Breakfast. Is it really necessary?

I like to eat breakfast when I am hungry.

Well then. I'll have to tell my doctor and all the trainers I've spoken to that they are clearly wrong and you have corrected them. And now I know that my own experience with this was just a major hallucination on my part. Both the way my clothes fit, measurements and the scale. All in my mind.

He's referring to the fact that there have been a number of peer reviewed studies confirming the fact that the time of day you choose to eat your food and the number of meals you split your daily intake into has little to no physiological bearing on weight loss. There is certainly an argument that there could be psychological effects, but that lends itself more to a 'if you find it's easier for you to maintain your deficit doing it one way, do it that way, how you do it though doesn't really matter.

I'm not going to bother linking to specific case studies, honestly because I'm lazy. However, http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html has a pretty decent argument, and he put in the legwork of linking to said studies.

If what you're doing now works for you, by all means stick with it. That being said, if it's easier for someone to stick with their dietary goals by eating one huge meal at 830PM every day, that's what they should do too.

You're are so wrong. Eating later at night DOES matter. If it doesn't for you, you've been a lucky girl.
Cause it matters for me. My doctor has confirmed this and three trainers.

What works for you, may not work for others (and vice versa). Trainers are not nutrition experts and neither are a lot of doctors. But if these are trainers and a doctor you have been working with, then they are likely making recommendations for you, which is probably why they are working for you.

Hate breakfast - always have always will.

Due to the constant 'nagging' that it's the most important meal of the day I do now have a little breakfast every day, but only around 100 calories worth. It just doesn't make sense to me to have more because I am not hungry, I don't enjoy it and actually the idea makes me a bit sickly - over the years I have been losing weight (almost 4 now) I have tried to eat more, and it didn't help me lose any weight any way so I don't think it really makes any difference, for me at least.

i've always heard it's necessary in order to jump start your metabolism in the morning after the long fast overnight. i don't eat a huge breakfast, just like a yogurt or something.

I tend to regard each of us as an experiment of one, within certain constraints.

For me, breakfast makes for a more productive and energetic morning and eating three to four meals a day helps keep my energy levels up.

Others have different experiences.

I do agree with the calories in/calories out statements for weight loss though.

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Works for me.

I have to disagree with whoever said it's fine to eat all your calories together though... surely you get that post-meal digestive slump, or more to the point notice a downturn in mental agility when you're very hungry? Even if you're a low-carb eater, it must cause peaks and troughs in nutrients and glucose levels if you eat just one massive meal each day, plus the stomach distention previously mentioned?

Meal timing DOES NOT MATTER.

As a blanket statement, that is probably as untrue as saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

THANK YOU!!!

Not necessary as increased meal frequency does not offer a metabolic advantage. Breakfast and # of meals per day is a personal preference

So I can eat once a day? lol

Yes. You could eat your entire day's calories right before bed if you so wish, as long as you don't create a calorie excess.

This is so NOT true!!! And I hope no one listen to this. I have read and heard a million times that eating close to bedtime is not a good idea and can affect weight loss. I have found this to be completely true.

Many times I have had to eat some stuff before bed just trying to get in the calories I lack for the day. Big mistake! Every single time I have ever done this, my weigh ins were not good. I would either maintain or gain. Never lost!
I've been told it's because your spiking your sugar levels. I have also been told that the reason not to eat right before bed is because we use energy while sleeping. Therefore, calories burned over night. Not if you have food digesting.

So you think breakfast makes a huge difference to weight loss, and that eating late also affects weight loss?

Ok. Please, show me some peer-reviewed research to back up these claims that i am giving false information.

I don't need to hun. It's tried, tested and true. I've tested both theories on myself. I know what works for me. Not sure why you are trying to tell me it doesn't.

Not necessary as increased meal frequency does not offer a metabolic advantage. Breakfast and # of meals per day is a personal preference

So I can eat once a day? lol

Yes. You could eat your entire day's calories right before bed if you so wish, as long as you don't create a calorie excess.

This is so NOT true!!! And I hope no one listen to this. I have read and heard a million times that eating close to bedtime is not a good idea and can affect weight loss. I have found this to be completely true.

Many times I have had to eat some stuff before bed just trying to get in the calories I lack for the day. Big mistake! Every single time I have ever done this, my weigh ins were not good. I would either maintain or gain. Never lost!
I've been told it's because your spiking your sugar levels. I have also been told that the reason not to eat right before bed is because we use energy while sleeping. Therefore, calories burned over night. Not if you have food digesting.

I eat roughly 1/2 my daily calories just before bed every night. I met my goal last April, exceeded throughout the next few months and have maintained since. Actually, if my scale is correct I seem to have begun losing slowly again, though I haven't changed anything.

Then you're very lucky. That doesn't work for me. I spent months and months not losing because I ate late at night. Now that I don't, I drop weight consistently.