Is breakfast necessary??

JTick

Is breakfast necessary? Absolutely not.

Is it necessary for ME? Absolutely.

I deal with hypoglycemia, so I need to eat within 30 mins of being upright or I'm shaky and nauseated. However, if I didn't have that issue, I would probably go without.

Athijade

Eat breakfast. Your body hasn't eaten for 10-12 hours and it needs nourishment. You'll be more aware and awake, and you'll be less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner.

At least there is one reasonable minded person on the forums this morning.

Two.

Eat breakfast. Your body needs a constant supply of fuel. If you wait to eat when you're hungry, you run the risk of over eating.

EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING....
EAT LUNCH LIKE A QUEEN....
EAT DINNER LIKE A PAUPER...

Good luck!

You didn't read any of the scientific stuff on this thread did you?

If you feel better eating a specific way, then do it. If you like breakfast, eat it. If you don't, then don't.

SCIENCE!

MGoodElite9

For everyone that says that breakfast 'kick starts your metabolism' or other such silliness, have you not noticed that there are numerous studies linked here that show that there is no metabolic impact of meal timing, calories and macros being equal. There is not a single credible source stating that it does. If it exists, I (and many others I am sure) would love to see them.

While one breakfast meal may not "kickstart your metabolism" in and of itself, the long term result of skipping breakfasts day after day and eating fewer meals per day is a higher liklihood of obesity. Anyone who makes an absolute statement like "There is not a single credible source stating that it does" obviously hasn't looked very hard.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal
According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity.

http://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/?p=1525
Cross sectional data from a large prospective study, the Seasonal Variation of Blood Cholesterol Study (SEASONS), also evaluated the relation between obesity and eating patterns. The study showed that subjects who regularly skipped breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who consumed breakfast regularly (95% CI 1.57-12.90) (2).

To clarify, even though I am not aware of one actually existing, I was referring to a credible source being cited on this thread. I specifically asked for studies that show there is an impact on metabolism and I am still waiting.

I hate to use the cliche but correlation =/= causation. And if you look back at older posts, I did note that this myth probably came out of the studies that show this correlation (which I was well aware of already).

So....still waiting for someone to provide one.

Do what you want, I'll do what works for me. It is not like skipping breakfast is the end of the world.

And I think that would be Sara's point. It's not the end of the world and most studies indicate that, for a certain segment of the poulation, it help with satiety and prevention of overeating later in the day. That is correlation and not causation. This is one of those hot button topics around here as there is always a large divide with some saying "you must" and others saying "it doesn't matter". Functionally, it's a little of both depending on the individual. Where it spins out is with some posts, as you've seen in this thread that get all crazy and absolute like you have to eat breakfast to "kickstart you metabolism" or you'll go into "starvation mode" and other such bogus myths.

Now you are a new member but fairly knowledgeable. Think of the new member that is not and searching for the right way but is not hungry in the morning and sees all this baloney about jump starting the metabolism and starvation mode and the most important meal of the day....... Many are just trying to help that person see that fitness and fat loss does not have to follow a complicated set of rules.

Burn more than you eat
Manage your macros with mostly whole minimally processed foods for optimal health

Simple really.

Agreed, and thank you for responding in a respectful (non-rude) manner. There are mutiple methods of adjusting the body composition with the diet and I agree that the total caloric intake along with the content of the diet are the key factors. I do not believe that there are extreme reactions regarding the metobilic rate or that the body will go into "starvation mode" or whatever if you skip a meal or two. I do however feel that there is a benefit to eating multiple meals, call it a personal preference as I have seen positive results doing so.

While the causation side may have yet to be proven, the correlations certainly exist, but there are so many variables that it may be some time before there are reliable studies that discover the true extent of the impacts (short and long term) of these various diet methods.

It is a "hot button" indeed, as I was not aware of the "anti-jumpstart metabolism" movement, and was not familiar with "starvation mode" prior to this thread. Either way, I would never tell someone that they are going to pack on fat by skipping a meal!! Honestly, I am glad that I joined the discussion as I have been doing some investigating and am always looking to learn more.

mmapags

Agreed, and thank you for responding in a respectful (non-rude) manner. There are mutiple methods of adjusting the body composition with the diet and I agree that the total caloric intake along with the content of the diet are the key factors. I do not believe that there are extreme reactions regarding the metobilic rate or that the body will go into "starvation mode" or whatever if you skip a meal or two. I do however feel that there is a benefit to eating multiple meals, call it a personal preference as I have seen positive results doing so.

While the causation side may have yet to be proven, the correlations certainly exist, but there are so many variables that it may be some time before there are reliable studies that discover the true extent of the impacts (short and long term) of these various diet methods.

It is a "hot button" indeed, as I was not aware of the "anti-jumpstart metabolism" movement, and was not familiar with "starvation mode" prior to this thread. Either way, I would never tell someone that they are going to pack on fat by skipping a meal!! Honestly, I am glad that I joined the discussion as I have been doing some investigating and am always looking to learn more.

I am also glad you joined the discussion. You brought some knowledge experience and itelligence to it. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your posts around here. And Yeah, those 2 hot buttons you mentioned are always sure to draw a crowd both for and against. I really think this whole issue is a lot like the low carb issue (which will also draw a heated discussion). For some people it works great and for others its irrelavent. The heat comes when the group that it does work for try to make thier anecdotal experience the universal truth for everyone. Then it's off to the races!

Sox90716

No, breakfast is not necessary. I like to make a smoothie after my run/workout. It's a personal preference. Have a great day!

Arleigh7

WOW..TONS of replies here. I'll share my personal learning. I hate breakfast and often used to push it to lunch. When I talked with a nutritionist she was on me to make sure I ate breakfast within 30 mins of waking if at all possible. Sometimes this is a protein drink but now I scramble egg whites, spinach and chicken apple sausage. Takes me under 5 minutes to make.

Bottom line is I found for me personally that when I eat a high proten breakfast with 30 mins of waking I have a MUCH easier time staying on my diet the rest of the day. I have more energy and don't crave.

When I don't eat breakfast I eat ALLOT more at night and am craving like crazy. So for me eating breakfast really jumped started my weight loss and made everything allot easier.

Helloitsdan

Eat breakfast. Your body hasn't eaten for 10-12 hours and it needs nourishment. You'll be more aware and awake, and you'll be less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner.

At least there is one reasonable minded person on the forums this morning.

Two.

Eat breakfast. Your body needs a constant supply of fuel. If you wait to eat when you're hungry, you run the risk of over eating.

EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING....
EAT LUNCH LIKE A QUEEN....
EAT DINNER LIKE A PAUPER...

Good luck!

**** that!
I eat like a King every meal.

SassyCalyGirl

most important meal of the day!

stupidloser

I prefer to eat 6 smaller meals versus a large breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mainly low-carb higher protein except for the 2 days leading up to my weekends where I like too strength train and need higher potassium intake to fuel my furnace.

volume77

Completely unessisary
Total myth
Eat whenever you want

ZugTheMegasaurus

**** that!
I eat like a King every meal.

I had completely blocked that nightmare fuel from my mind until now! *shudder*

travismadams

Most people who follow the "Intermittent Fasting" regime, which includes not eating a breakfast, only fast for 16 hours. So, she's saying you should eat breakfast after the overnight fast that lasts between 15-20 hrs. That's consistent.

You're just shifting your eating to a different time within your waking period, as opposed to eating dinner at five. I think for most people that would end up with them snacking later on in the night, since most of us probably don't get to sleep before 10-11, so that's six hours without food.