Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Breakfast yes or no?

Options
1…5681011

Replies

  • wishfuljune
    wishfuljune Posts: 2,568 Member
    Options
    I grew up in a family that never ate breakfast except on the weekends. The weekends were filled with a feast of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, maybe a piece of fruit, pancakes, even fried dough (yes - for breakfast with a sunny-side up egg on top).

    Then when I went to college, I started eating breakfast. I had long days of labs, discussions, classes, and band practice, so breakfast was the only meal I could get on some days before a late dinner. I usually had cottage cheese and fruit with a muffin.

    Now I eat breakfast on a regular basis - I switch it up between overnight oats, and eggs/avocado toast. It keeps me full well into the afternoon and I don't feel the urge to snack on doughnuts, bakery pastries, etc that people bring into the office.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Options
    An interesting story about metabolism. I was very sick with anorexia (500 calories a day +exercise) when I was 27. I was admitted to the hospital for refeeding. They start you at 1500 calories and add 300 a week until a minimum of 2400 calories a day with the goal of gaining 1-2 kg a week until we reach at least bmi 20. I never gained my kilo so I got to the max of 3600 calories a day ( food plus ensure). We were not allowed exercise and were closely watched while eating and bathroom was monitored so basically we were sedentary. I was on that for several weeks and the most I ever gained was 0.6 kg in a week so 1.32 lbs. My BMR must have been through the roof! It definitely didn't slow down my metabolism
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    Options
    FunkyTobias wrote: »
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    If you ain't hungry don't eat brekky, it will help boost your metabolism for a small period then after that it will slow it so hence the controversy on here.

    Here's the claim, made in this thread.

    Since silliness about metabolism is often part of arguments that people must eat breakfast, it's on topic in this thread and a reasonable thing to debate.

    I think I made it pretty clear just how controversial it is. If you look into how the body is affected in first lets say day of fasting(look up the IF thread) then you will see the correlation between metabolism increase very surprising and slight. After 3 days IF or just plain fasting your metabolism will slow. So essentially it can be if monitored carefully not as scary or woo as some people would have you believe. Like I said statistics show the pendulum swings both says. One one hand you can say it slows your metabolism down and on the other hand you could say it can boost it. Both are right, the trick is in the timing and also who you discuss it with. Of course IF does not negate the action of calories in -calories out rule, that is still the pinnacle.

    Lol. Schrödinger's breakfast

    schrodingercat.jpg
  • missyfitz1
    missyfitz1 Posts: 93 Member
    Options
    A couple of years ago I started to delay my breakfast to a few hours after waking, based on something I read about morning cortisol release. It has made a world of difference for me. I used to be desperately hungry all morning, no matter how much whole food protein and fibre I ate. It made it very difficult for me to achieve weight loss-level calorie levels without being desperately hungry later in the day. Now my hunger levels don't change as dramatically throughout the day, and I am losing weight consistently. I don't think it's the right answer for everyone, but it has really helped me to redistribute my meal timing in this way.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    Options
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    I don't eat breakfast and find that if I do I get hungrier for lunch earlier and eat more than if I don't eat breakfast

    Same.

    This was why I switched away from breakfast as I started trying to reduce calories. I would rather eat a late lunch around 1:30 or 2, and be able to make it to my 7pm dinner without a snack or starving. Eating breakfast I am hangry and grumpy by 11 am, then I end up needing a snack. I ate more overall when I ate breakfast. Without it, I don't need any snacks.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    I am loving this thread now. I still do not want people to feel the need that if they are not hungry that it wouldn't be ok to skip a meal. Breakfast or any meal skipping once is one, skipping all the time is borderline Anorexic. Unless you are fasting purpose but even that I personally would only go 24-30 hours.

    I skip breakfast all the time and I'm not anorexic.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Options
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    That is an entirely different topic. I suggest you post about it in a different thread. There already is one going regarding it.

    You claimed breakfast or brekky would boost ones metabolism. You have not answered the question as to why or how that would happen. Instead you went off onto totally different tangents . so if you make a claim like brekky boosts metabolism, it shouldn't be a problem to prove your claim . here we try really hard to counter any misinformation that is being spread.
    So far you've made several claims about metabolism, acv and parasites and so on now we are asking that you prove your claims. How would you expect anyone to take your information seriously if you can't back it up ?
    Here's the thing - there's a lot of lurkers and newcomers here. Some are too afraid to post so search these threads for information. If we allowed people to just make wild claims for fun because they are bored and feeling chatty or feel like playing games, then these newcomers could read these comments and believe them. The last thing anyone here wants is for people to believe any misinformation. People here want to help spread the truth, not baseless myths .
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Options
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    Fasting increases your metabolism. I meant not eating breakfast lol misinterpretation...

    Wait, I thought initially you said EATING breakfast boosts metabolism. Then you said fasting SLOWS metabolism. Now you say initially you mean not eating brekky, or fasting, boosts metabolism? I am so confused.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    meganridenour wrote: »
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    Fasting increases your metabolism. I meant not eating breakfast lol misinterpretation...

    Wait, I thought initially you said EATING breakfast boosts metabolism. Then you said fasting SLOWS metabolism. Now you say initially you mean not eating brekky, or fasting, boosts metabolism? I am so confused.

    Yeah, I don't know what to make of this poster...
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Options
    meganridenour wrote: »
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    Fasting increases your metabolism. I meant not eating breakfast lol misinterpretation...

    Wait, I thought initially you said EATING breakfast boosts metabolism. Then you said fasting SLOWS metabolism. Now you say initially you mean not eating brekky, or fasting, boosts metabolism? I am so confused.

    There's a lot of confusion but you are certainly not the confused one. Your post sums it all up nicely
  • foreverslim1111
    foreverslim1111 Posts: 2,609 Member
    Options
    I have a question re breakfast. Is it best to eat breakfast before a morning workout or eat after. I have heard a theory that is you fast before a workout that you are forcing your body to burn body fat as its fuel for the workout. But if you eat breakfast first - then your body converts that food for energy rather than body fat. Does anybody know if there have been any studies? I would love to know the answer to this as I do morning workouts about 3 days a week and would gladly not eat before hand if I knew that it would enhance fat burning. Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me on this.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Some chinese phrases,

    "Eat more vegetables, less meat." 多吃蔬菜，少吃肉.(Duō chī shūcài, shǎo chī ròu.)

    Qi fen bao (七分飽), is an age-old, oft-repeated Chinese dietary adage: eat only until you are 'seven parts full' (70 percent full).

    http://www.eatingchina.com/articles/quotes.htm

    +1
    You are a veritable bon mot repository!

    Was your Scottish grandmother a teetotaling Methodist to boot?
  • Noelv1976
    Noelv1976 Posts: 18,948 Member
    Options
    Yes
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    OP, eat breakfast if you want it. Don't eat it if you don't want. Regardless of possible minute advantages, if you hate what you are doing, you aren't going to stick with it. Your username though, caramelpopcorn, would make an awesome breakfast! Which is why I'm here (portion control).

    [edited by MFP Mods]
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    Options
    foreverslim1111 wrote: »
    I have a question re breakfast. Is it best to eat breakfast before a morning workout or eat after. I have heard a theory that is you fast before a workout that you are forcing your body to burn body fat as its fuel for the workout. But if you eat breakfast first - then your body converts that food for energy rather than body fat. Does anybody know if there have been any studies? I would love to know the answer to this as I do morning workouts about 3 days a week and would gladly not eat before hand if I knew that it would enhance fat burning. Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me on this.

    Most research points to it being all about personal preference. You won't burn extra fat doing fasted cardio. Any increase in fasted burning fat over carbohydrate leads to the body increasing daily preference to burn carbs later to even it out.
    Thus it becomes about what gives greatest output which seems to be individualized.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    A lot of medications on a side note have to be take with food. Diabetes type 2 medication metformin is just terrible in my opinion. I read too many forums on it prior to using it, where people were obtaining it for weight loss.

    ??

    Like any life partner, Metformin must be handled with respect.

    Which means knowing when to take it and how to eat around it so that it gives you the maximum benefit and least discomfort.

    It has brought my fasting BG down to levels I couldn't attain without it.

    I don't have it completely figured out yet, but that's on me.

    Misunderstood or difficult, maybe; Terrible per se? I don't think so.
  • foreverslim1111
    foreverslim1111 Posts: 2,609 Member
    Options
    senecarr wrote: »
    foreverslim1111 wrote: »
    I have a question re breakfast. Is it best to eat breakfast before a morning workout or eat after. I have heard a theory that is you fast before a workout that you are forcing your body to burn body fat as its fuel for the workout. But if you eat breakfast first - then your body converts that food for energy rather than body fat. Does anybody know if there have been any studies? I would love to know the answer to this as I do morning workouts about 3 days a week and would gladly not eat before hand if I knew that it would enhance fat burning. Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me on this.

    Most research points to it being all about personal preference. You won't burn extra fat doing fasted cardio. Any increase in fasted burning fat over carbohydrate leads to the body increasing daily preference to burn carbs later to even it out.
    Thus it becomes about what gives greatest output which seems to be individualized.

    Thank you for this. I think I will continue to not eat before my AM workouts. Just feels right for me.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Options
    foreverslim1111 wrote: »
    senecarr wrote: »
    foreverslim1111 wrote: »
    I have a question re breakfast. Is it best to eat breakfast before a morning workout or eat after. I have heard a theory that is you fast before a workout that you are forcing your body to burn body fat as its fuel for the workout. But if you eat breakfast first - then your body converts that food for energy rather than body fat. Does anybody know if there have been any studies? I would love to know the answer to this as I do morning workouts about 3 days a week and would gladly not eat before hand if I knew that it would enhance fat burning. Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me on this.

    Most research points to it being all about personal preference. You won't burn extra fat doing fasted cardio. Any increase in fasted burning fat over carbohydrate leads to the body increasing daily preference to burn carbs later to even it out.
    Thus it becomes about what gives greatest output which seems to be individualized.

    Thank you for this. I think I will continue to not eat before my AM workouts. Just feels right for me.

    @foreverslim1111 if it feels right for you then you've made the right choice. I don't eat directly before my workouts because I prefer to have a larger meal later. Do what feels best for you ! Don't sweat the small stuff :smile:
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    DancingDarl wrote: »
    I am loving this thread now. I still do not want people to feel the need that if they are not hungry that it wouldn't be ok to skip a meal. Breakfast or any meal skipping once is one, skipping all the time is borderline Anorexic. Unless you are fasting purpose but even that I personally would only go 24-30 hours.

    Didn't you start a couple threads recently telling people that if they weren't hungry they shouldn't eat, and that it was totally ok to eat under the medically recommended minimum?
  • GTR86
    GTR86 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    The idea is that you're already "fasting" for 6-8 hrs while you sleep so you should eat something so that you're body doesn't hold on to fat as starvation mode. And that you're less likely to reach for a donut in the office if you have a couple of eggs in your stomach. There is also something like fasted cardio where you're working out on an empty stomach to plunge into a deficit but if you lift on empty you'll burn muscle.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories