Meal times: To break my fast or no?

SnuggleSmacks · May 2014

So, I've been experimenting with eating at different times to see how the timing affects my hunger/satiety, since I was finding it difficult some days to stay under my calorie goal. I would find myself snacking a lot at night. I'm a copy editor and my paper prints around 1 a.m., so I get home anywhere from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., and I don't go straight to bed.

I know that common wisdom is that breakfast is important, blah blah blah, and some studies have even shown that breakfast eaters tend to be at healthier weights than non-breakfast eaters. The thing is that if I don't eat breakfast, and I wait until early afternoon to eat anything (after getting up around 9 or 10), I find it difficult to even reach my calorie goal, particularly if I throw in a big salad between lunch and dinner (or should I say first meal and second meal). Snacking at night is not an issue because I feel stuffed if I even finish my dinner.

Should I go with the common wisdom, or ignore it in favor of what seems to be working for me? Do you eat breakfast, and how does your choice of breaking fast or no affect your appetite for the rest of the day?

JesterMFP · May 2014

In this case, you can ignore conventional wisdom. You don't have to eat breakfast at a certain time. Do what works for you. (Just make sure it is working for you... if you're struggling to get the calories in, then you might want to adjust things a bit).

Ainar · May 2014

I do intermittent fasting cos it gives me more energy and I'm less hungry that way. I don't eat breakfast. I have two meals after 6PM and then I go to bed. Have done also 6 meals a day eating thing, haven't noticed any difference in weight loss or muscle gain tho. Also all the science seems to brake down that myth that meal timing is important and tare it to pieces. So if eating breakfast is not for you I see no reason whatsoever why you should do it. Breakfast is not important for health and the reason why many people seem to be better weight if eating it is most likely cos of satiation - they are not as hungry later in day and therefore will not pig out and overeat.

gmallan · May 2014

This kind of diet actually has a name. It's called intermittent fasting (lean gains style). The premise is that you extend your usual daily (overnight) fast and eat all you calories in a shorter window of time. It's supposed to promote fat burning because after fasting for a certain amount of time your body will deplete its glycogen stores and start to tap into stored fat as an energy source.

Check out this website for more info

http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

SnuggleSmacks · May 2014

Thanks! That's good info.

I guess I need to experiment a bit with exactly how long I delay breakfast in order not to feel overly stuffed by dinner. I sometimes go to the gym after work, and that would be pretty wretched as full as I feel right now.

ETA: It's rather bizarre to feel stuffed on aprox. 1200-1450 cals when, on other days which included a real breakfast, I could easily top 2000 and still be snacking on handfuls of cashews at night.

thavoice · May 2014

So, I've been experimenting with eating at different times to see how the timing affects my hunger/satiety, since I was finding it difficult some days to stay under my calorie goal. I would find myself snacking a lot at night. I'm a copy editor and my paper prints around 1 a.m., so I get home anywhere from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., and I don't go straight to bed.

I know that common wisdom is that breakfast is important, blah blah blah, and some studies have even shown that breakfast eaters tend to be at healthier weights than non-breakfast eaters. The thing is that if I don't eat breakfast, and I wait until early afternoon to eat anything (after getting up around 9 or 10), I find it difficult to even reach my calorie goal, particularly if I throw in a big salad between lunch and dinner (or should I say first meal and second meal). Snacking at night is not an issue because I feel stuffed if I even finish my dinner.

Should I go with the common wisdom, or ignore it in favor of what seems to be working for me? Do you eat breakfast, and how does your choice of breaking fast or no affect your appetite for the rest of the day?

Sounds like you have a diff schedule than many.
On a spreadsheet have the times of the day and go in cycles, or your "Days", to count the calories.

I do intermittant fasting and my "days" are from 7pm-7pm. Fast one 24 hour cycle, eat to maintainance for 24 hour cycle. I have my spreadsheet set up this way instead of counting on a traditional calender day.

Now with that said, it all is the same in the end of the week before a weigh in with calories in vs calories out.

BUT..it makes ya feel better when you look at it.
Example: Last night at 7pm I came off my fast. If I just look at the calender day of calories I had 1700. Doesnt sound like a productive day. BUT...my fast 24 hours was just 500 calories which, mentally, makes me feel good and lets face it, dieting is as much mental as anything else.

JoRocka · May 2014

you have to break the fast eventually- if you don't it's called starving.

But how and when you do that is 100% up to you and unless you are competing on a stage- really meal timing is negligible.

I don't eat till 12 or 1 PM often. And I only have coffee- I'm a big late night person_ i love having dinner at 10 PM. so I just back end load my day with food.

It is sustainable and fits my needs... that's really what you need to figure out- what's sustainable and fits your habits/needs.

Meal times: To break my fast or no?

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