Skipping meals

MeeshAshley
MeeshAshley Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!
I'm just curious if it's bad to skip meals, I don't usually eat breakfast and I was told that it could make losing weight harder. Any thoughts on this? It's usually breakfast that I skip, or I just have a brunch to tie myself over.
Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Your overall caloric intake is the important thing. If you skip one meal, have two larger meals when you are ready. Just make sure you eat enough calories to fuel your goals.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    as long as you are not starving yourself then there is nothing wrong with skipping breakfast; or on the flip side, as long skipping a meal does not make you binge then it is OK to skip..

    meal timing and metabolism have zero relationship...
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Meal timing, number and frequency are largely not important at all. You're fine.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    You are going to more then likely get many responses to this on whether to skip breakfast or not. Personally its all up to you. Eat when you are hungry, eat at a deficit and lose the weight. If eating breakfast continues to put you over on your calories then skip it. But if it doesnt then go ahead and eat it. Some days I do and some days I dont, lately I dont but for a while I was and I think because I was consuming less calories from my coffee and creamer that my body became hungry faster but I think now my body worked it out where I dont feel hungry til 11-1130 now. But this isnt based on any science just on how I feel
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    on weekends I often only eat two meals. Brunch and Linner as my children call it. As long as you are not eating more calories later in the day and are not hungry you should be fine.
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    I'm sure you'll find others who will disagree, but I have had great success skipping meals and recommend that you do whatever works for you. I find that listening to natural signals works best.

    For me, delaying my first meal until I am truly hungry (sometimes lunch/sometimes dinner, but rarely breakfast) actually helps me to be able to eat fewer calories overall while still enjoying the foods I love instead of "diet" food. After I eat my first meal, I am typically hungry a few short hours later which leads to snacking, which then requires me to cut way back on dinner portions or eliminate or my coveted evening ice cream cone.

    If I do eat breakfast and lunch, I typically feel full when I get home from work and then want to skip dinner. Because dinner, is our "family meal," my preference is to save the bulk of my calorie budget for dinner; therefore, most days, eating breakfast is not worth the calories to me.
  • davepearson86
    davepearson86 Posts: 158 Member
    There's benefits to skipping breakfast, your body burns fat in a fasted state. That said I think to a point IF is broscience, however there is anecdotal success with this method.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Just hit your calorie/macro goal for the day. Wont make a significant difference changing when or how often you eat as long as it does not cause hunger, mood or energy problems for you.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    There's benefits to skipping breakfast, your body burns fat in a fasted state.

    By this logic then there is also merit to skipping lunch and dinner, no?
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    THIS....
    as long as you are not starving yourself then there is nothing wrong with skipping breakfast; or on the flip side, as long skipping a meal does not make you binge then it is OK to skip..

    meal timing and metabolism have zero relationship...
  • ShawnandKristine
    ShawnandKristine Posts: 2
    I rarely eat breakfast.
    I refuse to force myself to eat if I am not hungry. In the same breath, if I am hungry - I will eat, regardless of what my calorie intake "should be".
    I am working on being more aware of my health by watching my intake of good (raw, natural) food vs processed. I want to have a balance and to not eat based on emotions.
    I still fall short but to me this is a lifestyle change instead of a diet and I will never give up sweets or carbs! Portion control is good, too.
    So in the end I think that to skip a meal is not a bad thing unless you are literally "starving" yourself..
  • sheebeeftw
    sheebeeftw Posts: 2
    When I first started trying to lose weight, I read that skipping meals does more harm than good. If you eat small meals throughout the day, your metabolism will boost. I did this for a few months and it really did the trick. Lately, however, I have been eating about two big meals a day only and like a snack. I am losing weight, but just not as quickly. I am home from college though and am exercising much less than I did at school. I think overall you should eat throughout the day, small meals, because for me at least it worked really well. :)
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I used to buy into that crap too. I lost 30 lbs skipping breakfast and eating 500 calories before bed time is awesome. Total calories is what matters. The time you eat should be for personal preference and gym performance. I ate breakfast at 12:30 PM today. It was awesome.
  • nickysilverwood1
    nickysilverwood1 Posts: 5 Member
    skipping one meal probably isn't bad but coming from a girl who used to only eat once a day my body started storing everything i ate so i was actually gaining weight rather than losing it, although i wasn't eating bad i wasn't eating enough and my body thought i was starving, since i've forced myself to eat more, even just snacks, a small salad here, a handfull of nuts there i've started losing weight and even when i wasn't working out i maintained my weight rather than gain it back. so basically skipping a meal here and there is fine just make sure you eat something to keep your metabolism going
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    I used to buy into that crap too. I lost 30 lbs skipping breakfast and eating 500 calories before bed time is awesome. Total calories is what matters. The time you eat should be for personal preference and gym performance. I ate breakfast at 12:30 PM today. It was awesome.

    Haha thats like oh best time to work out is in the morning before eating anything...Yea whatever I work out whenever I feel like it and Im still losing weight
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    skipping one meal probably isn't bad but coming from a girl who used to only eat once a day my body started storing everything i ate so i was actually gaining weight rather than losing it, although i wasn't eating bad i wasn't eating enough and my body thought i was starving, since i've forced myself to eat more, even just snacks, a small salad here, a handfull of nuts there i've started losing weight and even when i wasn't working out i maintained my weight rather than gain it back. so basically skipping a meal here and there is fine just make sure you eat something to keep your metabolism going

    You don't gain weight from undereating.
  • Dawn810511
    Dawn810511 Posts: 98 Member
    Hi there!
    I'm just curious if it's bad to skip meals, I don't usually eat breakfast and I was told that it could make losing weight harder. Any thoughts on this? It's usually breakfast that I skip, or I just have a brunch to tie myself over.
    Thanks in advance.


    I'm really glad someone brought this subject up because I myself do not like to eat breakfast either. I would much rather skip it. I may do that for a week or so and see what happens. On the other hand, I've heard about eating 3 meals a day plus snacks. I really don't get hungry during the day that much to have 3 meals and snacks. That seems like too much food for me.
  • jillybee23
    jillybee23 Posts: 12
    Don't skip a meal. Eat a light meal or at least have something hot. I myself didn't eat breakfast but have discovered that I am not so hungry if I eat something. For me, I usually have a cup of coffee or tea. Have an hard boil egg, some peanut butter or some type of protein. A great thing to do is to make mini crustless quickes. Take a muffin pan and fill each section with spinach, brocolli.mushroom, cheese, etc., then add whipped eggs (white if you prefer). You can have one for breakfast with you coffee/tea.
  • jennegan1
    jennegan1 Posts: 677 Member
    Don't skip a meal. Eat a light meal or at least have something hot. I myself didn't eat breakfast but have discovered that I am not so hungry if I eat something. For me, I usually have a cup of coffee or tea. Have an hard boil egg, some peanut butter or some type of protein. A great thing to do is to make mini crustless quickes. Take a muffin pan and fill each section with spinach, brocolli.mushroom, cheese, etc., then add whipped eggs (white if you prefer). You can have one for breakfast with you coffee/tea.

    Isnt that being hypocritical? Saying dont skip a meal but one sentence later saying drink something hot...Im guessing you do this to keep you feeling full? How about water doesnt that keep you feeling full? Granted I could never give up my coffee in the morning but I always have that first and wait a couple of hours before I eat
  • Metallux
    Metallux Posts: 117 Member
    I'm doing this now and it really seems to work for me. I used to be eating what I thought was a well measured breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I was still WAY over in portion size, completely under estimating my calories....no weight loss at all for half a year! despite eating really well and working out. portion size is really tricky for me.


    Now I "skip" meals. mentally I tell myself I'm "skipping" breakfast or lunch, even though I still have a hard boiled egg or a few nuts, just something extremely light, but nothing along the lines like measuring out oatmeal, fruit and grains., or lasagna for lunch. I've lost 5 pounds the past 2 months working this way, when I was getting no where before.

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