Not Eating Breakfast

[LadyHedgehog]

So when I go into the office, I usually have a banana or a pastry or a porridge and a coffee when I get in - somewhere between 9 and 10 - because I feel hungry. Then lunch is somewhere between 12:00 and 2:00 depending on meetings/workload etc. Weekends I tend to have an early lunch/brunch type meal and then an evening meal.

However, in lockdown I am pretty sedentary (trying to get out for walks/do some exercise but in reality I only actually manage it twice a week or so). I don't really feel hungry until lunchtime. I have a coffee when I start work (8:30-9:30) and don't eat until lunch. Is this okay? I was brought up with the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" spiel, but I have never been comfortable eating first thing (I often feel sick if I try to), hence my usual routine.

Is it okay to skip breakfast/ just have a coffee?

Yes I think it's fine - you are essentially suggesting doing the 16:8 (8 hour eating 'window' followed by a 16 hour fast, usually done by skipping breakfast and eating between 12 -8pm or similar. This is getting increasingly popular and there's little/no evidence it harms weight loss at all. Albeit there's not much evidence it massively helps either, basically it's inconclusive but certainly the strong "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" thing is not universally true, for some people it seems to be but for others def not. There's a whole thread on 16:8 over on the intermittent fasting board if you are interested...

If you feel skipping or delaying breakfast leaves you more wiggle room for food later in the day while sticking to your overall calorie allowance then go for it, why not. Just keep an eye on yourself, make sure you drink some water even if not eating and if you do get hungry before your planned lunch have some healthy food on standby as I think the evidence which does support 'breakfast is essential' is basically showing that where people do feel hungry mid morning, if they've skipped breakfast they are more likely to end up reaching for sugary/carby snacks, which then sets them off on a bad path of sugar crashes followed by more sugar/carbs the rest of the day. But plenty of people (me included) never or rarely eat breakfast and manage fine until lunch, if anything I find eating breakfast makes me eat more not less, so if that anec-data supports you anyway .

I rarely have breakfast. It helps me maintain my figure and it's basically 16:8. It's what works for you.

I can only ever stick with calorie-counting is to skip breakfast so I have enough calories for the end of the day when I am actually hungry. I don't think it's a problem if it works for you.

Breakfast shmekfast.

I was brought up in a 'big-boned' family who totally bought into breakfast being the most important meal of the day. I was told I'd be weak and ineffective and faint if I didn't stuff my face as soon as I woke up.

It wasn't until I started college when I had to travel and kept missing breakfast to get the bus on time that I started to realise it was a load of tosh. I felt fine, better actually. No fainting, no 'ineffectiveness'. I thought it was just me until I read somewhere that the idea of breakfast being the most important meal of the day was popularised by a company selling breakfast foods.

Nowadays I have a glass of water first thing followed by a coffee shortly after. If I get peckish around 11 I might have some nuts but usually I wait until lunch. I'm 7 stone in a family whose average weight is > 17 stone. I'm sure it's not just breakfast, but I have to say I view it with suspicion!

I only eat breakfast on holiday in nice hotels. Never at home. I try not by eat at all before 12 or 1pm. I don’t find it hard, I keep busy in the morning and don’t notice the time go by. I do think it really helps as otherwise breakfast kickstarts my appetite and I want to carry on munching all morning.

@SophieDahling

I only eat breakfast on holiday in nice hotels. Never at home. I try not by eat at all before 12 or 1pm. I don’t find it hard, I keep busy in the morning and don’t notice the time go by. I do think it really helps as otherwise breakfast kickstarts my appetite and I want to carry on munching all morning.

Same. I do drink tea and drink water or juice but if I eat early I'd be wanting lunch at 10am

Don't worry about breakfast - Kellogs started this "information" to flog breakfast cereal. Strangely it was about this time that the population started to get fat!

I do 16:8 and never eat breakfast, makes me feel ill if I do.

I feel so much clearer when I dont eat breakfast.