Breakfast jumps starts your metabolism? Explain that please.
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I'm like you..I need to eat often and a lot of protein otherwise I'm too sick and shaky to function.
EDIT: that was in reply to Suz btw0 -
If you skip breakfast and wait until later in the day, your body goes into starvation mode. This means that when you do eat after skipping breakfast, your body registers that it hasn't had food for a while, and being fearful that it won't get food again for a while, it goes into "starvation mode' and stores, instead of utilizes, the calories you consume. If you are exercising frequently, then this shouldn't be a big deal as your body will burn calories through exercise. It is helpful to eat breakfast though.0
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I've read so many times and places, that you should eat breakfast because it "jump starts your metabolism".... That it "breaks-the-fast". I just don't understand this mantra.
I've stopped eating breakfast for several months now, and my metabolism seems fine. I can still go out and run 6-8 miles on an empty stomach, I'm not "dragging @ss", and my weight hasn't suffered from it.
I'm not talking about feeling hungry or not, or feeling energized or not. If everyone marches by this cadence, what am I missing? How would I know if it didn't "jump start" my metabolism?
Blanket statements like this make the mistake of assuming that everyone's metabolism is the same. It's not. For some people (including myself), it is very important for them to eat something first thing in the morning. The body wants to remain in "sleep mode" unless it receives food to stimulate it to "wake up." Personally, I can't think straight until about 30 minutes after I've gotten some food in my belly. If I don't eat breakfast first thing, I stumble around & try to brush my teeth with facial cream or shut the cat in the closet. But other people don't have that problem at all, they can wake up & be instantly alert & energized.
For some people, their metabolism works best if they split up their calories among 6 small meals per day. Otherwise, their blood sugar keeps spiking & crashing. For other people, their bodies are more efficient in both storing and accessing calories. So they don't have to worry, they could eat all their daily calories in one sitting, just have one big meal a day and it would have no adverse effects on them, their bodies would automatically ration out the calories as needed.
If you're one of the lucky ones with an efficient metabolism, congratulations. Just do what works for you & don't worry about what does or doesn't work for someone else. Everyone's metabolism is different due to gender, age, genetic ancestry, hormonal cycles, all sorts of things. So just figure out what works for YOU, and go with it!0 -
Do i have to eat as soon as i wake up from a nap to jump start my metabolism too?
Do you nap for 6 to 8 hours? If so, yes. Because then there would be a "fast" to "break." After a nap it hasn't been 8+ hours since you last ate.0 -
I've been just thinking about the fact that I don't eat a whole lot during the morning. I'm wondering about eating more earlier in the day so that I have a chance to work more of it off with my exercise. I do stay on a much more even keel when I eat a little something here and there. If I don't eat right away, I can get busy doing other things and not eat until many hours later. I want to keep working off the food I'm eating with my activities and workouts.0
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To each his or her own, but I know if I don't eat breakfast, I'll probably pass out driving on my way to work. Unless I ate like a pig until midnight the night before, I'm RAVENOUS when I wake up. It's hard for me to do morning workouts (like running) on an empty stomach because, well, it just SUCKS. I do it anyways, though, especially when my Army does-PT-every-morning husband tells me to suck it up, lol.0
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I think the main goal should be to try to spread out your eating across the day more evenly. If I do not eat breakfast, tend to start foraging for anything edible until lunch, since my lunch time is at a specified hour of the day because of work. Hopefully, you're not eating in your sleep during that 7-9 hour break in the day. ;P It helps keep your body from bouncing between no food and LOTS of food to no food again. If you're fortunate to keep within your calorie count over the day even if you can put more distance between meals, count yourself lucky that the hormonal shift between normal and digestion doesn't kick you in the seat.0
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It may be true for some but its not true for me.
When I first started trying to lose weight I was doing just fine but being on the boards I kept reading the importance of breakfast, eat 3 meals a day etc so i started eating 3 meals a day and my weight loss slowed. Read on the boards that that is normal so carried on at a snails pace for quite a few months then I stalled. I've been losing and gaining the same few pounds for months and months now.
New year new determination so I decided to go back to what I was doing before, only eating when hungry. My eating generally starts around 5pm and carries on until bedtime...HEY PRESTO 3.9lbs in a week! My best weekly loss for about a year. I'm still eating the same foods and the same calories so why its made a difference is a mystery to me but I feel better eating this way. If I get hungry earlier I will eat but something small satisfies.
Its only been a week so maybe things will change but for now I reckon its a case of working with what my body needs/wants and not what the textbooks say. Just happy to have losses again...hope I haven't jinxed myself!0 -
I'm not positive, so please don't butcher my comments if I'm not perfectly clear....but from what I've always understood and read: I think eating breakfast jumpstarts you BMR. Your BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate ( I may be incorrect on what it stands for, but I think this is correct). This is the amount of calories your body burns when you aren't doing anything. So if you skip breakfast, you may still have energy to do things (ie- running), but when you aren't exercising, you may not be burning as many calories as you could be. For example, sitting at a desk...someone who ate breakfast will most likely be burning more calories than the one who skipped breakfast because the food gave them calories (energy) and their body is using that energy through the BMR since you aren't doing something else that will burn them off. I think it also explains why some people skip breakfast and aren't hungry until lunch. Yet others who eat breakfast are "starving" by mid-morning. Their body has been been burning more off than the one who skipped breakfast and so they feel hungrier sooner. Of course other considerations are resting heart rate and exercise is a factor there, but I think you can get the idea...0
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For me, eating a light, healthy breakfast and doing my morning exercise sets the "tone" for my day; It gets me off on the right foot so to speak. I also find that, for whatever reason, eating breakfast seems to help stave off the night eating.0
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It only matters if it personally helps YOU to lose weight.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.htmlSo here’s the take home:
■If eating more frequently makes it easier to control/reduce calories, it will help you to lose weight/fat.
■If eating more frequently makes it harder to control/reduce calories, or makes you eat more, you will gain weight.
■If eating less frequently makes it harder for you to control/reduce calories (because you get hungry and binge), it will hurt your efforts to lose weight/fat.
■If eating less frequently makes it easier for you to control/reduce calories (for any number of reasons), then that will help your efforts to lose weight/fat0 -
Eh. I don't really care what a study says - I eat as soon as I wake up because:
a) I'm starving
b) I've found eating right away and eating often helps keep my blood sugar level. A level blood sugar keeps me from binging.
I will say I never ate breakfast when I was overweight and had a serious binge eating problem. So, I truly believe for ME - it helps control that... which makes breakfast important to me.
The studies do not comment on preference, which is what you are talking about. It says simply that eating the same number of calories per day regardless of whether they are divided into separate meals or in one large meal or somewhere inbetween is all that matters. Simply put, if you eat the 1300 calories per day in one big meal, you'll lose just as much as someone who divides it up into multiple smaller meals. Of course, waiting to eat all your calories at dinner doesn't work for everyone, so that is really up to you.
I think, however, that there's a caveat to your logic. Sure, eating the same amount of calories regardless of timing or portion size/meal will still result in weight loss. However, I highly doubt anyone would actually prefer to eat their entire days worth of calories in one meal. It can be done, but generally speaking, at the risk of getting hungry, which usually results in overeating. I eat breakfast (and about 5 other small meals a day) so that I don't get hungry. Period. Getting hungry is pretty much the devil when it comes to trying to lose weight.0 -
Your BMR is the calories burned to keep you alive. It takes calories to power your heart, lungs, and so on. Believe me when I tell you that they are still working whether you eat breakfast or not. There is definitely no need to jumpstart your BMR.I'm not positive, so please don't butcher my comments if I'm not perfectly clear....but from what I've always understood and read: I think eating breakfast jumpstarts you BMR. Your BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate ( I may be incorrect on what it stands for, but I think this is correct). This is the amount of calories your body burns when you aren't doing anything. So if you skip breakfast, you may still have energy to do things (ie- running), but when you aren't exercising, you may not be burning as many calories as you could be. For example, sitting at a desk...someone who ate breakfast will most likely be burning more calories than the one who skipped breakfast because the food gave them calories (energy) and their body is using that energy through the BMR since you aren't doing something else that will burn them off. I think it also explains why some people skip breakfast and aren't hungry until lunch. Yet others who eat breakfast are "starving" by mid-morning. Their body has been been burning more off than the one who skipped breakfast and so they feel hungrier sooner. Of course other considerations are resting heart rate and exercise is a factor there, but I think you can get the idea...0 -
Eh. I don't really care what a study says - I eat as soon as I wake up because:
a) I'm starving
b) I've found eating right away and eating often helps keep my blood sugar level. A level blood sugar keeps me from binging.
I will say I never ate breakfast when I was overweight and had a serious binge eating problem. So, I truly believe for ME - it helps control that... which makes breakfast important to me.
The studies do not comment on preference, which is what you are talking about. It says simply that eating the same number of calories per day regardless of whether they are divided into separate meals or in one large meal or somewhere inbetween is all that matters. Simply put, if you eat the 1300 calories per day in one big meal, you'll lose just as much as someone who divides it up into multiple smaller meals. Of course, waiting to eat all your calories at dinner doesn't work for everyone, so that is really up to you.
I think, however, that there's a caveat to your logic. Sure, eating the same amount of calories regardless of timing or portion size/meal will still result in weight loss. However, I highly doubt anyone would actually prefer to eat their entire days worth of calories in one meal. It can be done, but generally speaking, at the risk of getting hungry, which usually results in overeating. I eat breakfast (and about 5 other small meals a day) so that I don't get hungry. Period. Getting hungry is pretty much the devil when it comes to trying to lose weight.
There are some people on MFP and other places that only eat once or twice per day and do not get "hungry" cravings. It's not me, but I know some of my contacts are like this.0 -
Your BMR is the calories burned to keep you alive. It takes calories to power your heart, lungs, and so on. Believe me when I tell you that they are still working whether you eat breakfast or not. There is definitely no need to jumpstart your BMR.I'm not positive, so please don't butcher my comments if I'm not perfectly clear....but from what I've always understood and read: I think eating breakfast jumpstarts you BMR. Your BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate ( I may be incorrect on what it stands for, but I think this is correct). This is the amount of calories your body burns when you aren't doing anything. So if you skip breakfast, you may still have energy to do things (ie- running), but when you aren't exercising, you may not be burning as many calories as you could be. For example, sitting at a desk...someone who ate breakfast will most likely be burning more calories than the one who skipped breakfast because the food gave them calories (energy) and their body is using that energy through the BMR since you aren't doing something else that will burn them off. I think it also explains why some people skip breakfast and aren't hungry until lunch. Yet others who eat breakfast are "starving" by mid-morning. Their body has been been burning more off than the one who skipped breakfast and so they feel hungrier sooner. Of course other considerations are resting heart rate and exercise is a factor there, but I think you can get the idea...
If you need to jumpstart your BMR, that might require the use of a defibrillator.0 -
I find eating breakfast only spurs me to want to eat all day long and stay hungry. If I wait until lunch to start my eating regiment I'm fine. It is just an individual thing IMO.0
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It's too much of a general statement. For me personally, it's less about the timing than the quality of the food. If I get up and eat a bowl of cereal with milk and banana slices, I'll be starving in a couple hours so it seems like eating breakfast is a waste of calories - yet when my mother eats that same breakfast, she's good for hours. BUT if I eat 2 or 3 eggs with some toast, I'm good for hours. Everyone's different...do what works for you.
As far as weight loss goes, the only benefit I've noticed is that if I eat a good filling breakfast, I have more energy for my mid-morning workouts and I'm less likely to be hungry later. When I used to skip breakfast (when I was fat), I'd be hungry and snack all afternoon, usually on junk. It's definitely not the only reason I was fat though...0 -
Eh. I don't really care what a study says - I eat as soon as I wake up because:
a) I'm starving
b) I've found eating right away and eating often helps keep my blood sugar level. A level blood sugar keeps me from binging.
I will say I never ate breakfast when I was overweight and had a serious binge eating problem. So, I truly believe for ME - it helps control that... which makes breakfast important to me.
The studies do not comment on preference, which is what you are talking about. It says simply that eating the same number of calories per day regardless of whether they are divided into separate meals or in one large meal or somewhere inbetween is all that matters. Simply put, if you eat the 1300 calories per day in one big meal, you'll lose just as much as someone who divides it up into multiple smaller meals. Of course, waiting to eat all your calories at dinner doesn't work for everyone, so that is really up to you.
I think, however, that there's a caveat to your logic. Sure, eating the same amount of calories regardless of timing or portion size/meal will still result in weight loss. However, I highly doubt anyone would actually prefer to eat their entire days worth of calories in one meal. It can be done, but generally speaking, at the risk of getting hungry, which usually results in overeating. I eat breakfast (and about 5 other small meals a day) so that I don't get hungry. Period. Getting hungry is pretty much the devil when it comes to trying to lose weight.
There are some people on MFP and other places that only eat once or twice per day and do not get "hungry" cravings. It's not me, but I know some of my contacts are like this.
I used to be like that, until I realized I wasn't eating enough... Now I eat enough calories, and I noticed when I've gone too long without eating (usually more than 3 hours) i.e. I get hungry, really hungry. Loss of or poor appetite is sometimes a result of not eating enough.0 -
Many studies and nutrionists show that eating breakfast is important to metabolism and weight loss. Even if it's something very small, like a bar, string cheese and an apple, etc. will be beneficial to kickstart your day until your first meal.
Again confirmed as I read in The eat-Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno - National Weight control registry found that those who shed 30 pounds of weight or more did so with the help of eating breakfast.
I never ate breakfast but I know better, so in my current diet testing theory of eating breakfast and eating smaller meals every 3 hrs.0 -
My husband can and does. :laugh:
I think they say the breakfast thing cause you have gone 7 plus hours with no fuel so when you wake up in the morning, you need to eat something. I don't know anyone who naps for 7 plus hours :happy:Do i have to eat as soon as i wake up from a nap to jump start my metabolism too?
Everyone who keeps pointing out that the thin people they know eat breakfast are making me giggle a bit. My husband is one of the thinnest people I know(naturally) and he rarely eats breakfast. If he gets up at 7am he won't decide he's hungry until almost 10:30. But he also snacks late into the night. So I think it's all different for different people. I've never believed that having breakfast would jumpstart my metabolism, but it can keep you from over eating later.0
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