Talk to me about skipping breakfast

[LunaLoveg00d]

I'm not a breakfast person at all. I have to have my coffee in the morning first thing but never feel hungry until about midday. Today I was working 9-1 so just had coffee before I went in, nothing while I was working and lunch when I came home. (A disgusting asian nourish bowl from M&S, but that's another story).

The conventional wisdom seems to be that you MUST have three meals a day when trying to lose weight. I use MFP to track calories, surely if I'm still having the same number of calories over two meals rather than over three it doesn't matter??

[Spam88]

I'm not really sure on this... I think a lot of the evidence to say eating breakfast is better is because people who don't tend to snack more and make unhealthier choices later in the day because they're so hungry. So I would think as long as you're still eating sensibly for your other meals and aren't munching your way through a pack of biscuits during the morning then it would probably make no difference? There may be more to it than that though...

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

I use MFP too, and I rarely eat breakfast because I was utterly miserable and frustrated with trying to spread 1200 cals across 3 meals - none of the meals were satisfying and unless I stayed constantly busy, I was always hungry. I started skipping breakfast, didn't miss it at all (and felt no less energetic), and was much much happier being able to have 2 decent sized, healthy meals and a couple of healthy snacks.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I haven't eaten brekkie since I left home! I never miss it-in fact, I think it makes me hungrier if I eat it.

The only time I miss it is when it's cold enough to scrape ice off the windscreen and I've got an early start. My poor empty stomach complains a bit then..

1200 isn't all that much and I think you DO need to ne quite discriminating about how and when you eat. And come lunchtime you're properly hungry.

[NannyR]

I too, used to think that three meals a day was the best thing for weight loss, however I'm having much more success pushing breakfast back to late morning or missing it out altogether. There is evidence that fasting 16 hours and eating for 8 is good for regulating your blood sugars. I also find that when I wake up I'm not that hungry, I'm okay with a coffee, I naturally start to feel hungry about 12 ish (having eaten my evening meal at 8ish the night before), however if I eat a breakfast early on that seems to flick the hungry switch in my brain and I'm craving nibbles and snacking on biscuits etc all morning. If I don't eat breakfast I don't have those cravings.

I tend to have a good lunch at 12.30, a substantial protein snack about 4pm then evening meal at 8pm. That works for me.

[LunaLoveg00d]

Well so far today I've had two M&s ready meals and three thorntons chocolates, nor terribly healthy but a treat. Wee bit peckish now but still have 265 calories to have if I want them - slice of toast with a banana later and I'm sorted.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

Love me an M&S ready meal, so it's all good from where I'm sitting, Luna

Also, when it comes to eating breakfast, I find it leaves me feeling really sluggish afterwards no matter what I have. I function much better after a cup of coffee and some sparkling water with a lemon squeezed into it - I feel awake and refreshed.

[Limewithorange]

Eating breakfast is about keeping blood sugars levels consistent. It's also thought that having breakfast stops you picking at food before your next meal and helps you make better choices for your next meal. I've dieted all my life and have had success followed by failure followed by success and I honestly don't acknowledge that there is any difference in the amount I eat. If I'm not on a diet but don't have breakfast I'll still eat 3 sandwiches like I would if I'd had breakfast. I guess I don't feel so hungry. I actually fare better without breakfast as I can then have a supper snack which I prefer when counting cals.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

It's not skipping breakfast it's 16:8 fasting!

[Tilliii]

I eat mindfully. So if i am not hungry then i dont eat. I only eat when i am hungry, food also tastes amazing that way.

[morningafterglow]

I discovered 16:8 fasting and it's a revelation after years of feeling like I ought to be forcing down cereal etc 'most important meal of the day'. So long as it's not making you inhale cake at 11am it's definitely a way of eating that can work for some people.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I like the idea of 16:8 fasting! My body seems to do this naturally, and it seems I'm not the only one. I too seem to have a "switch" that goes on if I eat something.

Most important meal of the day....pfft.

[Bluntness100]

No, don't eat it except on hangover days and holidays, not hungry so not gonna force myself!

[TheMortificadosDragon]

There was an experiment in which a group of people who usually ate breakfast skipped it, and a of group who usually didn't eat it had some. The result was that both groups lost weight. Presumably they were eating more mindfully.

I think a lot of the old 'evidence' for breakfast being good was either based on children (different needs to adults) or not taking into account whether it was skipping breakfast but then having unhealthy elevenses - chaotic eating.

Some days I have breakfast, some I don't. I rarely want it first thing. I'm having a bit now because I've got an exercise class late morning, won't be home again till about 1pm.