Is breakfast necessary??

cubizzle

Can you live without breakfast? Obviously you can because people do it every day. I can tell you from experience that when a bodybuilder is cutting bodyfat and preparing for competition, they will eat 7 times a day (this includes breakfast) to keep the metabolizm elevated and it DOES work, it is NOT a myth. The key is eating the right foods and in the right portions to actually see quick results. If you find yourself waking up starving, this is a sign that your metabilsm is elevated and you will start getting hunger pangs every 2.5-3 hours telling you to keep the food coming. The fewer meals you eat in a day, the slower your metabilsm will be in general, and the more likely your body will be to store fat, especially if your diet is based on the wrong foods (simple carbs). But in the end, you cannot gain weight unless you are consuming excess calories on a daily basis.

Your body is actually smarter than you think as it knows when it needs to store food and when it doesn't need to. If it hasn't been fed in 18 to 24 hours...it will have a tendancy to store because it doesn't know when it will be fed next, but when it is being fed constantly it doesn't have a need to store anything for later, because the supply is constant. This may not be a scientific explanation, but it is the way I look at it and was taught.

This is a very subjective topic, because there are various ways to manipulate your body into burning fat and adjust your metabolizm despite what the nay-sayers think. Here is the deal, if you can simple drink a whey protein shake in the morning, it WILL boost your metabolism and can help you lose weight, but your overall diet and exercise plan will always have to be good to see results...breakfast in and of itself will not change your life....

I know a body builder that when she was cutting it was suggest she start smoking cigarettes and drinking black coffee to hold off hunger and not to have her first meal until 2PM. I know for a FACT that it worked for her, she did very well in competition. It would appear that our anecdotal facts are in direct conflict.

this is a lady I'd like to make out with, but only before 2pm...

cubizzle

Why won't these topics ever die?

because of all the close minded people that only post comments like parrots and never read anything and perpetuate the propaganda.

say it five times fast!

it, it, it, it, it, *kitten* YEAH!!!!

Jacwhite22

Yes! Yes! Yes! Go to the Dr. Oz website. There are some articles about this. Or do a little research online and you will see that most trainers and fitness people think breakfast is important. If not the most important meal of the day. I'm really surprised by the answers people are giving!

Hahaha. Nice. Dr Oz. Website for good information....

First off what's wrong with dr oz? Second, go to the mayo clinic website and diabetes website! They have basically the same views on breakfast. Are those better websites for you?

He's a quack who will sell anything for a buck. And no not really. I prefer peer reviewed studies.

myofibril

I HATE eating in the morning, I'm not even remotely hungry when I get up. Is eating breakfast completely necessary for successful weight loss? Because I'd rather save calories for lunch lol. Any tips or suggestions for easy breakfasts would be much appreciated!
:yawn:

I am not an advocate of skipping breakfast despite this post. I AM an advocate of the individual finding the right aspects of dieting that are clearly personal preference, and utilizing those aspects to create the best long-term adherence possible.

That said, there seems to be a lot of sillyness going on in here.

First of all, note the quoted part above. The OP is asking if breakfast is necessary for weight loss.

All of these claims about breakfast boosting your metabolism aren't backed by anything substantial. In fact, can ANYONE find me any set of studies that show greater expenditure given equal calories and macronutrients but with different partitioning? Go ahead, I'll wait.

There's a few different things to address here. One of them is the concept of food increasing your metabolism and the other thing to address would be the effects of short term fasting on metabolic rate.

As far as feeding frequency goes, any time you eat, you are expending calories through various digestive means. In other words, there's an energy cost associated with eating and this cost is based on the macronutrient composition of foods and total calories.

Meal Frequency and Energy Balance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
...studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24 h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging. Finally, with the exception of a single study, there is no evidence that weight loss on hypoenergetic regimens is altered by meal frequency...

Different macronutrients do have a different thermic effect, but if we are comparing different meal timing we keep macronutrient intake and calories constant and just vary the timing of the meal.

Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
...We conclude that increasing MF does not promote greater body weight loss under the conditions described in the present study.


Lyle McDonald's comments: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html
Steve Troutman's explanation: http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#frequency


Now, as far as "your body needs food, you've been sleeping for 10 hours!" or whatever the claim is.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2405717
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292

There's at least some research suggesting the opposite, see above.


Now in closing there's something quite important to remember, and msf pointed some of this out already:

There is research that shows a correlation between weight gain and skipping breakfast but it's specifically because some people who skip breakfast will end up over-compensating so to speak, and eating too many calories for the day. But it's not the skipping breakfast that made them gain weight, it was the overeating of calories.

As msf pointed out in a previous reply, there's a pretty significant difference between a population that controls intake (we are tracking on MFP) and a population that eats ad-libitum. If you're tracking intake, and you can see that skipping breakfast causes you to over-eat, then you should eat breakfast.



However, if you're like the OP in this thread who clearly does not want to eat breakfast due to preferential/lifestyle reasons, then she can freely do so and monitor total daily intake. If she's not overeating for the day, her breakfast skipping behavior is perfectly fine.

Excellent post.

I just wish I had seen it before I wrote my own long assed reply saying much the same thing.....

ichigo007

I told you I am not a medical specialist and that my information came straight from the mouths of over 12 medical specialist and nutrionist and never clamed That I was a medical specialist. So if you don't beleave what I was told then I that is your own oppion. I could wast my day going thru internet and books and back all the info that I was told about meals and diet from medical profesionals but I do have a life and if you don't like the info its your own choice. Those of you who have questioned the info I have given have not given any studies or info to counter anything that I have relayed.

jamk1446

I KNOW!!! It's incredible how out of shape I am for a woman who doesn't think that eating breakfast is a necessity. It's just a terrible cycle of building muscle followed by periods of losing fat . . . wtf.

You're going to kill yourself if you keep not following the advice from some random dude on the internet who can't form coherent sentences but insists that 12 medical professionals are always giving him advice tailored for women

Well, when you put it like that it just sounds creepy.

secretlobster

I told you I am not a medical specialist and that my information came straight from the mouths of over 12 medical specialist and nutrionist and never clamed That I was a medical specialist. So if you don't beleave what I was told then I that is your own oppion. I could wast my day going thru internet and books and back all the info that I was told about meals and diet from medical profesionals but I do have a life and if you don't like the info its your own choice. Those of you who have questioned the info I have given have not given any studies or info to counter anything that I have relayed.

Then maybe you'll understand why other people aren't "wast"ing their time taking your "oppions" seriously

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Yes! Yes! Yes! Go to the Dr. Oz website. There are some articles about this. Or do a little research online and you will see that most trainers and fitness people think breakfast is important. If not the most important meal of the day. I'm really surprised by the answers people are giving!

Hahaha. Nice. Dr Oz. Website for good information....

First off what's wrong with dr oz? Second, go to the mayo clinic website and diabetes website! They have basically the same views on breakfast. Are those better websites for you?

He's a quack who will sell anything for a buck. And no not really. I prefer peer reviewed studies.

To add, diabetes is a medical condition that requires a whole host of diatary exceptions, quoting them as a source of guidance for a diabetic is a little different than the general populous.

yoovie

I told you I am not a medical specialist and that my information came straight from the mouths of over 12 medical specialist and nutrionist and never clamed That I was a medical specialist. So if you don't beleave what I was told then I that is your own oppion. I could wast my day going thru internet and books and back all the info that I was told about meals and diet from medical profesionals but I do have a life and if you don't like the info its your own choice. Those of you who have questioned the info I have given have not given any studies or info to counter anything that I have relayed.

Please refer back to Sidesteal's post, where he thoroughly and factually addressed everything and quoted linked sources.

And you couldnt back it all up with books and internet sources because its just incorrect, Im sorry. Its not my "oppion" its fact. Its totally fine that you may have mistaken what they said since that was when they were explaining in depth to you what a woman needs and youre a dude, but - no matter.

Those of us that are chicks that are serious about this stuff, have taken the time to learn the truths from peer reviewed proven scientific studies. Some stuff is theory and works here and there for some groups of people. some stuff is fact and works for everyone. and some stuff was conjured up and force fed to the public to up the profits of food & fitness peddlers.

yoovie

I KNOW!!! It's incredible how out of shape I am for a woman who doesn't think that eating breakfast is a necessity. It's just a terrible cycle of building muscle followed by periods of losing fat . . . wtf.

You're going to kill yourself if you keep not following the advice from some random dude on the internet who can't form coherent sentences but insists that 12 medical professionals are always giving him advice tailored for women

Well, when you put it like that it just sounds creepy.

ewwwwwwwwwww dude

ichigo007

I HATE eating in the morning, I'm not even remotely hungry when I get up. Is eating breakfast completely necessary for successful weight loss? Because I'd rather save calories for lunch lol. Any tips or suggestions for easy breakfasts would be much appreciated!
:yawn:

I am not an advocate of skipping breakfast despite this post. I AM an advocate of the individual finding the right aspects of dieting that are clearly personal preference, and utilizing those aspects to create the best long-term adherence possible.

That said, there seems to be a lot of sillyness going on in here.

First of all, note the quoted part above. The OP is asking if breakfast is necessary for weight loss.

All of these claims about breakfast boosting your metabolism aren't backed by anything substantial. In fact, can ANYONE find me any set of studies that show greater expenditure given equal calories and macronutrients but with different partitioning? Go ahead, I'll wait.

There's a few different things to address here. One of them is the concept of food increasing your metabolism and the other thing to address would be the effects of short term fasting on metabolic rate.

As far as feeding frequency goes, any time you eat, you are expending calories through various digestive means. In other words, there's an energy cost associated with eating and this cost is based on the macronutrient composition of foods and total calories.

Meal Frequency and Energy Balance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
...studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24 h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging. Finally, with the exception of a single study, there is no evidence that weight loss on hypoenergetic regimens is altered by meal frequency...

Different macronutrients do have a different thermic effect, but if we are comparing different meal timing we keep macronutrient intake and calories constant and just vary the timing of the meal.

Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
...We conclude that increasing MF does not promote greater body weight loss under the conditions described in the present study.


Lyle McDonald's comments: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html
Steve Troutman's explanation: http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#frequency


Now, as far as "your body needs food, you've been sleeping for 10 hours!" or whatever the claim is.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2405717
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10837292

There's at least some research suggesting the opposite, see above.


Now in closing there's something quite important to remember, and msf pointed some of this out already:

There is research that shows a correlation between weight gain and skipping breakfast but it's specifically because some people who skip breakfast will end up over-compensating so to speak, and eating too many calories for the day. But it's not the skipping breakfast that made them gain weight, it was the overeating of calories.

As msf pointed out in a previous reply, there's a pretty significant difference between a population that controls intake (we are tracking on MFP) and a population that eats ad-libitum. If you're tracking intake, and you can see that skipping breakfast causes you to over-eat, then you should eat breakfast.



However, if you're like the OP in this thread who clearly does not want to eat breakfast due to preferential/lifestyle reasons, then she can freely do so and monitor total daily intake. If she's not overeating for the day, her breakfast skipping behavior is perfectly fine.

Excellent post.

I just wish I had seen it before I wrote my own long assed reply saying much the same thing.....

I agree for the most part

Study shows how eating all your calories in less than 3 meals a day increases fasting suger levels and insulin resistants compared to those who eat 3 meals a day
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121099/

Study in this article shows how high protein carb breakfast vs low carb protein breakfast nets larger weight lost and less regain
http://www.liverightlivewell.com/diet/big_breakfast_helps_lose_weight/index.html#axzz233ye0y3W

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

ichigo007

I KNOW!!! It's incredible how out of shape I am for a woman who doesn't think that eating breakfast is a necessity. It's just a terrible cycle of building muscle followed by periods of losing fat . . . wtf.

You're going to kill yourself if you keep not following the advice from some random dude on the internet who can't form coherent sentences but insists that 12 medical professionals are always giving him advice tailored for women

Well, when you put it like that it just sounds creepy.

ewwwwwwwwwww dude

The info I received was given in comparison to men and women since I was married to a women who thought eating a giant dinner and skipping breakfast and dinner was good for her and how she keep gainning weight even thou she was exercising. So you should take your own advice since you have no medical expertese yourself. I never said I was a specialist. She should talk to her doctor and you should get clue.

DanaDark

Study shows how eating all your calories in less than 3 meals a day increases fasting suger levels and insulin resistants compared to those who eat 3 meals a day
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121099/

Study in this article shows how high protein carb breakfast vs low carb protein breakfast nets larger weight lost and less regain
http://www.liverightlivewell.com/diet/big_breakfast_helps_lose_weight/index.html#axzz233ye0y3W

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

Studies you cite have a few problems.

In the first, moving TWO variables to determine which "diet" is better is VERY bad. Studies that move ONE variable will show that it is protein intake that counts, not high/low carbs/fats for weight loss and retention of weight loss.

In the second, correlation is not a causation. That study focused on obese patients with binge eating disorders. If they eat throughout the day, they feel less hungry and are not as likely to binge eat. It is the CALORIES, not the time.

Hendrix7

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

That doesn't show anything.

He asked for

In fact, can ANYONE find me any set of studies that show greater expenditure given equal calories and macronutrients but with different partitioning?

The study you posted takes no account of total calories consumed as this was not controlled. You cannot make the conclusion from that, that higher meal frequency gives some kind of metabolic advantage...which is what he is disagreeing with.

You can however state that eating more frequently MAY help some people with satiety.

Self reported studies are next to useless.

ichigo007

I told you I am not a medical specialist and that my information came straight from the mouths of over 12 medical specialist and nutrionist and never clamed That I was a medical specialist. So if you don't beleave what I was told then I that is your own oppion. I could wast my day going thru internet and books and back all the info that I was told about meals and diet from medical profesionals but I do have a life and if you don't like the info its your own choice. Those of you who have questioned the info I have given have not given any studies or info to counter anything that I have relayed.

Then maybe you'll understand why other people aren't "wast"ing their time taking your "oppions" seriously

Why would anyone listen to your BS ether. Maybe people ask questions on her to get a generilize opinion of a group who have the same goals and can take that information and grow there own opinion. I don't understand why people are so full of themselfs to think that there opinions are better than others. I posted my opinion. Stated that the information was from Medical proffesionals and that I was not a medical speciallist and I am scorned, laughed at and retiqualed on her for it. well screw all you holy than all people. sorry for throwing my opinion out there and I will reframe from using the forum or reading any topic on her because it must all be complete BS.

secretlobster

The info I received was given in comparison to men and women since I was married to a women who thought eating a giant dinner and skipping breakfast and dinner was good for her and how she keep gainning weight even thou she was exercising. So you should take your own advice since you have no medical expertese yourself. I never said I was a specialist. She should talk to her doctor and you should get clue.

Doctor: Hello ichigo007, what seems to be the problem today?
ichigo007: I've been experiencing some shoulder pain...
Doctor: ITS IMPORTANT FOR WOMAN TO EAT BRAKE FAST BECAUSE SOMETHING HORMONES OF THE 2 GENDERS IS DIFFERENT.

Sidesteal

Study shows how eating all your calories in less than 3 meals a day increases fasting suger levels and insulin resistants compared to those who eat 3 meals a day
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121099/

Study in this article shows how high protein carb breakfast vs low carb protein breakfast nets larger weight lost and less regain
http://www.liverightlivewell.com/diet/big_breakfast_helps_lose_weight/index.html#axzz233ye0y3W

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

Studies you cite have a few problems.

In the first, moving TWO variables to determine which "diet" is better is VERY bad. Studies that move ONE variable will show that it is protein intake that counts, not high/low carbs/fats for weight loss and retention of weight loss.

In the second, correlation is not a causation. That study focused on obese patients with binge eating disorders. If they eat throughout the day, they feel less hungry and are not as likely to binge eat. It is the CALORIES, not the time.

Agreed.


Although, one of the above studies further supports the idea that breakfast skipping can cause problems for ad-libitum intake, but like I said in my post, this is not new info and given a population of people who are tracking intake, you can simply monitor than and if you see problems arise, stop doing it.

There is still nothing showing a significant difference in metabolism given equal intakes.

ichigo007

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

That doesn't show anything.

He asked for

In fact, can ANYONE find me any set of studies that show greater expenditure given equal calories and macronutrients but with different partitioning?

The study you posted takes no account of total calories consumed as this was not controlled. You cannot make the conclusion from that, that higher meal frequency gives some kind of metabolic advantage...which is what he is disagreeing with.

You can however state that eating more frequently MAY help some people with satiety.

Self reported studies are next to useless.

I did not say anything about Metabolic rate with this study. I said quote "Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less"

cubizzle

I told you I am not a medical specialist and that my information came straight from the mouths of over 12 medical specialist and nutrionist and never clamed That I was a medical specialist. So if you don't beleave what I was told then I that is your own oppion. I could wast my day going thru internet and books and back all the info that I was told about meals and diet from medical profesionals but I do have a life and if you don't like the info its your own choice. Those of you who have questioned the info I have given have not given any studies or info to counter anything that I have relayed.

Then maybe you'll understand why other people aren't "wast"ing their time taking your "oppions" seriously

Why would anyone listen to your BS ether. Maybe people ask questions on her to get a gerilize oppion of a group who have the same goals and can take that information and grow there own oppion. I don't understand why people are so full of themselfs to think that there oppions are better than others. I posted my oppion. Stated that the information was from Medical proffesionals and that I was not a medical speciallist and I am scorned, laughed at and retiqualed on her for it. well screw all you holy than all people. sorry for throwing my oppion out there and I will reframe from using the forum or reading any topic on her because it must all be complete BS.

seriously, WTF is an oppion???

Sidesteal

Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16376851

That doesn't show anything.

He asked for

In fact, can ANYONE find me any set of studies that show greater expenditure given equal calories and macronutrients but with different partitioning?

The study you posted takes no account of total calories consumed as this was not controlled. You cannot make the conclusion from that, that higher meal frequency gives some kind of metabolic advantage...which is what he is disagreeing with.

You can however state that eating more frequently MAY help some people with satiety.

Self reported studies are next to useless.

I did not say anything about Metabolic rate with this study. I said quote "Study showed Overall, those who consumed more frequent meals, particularly breakfast, and snacks, weighed less"

Correct, and it shows that in an ad libitum scenario, what you eat can effect how much total food you eat. Once again, in a population that tracks food intake (everyone on MFP), this is something that can be monitored. This is also personal preference. There are plenty of people who will have an easier time sticking to their goals by skipping breakfast.