How important is breakfast really??

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13

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  • stacyfit12
    stacyfit12 Posts: 4
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    Are you losing the weight you want to? If so, keep up what you are doing. I personally have to eat breakfast, but I do so after I workout.
  • Cese27
    Cese27 Posts: 626 Member
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    no importance what so ever:) U give it importance,,,my "breakfast" will be at 3 pm today..I woke up at 7 am btw...your first meal is your FIRST MEAL period
    I'm with this dude,I'll have one or possibly 2meals a day depending on if its a work day or rest
  • mjschumacher100
    mjschumacher100 Posts: 30
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    So much broscience. No, it's not important for weightloss or for metabolism kickstarting (whatever that actually means).

    If a person wants to because for them, as an individual it helps them control calories/cravings/makes them feel better then superb, eat breakfast. If it makes them think their metabolism rages like a fire hotter than hell by eating at exactly 8am, or 7am, or 6.30 am (see, already we're getting a few problems, for example exactly when IS breakfast, what is it, what are we actually eating, what differences do all of these combinations make) then wonderful. Eat away.

    However calories in vs calories out over a 24 hour period = weight control. Macros + cals in and out = weightloss and body composition.

    Eating 10 meals, 15 meals, 1 meal, large breakfasts, large lunches etc, totally irrelevant in the larger scheme of things.

    There is some evidence that intermittent fasting (that is not easting breakfast and fasting for say 18 hours a day) might be beneficial to fat loss but to be honest, for the majority just get the calories right, get the macros right and be on your merry way. Don't complicate things too much.
  • ice1200s
    ice1200s Posts: 237 Member
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    I didn't eat breakfast until I started MFP, and now I look forward to it. I find that I have more energy in the morning, have a much better attitude and I eat a later lunch which helps me keep my dinner within limits.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Breakfast doesn't make any difference. Many people swear by it. Many people practice Intermittent Fasting. I've tried both. I only eat breakfast these days to get enough calories in.
  • Michaelsdin
    Michaelsdin Posts: 146
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    I am glad to hear this too because I really have to force myself to eat breakfast, making it an unenjoyable meal. I must have a large mug of tea though!

    I hear ya lol except for me it's my coffee that is a must have in the morning :)

    with coffee do you add cream and sugar? if so that to can be a call for something in the morning cause thats all carbs meaning you do want some energy not just caffeine energy
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I also used to be a breakast skipper based on the premise that I wasn't hungry in the morning so why force myself to eat? I'd just have coffee and then maybe grab a snack at work. It wasn't until after I read about how that can make you hungry later that the light bulb went off - I'm definitely one of those who will be ravenous all afternoon without having eating a good breakfast.

    I still don't force it though. If I'm hungry when I first get up (6am), I'll make a breakfast sandwich or grab a protein bar and then have a snack a couple hours later. But most days I'm not hungry right away so I just have coffee then wait 2 or 3 hours to have something.
  • Cese27
    Cese27 Posts: 626 Member
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    Breakfast is MOST important for me. Not to get my metabolism going but to break the fasting from dinner the previous night. Ppl don't realize that your body is fasting over night. During the day I tried to eat every 2-3 hours of something small so my body can continue to burn off the calories even when I know I'm not going to workout. Your don't have to eat a big breakfast but a small fruit or something to BREAK the FAST is good...in my opinion. Hope this helps.

    It'll blow your mind when you find out there are some extremely successful people who eat literally once a day. They make it an intentional point to fast 16-20 hours every day.

    Meal timing is completely irrelevant. Full stop. The only impact it might make is in how hungry you are, or something like that.
    I'll fast for anywhere between 16 and 24 hours and I haven't even died yet,guess I must be really lucky
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    During the day I tried to eat every 2-3 hours of something small so my body can continue to burn off the calories even when I know I'm not going to workout.
    Eating several times in a day doesn't increase calorie burn. This is another myth that gets pawned around the fitness industry.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • worldsbestauntie
    worldsbestauntie Posts: 280 Member
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    I try to eat something in the morning on weekdays when I work, even if I am not really hungry. If I don't I get hungry for lunch and eat it early. (I don't have a scheduled lunch time) If I eat lunch to early then I am hungry for supper before I even get off work! There are times on Saturday whenre I sleep in so late, that I only eat breakfast and supper. However, breakfast is technically lunch, as I can eat it was late as almost 2pm on a Saturday. It does get skipped a lot on Sundays, as I don't get up in time to eat it before leaving for church. Sometimes when that happens my stomach might start to growl up when pastor is preaching! (Like this past Sunday, Oops!) There was one day this week I woke up and within less then an hour my stomach as growling at me. That doesn't normally happen!
  • alliemarie77
    alliemarie77 Posts: 378 Member
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    I was wondering this to. if I am hungry in the mornings I eat. If not then I don't. I'm not a ravenous fool by lunch time if I don't eat breakfast, and will usually have a small lunch.

    As crazy as this sounds.... Sometimes when I have had breakfast, I will forget it is lunch time when I am busy and forget to look at the clock. Then by the time I remember, "Oh! I haven't had lunch yet." It is around 3 or 4 pm so I just have dinner instead.

    I hadn't really had an appetite the last few months as I have been going through some things, but I think it is getting better now. At least it looks like it on my diary since I have lost 10 pounds and MFP adjusted my marcos. (-:
  • breezylee75
    breezylee75 Posts: 101 Member
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    Breakfast is important to me. It's different for everyone. I don't eat right when I get up, I drink some coffee at home before going to work, and then I have a breakfast that consists of 300-500 calories at work. I try to make it a decent source of protein, and that tastes good-like my favorite a whole wheat bagel thin, with natural peanut butter and slice bananas---as shown in my picture. Nom nom nom!!! :D Do what's best for you-if I hated it, I wouldn't do it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    It's important if you think it's what you need to eat to continue a healthy lifestyle. If not than it's not.

    I personally don't eat breakfast but once a week (so I can have an Egg McMuffin on Sundays). Other than that I eat up until 11:30pm at night and then after 12:00pm the next day.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    I am glad to hear this too because I really have to force myself to eat breakfast, making it an unenjoyable meal. I must have a large mug of tea though!

    I hear ya lol except for me it's my coffee that is a must have in the morning :)

    I am not a breakfast person either but began adding protein whey to my coffee instead of creamer.
  • Michaelsdin
    Michaelsdin Posts: 146
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    I am glad to hear this too because I really have to force myself to eat breakfast, making it an unenjoyable meal. I must have a large mug of tea though!

    I hear ya lol except for me it's my coffee that is a must have in the morning :)

    I am not a breakfast person either but began adding protein whey to my coffee instead of creamer.

    ***LIGHT BULB*** MUST DO NEVER TRIED!!!
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
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    My physician and a registered dietician told me that I should eat within one hour of waking up and stop eating within three hours of when I will be going to sleep. SInce they are trained professionals, I tend to accept their input. That said, I get up super early for work and I am not crazy about eating early, but I do make sure I have a little something in the morning, an egg or two, a protein drink, something healthy.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    My physician and a registered dietician told me that I should eat within one hour of waking up and stop eating within three hours of when I will be going to sleep. SInce they are trained professionals, I tend to accept their input. That said, I get up super early for work and I am not crazy about eating early, but I do make sure I have a little something in the morning, an egg or two, a protein drink, something healthy.
    Differences in philosophy from trained professionals aren't uncommon. Would you believe that there are LOTS of RD's that don't approach it the same way?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
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    My physician and a registered dietician told me that I should eat within one hour of waking up and stop eating within three hours of when I will be going to sleep. SInce they are trained professionals, I tend to accept their input. That said, I get up super early for work and I am not crazy about eating early, but I do make sure I have a little something in the morning, an egg or two, a protein drink, something healthy.
    Differences in philosophy from trained professionals aren't uncommon. Would you believe that there are LOTS of RD's that don't approach it the same way?

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

    I absolutely believe it, that's why it's so hard to get good advice sometimes! Fitness and weight loss isn't all science, I am finding out it takes a lot of trial and error!
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
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    IMO if you are hungry eat, or wait until you're hungry. I have to eat breakfast because even though most days I eat dinner literally right before bed - I wake up ready to have some food lol. When my metabolism is roaring from exercising regularly, I always wake up hungry.

    It's not going to ruin your metabolism if you don't eat first thing in the morning, that's a myth. I also dislike when people claim eating before bed ruins it to. I'm proof that's not true. 6/7 days a week I go to bed with a full tummy because I literally do not have enough time in the day to get everything done before bed, so that leaves me to eat right before bed. My ticker does not lie :).

    edited for spelling
  • 1brokegal44
    1brokegal44 Posts: 562 Member
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    Everyone's different. For me, it's very important. I'm usually pretty hungry by about 8:30 in the morning. But I think the old rule of thumb about not eating if you're not hungry is important. If you're not hungry in the morning, don't eat.

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