skipping breakfast

totaldetermination
totaldetermination Posts: 1,184 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Are there any health implications of not eating breakfast ?

I'm not talking about weight loss. I understand calories in, calories out - as long as I eat at a deficit I'll lose weight. I am assuming that I will be able to keep to my calories and lose weight.

If I was to eat the same food but just start eating after midday, would there be any health implications (non weight related) ?

Thanks

Replies

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    edited February 2015
    Nope. It's fine, I've been doing it lately too. I like spending my calories later in the day.

    ETA: barring any medical conditions where you need to keep your meal times stable, like diabetes.
  • mbforfree
    mbforfree Posts: 13 Member
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    Your body is using calories 100% of the day and night no matter what time you start eating. Skipping breakfast doesn't change how many calories the body uses. It doesn't "wake up" or "jump start" your metabolism. It may give you more energy, focus, or concentration during the day, but that varies from person to person. Eat breakfast if you want. Skip it if you want. (barring any medical conditions that would require breakfast, obviously)

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    Ehhhhhhh, no.
  • muse09
    muse09 Posts: 15 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    Nope. It's fine, I've been doing it lately too. I like spending my calories later in the day.

    ETA: barring any medical conditions where you need to keep your meal times stable, like diabetes.

    Same here! Before lunch time, the most I'll have is a square of 85% dark chocolate to take care of any cravings. I also like to drink hot green tea in the mornings for the energy.

    I don't eat in the mornings unless it's before a training session.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    Ehhhhhhh, no.
    +1
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Timing has no relevance, its all about the deficit. Actually, for me, I find the earlier in the day that I eat, the hungrier I am.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    Do you science, bro?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    totaldetermination wrote: »
    Are there any health implications of not eating breakfast ?

    I'm not talking about weight loss. I understand calories in, calories out - as long as I eat at a deficit I'll lose weight. I am assuming that I will be able to keep to my calories and lose weight.

    If I was to eat the same food but just start eating after midday, would there be any health implications (non weight related) ?

    Thanks

    For most healthy people the answer is no.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I'm a breakfast fan. First of all, because of my diabetic training. We are all coming off at least a nine hour fast so it pays to get some calories in there to keep blood sugars stable.

    There's a few factors that successful dieters have in common. Eating breakfast is one of them.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    So there's something going on! Maybe it's people who have a regular routine.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited February 2015
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    You may start snacking before your next meal. This may cause you to overeat for the day. You may lie about what you eat.

    You may do all of those things if you skip breakfast. You may do them if you don't skip breakfast. Time your meals/snacks so they work for you and your lifestyle.
  • mbforfree
    mbforfree Posts: 13 Member
    Like I said, the opinions vary about it... I think reason 2 is why most recomment breakfast... To avoid snacking befor lunch.

    But fasting for about 12 hours (so is it the night you wont eat or the morning) is becoming more and more populair.

    I do feel that I like more food throughout the day when I eat breakfast, although I never eat 'first thing in the morning', but when I arrive at work, that works for me.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    I don't think it really matters. I prefer to eat breakfast. But I also prefer to workout in a fasted state. This works for me. Play around with it. See how your body responds and go from there.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    LOL I still snack before lunch. Small meals, small snacks. I am anti-fast.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm a breakfast fan. First of all, because of my diabetic training. We are all coming off at least a nine hour fast so it pays to get some calories in there to keep blood sugars stable.

    There's a few factors that successful dieters have in common. Eating breakfast is one of them.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    So there's something going on! Maybe it's people who have a regular routine.

    Common factors are good things to know. But it's also good to remember that common doesn't mean required.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    This is intuitively obvious, but diet adherence is a critical component to successful weight management. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18268511)

    As such, it seems quite reasonable that each individual structure their meal timing/distribution around personal preference.

    In short, if eating breakfast makes it easier to adhere to your diet then you should eat breakfast.
    If skipping breakfast makes it easier to adhere to your diet, then you should skip breakfast.
  • Athos282
    Athos282 Posts: 405 Member
    No complications - "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is nothing much more than a brilliantly executed marketing campaign.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
    mbforfree wrote: »
    The moment you start eating, that is the moment your body 'wakes up' and really starts to use calories... So I would say, don't skipp breakfast.

    Although opinions are various about it. The reason why most tell you to do it, is also because with breakfast you can start 'healthy', changes are, if you don't you will start snacking somewhere befor your next meal. But you say do don't :)

    What? No.

    OP, skip breakfast if you want to skip breakfast. Meal timing is irrelevant.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Nope no big deal. Eat it if you want or don't eat if that's what you prefer. I'm just now eating and I'm going to eat most of my calories for the day and the rest in an hour or two. Works for me
  • DiminutiveDame
    DiminutiveDame Posts: 45 Member
    I usually just have coffee/tea until it's lunch time because I'm just not hungry and hardly ever feel like eating. If I do though I will eat but a hot drink wakes me up and seems enough.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
    some individuals will report perceived health implications they feel they experience with skipping breakfast (fogginess/tiredness/irritability things of that type).

    Many people (me included) don't like to eat until hours after they wake up and feel perfectly fine doing so.

    But as you can see from the posts so far I don't think anyone knows of any solid, scientifically-backed "health implications" like it will give you cancer/rob you of muscle/give you a heart attack/give you diabetes/etc.

    So it's pretty much just how you feel about it and how it makes you feel. If you pass out doing it I'd probably advise against it ;)
  • livingnova
    livingnova Posts: 6
    I LOVE breakfast. It is my favorite meal and usually includes my favorite foods (including my one coffee of the day). Honestly, I am not a morning person, so I usually use breakfast as a reward for getting out of bed. Though I did notice that I had to change WHAT I was eating, as I was using too many calories too early. My days were happy, but my dinners were sad.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited February 2015
    Here's how I look at it. Since you phrased your question the way you did about health related, I see it as less optimal to not eat breakfast, or more to the case of ingesting some protein (if this is your first meal of the day after a long period of not eating). Your body has reserves for carbs called Glycogen that can be called upon, reserves for fat called Adipose tissue. Your reserve for protein is muscle. Who wants to cannibalize their existing muscle tissue due to not having amino acids in their system? Not me.
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
    edited February 2015
    totaldetermination wrote: »
    Are there any health implications of not eating breakfast ?

    I'm not talking about weight loss. I understand calories in, calories out - as long as I eat at a deficit I'll lose weight. I am assuming that I will be able to keep to my calories and lose weight.

    If I was to eat the same food but just start eating after midday, would there be any health implications (non weight related) ?

    Thanks

    For the vast majority of people no there aren't health implications. For people like me (hypoglycemic) yes there are major health implications of not eating regularly. I HATE eating first thing in the morning and find that solid foods make me nauseous all day if I eat to soon after getting up. Instead I drink a protein shake (with fruit) so I get enough carbs to raise my glucose levels. Do what works for YOU.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    totaldetermination wrote: »
    Are there any health implications of not eating breakfast ?

    No, assuming you don't have a condition like diabetes. Many people successfully lose weight by practicing "Intermittent Fasting," in which food is eaten in a limited time window. You should look up some sites, and there's at least one group here.

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