Is breakfast essential?

caffeinatedcami
caffeinatedcami Posts: 168 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi . I'm looking for some advice. I understand that eating breakfast helps satiate you so you don't eat too much later, but I'm wondering if it's absolutely necessary. I am just not hungry in the morning and it doesn't seem to affect how hungry I am by lunch. I used to not eat anything (but coffee) in the morning. Now I have been eating a low sugar whole grain cereal every morning but today I overslept and wasn't able to eat until lunch. I get really hungry in the late afternoon and I found that I could eat a few more calories at that time and stay under my goal. I was just wondering if I am doing myself a disservice in the long run by skipping it.

Replies

  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    It's entirely up to you when you eat. As long as you are under or at your calorie goal, you'll be successful. There are different trains of thought as to how eating breakfast affects your brain as far as working, school, etc.... but as far as weight loss - when you eat is all on you and you'll continue to lose if you're under your deficit.
  • Viva_Karina
    Viva_Karina Posts: 398 Member
    Meal timing is irrelevant.

    Calories in < calories out to lose weight

  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
    I discovered if I ate an early breakfast I would eat more throughout the day. Now I eat when I'm hungry, usually 2-4 hours after I get up and its much easier to stay within my calorie goals
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited August 2015
    Nope. Do what works best for you. I, too, am happy with coffee until lunch and appreciate the extra calories in the afternoon. That pattern of eating, BTW, is sometimes called 8:16 intermittent fasting (8 hr eating window & 16 hr overnight fast). It has a big following, and probably a MFP group if you want to learn more.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    camillemilton1 wrote: »
    Hi . I'm looking for some advice. I understand that eating breakfast helps satiate you so you don't eat too much later, but I'm wondering if it's absolutely necessary. I am just not hungry in the morning and it doesn't seem to affect how hungry I am by lunch. I used to not eat anything (but coffee) in the morning. Now I have been eating a low sugar whole grain cereal every morning but today I overslept and wasn't able to eat until lunch. I get really hungry in the late afternoon and I found that I could eat a few more calories at that time and stay under my goal. I was just wondering if I am doing myself a disservice in the long run by skipping it.

    No
  • mgonyer123
    mgonyer123 Posts: 74 Member
    I haven't consistently eaten breakfast since I was 15. I'm just usually not a morning eater. It makes me feel sluggish and sick a lot of times and I'm simply not hungry.

  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Back when you were a kid ... and they all told you "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" ... yeah - they lied.

    000419-titleimage.jpg
  • caffeinatedcami
    caffeinatedcami Posts: 168 Member
    Thanks for the responses. It's probably just my moms voice in my head that made me hesitate but I should listen to my body and only eat when I am hungry.
    ahoy_m8 I have heard a lot about intermittent fasting and i didn't even think about this being in the same category. I will look at some of the other posts about it.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    camillemilton1 wrote: »
    Thanks for the responses. It's probably just my moms voice in my head that made me hesitate but I should listen to my body and only eat when I am hungry.
    ahoy_m8 I have heard a lot about intermittent fasting and i didn't even think about this being in the same category. I will look at some of the other posts about it.

    FYI...learn everything you can about weight loss and then these questions become self-evident.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,704 Member
    Is breakfast essential?

    No.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Is breakfast essential?

    No.
    Fruit loops....yo
  • Domicinator
    Domicinator Posts: 261 Member
    I almost never eat breakfast, and I never have. I'm just not hungry right when I wake up. I usually have a healthy snack at around 10 am to hold me until lunch.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    ncboiler89 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Is breakfast essential?

    No.
    Fruit loops....yo

    Also lunch or dinner food. :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    camillemilton1 wrote: »
    Hi . I'm looking for some advice. I understand that eating breakfast helps satiate you so you don't eat too much later, but I'm wondering if it's absolutely necessary. I am just not hungry in the morning and it doesn't seem to affect how hungry I am by lunch. I used to not eat anything (but coffee) in the morning. Now I have been eating a low sugar whole grain cereal every morning but today I overslept and wasn't able to eat until lunch. I get really hungry in the late afternoon and I found that I could eat a few more calories at that time and stay under my goal. I was just wondering if I am doing myself a disservice in the long run by skipping it.

    Breakfast is only essential if it's essential to you. If you are not hungry in the morning, there is no reason to eat.

    Meal timing has nothing to do with weight loss. You can eat when you want as long as you stay in your calorie goals.

    That said, I LOVE my breakfast- oatmeal with fruit and coffee. Mmmmmm good!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Back when you were a kid ... and they all told you "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" ... yeah - they lied.

    000419-titleimage.jpg
    This is true. :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    I naturally prefere the majority of my food between 6-9 pm. When I first started counting calories I decided I would try eating breakfast and lunch because it seemed the thing to do. Ugh, I was miserable and everyone knew it.

    I returned to my preferred eating times, everyone was happy, me most of all, and I lost the weight.

    Eat when it suits you; not the clock.

    Cheers, h.
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