Skipping meals??

Bride511

It's not healthy, or easy. I speak from experience. I've lost a ton of weight within a few months by simply not eating. (I was going through hard times and didn't have an appetite.) Since then I've gained the weight back. I've been trying this method again but it isn't as easy this time around. I wish it was.

So, no it's not healthy, but if you stick with it, you will see fast results.

Sarauk2sf

It's not healthy, or easy. I speak from experience. I've lost a ton of weight within a few months by simply not eating. (I was going through hard times and didn't have an appetite.) Since then I've gained the weight back. I've been trying this method again but it isn't as easy this time around. I wish it was.

So, no it's not healthy, but if you stick with it, you will see fast results.

Not eating =/= intermittent fasting.

SideSteel

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815319/

This is a great article/study about how skipping meals because you have no other choice in low income families and how it affects their MENTAL HEALTH as well as physical.

^ Thank you, this is research and I'll look at it.

EDIT: Total nutrient intake was not controlled. This study has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that meal frequency effects metabolism. You are looking at a study where children skip meals and as a result, suffer from inadequate nutrition. This is due to them not getting in enough nutrients over the course of time.

In a population where intake is monitored (hint: everyone using myfitnesspal), nutrient intake is monitored.

Hahaha the idea that you think that MFP logging is a controled study makes anything else you say invalid and laughable. I'm done talking to you about anything.

I didn't say it makes it a controlled study. Read what I wrote instead of setting up a strawman argument.

I said that the population of MFP is tracking intake. By definition. People here are logging their intake. You linked a study about malnutrition from a population that does not track intake and by skipping meals they are not adequately nourishing.

I would never suggest that it is okay to not eat the appropriate amount of vitamins/minerals/essentials for adequate nutrition. I am simply claiming that whether or not you do this in 2 meals vs 6 meals will make zero differences on the thermic effect of food.

Your cognitive dissonance is very clear.

Sarauk2sf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815319/

This is a great article/study about how skipping meals because you have no other choice in low income families and how it affects their MENTAL HEALTH as well as physical.

^ Thank you, this is research and I'll look at it.

EDIT: Total nutrient intake was not controlled. This study has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that meal frequency effects metabolism. You are looking at a study where children skip meals and as a result, suffer from inadequate nutrition. This is due to them not getting in enough nutrients over the course of time.

In a population where intake is monitored (hint: everyone using myfitnesspal), nutrient intake is monitored.

Hahaha the idea that you think that MFP logging is a controled study makes anything else you say invalid and laughable. I'm done talking to you about anything.

You are very clearly missing the point...either on purpose or intentionally, only you know which. Nowhere did anyone say logging on here represents as study.

Vaisaxena

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

These aren't studies.

Fasting is completely natural and normal - and a fantastic way to drop weight... you've posted opinions.

these are studies:

Heilbronn LK, et al. Alternate-day fasting in non-obese subjects: effects on body weight, body
composition, and energy metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005; 81:69-73

Verboeket-Van De Venne WPHG, et al. Effect of the pattern of food intake on human energy
metabolism. British Journal of Nutrition. 1993; 70:103-115

Bellisle F, et al. Meal Frequency and energy balance. British Journal of Nutrition. 1997; 77:
(Suppl. 1) s57-s70

Gjedsted J, et al. Effects of a 3-day fast on regional lipid and glucose metabolism in human
skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Acta Physiologica Scandinavia 207; 191:205-216\

Knapik JJ, Meredith CN, Jones LS, Young VR, Evans WJ. Influence of fasting on
carbohydrate and fat metabolism during rest and exercise in men. Journal of Applied
Physiology 1998; 64(5): 1923-1929

Zinker BA, Britz K, Brooks GA. Effects of a 36-hour fast on human endurance and substrate
utilization. Journal Applied Physiology 1990; 69(5): 1849-1855

Aragon-Vargas LF. Effects of fasting on endurance exercise. Sports Med 1993; 16:255-65

Gleeseon M, Greenhaff PL, Maughan RJ. Influence of a 24 h fast on a high intensity cycle
exercise performance in man. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1988;46:211-19

Deldicque L, De Bock K, Maris M, Ramaekers M, Nielens H, Francaux M, Hespel P. Increased
p70s6k phosphorylation during intake of a protein-carbohydrate drink following resistance
exercise in the fasted state. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Mar;108(4):791-800.

TR0berts

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

fstender

Be careful with this....not that your going into starving mode by just skipping one meal......but it will mess with your metabolism something awful...everything i read strongly suggest you eat 5 to 6 small meals a day (200-300 calories)...If you skip a meal you may find your self famished and over eat at the next meal...and probably not make the best choice of what you eat. This has helped me so much...and actually i like the small meal thing...i actually feel like im eating all the time and I'm never hungry!

DamnImASexyBitch

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

Articles that link to studies or reference them. You didn't even bother to read them anyway. Typical of most people on here... pretending to be experts on thhings they don't know.

SideSteel

If you skip a meal you may find your self famished and over eat at the next meal...and probably not make the best choice of what you eat.

^ This is about the only argument in which infrequent meals can cause issues, however this does vary from person to person. For example, there are some people who have an easier time eating the appropriate total daily intake by skipping breakfast for example.

SideSteel

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

Articles that link to studies or reference them. You didn't even bother to read them anyway. Typical of most people on here... pretending to be experts on thhings they don't know.

I've read 4 of them and I found 1 actual research post that showed some hormonal effects on fasting blood glucose in diabetics, which is not at all applicable to diet induced thermogensis. The other 3 of the 4 that I read did not contain research.

The articles that suggested that meal frequency effects metabolism did not contain any research where energy intake was monitored.

Vaisaxena

Be careful with this....not that your going into starving mode by just skipping one meal......but it will mess with your metabolism something awful...everything i read strongly suggest you eat 5 to 6 small meals a day (200-300 calories)...If you skip a meal you may find your self famished and over eat at the next meal...and probably not make the best choice of what you eat. This has helped me so much...and actually i like the small meal thing...i actually feel like im eating all the time and I'm never hungry!

this, of course, is complete non-sense

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

Revupy

I skipped breakfast today and opted for drinking 2 750ml of water. Since I feel so good today I just ate a banana for a late lunch which is low cal but high in carbs. Mentally I am going to let the cards take me till dinner on that banana not the calories.. I hope to get outside and walk and burn more calories today then I am to consume. I feel great right now so why not skip a meal every now and then. Especially if you are not really that hungery.

weird_me2

Be careful with this....not that your going into starving mode by just skipping one meal......but it will mess with your metabolism something awful...everything i read strongly suggest you eat 5 to 6 small meals a day (200-300 calories)...If you skip a meal you may find your self famished and over eat at the next meal...and probably not make the best choice of what you eat. This has helped me so much...and actually i like the small meal thing...i actually feel like im eating all the time and I'm never hungry!

this, of course, is complete non-sense

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

To quote that one since the nay sayers seem to want to ignore the studies and focus on the other links posted:

"We conclude that the epidemiological evidence is at best very weak, and almost certainly represents an artefact. A detailed review of the possible mechanistic explanations for a metabolic advantage of nibbling meal patterns failed to reveal significant benefits in respect of energy expenditure. Although some short-term studies suggest that the thermic effect of feeding is higher when an isoenergetic test load is divided into multiple small meals, other studies refute this, and most are neutral. More importantly, studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24 h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging."

To summarize - it does not matter if you eat small meals all day totalling 1800 calories or gorge on one meal containing 1800 calories - total energy expenditure is the same.

Sarauk2sf

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

Articles that link to studies or reference them. You didn't even bother to read them anyway. Typical of most people on here... pretending to be experts on thhings they don't know.

Ironic post is ironic

TR0berts

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

Articles that link to studies or reference them. You didn't even bother to read them anyway. Typical of most people on here... pretending to be experts on thhings they don't know.

Actually, I did read them. Only two had links to studies. In fact, I suggest you reread the studies - especially the ones from livestrong.

SideSteel

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

Articles that link to studies or reference them. You didn't even bother to read them anyway. Typical of most people on here... pretending to be experts on thhings they don't know.

Actually, I did read them. Only two had links to studies. In fact, I suggest you reread the studies - especially the ones from livestrong.

Not to mention one which supports the idea of alternate day fasting which is essentially skipping a bunch of meals. LOL.

TR0berts

Not to mention one which supports the idea of alternate day fasting which is essentially skipping a bunch of meals. LOL.

That's the one I specifically want her to reread.

eta: I'm no nutrition/health expert. I am, however, an engineer. As such, I know how to conduct, read, and draw conclusions from studies and research.

ArroganceInStep

I'M GOING TO USE CAPS TO MAKE A POINT EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON

If nutrient intake is kept constant, meal timing will have no effect on the person. However, for the sake of argument, lets say there's some small benefit to eating one way versus the other.

That benefit you might gain from only eating while standing on your head when the hour is a prime number and the minute*pi is an integer is GREATLY outweighed by the benefits you'll see from increasing your ability to adhere to that diet.

For me, that means (right now with my schedule) eating very little during the day (usually nothing before 2PM) and having a large dinner. For my wife, that means eating a small breakfast, a medium sized lunch and dinner, and having both a midmorning and afternoon snack.

Find what timing protocol suits your lifestyle, get adequate nutrition from the food you eat, and stick with it.

Far healthier and more important than b*tching about how IF is unhealthy and will kill you after it melts your brain and eyeballs.

JUDDDing

I'm diabetic now, so it's definitely out of the question.

Not necessarily. It depends on what you are taking for control.

I'm on diet and metformin and have no problems with fasts.

Maybe not if you are on glipizide or something similar (with a risk of lows).

professorRAT

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/importance-of-frequent-meals.html
http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499684-the-effects-of-skipping-meals/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8294457_consequences-skipping-meals.html


That's just to start. So yeah, just because YOU feel justified in skipping meals doesn't make it a healthy choice. The bottom line is that the majority of people SHOULD NOT be skipping meals, and don't "fast" in a healthy fashion. They do it as a quick fix weightloss "tool".

:sigh:

There are no studies listed here. These are blog posts. HYOOOOOOGE difference.

I think the real problem with the links is NOT that they are blogs, not direct links to research, etc. but that they are not necessarily reliable sources of summarized information for the topic at hand. People who don't have the background to directly read a journal article and process the information will not benefit from links to those sources. They can, however, benefit from a link to a RELIABLE source of information that is well documented and summarizes expert consensus on the topic for non-experts in the area. I say this not to defend this person's position on meal timing, it is clearly on the wrong side of the scientific evidence, but to state that there is nothing inherently bad about linking to summary sites or inherently good about linking directly to a research journal article (which could also be cherry-picking). For example, an expert in oncology could have a blog in which she writes easy to understand descriptions of current evidence regarding cancer treatment. This could be a far better source of information for someone who does not have a background sufficient to understand the journal articles on the subject.

Sorry, just wanted to get that out there.