breakfast or fast?

Mistraal1981
Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have read various posts. Some say try not to break fast as long as you can hold off so your body uses fat reserves. Others say, you need to eat in order to start your metabolism for the day. Which is the better route?

Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Your metabolism does not need starting, it starts when you are born, stops when you die :)
    Skipping breakfast is no different than skipping any other meal. There is no added benefit, as long as your calories throughout the day are where they should be. Do whatever fits better your lifestyle.
  • Alison0906
    Alison0906 Posts: 1
    I love my breakfast, even if it's only a small bowl of porridge or a toasted bagel. I find if I don't eat breakfast I am grumpy and irritated all morning so I try not to miss it. I also find that I tend to want to snack more during the day if I miss it.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    The better route is whatever works best for you. Sometimes I eat breakfast, sometimes I don't. It doesn't affect your metabolism.
  • Emmiejayne90
    Emmiejayne90 Posts: 40
    I'm also not sure which is best about this! I tend to just have a yoghurt or fruit for breakfast at my desk and I dont know if this is right but I work in a School of Physical Training and the instructors ALL have different oppinions!
    Some fast until mid morning or later and some say you MUST eat breakfast and they are all incredibly fit so i guess its whatever works for you :/
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    If you're hungry at breakfast, then eat and if not, don't. I think it's personal choice and I wouldn't worry too much about the 'you burn more fat exercising before eating statements'. Personally I wake up hungry and I exercise much better and for longer if I have some fuel in my belly. You've got to do what works for you.
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
    "Starting your metabolism" is a simplistic way of talking about the incredibly complex interplay between the hormonally regulated anabolic and catabolic states in the human body. While overall it's your calorie intake that determines whether you lose, maintain, or gain fat stores, if you want to fine tune the process then yes, meal timing and composition does play a factor in that through hormone levels and other mechanisms. Layne Norton is a body builder and coach with a PhD in nutrition science. He did his dissertation on protein metabolism and muscle fiber synthesis. His research says that optimal muscle development occurs with adequate intake of protein (around 24 grams), along with carbohydrates and fats every 3 hours. Now if you're not an elite body builder, maybe it doesn't matter so much if your muscle development is optimal. I want to maintain every ounce of lean muscle I have while I'm losing fat, so that's what I do. He has some really good videos up on YouTube that break down the science, and depending on your Google-fu, you might be able to find a copy of his dissertation and read through it. I did once, but lost it.

    http://www.biolayne.com/
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    The better route is whatever works best for you. Sometimes I eat breakfast, sometimes I don't. It doesn't affect your metabolism.

    This. I always eat breakfast, but it really doesn't matter. Think of it this way... you're always eating breakfast, even if it's technically lunch time. And if I stop eating at 6pm at night (not because of some myth, but because it's when I run out of calories) and have breakfast at 7am, I don't eat for 13 hours... If you stop eating at 10pm and have 'breakfast' at 11am... you also have 13 hours without eating. So... who cares? Just do what works for you.
  • Lemonshake
    Lemonshake Posts: 223 Member
    Hmmm I noticed I started losing more weight when I started eating breakfast. I think it got me through the day better, hence less snacking and less grumpy cranky mummy better eat a block of chocolate so I don't burn the house down moments.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    does not matter..some people skip breakfast and eat two meals a day (IF, 5:2) others like myself eat four meals a day. Meal timing and metabolism have nothing to do with one another.

    If skipping breakfast and only eating twice helps you maintain a calorie deficit then by all means do it. however, do not confuse it with some magical fat burning solution …that comes from calorie deficit, hard work, and adherence to training and hitting macros...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    "Starting your metabolism" is a simplistic way of talking about the incredibly complex interplay between the hormonally regulated anabolic and catabolic states in the human body. While overall it's your calorie intake that determines whether you lose, maintain, or gain fat stores, if you want to fine tune the process then yes, meal timing and composition does play a factor in that through hormone levels and other mechanisms. Layne Norton is a body builder and coach with a PhD in nutrition science. He did his dissertation on protein metabolism and muscle fiber synthesis. His research says that optimal muscle development occurs with adequate intake of protein (around 24 grams), along with carbohydrates and fats every 3 hours. Now if you're not an elite body builder, maybe it doesn't matter so much if your muscle development is optimal. I want to maintain every ounce of lean muscle I have while I'm losing fat, so that's what I do. He has some really good videos up on YouTube that break down the science, and depending on your Google-fu, you might be able to find a copy of his dissertation and read through it. I did once, but lost it.

    http://www.biolayne.com/

    as longs you hit your macro targets for the day you will be fine …there are studies that indicate that fueling every three hours has a insignificant affect on maintaining/gaining muscle…but that is just my two cents...

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