Fasting...Is there anything wrong with waiting till dinner?

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I was so busy on Saturday that I skipped both breakfast and lunch. I have been skipping breakfast fairly regularly as I noticed it actually making me hungrier once I ate it. But skipping lunch was not typical. I was then able to eat some foods I would typically have refused and still stayed within my goals. I'm wondering if there is any true detriment to fasting/eating this way, particularly on occasion, so that I can indulge on the weekends. I can't imagine doing it during the week at work but the weekends...definitely!

Is there much truth behind the "breakfast is the most important meal" thing? Or "eat every few hours"? Or is that only if you need help regulating blood sugar levels and if cravings are an issue?
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Replies

  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    If you exercise I think it may be hard to have the energy without eating at all. I personally get headaches if I skip meals, but if you feel ok I think it's fine
  • theJTfitness
    theJTfitness Posts: 142 Member
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    Unless you have a medical issue that says otherwise, there's nothing wrong with this. Breakfast being the most important meal has been completely debunked as well as the eat every few hours myth. Eat when you want. I know lots of people who eat 1 meal a day and look amazing.
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    it is fine, a lot of people do intermittent fasting because it makes eating a deficit easier, I personally only eat 2 meals a day in the evening and find it MUCH easier to stick to my diet than eating 6 tiny unsatisfying meals spread out, breakfast being the most important meal is archaic broscience that was debunked years ago
  • PLAID1977
    PLAID1977 Posts: 70 Member
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    I typically exercise first thing in the morning , on an empty stomach anyway. So that's not an issue. My occasional afternoon workouts might be but I guess I'll see how I feel. When I lift, that's in the evenings so I would have eaten something by then. Glad to hear from some that this might be my ticket to success!
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    What matter is that your intake is consistent with your goals. If you are looking to lose, your intake must be less than what you burn. When you consume those calories doesn't at all matter. AT ALL.

    Do what works for you. If you prefer one huge meal that contains all of your calories and macros, then do it. If you prefer 5-6 meals that add up to all of your calories and macros, then do it :smile:

    I train fasted every morning. I perform better that way. Many people can't do that, but it works for ME.

    So no worries about your one off day of no breakfast and lunch...and no worries about not wanting to eat breakfast. As long as you stay within your calorie goal, you are fine :flowerforyou:
  • happymomma454
    happymomma454 Posts: 125
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    That makes me feel better because I have made myself start eating breakfast "in order to lose weight" and now am wondering if it is actually being counterproductive... Hmmm... back to the drawingboard?
  • PLAID1977
    PLAID1977 Posts: 70 Member
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    What matter is that your intake is consistent with your goals. If you are looking to lose, your intake must be less than what you burn. When you consume those calories doesn't at all matter. AT ALL.

    Do what works for you. If you prefer one huge meal that contains all of your calories and macros, then do it. If you prefer 5-6 meals that add up to all of your calories and macros, then do it :smile:

    I train fasted every morning. I perform better that way. Many people can't do that, but it works for ME.

    So no worries about your one off day of no breakfast and lunch...and no worries about not wanting to eat breakfast. As long as you stay within your calorie goal, you are fine :flowerforyou:
  • PLAID1977
    PLAID1977 Posts: 70 Member
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    Sorry hit post too quickly above!

    Thanks! That's what I've been thinking/hoping to hear.

    Thanks for everyone's help!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    I do intermittent fasting everyday, eating from 11 am to 10 pm. If you begin this protocol, be sure to check and see how you're feeling after a few weeks. As a woman, too long an extended period of fasting for more than 14 hours/day, day after day, can start to mess with your hormones. I used to do a 16:8 window and had issues until I moved it to 13:11.

    Here's a good read: www.leangains.com
  • dtiapril
    dtiapril Posts: 41
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    When I'm at home I'm not normally hungry until at least 2pm. I skip breakfast almost every work day but have 'lunch' early at around 11am, and that usually sets me up nicely until dinnertime with a snack or two in-between.

    I just go with how I feel for the day, bearing in mind my daily calorie limit. Some days I'll eat three healthy meals, other days I'll skip breakfast and lunch and have a pizza. As long as I'm under calorie goal and not starving myself to the point of raiding the snack cupboard and eating everything in sight I don't see any harm.
  • Sun_Wukong
    Sun_Wukong Posts: 131
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    This is a cut and paste from the Eat, Train, Progress group.

    Lyle McDonald has some great information on it here:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

    The take home from Lyle's article, in terms of practicality and application, would probably be this quote, this is Lyle here:


    * If eating more frequently makes it easier to control/reduce calories, it will help you to lose weight/fat.
    * If eating more frequently makes it harder to control/reduce calories, or makes you eat more, you will gain weight.
    * If eating less frequently makes it harder for you to control/reduce calories (because you get hungry and binge), it will hurt your efforts to lose weight/fat.
    * If eating less frequently makes it easier for you to control/reduce calories (for any number of reasons), then that will help your efforts to lose weight/fat

    Or in other words, personal preference.


    Some peer reviewed studies:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17483007


    And it would be wrong of me to exclude Alan Aragon from this list. Here's a good read:
    http://www.leangains.com/2011/04/critique-of-issn-position-stand-on-meal.html

    Sourced from full page found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    Much thanks to the ETP group for creating the thread.

    Anybody who has not joined the group I highly recommend it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    Also a great page for a lot of excellent and useful information: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    That makes me feel better because I have made myself start eating breakfast "in order to lose weight" and now am wondering if it is actually being counterproductive... Hmmm... back to the drawingboard?

    I will say that when I started out 2.5 years ago, I did get into a habit of having a shake in the morning, first thing actually. The reason why is that my relationship with food was so awful. I needed to really be able to get a handle on nutrition and get out of the many bad habits that I had developed (mostly that was not eating anything at all until 3 or 4pm and then stuffing my face with anything and everything I could find until I went to bed). It really did help me and as I educated myself on proper nutrition and veered away from the "fads" I was able to eventually get to a point where I could alter my habits to what worked for me. I have done 5-6 meals per day, intermittent fasting, high protein/lower carbs (not low carb), etc etc. Because I feel confident in my knowledge and the changes that I have made in my habits to do so :)


    So again....do what works for you....and it might change, it will probably change, as you progress towards your goals :flowerforyou:
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I was so busy on Saturday that I skipped both breakfast and lunch. I have been skipping breakfast fairly regularly as I noticed it actually making me hungrier once I ate it. But skipping lunch was not typical. I was then able to eat some foods I would typically have refused and still stayed within my goals. I'm wondering if there is any true detriment to fasting/eating this way, particularly on occasion, so that I can indulge on the weekends. I can't imagine doing it during the week at work but the weekends...definitely!

    Is there much truth behind the "breakfast is the most important meal" thing? Or "eat every few hours"? Or is that only if you need help regulating blood sugar levels and if cravings are an issue?

    No truth at all behind the breakfast is most important or the eat ever few hours thing.
    I have been fasting for 6 weeks now. I fast M-W-F and eat at maintain on the other 4 days.

    My plan is a 24 hour cycle of fasting, and not a calender day meaning each day I get to have a nice meal. Some fasting plans talk about 500 calories during your 24 hour fast, but mine talks of as close to 0 during the fast.

    Has been working great for me, and to be honest, incredibly easy.
  • jsissom86
    jsissom86 Posts: 47 Member
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    I think you've already had that ticket with your weight loss, so far!!! Way to go and GREAT question. I sometimes skip meals, too and I tend to freak out thinking I'm in the dreaded "starvation" mode.
  • jcallejabjj
    jcallejabjj Posts: 33
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    Intermittent fasting. You can schedule your intake accordingly depending on when you work out. You have a window of when you need to eat to sustain energy for your work out and a window of fasting. Pretty tough but can be done if you have strong will power.
  • Stronger_Diva
    Stronger_Diva Posts: 149 Member
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    I've spoken to many Registered Dieticians and Nutritionists as well as taking many courses for both Nutrition and Health - EVERYONE says the same thing. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day, as well as starting the day with 16-20 oz of water. It gets your metabolism started. Not eating breakfast will slow down your metabolism a lot and by lunch time you are working against yourself.

    Good luck.
    I was so busy on Saturday that I skipped both breakfast and lunch. I have been skipping breakfast fairly regularly as I noticed it actually making me hungrier once I ate it. But skipping lunch was not typical. I was then able to eat some foods I would typically have refused and still stayed within my goals. I'm wondering if there is any true detriment to fasting/eating this way, particularly on occasion, so that I can indulge on the weekends. I can't imagine doing it during the week at work but the weekends...definitely!

    Is there much truth behind the "breakfast is the most important meal" thing? Or "eat every few hours"? Or is that only if you need help regulating blood sugar levels and if cravings are an issue?
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Fasting is fine. There is an intermittent fasting group on here if you want more focused discussion about it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/66-intermittent-fasting

    I would, however, caution people about using it only at certain times to permit themselves to eat more (or to compensate for eating too much the day before). This is a lot like doing a ton of cardio after a binge. If it is always a spur-of-the-moment thing rather than a deliberate, planned practice, it can turn into various disordered eating behaviors.
  • bmqbonnie
    bmqbonnie Posts: 836 Member
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    According to my A&P instructor that has also been a physician that reviews medical schools, writes questions on the MCAT, gives consultations on new surgeries...

    Fasting for a meal or two once a month or two is good for you. It gives your digestive system a little break. OTOH doing it regularly (like skipping breakfast daily) makes you prone to ulcers. You produce enzymes to digest proteins no matter what, and if there are no proteins to digest it will eat away at your organs. Hence, ulcers.

    So basically if it happens here and there, no big deal and it can even be good for you. Doing it all the time, not so much. But I am not convinced it has a huge impact on metabolism one way or the other.
  • outofworkpediatrician
    outofworkpediatrician Posts: 43 Member
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    i skip breakfast, as whether i eat it or not, i am hungry by 11 am anyways. like you said, sometimes i even felt that eating breakfast actually makes me hungrier. it could be due to the fact that simple carbohydrates in mouth and stomach is a strong stimulant for increased insulin production in our body, and sets off a cascade of hormonal and chemical messengers and digestive juices and gastric acid production. i read in some studies recently that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" thing is a myth, and there is no harm in skipping it as long as you feel okey, and do not overcompensate in the next meal.
    if you feel fine, i don't think there is any harm in skipping meals, but you should tread the water cautiously. the line between dieting for weight loss and eating disorders and body image issues is blurry and you do not want to take yourself there. bottom line is as long as you are well nourished and happy, it does not seem to be a problem.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,663 Member
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    What matters the most in weight loss is total calories at the end of the day. How one gets there doesn't matter much. If one isn't suffering from diabetes or any other health issue that requires continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels, then eating just one meal a day is fine if one can tolerate that.

    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