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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Skipping breakfast to lose weight...

29 replies

gotredonyou · 05/12/2014 13:21

Does anyone do this? I'm normally not hungry in the morning but force myself to eat something (porridge/eggs/muesli etc) which tends to make me hungrier mid morning!

I was thinking I could skip breakfast which would hopefully reduce my daily calories leading to weight loss?

OP posts:
BIWI · 05/12/2014 13:26

There's even a name for this - it's called Intermittent Fasting!

Just beware that it doesn't leave you hungry, so that you dive into the biscuit tin at 11.00 ... Grin

Waitingonasunnyday · 05/12/2014 13:29

I am never hungry before 11.44am. However if I have breakfast, I'm starving by 10am. I am always lectured by people at work doing slimming world. They say I am abusing my metabolism and will hoard fat. But they don't seem to notice that they are overweight by lots, and I am a normal weight, so I don't really think they know what they are talking about.

Original poster
gotredonyou · 05/12/2014 13:41

I was always told that you had to have breakfast to 'kickstart' your metabolism...but I thought weight loss was just calories in v calories out?

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 05/12/2014 17:17

Breakfast is only essential for the manufacturers of breakfast

LOTS AND LOTS of people who are slim skip meals : as then it makes the remaining ones more fun

so long as a skipped meal is surrounded by healthy meals there is absolutely no reason to eat breakfast
I have not had breakfast on a week day for over 30 years

( long before I discovered intermittent fasting )

DialsMavis · 11/12/2014 16:28

I've given up breakfast, I used to make myself eat something and was hungry all day. I had a patch of having no time at all in the morning and got sick of bananas so went without for a few days. Now in not hungry until around 1pm. I often have a mid morning soya latte though which I think is pretty filling.

Today I have had loads of water and a veg soup (with loads of chunks of veg in). I'm hungry now because I'm bored at work, but will have nice balanced dinner.

BIWI · 11/12/2014 19:24

It's a total fallacy that weight loss is about calories in vs calories out!

And I suspect that the message about kickstarting your metabolism might have come from the cereal manufacturers - although I have no proof of that!

But lots of people manage quite happily without breakfast and, as you say, if you're not hungry then why have the calories?

Micah · 11/12/2014 19:28

Why is it a total fallacy that weight loss is about calories in and calories expended?

clary · 11/12/2014 19:34

I never eat breakfast. I am just not hungry at 6.45 am (when I would need to eat it IYSWIM) and I am easily able to go till lunch at 12.50.

I am a teacher tho so very very busy all morning - when I worked in an office it was much harder. I figure I am saving the calories. When (rarely) I do eat something, I find I am hungrier at 10am than ever before.

I do IF and find that I am snacky in the early evening so I save my calories for then.

PrimalLass · 11/12/2014 19:34

I'm doing 5:2 so do believe in calorie restriction. I'm not great with breakfast, no matter what I have I feel yukky afterwards. Two enormous cups of coffee is enough.

specialsubject · 12/12/2014 20:18

Biwi do show us the evidence that weight loss is NOT about calories in versus calories out. If you've got real science (clinical trials on a large scale, double blinds etc) for this, you'll make a fortune.

OP - if you don't feel hungry and aren't hell to be with due to not eating for many hours, eat when you want. It's not when, it is how much. Unless Biwi shows otherwise.

BIWI · 12/12/2014 20:44

All calories are not the same. This is widely acknowledged.

Weight loss is a complicated matter - made even more so by people who are trying to sell you weight loss plans. As specialsubject will agree, as this is what s/he bangs on about relentlessly.

Read this for one explanation as to why calories are not all the same.

Which is also why it isn't as simple as calories in/calories out.

Personally I would always argue that if you're not hungry then you don't need to eat. (Always assuming that you have a normal/not dysfunctional relationship with food, of course)

TalkinPeace · 12/12/2014 20:51

A calorie is a calorie
what differs is how your body handles the format of the calorie

a calorie of sugar is a doddle to process onto the back of the hips

a calorie of celery less simple : so your body plays with it for longer, resulting in weight loss during the time taken

specialsubject · 12/12/2014 21:58

...but the difference is TINY.

different foods are indeed metabolised differently. But it is still calories in versus calories out. Otherwise would there be fat people? (with the exception for those with medical conditions, on certain drugs etc)

weight loss is NOT complicated. Eat properly, move more. No money in those four words.

proof otherwise please - I'm listening.

sorry for 'banging on' about facts. Too many are 'banging on' about non-facts which is how the diet sellers make money. Easy money - but I do have some standards.

TalkinPeace · 12/12/2014 22:05

special
you and BIWI are both right

watching Michael Buerk on I'm a Celeb proved your point
BUT
I know of people who consume less than their TDEE - but all in junk calories that the body can store PDQ so they look flabby despite being malnourished

for effective weight loss it is essential to understand the difference between nutrition and calories

gin and tonic provides calories
vegetable stir fry provides nutrition
IYSWIM

specialsubject · 13/12/2014 12:07

well yes, obviously.

although the endless 'will xx scammy diet work?' proves that sadly it is not obvious to a lot of people.

ppeatfruit · 13/12/2014 13:01

Talkin Is right of course. Also we are all different and react to foods in different ways. DH often skips breakfast but has a large coffee instead; he is 4 stones heavier than me and I eat a highly nutritious fruit smoothie for my breakfast. But he loses weight when he cuts coffee and has a high protein low carb breakfast.

I have never counted a calorie or eaten 'diet' foods\drinks and I lost nearly 3 stone with Paul Mckenna and am maintaining.

I eat when I'm hungry so if you're not hungry in the morning, it's better to have plenty of water and eat when you ARE hungry.

BiscuitsAreMyDownfall · 13/12/2014 13:19

I have found in the past that when I have eaten breakfast I have been a particular weight, but as soon as I decide to start skipping it I lose weight rather quickly. The opposite is true if I start eating breakfast again.

I dont count calories anymore, but sometimes I do have a quick look at the odd item. Mainly if Im picking up food on the go, I will try to pick up something that is a bit less in calories.

I try to just not eat if Im not hungry. I still need to work on stopping eating when Im full, but it doesn't work like that all the time for me. My own fault I know. Im not usually hungry till 11ish most of the time now. Even then I know I can wait till lunch.

ppeatfruit · 13/12/2014 13:23

That's funny Biscuits I put on weight if I eat after 7ish in the evening. And always lose weight, and feel less hungry in the morning too (when I don't eat late) strange isn't it?

specialsubject · 13/12/2014 20:54

observational effect caused by other factors.

there HAVE been studies done into the 'eat late, put on weight thing'. There is a very tiny effect related to the time you eat food. If you are a mouse.

BiscuitsAreMyDownfall · 13/12/2014 21:53

So special if I want to eat at 10PM I can then? I am trying to lose weight (at a slow pace as I don't have the commitment to lose it really quickly) so avoiding eating anything after 7PM (apart from Saturday's)

BiscuitsAreMyDownfall · 13/12/2014 21:54

Obviously I'm only talking if I am hungry

TalkinPeace · 13/12/2014 22:03

If you are hungry at 10pm the bigger issue is why ?
Because if youhave eaten healthily once during the day and once in the early evening then you should not be hungry again until the following morning

unless you are incredibly lean, you are storing a good 10,000 calories (ie best part of a weeks rations) across your tummy and hips

BiscuitsAreMyDownfall · 13/12/2014 22:27

yep Talkin I am definitely storing a good bit extra across my tummy and quite possibly my hips Grin, hence the fact that I am currently still trying to lose weight. It's just that every so often I feel hungry late at night, about once or twice a month so not often. It's probably when I've either had a light dinner or had a bad dinner. I've not taken too much notice when it occurs other than going to bed hungry, but still in the morning I don't feel hungry till late morning.

TalkinPeace · 13/12/2014 22:31

biscuits
a glass of hot milk will sate late night hunger just fine Smile

ppeatfruit · 14/12/2014 10:00

Specialsubject I just go by me and my family and have noticed (and we're not mice) that if we eat late we get fatter, simples.

It's not that I eat late as a rule but when it has been unavoidable I've always felt hungrier in the morning than I usually do.

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