Breakfast vs Lunch

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cliftonav
cliftonav Posts: 29 Member
edited August 2016 in Food and Nutrition
Is it true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? I was recently told that lunch was the most important and that it should have your highest calorie intake of all your daily meals as that when you are most active.
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Replies

  • Servaline
    Servaline Posts: 8 Member
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    I cut out breakfast. Have the same amount of energy, albeit a little hungrier for a while. Just make sure to still eat the same amount of calories. No breakfast means you have two big meals instead of three medium/small meals.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    all meals are born equal and there isn't one more important than another. having breakfast, not having breakfast or having a big breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner won't affect scale and / or gainz - might have an effect on energy and strength but that's another topic.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    No meal is more important than another. How you split your calories up is personal preference. As an example, dinner is usually my biggest meal.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    I am not in the mood to eat in the mornings. I save calories for other later meals.
  • katybowling
    katybowling Posts: 9 Member
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    If you're wanting to lose weight yes breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your metabolism needs fuel to work, no breakfast no fuel!
  • caradack1985
    caradack1985 Posts: 254 Member
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    I don't eat breakfast or lunch. Meal times aren't important, calorie deficit is.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,221 Member
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    katybowling wrote: »
    If you're wanting to lose weight yes breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your metabolism needs fuel to work, no breakfast no fuel!

    No meal is the “most important”. I almost never eat breakfast and I've lost 95lbs just fine. The only time your metabolism stops working is when you're dead.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    It doesn't matter when you eat, its how much...
    some people feel more energised to face their day after having a good breakfast (me!) and others who prefer to hold off eating until later. Its a personal preference and wont make any difference to losing weight.
  • caradack1985
    caradack1985 Posts: 254 Member
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    I think the "breakfast is important" thing came from people skipping breakfast and then making bad food choices later in the day, the idea being if you start with a decent meal you're more likely to make better food choices. But if people are not eating breakfast but are continuing to eat well the rest of the day then it doesn't matter.
  • desidelay
    desidelay Posts: 17 Member
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    For years I never ate breakfast because I simply wasn't hungry. Then I hit a plateau and decided to consult an nutritionist. They said that if I wasn't hungry for breakfast, it was probably because I was eating too large of a dinner. From then on, I decided to make myself have breakfast and upped my lunch calories. I noticed I did not feel the need to eat a heavy dinner. I kept my calorie count the same and I have lost 8 more pounds since.

    It is best to have the majority of your calories at breakfast and lunch so it alleviates your digestive system while you sleep. With that said, for me breakfast is very important. However everyone is different and you just have to try out different methods, to see which helps you achieve your goal most effectively :smile: .
  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    edited August 2016
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    For me breakfast and lunch are most important because I don't work well when I'm hungry. Supper is more social and I often eat light or even not eat for supper. I can sleep without eating just fine. :p
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    dykask wrote: »
    For me breakfast and lunch are most important because I don't work well when I'm hungry. Supper is more social and I often eat light or even not eat for supper. I can sleep without eating just fine. :p

    Same here.

    Before losing weight though I skipped breakfast a lot - but I was snacking under 11pm or something... Now that I usually stop eating around 6pm, you bet I'm hungry comes 8am!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    cliftonav wrote: »
    Is it true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? I was recently told that lunch was the most important and that it should have your highest calorie intake of all your daily meals as that when you are most active.

    There is no most important meal of the day. You can split your calories up however you want or eat them all at one if you function well doing that. You can eat at midnight or noon. What matters is sticking to your calorie deficit and being able to function well.
    I don't function well if I don't eat something in the morning but I am also not ready to eat a huge meal. I tend to eat every 3-5 hours between 8 AM and 9 PM. I have 200-300 calorie breakfasts, 300-500 calories lunches, 500-600 calorie dinners, and 100-300 calorie snacks. That's what works with my lifestyle and preferences.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Just eat food, when you want, in a manner that allows you to feel comfortable and not overly hungry throughout the day. Stop sweating the small stuff.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Some people think meal timing is everything; others think it's irrelevant. I fall somewhere in between.

    That said, you should do what works for you. 1-2 large meals...snacks throughout the day...etc.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    Personal preference.
  • lizzy_satellite
    lizzy_satellite Posts: 112 Member
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    It doesn't matter. Do what feels right for you. There is no 'most important meal' and our metabolisms are working 24/7 (kickstarting it with meal timing is not a thing). I eat when I get hungry, and when that is varies wildly depending on what I'm doing that day (and often, what my activity levels have been the day before).
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    cliftonav wrote: »
    Is it true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? I was recently told that lunch was the most important and that it should have your highest calorie intake of all your daily meals as that when you are most active.

    Personal preference...

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