Is breakfast necessary??

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.

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.