I only eat dinner...good or bad?

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  • LizC26
    LizC26 Posts: 319 Member
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    There is absolutely no scientific evidence that supports eating breakfast or "6 small meals" to boost metabolism. I only eat in the night time--8 hr window, and I've lost 20 lbs. I am less hungry throughout the day than if I had eaten breakfast, and I feel great--not sluggish or anything... It's all about what works for you and your body.

    Good Luck :)
  • sandhillcrane
    sandhillcrane Posts: 301
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    I think it's a horrible idea. That said...how's it working for you? I wouldn't expect my car to travel 350 miles on an empty tank. Same goes for my body.
    Also, WHAT are you eating? ahhhhhh....I really have nothing left to say. I just wouldn't do it.
    In any case, good luck!
  • Samsara9
    Samsara9 Posts: 39
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    Hmmm....I am a firm believer in eating when you are hungry, stopping when you are full, and NOT eating if you aren't hungry, regardless of the time of day. Some days I wake up and am starving, others, I am not hungry till late in the afternoon, or at all. Generally speaking, I don't eat breakfast, eat a small lunch, and eat a largish dinner (with maybe a later snack), AND....I eat after 7pm :noway: . I am on maintenance now, and am 5'9" and 135lbs, so doing well on the weight front...I also do at least 5 yoga classes a week and some other forms of cardio (dancing usually). I think we have all stopped listening to our bodies, and eat from either the belief that if we don't have 3 squares, we are going to start storing fat, or we are going to put ourselves into starvation mode. There is a lot of emotional based eating going on as well (guilty :embarassed: ). I think the best message from this post is "listen to your body" and do what works for YOU :drinker: , all other opinions be dam*ed. But...that is just my 2 cents :bigsmile:
  • Samsara9
    Samsara9 Posts: 39
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    Oh, and my ticker is off...I've stopped logging!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I think it's a horrible idea. That said...how's it working for you? I wouldn't expect my car to travel 350 miles on an empty tank. Same goes for my body.
    Also, WHAT are you eating? ahhhhhh....I really have nothing left to say. I just wouldn't do it.
    In any case, good luck!

    You fill your car's gas tank once, and then you drive until it's empty. You don't have to stop and refuel it six times a day to keep the engine running... :tongue:
  • Nancy_hc
    Nancy_hc Posts: 123 Member
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    Like many people have said - this is fine to do. Your body wont start "storing fat" until you've depriped it from its necessary caloried for more than 72 hours (ish) and also you have energy stores that really do last you all day. Your body adjusts to how you're eating so for people who eat regular meals (me) its going to expect that and get moody when I dont give in to it... duh. If you're body is use to getting a large meal once a day, then its works around that. Our bodies are amazing! :D I'm actually transitioning to doing what you're doing... but on purpose! You're still getting the calories you need, you're good. Plus, I also agree that you should eat when you're hungry and dont when you're not... our body tells us what we need. listen to it.
  • Apazman
    Apazman Posts: 494 Member
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    I think there is a lot of confusion here about hunger and how you have to eat x times a day and all that.

    Can't we all agree that if you find something that works for you, lets not trash it?
    Some people have excellent results with eating 3 times a day ... or 5 times a day ... the same could be said about 1 time a day.

    I have been on it for a while and it works for me. I am not starving, or a slave to my stomache.

    I think people are getting to caught up in the arguing about what is better and forgetting that this works for her, and if it does, support her in it. Just because it doesn't work for you or can't work for you doesn't mean it can't work for someone else.

    I know the fasting thing seems unorthodox to most but it works for some. So unless you have tried it and can provide some real risks that YOU ran into personally, can we please try to be supportive?

    Because it kind of sucks to be told that what's working for you is all wrong .. and it shouldn't be working because of your metabolism, and people telling you that you are hungry when you aren't and that you are in starvation mode.

    People can crap on whatever Ideas you have ... its easier to pull the trigger than play the guitar, easier to destory than to create.

    We all have the same goal.. lets all try to show eachother some MFP love. :)
  • poisongirl6485
    poisongirl6485 Posts: 1,487 Member
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    So, do all these people who insist you get fat only eating once a day and that it isn't healthy really think that human beings evolved eating several meals a day? A hundred thousand years ago humans were lucky to eat one meal every few days. In the Middle Ages, people generally ate once a day, if they could even eat every day.

    If you had to eat several meals a day in order to survive and be healthy, the human race would've died out hundreds of thousands of years ago.


    This is the premise of the Fast-5 program. And it makes sense.
    lol i love this.
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
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    OP, if it works for you and you honestly feel as if you can get all of your nutrients in one meal, then I say go for it. Different things work for different people; from some of the responses, you would think there is only one "right" way to lose weight.
  • jazzybean1
    jazzybean1 Posts: 113
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    There's a lot of misinformation in here OP. I'd advise you to read this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/348521-intermittent-fasting-support-group

    And just so you know, before this week, I was eating 1000-1400 calorie dinners and only 2 meals per day. I kept losing fat, inches, and pounds. I've lowered my daily caloric intake this week (because I was losing 1 pound a week and I want to lose more), but still, my dinners will be at minimum 800 cals. Please take all opinions into consideration, not just the ones who claim what you're doing is unhealthy, without trying it out themselves.:flowerforyou:
    bump
  • bmqbonnie
    bmqbonnie Posts: 836 Member
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    If it works for you, go for it! I know I'd binge uncontrollably if I tried that so I won't, but if it works better for you then keep on keepin' on. Maybe consider a different approach if it stops working.
  • cprys8942
    cprys8942 Posts: 123 Member
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    seriously, quit with the excuses. i'm a senior in college taking 18 credit hours and working 20 hours a week. there are plenty of places on campus that have things like protein bars or fruit and vegetables, and you can eat between classes. i'm SURE you don't have class all day every day.

    if you only want to eat one meal a day, that's fine. do what works for you. but quit complaining about not having time to eat because you're in college, its bull. we really do have more free time now than we will later.


    umm you're rude and you can get off this thread. don't tell me i'm "complaining" because all I did was ask what peoples opinions were about only eating 1 meal a day.
  • cprys8942
    cprys8942 Posts: 123 Member
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    woah, i did not mean for this thread to get so out of control. listen people, if you want to disagree with my eating habits then go ahead but do NOT disrespect me. I'm on this website for the same reason as everyone else...to get SUPPORT from other people. So if I tell you that eating 6 meals a day right now would be difficult to do, I'm not complaining or making excuses, I'm simply saying that I'd rather not attempt such a drastic lifestyle change. I realize that when I graduate college I'll have less time than I do now...but that means nothing to me right now so please just stop and don't comment unless you're at least going to be respectful.
  • M3CH4N1C
    M3CH4N1C Posts: 157
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    How is that a myth?? Eating food once a day at dinner is better than not eating at all.
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
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    For one thing, no meal should be more than 600 calories so you body can process it and it doesn't turn straight into fat and since the min calories per day is 1200 net then there is no way to get that in 1 meal.

    You are also forcing your body to store fat by not feeding it.

    Amd where did you get that info from?
  • mrbreckles
    mrbreckles Posts: 1
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    I've not had breakfast or lunch for a while now. I eat dinner and after ill have some cereal or yoghurt and maybe something sweet.
    I drink 1-2.5 litres of water during the day at work; which in itself it pretty physical. I'm a mechanical engineer so im shifting some heavy material around a lot of the time. Add to that I practice parkour a couple of times a week, weather permitting.
    Im 11st 2 and 5foot 11 and i'd consider myself fit and healthy. Blood pressure, blood sugar, peak flow, heart rate etc all ok too.

    You really do just need to listen to your own body. Eating 3 meals a day doesn't work for me. The thought of eating in the morning makes me feel sick, but for others you wouldn't make it to lunch time without a headache or other symptoms if you didn't eat in the morning.

    It is a case of researching and having to maybe give up certain foods/drinks and to do some exercise if it means being healthy im afraid.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
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    This is called Intermittent Fasting A LOT of people eat this way around the world, there are also a few groups that you can join on MFP. No such thing as kickstarting your metabolism in the morning, it doesn't shut off.
  • messyinthekitchen
    messyinthekitchen Posts: 662 Member
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    Eat when you're hungry.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    When you don't eat all day, your body thinks you're starving so it goes into fat storage mode. I don't like to eat breakfast either so I started drinking a protein shake and now it's routine. Food first thing kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

    What is your source on this?

    Your metabolism is functioning all day and all night... timing of meals has no impact on your metabolism.
  • lasmit4477
    lasmit4477 Posts: 308 Member
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    When you don't eat all day, your body thinks you're starving so it goes into fat storage mode. I don't like to eat breakfast either so I started drinking a protein shake and now it's routine. Food first thing kickstarts your metabolism for the day.

    This is untrue!


    Meal timing is of no importance. As long as you are eating at a deficit, you will lose weight. It doesn't matter if you eat all of those calories at once or if you spread them out during the day. It's all personal preference.

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