Breakfast is the most important meal??

2

Replies

  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Getting your day's worth of calories relative to your goal is the most important meal.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    i have tried eating a large breakfast, only to go wayy over my calories. My body naturally tends to want to eat in the evenings. I have lost a lot of weight before by cutting out breakfast and saving those calories for later on.. My doc said that was fine, calories are calories, take them now or take them later when you get hungry...

    I'm never very hungry in the morning, so I have a very small breakfast, a bigger mid-day meal, and the biggest meal in the evening. It seems to work for me and fits best with work and social life. It's nice getting most of the way through the day and still having a lot of calories left too!
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    I have my tea and milk in the morning and then a snack at 10am (yogurt & Fruit) I rarely eat breakfast.....
    why? because I'm not hungry....
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    What do you guys eat for breakfast? I see so many posts about breakfast and trying to keep it lo-cal and i just wonder why? It's called break-fast for a reason. It's the meal that jump starts your metabolism for the day, so why would you short change your body nutritionally by skimping?

    I've lost 20lbs in 4 months (3 before joining MFP) and I rarely RARELY eat breakfast that consists of less than 400-500 calories. I exercise and I RARELY eat less than 1800 calories a day. I'm 5'9" so it's not like I'm super tall. I've gone from roughly 27-30% fat to 20-22% fat. I make sure I eat a varied diet that includes carbs, protein, fat, etc. No food is off limits but I do tend to stay away from processed things.

    So I guess I'm just wondering why so many folks here seem to cheat themselves with their breakfasts?
    It was a slogan created by the cereal companies. There isn't any scientific clinical studies to show that breakfast "jump starts" metabolism. There isn't any evidence that people who don't eat it can't lose weight. There is CORRELATION that people who do skip it tend to be more overweight, but let's face it, they are over weight by over consumption, not because they don't eat breakfast.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • snrhea
    snrhea Posts: 8
    I usually have my shake for breakfast but if I don't have that I'll have an egg with a slice of toast; my breakfast is 250 calories or less. I'm just not a breakfast eater and I do not wake up and instantly crave large amounts of food. I'm not shortchanging my body of any nutrients just because I don't eat a higher calorie breakfast.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    What do you guys eat for breakfast? I see so many posts about breakfast and trying to keep it lo-cal and i just wonder why? It's called break-fast for a reason. It's the meal that jump starts your metabolism for the day, so why would you short change your body nutritionally by skimping?

    I've lost 20lbs in 4 months (3 before joining MFP) and I rarely RARELY eat breakfast that consists of less than 400-500 calories. I exercise and I RARELY eat less than 1800 calories a day. I'm 5'9" so it's not like I'm super tall. I've gone from roughly 27-30% fat to 20-22% fat. I make sure I eat a varied diet that includes carbs, protein, fat, etc. No food is off limits but I do tend to stay away from processed things.

    So I guess I'm just wondering why so many folks here seem to cheat themselves with their breakfasts?
    It was a slogan created by the cereal companies. There isn't any scientific clinical studies to show that breakfast "jump starts" metabolism. There isn't any evidence that people who don't eat it can't lose weight. There is CORRELATION that people who do skip it tend to be more overweight, but let's face it, they are over weight by over consumption, not because they don't eat breakfast.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Great point. A nutritionist once told me the reason she wanted me to eat breakfast is because when she looked at my food log, lunch was off the charts. She said, maybe if you eat breakfast, you won't be ravenous when lunch rolls around. Lol. For me, it did help a lot.
  • irenematilda
    irenematilda Posts: 45 Member
    I'm not a great fan of eating within a few hours of getting up and so it's not unusual for me not to bother with breakfast. On the other hand, I do like to eat in the evening and don't have a problem with having a snack at nine or ten at night - or maybe even later - provided it doesn't take me over my calorie limit for the day and I've established with myself that I am actually hungry and not just eating for the sake of it.

    It's always mystified me why the 'experts' who tell us that breakfast is essential are usually the same people who tell us to 'listen to your body'. Mine would be screaming 'No!, No, not the breakfast! Anything but the breakfast... aaaarrrgggghh!' if I forced the issue. When I've tried it in the past, all it's meant is that I've started eating earlier, and I'll still want that snack in the evening, even if I'm already over my allowance (because the breakfast I didn't want earlier put me there!). This means I'll either give in (and feel bad) or spend the evening trying to resist the temptation to gnaw my own arm off (and feeling bad).

    If I'm honest, I don't think the 'breakfast is vital' line would be nearly as widely used if it weren't for the huge cereal companies that have been subtly pushing it to us over the years. I can see why it might be a sight more important to them that I eat breakfast than it is to me. I think taking in less calories than I burn during my day is the most important thing. Eating for the sake of it is bad enough, but eating for the sake of it when I don't even want to is just plain bizarre.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Breakfast is by far my biggest meal of the day, especially if I work out before hand. I guess it's good to remember that everyone is different. But I know very few people who make it a point to eat a good healthy breakfast who ever complain about having trouble losing weight and having enough energy to make it to lunch time and dinnertime without feeling sleepy.

    Glad that works for you. As long as you get total calories and good macros for the day, your meal timing should be driven by personal preference and overall performance. There are many, including me, to whom eating breakfast is no factor in weight loss and there is research in the form of peer reviewed studies that indicates timing is irrelevant. I chose to rely on that data as opposed to the info you've recieved from the people you know. That would not be considered a reliable and scientific proof source. More like anecdotal info.

    Should you care to learn more, here is a link to a thread with links to actual research: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    no
  • Weekdays and the routine of work makes for an easier (though sometimes forced) breakast every morning. My wife and I commute and she eats less than I do. But we split a bagel, grab coffee at Starbucks and I add a Greek yogurt. It makes my breakfast consistently 360. I also make sure to have some fruit within a few hours to tide me over until lunch. I do eat a snack between lunch and dinner, but dinner remains my big meal of the day, contrary to how much is written about eating less as the day progresses.
  • OkieTink
    OkieTink Posts: 285 Member
    I never miss breakfast. Or any other meal :)

    My usual breakfast is scrambled egg whites, almonds and steel cut oats that I cook in the crock pot (it makes enough for the week that I can re-heat) I get a more creative on the weekends, when time allows. I don't mind eating the same thing during the week, I have become comfortable with eating to live, not living to eat.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Breakfast is no more important than any other meal of the day, except in the context of peri-workout nutrition. If you work out right before breakfast time, then sure, eating breakfast is a good idea. But you don't get any more of a metabolic boost from eating 500 calories at breakfast than you would from skipping breakfast and eating 500 extra calories at lunch.

    This madness over mandatory breakfasts and forbidden consumption after 7 PM has got to stop. I promise it is not about doing "what works for you." You are attributing your results to eating breakfast (or not eating late at night or eating every 2 hours or whatever) because at some point, the whole of society seemed convinced that that was the best way to lose weight, and you tried it, and you lost weight, so you think that's the magic bullet. The reality is that the only way to lose weight is consistent caloric deficit. It doesn't matter if you eat all your calories in one meal or eat them spread out over several meals, as long as you are eating fewer calories than you burn.

    Now, it gets more nuanced than "calories in, calories out" when we're talking about specific body composition goals or general nutrition, but in strict weight-loss terms, there is no secret. Unless you have a certain medical condition or are on some kind of medication that supresses or increases appetite, fat oxidation, etc., then your body does not function differently than anyone else's by any notable measure.
  • tonyrocks922
    tonyrocks922 Posts: 172 Member
    And I guess I meant to direct this post towards those trying to lose weight. If you're not concerned where your metabolism is at then I suppose this doesn't apply.

    Even for those of us trying to lose weight, some see better compliance with bigger breakfasts, some with smaller, some with none, some varying it day-to-day depending on how they feel. If anything you would think people on this site would understand there is no one-size-fits all approach to complying with your calorie goal, but some of you still don't get it.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    And I guess I meant to direct this post towards those trying to lose weight. If you're not concerned where your metabolism is at then I suppose this doesn't apply.

    still no
  • I always eat beaver for breakfast
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I think "breakfast is the most important meal" is nonsense! What are the other meals - filler?
  • johloz
    johloz Posts: 176 Member
    I boost my metabolism with jumper cables!!!

    Just kidding, that's just the image I get when someone says "jump start your metabolism."

    Really, your metabolism is always working, and you should or shouldn't eat breakfast as it agrees with your lifestyle and dietary choices. Weight loss is as simple as calories in versus calories out.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    what about folks who work nights??

    what about folks who sleep in til noon?

    What about those SAHM/D's who get the kids out by 7 and are back to bed by 7:15am?

    the sweeping generalizations around this place slay me.....
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    . Weight loss is as simple as calories in versus calories out.


    where have YOU been for the past few days...

    not it is NOT that simple

    wait, yes it IS that simple....

    no, it isnt, you must utulize BMR & TDEE

    yes it is, logging MFP is taking TDEE and BMR into consideration...

    Listen to me, I know everything.... it worked for me so it must work for you...

    Listen to me, that didnt work for anyone, it will never work for you...

    drink more water, it will fix all of your problems...

    didnt you know an apple is 80% water...drink your apples...

    ignore your macros when it comes to apples...

    SHall I go on?
  • runner2runner
    runner2runner Posts: 1,937 Member
    I think breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I always notice that when I don't have breakfast I don't perform as well during my workouts in the evening, even if I have lunch and snack accordingly. My breakfast is the usual. Cereals and then a yogurt afterwards. Sometimes I eat a breakfast energy bar just to kick my energy levels up.
  • I eat a small Greek yogurt/granola mix on workout mornings, otherwise I feel really faint and lightheaded any time my heart rate shoots up. Rest days, I just skip breakfast and get right to lunch. Don't feel any hungrier for it.

    For about half a year, I totally subscribed to the "BREAKFAST IS KINGGG" idea-- then I realized that my stomach starts gurgling at 11AM regardless of whether I skipped breakfast, or pigged out on a bangers and mash in the morning.

    Metabolically speaking, if meal timing matters at all, it certainly doesn't matter much.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I get hungrier at night than I do in the morning, so if I eat a lot of my calories for breakfast then I have a hard time not going over for the day.

    I don't really think it matters when you eat your meals, except on a personal preference level.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I think breakfast is the most important meal of the day for me. I always notice that when I don't have breakfast I don't perform as well during my workouts in the evening, even if I have lunch and snack accordingly. My breakfast is the usual. Cereals and then a yogurt afterwards. Sometimes I eat a breakfast energy bar just to kick my energy levels up.

    Fixed it for you.
  • Lunaur
    Lunaur Posts: 3
    well for breakfast I usually have cereal with fruit in it then about an hour after I do my main exercise for the day. I just cant exercise on an empty stomach but for me lunch tends to be the biggest meal. I just have about 300-400 calorie breakfast (depending on the cereal) just to be ready to exercise.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I think breakfast is the most important meal of the day for me. I always notice that when I don't have breakfast I don't perform as well during my workouts in the evening, even if I have lunch and snack accordingly. My breakfast is the usual. Cereals and then a yogurt afterwards. Sometimes I eat a breakfast energy bar just to kick my energy levels up.

    Fixed it for you.
    You are the best and most helpful supportive member on MFP!! :drinker:
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    . Weight loss is as simple as calories in versus calories out.


    where have YOU been for the past few days...

    not it is NOT that simple

    wait, yes it IS that simple....

    no, it isnt, you must utulize BMR & TDEE

    yes it is, logging MFP is taking TDEE and BMR into consideration...

    Listen to me, I know everything.... it worked for me so it must work for you...

    Listen to me, that didnt work for anyone, it will never work for you...

    drink more water, it will fix all of your problems...

    didnt you know an apple is 80% water...drink your apples...

    ignore your macros when it comes to apples...

    SHall I go on?

    This sums up the difficulty a new person to MFP will have trying to figure out truth from fiction, and science fiction. Lol.
  • Riemersma4
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
    BMR is affected by the morning meal. Nothing vs protein/fiber rich vs sugar have different impacts. However, if I spent time worrying about anything, I would make srue that i had:
    * a good workout program (weights and cardio) and
    * was feeding my body a balanced flow of fuel.

    Personally, I LOVE breakfast... big omlette, avocados, spinach, toast, almond butter, fresh strawberries and blueberries, V8, milk, etc... My typical breakfast is about 800 calories. Net, after exercise deductions, I eat about 1900 per day. I eat/burn another 600. on average, about 2500 gross calories per day. Losing about 1.5 lbs/week. 10 lbs left to go...

    Good luck finding what works for you!
  • Bonny619
    Bonny619 Posts: 311 Member
    Nope! lol
  • laccy40
    laccy40 Posts: 136
    I love breakfast! But I've found if I have cereal or white bread then I get energy slumps all day. Greek yoghurt rules but I try to have something different most days. My breakfast is usually around 350 cals then I split my lunch into 3 snacks during the day so I still have about 700 cals left for the evening. My hubby works nights so he has his first meal if the day at 1pm and only eats twice a day. Whatever works for you.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Nope! lol

    Agree. Breakfast has absolutely no effect on BMR at all. Total nonsense.