Is skipping breakfast really that bad for you?

altacosturabeth
altacosturabeth Posts: 62 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've always followed the rule of 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' but I can't see what it actually does for me. Before breakfast I'm not really all that hungry, I could eat something but I wouldn't feel hungry if I didn't. But, if I eat breakfast, all I want to do afterwards is eat.

Today's just a random example but I've already ate; a banana, handful of almonds, a bagel with primula, a pack of snack a jacks, an apple, a quorn sausage roll and a nutrigrain bar. And it hasn't even reached 12pm. Usually I have a bigger breakfast than a banana but I wanted to run a little test today.

But I discovered many years ago that if I don't have breakfast, I don't get hungry until around 11-12. So is skipping breakfast really that horrific? Because I'd rather not eat for a few hours in the morning than eat pretty much everything in the morning and then be hungry after.
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Replies

  • zachatta
    zachatta Posts: 1,340 Member
    No it is not.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    No it is not.

    QFT
  • Nvertommen
    Nvertommen Posts: 27
    It is just that your metabolism will start when you start eating food. Because of thermogenesis you will burn more or less calories a day, according to what or if you ate.

    So, if you skip breakfast you will burn less, so you'll need less calories a day, which can be a difference of 200-300. But if you don't get more hungry during the day because you didn't have breakfast, I guess it is not that bad.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    As long as you get all your calories for the day, it doesnt matter.
  • goonas
    goonas Posts: 205
    I think it is, without it I have a stupidly big lunch because I am trying to "top-up" but now I am doing breakfast lunch is more reasonable, I feel more alert in the morning etc.

    This is a good read:

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutrition101/a/breakfast.htm
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    It is just that your metabolism will start when you start eating food. Because of thermogenesis you will burn more or less calories a day, according to what or if you ate.

    So, if you skip breakfast you will burn less, so you'll need less calories a day, which can be a difference of 200-300. But if you don't get more hungry during the day because you didn't have breakfast, I guess it is not that bad.

    This is wrong pending calorie consumption is equal throughout the day. Your metabolism never stops and when you eat it diverts from one activity to breaking down food.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    This subject seems to be the new 'should I eat my exercise calories'. For some people breakfast is a must. For others, like myself, I find eating in the morning does me no good at all.

    If you're not hungry don't force yourself to eat for the sake of it. Do a bit of reading on IF etc and articles about breakfast, such as Goonas posted, and see what fits best for you.
  • Ph4lanx
    Ph4lanx Posts: 213 Member
    It's not good OR bad. It just is. If you want to break fast in the morning, eat. If you don't, don't. End of the day, just eat your calories for your day and don't worry about WHEN. Keeping thermogenesis constantly working with lots of meals is no different to having one big feed and having your thermogenesis kick in then.

    Just worry about when YOU want to eat, not what other people tell you when you should eat.
  • mslindsay
    mslindsay Posts: 93 Member
    From my OWN experience, I tend to eat a lot more at night if I don't eat through out the day. When I eat breakfast I notice that FOR ME the hunger ques come consistently every 3 -4hours after my first meal. A normal day for me when I don't eat breakfast is that I don't feel hungry until 2 pm and all I do is eat until I go to bed at 11pm, and I consume about 1000 calories more just from feeling so hungry at night.

    And I figured this out when I started logging in my calories here on MFP. This doesn't mean that I get up at 5am every day just to eat something, I try to have something before 10am and schedule meals 3 - 4 hours after my first .
  • mslindsay
    mslindsay Posts: 93 Member
    From my OWN experience, I tend to eat a lot more at night if I don't eat through out the day. When I eat breakfast I notice that FOR ME the hunger ques come consistently every 3 -4hours after my first meal. A normal day for me when I don't eat breakfast is that I don't feel hungry until 2 pm and all I do is eat until I go to bed at 11pm, and I consume about 1000 calories more just from feeling so hungry at night.

    And I figured this out when I started logging in my calories here on MFP. This doesn't mean that I get up at 5am every day just to eat something, I try to have something before 10am and schedule meals 3 - 4 hours after my first .

    One more thing on this, I think I eat so much if I skip meals, cause I use the justification of skipping meals as a reason that I can eat bigger portions.
  • transvenouspacer
    transvenouspacer Posts: 182 Member
    Experiment with it. As many wise MFP peeps have said before me, losing weight is not a race. Try not eating breakfast and see if that works for you. I eat breakfast because if I don't, I'll be starving later on, lose all willpower and end up binging on fast food. I've been losing weight at a steady pace.
  • Karenannmo
    Karenannmo Posts: 118
    I do eat breakfast but it's not usually for a couple hours after I get up. During the week I actually bring it to work and eat it when I feel hungry which is around 9:30. That keeps me satisfied until lunch. If I didn't eat something, by noon I would be starving and would eat way too much so there is where the calorie consumption comes into play. I think you need to listen to your body.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    It is just that your metabolism will start when you start eating food. Because of thermogenesis you will burn more or less calories a day, according to what or if you ate.

    So, if you skip breakfast you will burn less, so you'll need less calories a day, which can be a difference of 200-300. But if you don't get more hungry during the day because you didn't have breakfast, I guess it is not that bad.
    I do not believe this whatsoever.
  • uclown2002
    uclown2002 Posts: 79 Member
    Breakfast always makes me hungry too!

    http://www.leangains.com

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
  • altacosturabeth
    altacosturabeth Posts: 62 Member
    Hmm, maybe I will try not eating breakfast for a few days, or eating it a little later at least. I've just roughly worked out what my eating could be like over the next few days whilst missing breakfast and it looks like enough to me. I don't think I'd subconsciously 'make up for it' later either because I don't really eat masses of food anyway, apart from in the morning! I'm never as hungry in the afternoons, I could eat something but I could miss it and I'd still be fine.

    I guess this is just the strange differences in our bodies! I drink at least 2L of water a day and I'd probably still drink that in the morning.

    I presumed that if I was hitting my calorie and getting numbers around my macro targets for the day then I wasn't really doing anything to harm myself in any way.

    Thanks for all your replies :)

    (this is a little random and probably not needed but just in case it is, I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just generally maintaining)
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    Don't think of it as skipping breakfast, you're just adjusting the time you're eating it. All the word means is 'break fast'. It doesn't matter what time you do it. I find like you, that if I eat it when I wake up I'm hungry for the rest of the day and can't stop snacking. If I wait, then it's much better. For me. I usually don't eat until around 12 or 1. Sometimes even 2. I still get my 3 meals in and all of my calories. Try it out and see what happens. If it works for you then go for it.
  • CindyCountingCalories
    CindyCountingCalories Posts: 321 Member
    I've always followed the rule of 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' but I can't see what it actually does for me. Before breakfast I'm not really all that hungry, I could eat something but I wouldn't feel hungry if I didn't. But, if I eat breakfast, all I want to do afterwards is eat.

    Today's just a random example but I've already ate; a banana, handful of almonds, a bagel with primula, a pack of snack a jacks, an apple, a quorn sausage roll and a nutrigrain bar. And it hasn't even reached 12pm. Usually I have a bigger breakfast than a banana but I wanted to run a little test today.

    But I discovered many years ago that if I don't have breakfast, I don't get hungry until around 11-12. So is skipping breakfast really that horrific? Because I'd rather not eat for a few hours in the morning than eat pretty much everything in the morning and then be hungry after.

    Sounds exactly like me, if I eat breakfast than I don't have calories left for dinner :-/
  • CindyCountingCalories
    CindyCountingCalories Posts: 321 Member
    I've always followed the rule of 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' but I can't see what it actually does for me. Before breakfast I'm not really all that hungry, I could eat something but I wouldn't feel hungry if I didn't. But, if I eat breakfast, all I want to do afterwards is eat.

    Today's just a random example but I've already ate; a banana, handful of almonds, a bagel with primula, a pack of snack a jacks, an apple, a quorn sausage roll and a nutrigrain bar. And it hasn't even reached 12pm. Usually I have a bigger breakfast than a banana but I wanted to run a little test today.

    But I discovered many years ago that if I don't have breakfast, I don't get hungry until around 11-12. So is skipping breakfast really that horrific? Because I'd rather not eat for a few hours in the morning than eat pretty much everything in the morning and then be hungry after.

    Sounds exactly like me, if I eat breakfast than I don't have calories left for dinner :-/
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    breakfast means 'break fast'. i usually break mine about 1 PM. The whole meal timing/six meals per days/breakfast is important thing is pretty much discredited.

    The 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day slogan' is used by corporations trying to sell you their breakfast food.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    No it's not "that bad". The reason they say not to skip breakfast is that studies show that people who do skip breakfast tend to eat more later on in the day. Also if you eat a filling and healthy breakfast your more likely to have the energy required for your daily activities.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    My experience has been much like yours, OP. The earlier I start my eating in the day, the longer I have to eat, and the more I want to eat all day. If I have breakfast it is very small or very late.
  • Joannie30
    Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
    I don't eat breakfast. I'm still alive and losing steadily.

    I have 1-2 cups of coffee first thing (about 7.30am) as it's all i can face really at that time. I eat at around 11am and this works for me. I think its just a matter of what works for each individual person really.
  • Nvertommen
    Nvertommen Posts: 27
    Well, then try measuring your metabolism with Fitmate. There is a difference in restmetabolism if you ate or didn't.
  • Nvertommen
    Nvertommen Posts: 27
    It is just that your metabolism will start when you start eating food. Because of thermogenesis you will burn more or less calories a day, according to what or if you ate.

    So, if you skip breakfast you will burn less, so you'll need less calories a day, which can be a difference of 200-300. But if you don't get more hungry during the day because you didn't have breakfast, I guess it is not that bad.
    I do not believe this whatsoever.

    Well, then try measuring your metabolism with Fitmate. There is a difference in restmetabolism if you ate or didn't.
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    im not sciencey i know nothing about this really... but my thoughts / what iv found...

    Im REALLY bad at eating breakfast never ate it when i was at school or college one year at uni i did have a couple of cream crackers to nibble on as i walked in but that was it breakfast was something done only 2 weeks a year when we were on holiday, and on christmas day. Now i try and eat breakfast every day.
    I find like you if i dont eat breakfast i dont get hungry till LUNCH time 12-1 ... then im in need of a SNACK at 3... then DINNER at 6... then sometimes a SNACK again mid evening 8 or 9 ...
    if i do eat BREAKFAST....im peckish at 11 SNACK ... then LUNCH 1 -1.30 is ... then DINNER at 6
    ((i dont always give in to snacks but the hungry want is there... ))

    iv written it all out like that because no matter what i find im hungry 4 times a day its just when they are and what i call them changes... so i have concluded that breakfast is important because it does seem to kick start when i want to eat and what i want to eat, and i believe its bad for you to eat too late in the day so starting my eating day at 8 am means it finishes earlier than if i started it at lunch time... mid evening snack is a bad idea in my eyes far too late to be eating... andddd... i think the fact that my 11am snack has a name makes it important... im all for elevenses :D !
    x
  • hayleymc3
    hayleymc3 Posts: 128 Member
    I think it's just a personal preference thing. I personally love breakfast and have it every morning because it gives me a good start to my day. On days I don't have it, I feel tired, run down, get stomach pains, etc.

    I know plenty of people who are (at this point in time, anyway) much healthier than me and they skip breakfast. I genuinely believe it's a matter of an individual's wants and needs, although I do encourage that you read and study on this topic more for yourself, using articles like the one another poster provided.
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    In my own personal experience, I too, would skip breakfast. always did. Then , come close to dinner time, I was, of course, starving. I ate once a day. Seemed to be from 5pm to bed.......never sure of calories, but what I can tell you from MY experience, is I never saw the scale move an ounce until I started eating breakfast, which of course made me hungry, and ate (grazed?) through the day, followed by a lighter dinner, because I wasnt famished. For me, that, and only that is when the scale moved. Yup. Everyone is different. But my old way didnt work. I tried it for a damn decade.....LOL... I figured why not something different. Thank goodness I did.:) But that is just me.:wink:
    *Edited to say i still hate breakfast. :laugh:
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    it isn't-just eat when you like. i'm always hungry, i'm not gonna train my body to eat at certain times, just eat when hungry.
  • gguynes
    gguynes Posts: 20
    You are better off asking your doctor or going to a nutritionist... everyone has their own opinion and/or has done their own research. The problem is that each person responding has found the right "fit" for themselves. I choose to eat breakfast because (as someone already stated) I want to begin burning calories first thing in the morning. I would rather have my metabolism running in high gear, than slowing down because I have not eaten...

    To address the desire to eat more after breakfast, I had to change what I ate for breakfast. I switched to more protein and less carbohydrates as my first meal of the day. That prevented me from "craving" more carbs after my first meal.

    Good luck!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    When I don't work, my eating is very different. I eat breakfast at around 10 or 11. I eat lunch around 3 or 4, and I have a light dinner around 7. I eat light snacks in between if I need it. I believe that is my natural eating pattern. So, call those meals whatever you want.,

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