Do you need to eat breakfast?

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  • Jenky85
    Jenky85 Posts: 190 Member
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    Up until a week ago I always ate breakfast as I felt it gave me the best start but my husband never has because he says it wakes his hunger up. I figured I'd try not eating it and he was totally right...I used t have breakfast and a mid morning snack now I eat nothing at all until at least 12, it was 2pm the other day, and I feel less hungry. I'm very happy now not eating breakfast and it means I have more calories to play around with in the day and evening :)
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
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    There are days when I do and days when I don't and I still lose weight no matter what I do. The belief that everyone needs to eat breakfast because they will benefit from it is bogus IMO.

    What might work for someone else, might not work for you.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    Everything doesn't have to be so hard. Eat in a way that works for your schedule. Eat in a way that you are comfortable and satisfied. Make sure you get the calories, macros and nutrients you need. Look at the big picture, not just one day. You can eat breakfast, you can not eat breakfast. You can eat after 8pm. If you try to force yourself into something that just isn't a fit for your life, you won't be successful. Some people can't get away to eat a snack every few hours. It just can't happen. They can still lose weight. They can still be healthy. If arbitrary rules help you out, then follow them, but that doesn't make them scientific or needed.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    skipping breakfast means you're more inclined to snack more throughout the day and more likely on junk food.

    the best way to get your metabolism up is by having breakfast in the morning as you've been asleep all night and therefore your metabolism is low.

    eat high fibred and high protein food in the morning - less likely to snack on junk, feeling fuller for longer. trust me it works. your muscles need food - food is fuel for your muscles!
    Your muscles, metabolism or any other bodily function have no concept of time.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    skipping breakfast means you're more inclined to snack more throughout the day and more likely on junk food.

    This is not arbitrarily true for everyone. Eating breakfast makes me overeat. Skipping it makes me hit my nutritional targets.
    the best way to get your metabolism up is by having breakfast in the morning as you've been asleep all night and therefore your metabolism is low.

    This is essentially dogma that hasn't ever been true or proven. To see why, note the references in this post. Cliffs: Diet Induced Thermogenesis is not frequency based.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529002-a-compliation-on-meal-frequency
  • loveskinny27
    loveskinny27 Posts: 94 Member
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    I have to eat breakfast on work days as it stops me snacking before lunch I usually dont eat lunch till 2.30 -45pm At weekends I eat breakfast a little later. I heard that eating in a morning kick starts your metabolism?
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    skipping breakfast means you're more inclined to snack more throughout the day and more likely on junk food.

    No, it might mean that YOU are more inclined to snack and eat junk food.
    the best way to get your metabolism up is by having breakfast in the morning as you've been asleep all night and therefore your metabolism is low.

    Your metabolism is always up and running. As long as you are eating the proper number of calories for your body to function over time, your metabolism will be just fine. Even a few days of low calories won't be a problem in the big picture.
  • swissmardi
    swissmardi Posts: 57 Member
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    Wow, quite a heated discussion topic... I eat breakfast because I like breakfast. I've been working with a nutritionalist and she has changed what I eat for breakfast but I don't like leaving it out. Leaving out meals for me leads to feelings of deprivation and those are deadly...
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    I eat breakfast, because when I wake up I am always really hungry and really low energy, so I need some food to get me going.
  • ZivileZu
    ZivileZu Posts: 56 Member
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    I don't eat breakfast... I'm not a morning person and I feel absolutely no hunger until noon or early in the afternoon.

    I used to make myself eat breakfast as I thought this was the "normal" thing to do. But I never enjoyed the meals I had. Now I only eat when I'm hungry and I love my food.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I'm eating breakfast right now. Homemade oatmeal protein bar. Yum! Yum! :heart:
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    I don't eat breakfast... I'm not a morning person and I feel absolutely no hunger until noon or early in the afternoon.

    I used to make myself eat breakfast as I thought this was the "normal" thing to do. But I never enjoyed the meals I had. Now I only eat when I'm hungry and I love my food.

    And magically your metabolism continues to run? :wink:
  • scythswife
    scythswife Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Since I started this journey I have found that I have to have something for breakfast weather its food or a protien shake. I missed it yesterday and didn't eat til after noon and it messed up my whole day. Not eating making me sluggish, tired, cranky and all around miserable for the day. Will not go again without something for breakfast of some sort. I don't believe a lot of what I hear about how to eat cause theres differing opinions on it all. I eat when I am hungry and I don't care what time it is but something in the morning works for me.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Just so people are clear about the original post:

    The point isn't that nobody needs to eat breakfast, the point is that breakfast does not boost your metabolism and neither does any specific meal frequency. See the link a few posts up for an explanation.

    Whether or not you eat breakfast should be based on a set of preferential things that may vary from individual to individual , but it's not based on any magical metabolic edge that it gives you, because it doesn't.
  • McGruber03
    McGruber03 Posts: 113
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    Everyone is different, but what one has to think about is how the body digests and absorbs certain vitamins and minerals. For example, we need about 1000 mg of calcium per day, and the body absorbs that calcium better when calcium is spread throughout the day. If you get all 3 servings in at once (1 cup of milk, cheese toast and yogurt for breakfast, anyone?) your body won't absorb as much of that calcium. We also need 25 grams of fiber per day for good gi health. While fiber is a nutrient that is not digested or absorbed, it still needs to be ingested throughout the day. Too much fiber at once may cause gas, bloating, diarrhea OR constipation and in exreme cases, intestinal blockage. So, eating 3-6 meals per day will help you better absorb some vitamins and minerals from your food. I personally like 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. My current regimen is a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter and skim milk for breakfast, chobani yogurt around 10:30 for snack, small lunch at noon (yesterday it was a mixed green salad with walnuts, dried cranberries, and balsamic, today it's homemade hummus and pita chips/raw veggies), 1 chocolate milk for 3:00 snack, and dinner around 7 - (yesterday it was pintos and homemade cornbread...yes, i'm from the deep south, tonight it's homemade chicken pot pie). If our dinner is light, i'll have a 9:00 snack, but last night and tonight I won't have that 3rd snack. Anyway, like I said, everyone is different, you have to do what works for you. Having a 1st shift 7:30-4:00 work day and 5-6 pm exercise habit M-F makes all of this easy. I realize some people do not have such schedules. Oh, and I don't have kids. Just me and the hubs. I guess I should admit that, I'm sure it would be different with kids!
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    I'm eating breakfast right now. Homemade oatmeal protein bar. Yum! Yum! :heart:

    PM me the recipe?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Eat ONLY when you are truly hungry whether it's 6am 6pm or somewhere in between.
    What's wrong with eating after 6pm?

    Congratulations on missing the point. Thanks for playing! :flowerforyou:
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
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    I eat breakfast because my mom made me eat breakfast as a child.....I'm nearly 51 (next month) and I still must have my breakfast.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I'm eating breakfast right now. Homemade oatmeal protein bar. Yum! Yum! :heart:

    PM me the recipe?

    On its way =)
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
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    I have to eat breakfast because I work out in the evening and then I am not tha hungry so I do not make myself eat a large dinner ---but then come morning I am starving but still try not to overdo it.

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