rate.

Eating breakfast is a preferance, not a necessity.

noelslp

IF, IF, IF. I never eat breakfast and my metabolism is doing just fine thanks. I've lost 35 pounds, fit in a size 2/4, am seeing more muscle tone and definition than ever before, and I have not plateaued at all.