Stop eating breakfast. Here's why.

Eating breakfast does not speed up, rev, or kick start your metabolism. Those that think that, have no idea how the human body works. I follow IF, never eat breakfast and eat the majority of my calories just before bed and I am in the best shape of my life and getting better every day.

That's a broad statement. I guess all of the nutritionists, scientists, and personal trainers who advocate 4-6 meals small meals a day including breakfast have no idea how the human body works? Like it was said ealier, people are different and need different approaches. You genetically seem to be able to get away with eating like crap and late at night while not doing cardio. I never could, but like I said, we're all different.

It's not that they don't know how the body works. They're just re-stating the same crap they've heard over and over. Eating throughout the day helps with appetite, nothing more. In fact, it has be theorized that taking in carbs so consistently throughout the day can actually have a negative affect on insulin sensativity in specific cases.

You're assuming all the meals are carb-loaded and that's not always the case. For some yes, but not for others.

Also, I have read countless responses from those that say they would go hypo or they would not feel well if they skipped breakfast. I also fell into this category but my body adapted once it got used to using fat for energy instead of food. Your body is a comlex thing and we should never underestimate it.

"The concept isn't about growing up or actually running a race against each other. The concept is YOU WILL NOT PERFORM WELL WITH A NUTRITION PLAN LIKE THIS. Period...I don't care which of the areas you pick - endurance, strength, etc. - if you put two equally fit people next to each other, and use your diet plan vs. a sensible one, you will lose."


I've followed all kinds of eating regimens throughout my life and I can honestly say, that for me, I personally performed better in all sports when I didn't have breakfast - I don't know why but I just did. A simple mixture of BCAA's, caffeine and some grape juice always seemed to do the trick for me and it still does. I don't follow the Intermittent Fasting protocol per se, but I have in the past, and it worked for me. Bottom line...sometimes I eat breakfast, sometimes I don't. I will say this...You seem adamant that a person just can't perform to his highest potential if he practices Intermittent Fasting and I would argue that when it comes to performance, you gotta do what works for you. No amount of science can tell me that what I do doesn't work. In regard to your above comment...There's a guy named Herschel Walker that might disagree with you. He only ate once a day and continues to do so till this day. Some might argue he's the best running back of all time.

"BCAA's, caffeine and some grape juice" You might not be eating something - but you're still fueling your body with something.

No, never experienced th Hypo thing, but if you are going to convince me that your junk food/ no cardio diet is the best approach, you have all your work ahead of you. I'll side with every every Bodybuilder, natural or not, professional atheletic trainer, and nutrionist until legions of guys like you are getting the same results. I actually did the whole eat like ****/high calorie diet and skipped breakfast and carido from 2005-2008. It sort of worked, I was benching 405 lbs. But I also weighed around 300 lbs.

Everyone's different. I'll take my healthy breakfast . . . .thank you!

I don't agree that breakfast should be skipped all together, but I have seen many people have excelled weight loss and met fitness goals faster when they work out/train before they eat in the morning.

I know alot of endurance athletes as well as bodybuilders at the Gold's gym I go to that train fasted because of the simple fact that if they eat breakfast before they train, they feel sick to their stomaches. lol

I used to hit the gym at 4am. There was no way I was waking up a bit earlier for bfast!

What's interesting is that breakfast is different for many people. "They" say that breakfast should be within half an hour of waking up in order to "get your metabolism in gear." But I wake up at 5:30am and don't eat breakfast until I get to the office at around 8am. At thins point, I've been awake for three hours. Would my meal at 8-8:30am still be considered breakfast? IDK...

For me, I classify breakfast as my first meal of the day.

I feel like I just wasted half an hour of my life reading this entire thread.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are culturally created concepts. Who says you have to eat at a certain time of the day? Who says you have to eat bacon and eggs or cereal for breakfast? Just listen to your body and do what feels right. For me, eating breakfast feels right because I'm hungry after 8 hours of sleep. If I wasn't hungry when I woke up I probably wouldn't be eating until I felt hungry.

And can't we all just get along?

i just read the article. i am going to reference some of the published studies if i can find them online. i am interested. thanks for shakin *kitten* up, thats always a plus. gets some people to think and others to prove their ignorant tendencies.

Thanks -- that's interesting and I always appreciate science that challenges my preconceptions.

Here's my 2 cents:

1) 98% of weight loss is sticking with your plan. Atkins, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting, 6 meals a day, macronutrient timing, Body for Life, Weight Watchers -- I don't care -- if you can stick with your plan and it's not affirmatively unhealthy or crazy, it will work. Since people have different reactions, I think the biggest thing is finding a plan that helps each person stick with a healthy diet and exercise program.

2) The author may well be right that eating more calories later in the day and fewer in the morning tends to lead to more fat loss and less muscle loss. That's the 2%, not the 98%, but it's good to know, and I appreciate the link.

3) Here's the bottom line for me -- if eating a big breakfast helps a particular person stick to their plan in the long run, go for it. If intermittent fasting helps, go for that. Get the 98% (program compliance!) right, and then if you have some extra energy, go for the 2%.

4) The best thing is to try some different stuff, journal your reaction, and see what works for you. For example, I read someplace that people who eat before workouts have more intensity on average and get a better workout. So I tried eating a banana before my morning workout, but after a few days where I felt the same and got the same results, I quit. If somebody else thinks they get 10% more effort with a banana, go for it.

As it happens, I think I probably meet the author's recommendation. I wake up at 5:45, work out, get the kids on the bus, and drink 160 calories of protein shake in the car, have a light lunch, and then eat about half or more of my daily calories at dinner and after dinner. No special reason, that just works for my schedule and it leaves me with plenty of energy.

If I noticed myself slowing down or if I was having problems sticking to my diet, I'd try something else until I found something that worked, but the most important thing for me is that I stick to a healthy plan that works for me, not that my plan gets every last ounce of weight loss available to me.

i'm pretty sure not eating is called anorexia. thanks, but i'd like the keep my heart muscle in tact and not lose 100 lbs in a year and go into cardiac arrest.

this post is wrong, biologically. you DO need breakfast for energy. without carbohydrates, your cells do not make energy (read: atp). without atp, your cells cannot perform their normal actions like cell and DNA replication (to up-keep your tissues (heart, liver, kidneys, stomach lining, blood etc etc)), waste disposal (to keep you from experiencing toxicity and the like of substance build up), and other important functions.

i didn't click through to the link, but from the bull you're spilling, the person who wrote these articles you covet is a hack. sorry, you've been brainwashed.

*shrug*

sorry! cant give up my rice krispies, milk and chocolate chips each morning. I would have a blood sugar crash (not diabetic) before I could eat and would feel sick so gotta nix the no breakfast idea.

It all depends I think. Calories in vs calories out.

I don't eat breakfast every day, but I eat a bigger lunch those days usually. As long as I know how many calories I am consuming in a day, it doesn't matter when I eat them.

Agreed. I think in the end it really doesnt matter when you eat them. It's all math. Whether you eat 1200 calories in the morning and none at night, or 0 in the morning and 1200 at night, or anything in between....it's all the same.

I have hypothyroidism and if I don't eat after taking my medication in the morning I get very sick. I always needed my breakfast and it gives me the energy to start my day. So nope I am not gonna skip my breakfast.