You must eat breakfast if you want to lose weight

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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    People often say meal timing is irrelevant and from a physiological standpoint that may be correct.

    The people who say that typically haven't done the research.

    Just tracking macros works fine but timing your meals to affect hormones does make a difference. It takes some extra effort I suppose, but it's not "broscience".

    But you can lose weight without tracking macros or timing your meals.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Not everyone needs to eat breakfast to lose weight. Some people end up eating more over the course of the day when they eat breakfast. The so-called importance of eating breakfast is a recent concept, one which may have been perpetrated by the companies that make breakfast foods.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    But you can lose weight without tracking macros or timing your meals.

    yes. you can. if you happen to eat the right amounts of food.

    I've tried counting calories, tracking macros, and meal timing.
    Meal timing has worked best for me so far because I'm not counting anything. I'm eating more than I normally would on a cut. And I'm still losing weight while maintaining strength in the gym, which doesn't always happen.

    I wasn't basing what I said on just anecdotal evidence though. It was from reading and understanding nutrition, physiology, etc.



    We're way off topic anyway. The bottom line is not only that you don't have to eat breakfast, it's actually optimal to skip it....
  • HelenaHN
    HelenaHN Posts: 7
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    Amazing the number of answers to this post. I'm very new here, is it something normal? Poor OP, I bet he had his best intentions haha

    By the way, I do eat breakfast, just because I've always done and usually I'm starving when I wake up. It also helps me not to over eat when it comes lunch time, and it's easier for me to distribute my calorie intake through out the day. But everybody is different, just do what it works for you.
    Do you really believe that if you went to the library you won't find ANY books that support his sports doc's advice? Along with a plethora of books that support paleo, fasting, low carb, Atkins, 6 meals, gluten free, high fat, juicing, cleanses, etc? Or does your local library branch only have one type of nutrition book?

    I'm not going to bother weighing in on either side of this debate because people will believe what they want, but I do find it odd how much people believe something they just read the day before yesterday.

    Once you've been doing this and reading up on stuff for a long time, you'll notice a pattern. The new studies negate the old studies, and the newer studies validate the old studies, then the newest studies negate the study that negated the study that validated that other study. Everybody that is mocking someone's nutrition or fitness belief today will get their turn at the wheel in 5 years when everything they believed has morphed into "broscience" and the new shish has been "proven" to trump the old shish.

    Really, you can lose weight eating breakfast. You can lose weight skipping breakfast. Pick what you like to do and let others do what they want. Newsflash: Most things (within reason) will actually work for most people. There's no one way and never has been.

    Quite right.
  • nhobbit
    nhobbit Posts: 14 Member
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    I MUST, huh? Please tell me what constitutes breakfast . . . is it a time of day? a specific time frame after I wake up? Is it simply the first meal I decide to eat?

    Quite frankly I eat throughout most of the day, but I'm curious if what i consider my breakfast you would consider breakfast. And then there's the fact that I like to eat normal breakfast foods throughout the day (pancakes and eggs and sausage around what I consider my dinner for example) so does that make it breakfast or dinner?


    to add to this..what of those who do shift work and meal times are all out of wack
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    The bottom line is not only that you don't have to eat breakfast, it's actually optimal to skip it....

    That surely depends on the context of the individual, their preferences and their training routine?

    Is it optimal for people who have disregulated eating habits, who have no clear idea of the amount of calories or macro nutirents they are consuming? I would argue not.

    It it optimal for people who are involved in glycogen depleting workouts particularly if performance is their goal and particularly if they train in the morning? Absolutely not...
  • DonniesGirl69
    DonniesGirl69 Posts: 644 Member
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    When I have breakfast, it's a protein shake. I don't often have breakfast, but I've dropped over 90 pounds, so I'm thinking it's not really a "MUST" that I eat breakfast in order to lose weight.

    :flowerforyou:
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
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    I disagree. I eat between 9-5pm every day and feel just fine. I'm up at 6am most days.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    My sports doctor likened my metabolism to a fire. If you want that fire to burn hot and bright then you must feed it otherwise it will be dull and pitiful and of little use. Providing little warm and light. But if I throw on a big log and give that fire a good kick start then it will be hot, useful and efficient requiring top ups during the day. The body is the same way. Feed it breakfast and it will run hot and efficiently all day.. After all there is a reason for the saying "Breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper."

    no offense but your sports doctor is wrong. your metabolism just doesn't work that way.

    My sports doctor trained Olympic athletes, published books, has run in many world wide marathons, duathlons and triathlons and has been part of the running community for 25 plus years. Yeah I guess he doesn't know anything at all huh. Where as you with all of your knowledge and experience know more. My bad.

    He probably is an expert in steroids and epo then.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    That surely depends on the context of the individual, their preferences and their training routine?


    It it optimal for people who are involved in glycogen depleting workouts particularly if performance is their goal and particularly if they train in the morning? Absolutely not...

    actually yes. because you replenish glycogen AFTER training. and it'll be there for your next training session.
  • melissanne81
    melissanne81 Posts: 34
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    Why do people always get on here and start these posts like they are the end-all-be-all authority on the subject matter? It's so arrogant.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    Why do people always get on here and start these posts like they are the end-all-be-all authority on the subject matter? It's so arrogant.

    go eat lunch or you're gonna get fat.
  • tayboo90
    tayboo90 Posts: 9
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    i disagree!!! I don't eat breakfast at all. Just drink coffee in the mornings and my weight loss has been pretty successful.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    That surely depends on the context of the individual, their preferences and their training routine?


    It it optimal for people who are involved in glycogen depleting workouts particularly if performance is their goal and particularly if they train in the morning? Absolutely not...

    actually yes. because you replenish glycogen AFTER training. and it'll be there for your next training session.

    Then why does time to fatigue fall within a fasted state as per the Loy S et al study?
  • PonyTailedLoser
    PonyTailedLoser Posts: 315 Member
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    Breakfast makes me hungrier, earlier throughout the day rather than if I skip it and have a larger lunch. Everyone has their method and I get what you are saying (car needs gasoline to run etc) but I remain energetic and burn my calories before breakfast with no ill effects yet (been 2 years).
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
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    This thread is awesome! Thanks so much for the info! :huh:
  • ashumeow
    ashumeow Posts: 151 Member
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    My sports doctor likened my metabolism to a fire. If you want that fire to burn hot and bright then you must feed it otherwise it will be dull and pitiful and of little use. Providing little warm and light. But if I throw on a big log and give that fire a good kick start then it will be hot, useful and efficient requiring top ups during the day. The body is the same way. Feed it breakfast and it will run hot and efficiently all day.. After all there is a reason for the saying "Breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper."

    no offense but your sports doctor is wrong. your metabolism just doesn't work that way.

    My sports doctor trained Olympic athletes, published books, has run in many world wide marathons, duathlons and triathlons and has been part of the running community for 25 plus years. Yeah I guess he doesn't know anything at all huh. Where as you with all of your knowledge and experience know more. My bad.

    None of that makes him an expert in nutrition.


    To get the best out of an athlete you have to know how to fuel the body. If you participate in the same activity then you have a much better understanding of how to do that. Any good athlete or sports person is very active in gaining knowledge on how to better their nutrition. Under his advice back in 2005 I lost 51lbs and improved my base fitness and my recovery rate so much that I was able to do a martial arts grading that for me started at 7:45am and did not stop until 2:30 pm with a half hour lunch break.

    Maybe I should have qualified it more. I was trying to improve my base fitness and lose weight to do a specific event. My main focus was not weight loss. So is he an expert? Maybe not. But he is very knowledgeable. You cannot do what he did for as long as he did without gaining some skills and a whole lot of knowledge along the way.

    As for being snotty I am naturally sarcastic and do have to work at toning it down. But you're right, there is no need for it.

    You do know most MFP members are more knowledgable and more qualified than any doctor or health/fitness professional out there? Once you get that straight in your head, you will have a much nicer time here ;)

    Now, go fire that doctor of yours and stop wasting your time with someone who has spent years studying and start listening to the real experts, you know the ones who've read a few books and online forums?





    (....you did say you like sarcasm!)


    While I agree that breakfast can be an important meal for some people, I don't subscribe to the mentality of "You must do...." Cause as everyone is pointing out, we are all different. We will all do what is right for ourselves. And at the end of the day that is all that matters. I never used to be a breakfast person. And even now I have to remind myself sometimes to sit down and eat. Otherwise I can go till mid afternoon and not eat. Which winds up being bad for those around me, not just me.

    On another note, I'm guessing that doctors are better trained in New Zealand then they are here in the States.. And a Doctor of Sports Medicine in New Zealand is far more likely to be an active sports person then not. New Zealanders have a tendency to turn their passions into a working career. Hence why I know that my sports doctor is as good as everyone else was telling me he was. I didn't just take his word for it.

    I am not from States nor from new zealand... Your statement Maybe true, Nobody believes until there is full proved evidence... Nobody is perfect... Yet, I respect your opinion madam! =)
  • gerimom17
    gerimom17 Posts: 24 Member
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    I have a hard time eating breakfast. I am not hungry, and most foods just don't appeal to me. However, I need to eat to take my pills. If I don't eat, I get nauseous. I hate this!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Do you really believe that if you went to the library you won't find ANY books that support his sports doc's advice? Along with a plethora of books that support paleo, fasting, low carb, Atkins, 6 meals, gluten free, high fat, juicing, cleanses, etc? Or does your local library branch only have one type of nutrition book?

    she wouldn't find many that were published anytime recently, with studies to back them up..................
    because the advice is flat out wrong.

    LOLOLOLOL!!! Go to Amazon right NOW and look for nutrition books and sort them by publication dates. Go ahead, I'll wait for you to get back.

    .....back now? See how many books with differing advice were publishing in the last 60 days??? And every one of them has "studies" to back them up. Do yourself a favor, and look closely at the conditions of the studies and see if you're still a true believer in *any* study, whether it supports your position or not.

    Just cuz it's new don't make it true.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
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    DavPul, I'm enjoying your contributions to this thread.

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