Is breakfast really that important?

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Jmongillo
Jmongillo Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I work 2nd shift, so by the time I wake up it's usually lunchtime anyways and I miss out on breakfast. Is this really so bad? Would it be beneficial for me to try and still have 3 steady meals even though my work schedule is a little weird? A friend of mine saw a nutritionist recently who said even though we work second shift we should still try and have our last meal of the day by 7pm-ish so that we are not sleeping with a ton of food on our stomachs. Has anyone seen any merit to the statement "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." ???? And if so... how would you all suggest spacing out the 3 meals? What has worked for you!?

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  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Yes, it's that important. Study after study shows that your metabolism remains lowered until you eat something, and that folks who skip breakfast make up for those calories (and often more) later in the day.

    I'm not sure I understand the advice about not eating after 7PM. Unless you're going to bed at 7:15 PM, I fail to see the problem.
  • erisfreenici
    erisfreenici Posts: 277 Member
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    Yes.


    Some people spread their meals out into 5. It's all about what works for you. I usually just grab a Luna bar for breakfast. It's not the best but it gets the job done. I keep a box of them at work. :/
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
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    I think the important thing is that you eat soon after you wake up. if that is lunch time and you would rather eat lunch, that is ok. Pancakes aren't required, only that you fuel your body and mind for the rest of your waking day.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    even if it's noon, it's still breakfast. If it's the first thing you're eating in a day, it's technically breakfast. Eat when you're hungry, avoid eating when you're not. Pretty basic. :)
  • nikki_zav
    nikki_zav Posts: 320 Member
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    I work 3rd shift and know it can be hard to get meals in when the times of day are weird. On days that I work, I always have something for breakfast, even if it is a handful of almonds, a banana or apple, or a whole wheat english muffin with some PB spread on it. All those are super easy to eat in the car on your way to work. Don't skip breakfast and try to keep it healthy. It is the first nutrition you are putting in your body after sleeping to get you up and moving for the day!
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
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    I work 2nd shift, so by the time I wake up it's usually lunchtime anyways and I miss out on breakfast. Is this really so bad? Would it be beneficial for me to try and still have 3 steady meals even though my work schedule is a little weird? A friend of mine saw a nutritionist recently who said even though we work second shift we should still try and have our last meal of the day by 7pm-ish so that we are not sleeping with a ton of food on our stomachs. Has anyone seen any merit to the statement "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." ???? And if so... how would you all suggest spacing out the 3 meals? What has worked for you!?

    you're breaking your nightly fast at around noon. so the meal you eat then is your breakfast. you could allow yourself an eating window of 8 hours ( a full day) and then stop eating at 8PM. actually that is the lean gains way of intermittent fasting and it's very sustainable and gives good results if you keep watching calories.
  • bruceseverson
    bruceseverson Posts: 35
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    Breakfast is when you wake up - "Break - Fast" - Start eating after a long period of not eating (last meal of evening until first meal upon waking). If you are working a late shift on a regular basis, you should adjust your eating schedule accordingly. For example, if your normal sleep time is 2 AM - 11 AM, then your "Breakfast" would be around Noon, your "Lunch" would be around 5:00 PM, and your "Supper" or "Dinner" would be around 9:00 PM. The "Don't eat after 7:00 PM" rule is for those who go to bed around 10:00 PM. In other words, you should not eat within 3-4 hours of going to bed for the night. Hope this makes sense. Feel free to message me if you want to discuss more or Friend me to see what I do.

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  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
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    Breakfast doesnt mean you have to have it by 9am or whatever... Its just a name of a meal, that most commonly is eaten in the morning... But I sometimes dont make up till noon, I eat my breakfast (even though its lunch time) as soon as possible to jump start metabolism, and eat lunch 4hrs later, and dinner 4hrs after that, with snacks in between, and after dinner another snack if im still hungry. You could be eating your dinner at midnight, it doesnt matter what time it is, just have your days set to a certain type of schedule. Breakfast 12pm, lunch 4pm, dinner 8-9pm, or WHATEVER ur schedule might be like, just I try to never eat my last snack within 2hrs of bed. Snacking in between helps boost metabolism... You just eat a tad smaller meal.
  • chezmama
    chezmama Posts: 396 Member
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    I work second shift hours too. I usually eat 2 meals and a snack. I eat brunch around 10-11 and "lupper" around 3. Then when I get home from work, I have a snack. That's how I do it.
  • jmruef
    jmruef Posts: 824 Member
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    The way it was explained to me is that you need to break your fast. (Hence, breakfast. :tongue: ) I know, I'm kind of a dork...

    ...but regardless of what *time* you eat breakfast, you should probably eat something if it's been 7-ish hours since you last ate, or if you've slept for that amount of time, or whatever. Give your metabolism a boost, give your brain some fuel, etc.
  • hamton
    hamton Posts: 245
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    what lodro said.

    I eat around noon-1pm. Stop eating at 8. I'm using the leangains method of intermittent fasting.
    It won't affect your metabolism. There are a lot of benefits to fasting and that's why I'm on it. BTW, I eat two meals a day and sometimes snack in between.
  • Jmongillo
    Jmongillo Posts: 11 Member
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    thanks everyone!!

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