How important is breakfast?

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  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
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    Im never hungry first thing in the morning and im awake from around 6.30am. It can make me feel sick sometimes if I try and eat so I wait till my tea break in work around 10am and have cerial, fruit ect then
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
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    If you make small changes you will find you will be hungry in AM.. I was the same So to jump start my metab in morning I started drinking Shakeology for breakfast, Not only did I know an increase in energy levels but less of that brain fog.. and even when I would get home in afternoon I wasn't drained. :) GOOD LUCK

    I'll give 10:1 odds this is a beachbody coach.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    To me, science or not it makes sense to eat breakfast. Your body needs fuel to function properly, metabolism, blood sugars, insulin levels, brain activity.... etc. Why would you not fuel yourself for the morning???

    Because you body is remarkable at using stored energy to fuel itself when you haven't eaten. You think the human species has survived for hundreds of thousands of years getting up eating a bowl of frosted flakes for breakfast?
  • SusanLovesToEat
    SusanLovesToEat Posts: 218 Member
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    Seems like everyone is different. I've never eaten breakfast even as a kid. I've tried to start eating breakfast at several different times in my life but found it made no difference to my hunger at lunch and only added additional caloreis to my day (who knew high protein muesli had 500 cals a cup!).

    This said I don't exercise in the morning so I find I don't need it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Based on my personal experience, it's not important at all to me. I've gone years without eating breakfast and didn't gain weight. Now I have a cup of soy milk in the morning and that usually holds me till lunch. If I get hungry more than 1 hour before lunch I'll grab an apple or granola bar. If I don't then I wait till lunch to eat something more.

    Whether breakfast is important really comes down to whether it's important to you. If you need it to stay on track, then it's important. If you don't want it and can stay on track without it, then it's not important.
  • EmRobo
    EmRobo Posts: 146 Member
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    I need breakfast but I think it is also now psychological for me

    If I don't eat it I am not too hungry till lunch time, if I do eat it and I am hungry mid morning -weird!
  • MinnesotaManimal
    MinnesotaManimal Posts: 642 Member
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    Of course, you needn't heed what I say. But I do work in a state department of health and have learned about all there is to know about health and nutrition.


    Hi! Im from the government and we are here to help
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Breakfast is of absolutely no importance whatsoever.
  • afigueroa_pr
    afigueroa_pr Posts: 344
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    This is all from my personal experience.
    I was never a big breakfast eater. For most of my life I just skipped it!
    When I decided to lose weight, I always worked out in the morning because that's the only time I can squeeze a workout. If I don't eat breakfast I tend to be tired all day. So I decided to force feed myself at least something during the morning.
    Now I can't go a day without eating breakfast, or else I feel horrible.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Of course, you needn't heed what I say. But I do work in a state department of health and have learned about all there is to know about health and nutrition.


    Hi! Im from the government and we are here to help

    LOL... ^^^
  • mmarcy7
    mmarcy7 Posts: 227 Member
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    I think it depends on the individual. I personally have to have breakfast. I always used to eat a bowl of cereal. I stopped eating grains now, so I have a protein shake first thing in the morning. I am always more hungry earlier in the day and could easily eat a big breakfast and lunch and then skip dinner.
  • mtaylor33557
    mtaylor33557 Posts: 542 Member
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    I usually have something small, otherwise I'm starving by lunch. This way, I don't overeat or make bad decisions at lunch time. I generally have something like a 3 oz yogurt, a peice of fruit, a special k bar. I rarely, if ever have an entire meal at breakfast. But, having a little something even if I don't feel super hungry at the time, gives me the ability to go until lunch and then not be so famished that I eat at the first drive through I see on my way home.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    It is my understanding, scientifically, that you actually DO need to eat breakfast. This is not about whether or not you are hungry. And it is not about allotting calories.

    Your body burns calories all day long and in order to remain healthy you need to replenish those calories.

    Think about it. You burn calories while you are sleeping. Say you don't eat from 6pm until Noon the next day. Do you realize that you just deprived your body of nutrients for EIGHTEEN HOURS?

    Breakfast IS physiologically important because you need to provide your body with nutrients. Remember, your body doesn't go into starvation mode just because you're hungry and not eating. Your body goes into starvation mode because you're depriving it of nutrients. And starvation mode can start within 10 hours or less.

    Even if you don't eat a lot, eat something. A banana. A handful of grapes. A half a grapefruit. Just something.

    And btw, just like there are people who have a problem "turning off the switch" to eating, there are likewise people who have trouble "turning on the switch". So this is maybe something you should investigate further and maybe even talk to your doctor or a certified nutrition specialist about it. You SHOULD be hungry when you wake up in the morning. It's a natural physiological state. You have trained yourself not to be. I suggest working towards training your body back to normal.

    Of course, you needn't heed what I say. But I do work in a state department of health and have learned about all there is to know about health and nutrition.


    Thank you so much for this lolgasm. You made my day.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    It's not important. Meal timing is irrelevant.

    Exatly this - it's the major thing I've learnt over the past few years. Some people still believe that eating after 9pm means that the food just turns to fat and isn't burnt off during the night!

    I miss breakfast sometimes when I'm not hungry - save those calories for when I'm starving. If I can't function because I haven't 'broken my fast' then my body will tell me to eat something!
  • meowalissa
    meowalissa Posts: 7 Member
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    agreed :)
  • Veerobillard
    Veerobillard Posts: 7
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    I have no science to back up the following facts, all I can speak to is MY experience. Like you, I used to never eat breakfast. I never used to be that hungry in the morning, because I used to eat at night and whenever I felt like it basically. This lifestyle allowed my weight to creep up to 270. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, so I decided to change through diet.

    Since starting on this weight loss journey a little over 2.5 months ago, I've been eating my Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast religiously. I find I can get by with a small low carb salad for lunch because of that, and then a normal healthy dinner (protein and lots of veggies and water.). Then, nothing to eat after 7 pm. This way..... I find I am once again hungry in the morning, and I look forward to eating my breakfast and starting my day again that way.

    So 12 weeks into this new way of eating, and I've lost 43 pounds so far, using very moderate exercise (walking 2 miles each night). I'm at 227 and I feel great. I'm continuing to do this, and will start to re-introduce more of the foods I've been avoiding (high starch foods: banana's etc.) in an effort to slow down the weight loss as I approach my goal (190).

    For me....breakfast is a HUGE part of my strategy. Without it, I would be more likely to be really hungry at lunch time, and then binge at dinner time. And Steel Cut Oatmeal (not rolled oats), is a winner in my books.

    Good luck in your journey.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If you don't eat breakfast you will die!

    True statement! But then, I'm pretty sure you'll also die if you eat it.
  • londoneye
    londoneye Posts: 192 Member
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    I have no science to back up the following facts, all I can speak to is MY experience. Like you, I used to never eat breakfast. I never used to be that hungry in the morning, because I used to eat at night and whenever I felt like it basically. This lifestyle allowed my weight to creep up to 270. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, so I decided to change through diet.

    Since starting on this weight loss journey a little over 2.5 months ago, I've been eating my Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast religiously. I find I can get by with a small low carb salad for lunch because of that, and then a normal healthy dinner (protein and lots of veggies and water.). Then, nothing to eat after 7 pm. This way..... I find I am once again hungry in the morning, and I look forward to eating my breakfast and starting my day again that way.

    So 12 weeks into this new way of eating, and I've lost 43 pounds so far, using very moderate exercise (walking 2 miles each night). I'm at 227 and I feel great. I'm continuing to do this, and will start to re-introduce more of the foods I've been avoiding (high starch foods: banana's etc.) in an effort to slow down the weight loss as I approach my goal (190).

    For me....breakfast is a HUGE part of my strategy. Without it, I would be more likely to be really hungry at lunch time, and then binge at dinner time. And Steel Cut Oatmeal (not rolled oats), is a winner in my books.

    Good luck in your journey.

    Agree with all of the people who say that it doesn't matter when you eat, physiologically, in THEORY.

    BUT The National Weight Control Registry has identified that one of the key things that people who have lost weight and kept it off in the long term have in common is that they eat breakfast.

    RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES:
    A cross-sectional study in which 2959 subjects in the NWCR completed demographic and weight history questionnaires as well as questions about their current breakfast consumption. All subjects had maintained a weight loss of at least 13.6 kg (30 lb) for at least 1 year; on average these subjects had lost 32 kg and kept it off for 6 years.

    RESULTS:
    A large proportion of NWCR subjects (2313 or 78%) reported regularly eating breakfast every day of the week. Only 114 subjects (4%) reported never eating breakfast. There was no difference in reported energy intake between breakfast eaters and non-eaters, but breakfast eaters reported slightly more physical activity than non-breakfast eaters (p = 0.05).

    DISCUSSION:
    Eating breakfast is a characteristic common to successful weight loss maintainers and may be a factor in their success.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    Something to bear in mind...
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
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    I have no science to back up the following facts, all I can speak to is MY experience. Like you, I used to never eat breakfast. I never used to be that hungry in the morning, because I used to eat at night and whenever I felt like it basically. This lifestyle allowed my weight to creep up to 270. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, so I decided to change through diet.

    Since starting on this weight loss journey a little over 2.5 months ago, I've been eating my Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast religiously. I find I can get by with a small low carb salad for lunch because of that, and then a normal healthy dinner (protein and lots of veggies and water.). Then, nothing to eat after 7 pm. This way..... I find I am once again hungry in the morning, and I look forward to eating my breakfast and starting my day again that way.

    So 12 weeks into this new way of eating, and I've lost 43 pounds so far, using very moderate exercise (walking 2 miles each night). I'm at 227 and I feel great. I'm continuing to do this, and will start to re-introduce more of the foods I've been avoiding (high starch foods: banana's etc.) in an effort to slow down the weight loss as I approach my goal (190).

    For me....breakfast is a HUGE part of my strategy. Without it, I would be more likely to be really hungry at lunch time, and then binge at dinner time. And Steel Cut Oatmeal (not rolled oats), is a winner in my books.

    Good luck in your journey.

    Agree with all of the people who say that it doesn't matter when you eat, physiologically, in THEORY.

    BUT The National Weight Control Registry has identified that one of the key things that people who have lost weight and kept it off in the long term have in common is that they eat breakfast.

    RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES:
    A cross-sectional study in which 2959 subjects in the NWCR completed demographic and weight history questionnaires as well as questions about their current breakfast consumption. All subjects had maintained a weight loss of at least 13.6 kg (30 lb) for at least 1 year; on average these subjects had lost 32 kg and kept it off for 6 years.

    RESULTS:
    A large proportion of NWCR subjects (2313 or 78%) reported regularly eating breakfast every day of the week. Only 114 subjects (4%) reported never eating breakfast. There was no difference in reported energy intake between breakfast eaters and non-eaters, but breakfast eaters reported slightly more physical activity than non-breakfast eaters (p = 0.05).

    DISCUSSION:
    Eating breakfast is a characteristic common to successful weight loss maintainers and may be a factor in their success.

    http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

    Something to bear in mind...


    cum hoc ergo propter hoc
  • wildboar1
    wildboar1 Posts: 88
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    Dr. Oz told me that eating breakfast will help me lose weight and keep me satiated throughout the day.

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