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Breakfast...most important meal of the day, or not so much?

fubsyfern
fubsyfern Posts: 38 Member
in Debate Club
I've been told your metabolism slows down if you don't eat breakfast (scare tactic?), but for me, it just feels like a waste of calories since I'm not actually hungry in the morning, and I'd rather save my precious calories for more worthwhile foods...like cookies (ok, like 1 cookie). :smiley: So what's the verdict? Are there any actual benefits to eating breakfast in the morning other than alleviating hunger?
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Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I understand the principle on what that statement is made, but for me, it is different. I usually just drink coffee in the morning and have a simple yogurt with raw almonds around 9:30a. I have a protein snack about an hour before workout and then have my big meal for the day be lunch. Then a light dinner early if I can. It FEELS better to eat this way for me, not that I haven't also lost weight eating big breakfasts and big dinners, even late.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,373 Member
    Stella3838 wrote: »
    I think it's preference. A lot of people don't and it works for them. Personally, I have to eat something by 8:30am or hangry starts kicking in. Timing of meals isn't as important as the amount of calories you take in. You wanna eat? Go for it. Wanna wait? That's cool.

    This ^^ in a nutshell, is the answer to your question. I will add the caveat that if you are an elite level athlete trying to preserve muscle mass there may be some minor benefit to meal timing and regularity, but for the average person, meal timing, frequency, etc is just a matter of personal preference.

    As to the speed up/kick start/jump start (insert your phrase of choice here) affect on your metabolism, all of that crap has been debunked by numerous studies - your metabolism does increase slightly when you eat (the body goes into 'digest the food' mode, but the affect on the overall calorie burn rate withing the body is so tiny that it doesn't matter.
  • kschwab0203
    kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
    I eat in the morning only if I need to. By need to, I mean, I feel like I will keel over any minute if I don't. I usually don't like to eat breakfast only because for me I tend to be ravenously hungry the rest of the day if I eat too early in the morning. I generally just have my coffee in the morning and eat lunch around 12. It's a personal preference. You just have to find what works for you.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    For me, it's vital because I am really hungry in the mornings and if I don't eat I feel terrible.

    I know other people who have no problem waiting until lunch to eat or even feel better when they wait until lunch. I don't think they should force themselves to eat when they don't want to just because some people feel better eating earlier.
  • cuadrado12
    cuadrado12 Posts: 43 Member
    Do you feel like you get hungry or have the urge to snack later in the evenings? There are studies that have found that people who eat 1/3 of their daily protein recommendations at breakfast are more successful at losing weight and feel more satisfied (less snacking) in the evenings. So if you have any of those issues, it might be beneficial to eat breakfast.
  • KatzeDerNacht22
    KatzeDerNacht22 Posts: 200 Member
    I feel quite hungry after I wake up so yes, for me a breakfast that is eaten very soon after waking up is important, but I stop eating at 8-9 pm usually, and go to sleep at 11, so it's been a while and I wanna eat!!!

  • laceyslabaugh
    laceyslabaugh Posts: 113 Member
    I wake Monday thru Friday at 5:40, get myself ready and my 2 year old, drop her off at daycare and by the time I get to work it's 8:15 - I usually cook/heat up my breakfast around 8:40ish - I have learned to take a bite, drink water, take a bite, and so on and I also take my Multi-vitamin then too ... it fills me up and helps me not scarf down my food and end up hungry by 10. Lunch is around 12:30-1:00 (eat while I work) and dinner is usually 6. I typically have a light snack around 8:30 - then to bed around 10. I feel better and more focused when I eat breakfast.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    There is no evidence that metabolism slows down. Actually quite amazing at how stable and similar everyone's metabolism is through comparative studies - the only standout variable with any statistical significance is muscle mass.

    Same with meal timing - no evidence to support.

    This is strictly a behavioral issue. I do find it interesting that this is one of the factors noted in the National Weight Control Registry - 78% of people who have lost 50 lbs or more report eating breakfast every day. I'm sure this has little to do with the actual traditional morning meal and everything to do with awareness and building a routine.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Not so much.

    I've been hounded by "Breakfast is the most important" people all my adult life. It was why I was so thin, when I was thin. I was sacrificing my health to stay thin by skipping the most important meal. It was why I was overweight when I was overweight. I was gaining weight by skipping breakfast and ruining my health.

    In fact, I've never been unhealthy and I still don't eat breakfast.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    I let go of the notion that you had to have breakfast....now my calories (1200) seem to stretch further easier. I'm not hungry in the mornings and get up around 5. Generally, I start to get hungry around 10. I know my husband walks downstairs and eats something first thing...even he isn't sure if he is hungry or it's just a habit!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Nope. I'm like you, not hungry in the morning. Up at 5:00, at work by 7:00 where I have my coffee, breakfast around 9:30, lunch around 1:00, snack around 3:00 and dinner about 8:00. It's working great so far.
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
    I think it is personal preference. You see stats on it both ways.

    It seems to me, as with all things related to health & wellness, it is "find out what works for you, and is sustainable for the long term". No one knows you better than you know yourself.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
    I'm personally just not a breakfast eater. Never really have been. I like to eat my food in the evening, so I tend to save up my calories so that my big meal is dinner. In the morning it's black coffee from the time I wake up until lunch time, then a light meal, and a large dinner in the evening.

    I tried for a while to make myself eat breakfast because of all the advice about how you simply cannot lose weight or be healthy if you skip breakfast or have only coffee for breakfast, like Dr. Jenson on Supersize vs. Superskinny will pretty invariably say as he scolds the thin people for not eating breakfasts.

    For me every calorie I eat for breakfast is one that I'm missing when I want to tuck in to a nice big dinner.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    I'm in maintenance mode and without breakfast (or more specifically a 3rd meal) it would be tough to get all the calories in that I require.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    I only break my fast before 13:00 on 2/7 days a week. The other 5 I fast until lunch. My metabolism seems to be fine and dandy so far.
  • Gimsteinn
    Gimsteinn Posts: 7,678 Member
    Nothing wrong with my metabolism and I usually don't eat until lunch.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
    I do 16:8 IF and my eating window is from 11am -7pm. This works well with mu schedule and also helps me with calorie adherence.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Definitely not.

    I skip it regularly to perseve my evening calories- as I am FAR hungrier at night than the morning- so dinner food trumps breakfast food.

    I just delay eating till about 10:30- 12 and then have my last meal around 10:30 at night. Seems to work really well for me.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    listen to your body if you are not hungry till later eat later
  • ejsilvi
    ejsilvi Posts: 205 Member
    If u workout u should eat breakfast Now what u eat also impacts on what u are doing too I shot for more protein medium carbs like 30 to 40 grams protein like 60 to 80 grams of carbs may be a little more-
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
    I usually have coffee and a yogurt in the morning (if I'm hungry) because I tend to eat a later lunch. It works for me, but today, I didn't have anything but coffee and was fine at lunchtime. I guess it's all personal preference :)
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
    ejsilvi wrote: »
    If u workout u should eat breakfast Now what u eat also impacts on what u are doing too I shot for more protein medium carbs like 30 to 40 grams protein like 60 to 80 grams of carbs may be a little more-

    I run anything less than 8 miles fasted in the morning, unless it's a race. No one solution works for everyone.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    I have to do all my cardio fasted in the mornings. Even if I give myself 2 hours to digest breakfast (would mean waking up at 4:30 am, ugh) I still get that pain in my side. I always eat something afterwards though, usually around 300 calories otherwise I get lightheaded. I'm sure if I didn't exercise before it I wouldn't need breakfast, but I do enjoy it.
  • ejsilvi
    ejsilvi Posts: 205 Member
    heiliskrimsli wrote: »
    ejsilvi wrote: »
    If u workout u should eat breakfast Now what u eat also impacts on what u are doing too I shot for more protein medium carbs like 30 to 40 grams protein like 60 to 80 grams of carbs may be a little more-

    I run anything less than 8 miles fasted in the morning, unless it's a race. No one solution works for everyone.

  • ejsilvi
    ejsilvi Posts: 205 Member
    No one said what I am doing is right I weight lift so I eat - u run - u want to run on nothing n that works for u that's great good luck

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