Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

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.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Against all perceived wisdom I have been losing weight by skipping breakfast

77 replies

PacificDogwod · 09/11/2015 22:11

I had a week of immense stress and no routine earlier during the summer due to a significant upset and lost my appetite for a few days. All is better and there is certainly nothing wrong with my appetite, but I have found I can very easily not have breakfast (which used to be quite a carb-heavy cereal affair), not feel hungry until lunch time and I have lost 2 stone in the last 2 months or so. And 2 dress sizes, more importantly

I am eating well and healthily and am as active as I've always been. Maybe slightly more so as we now have a dog who needs walking whether I want to or not…

So, is there anything wrong with this?
In my eyes all I am losing out on is starchy carbs and sugar

OP posts:

Original poster

PacificDogwod · 18/11/2015 21:17

I have breakfast in the evening for supper

Oooh, that might be a plan going forward!

I think with not having my usual breakfast cereal I've also cut down on carbs and that has helped not just in reducing calories but also reducing 'hunger'/appetite/craving.

Still drinking though

OP posts:

Original poster

PacificDogwod · 24/11/2015 23:37

I found this site - v interesting reading.
I had not idea there is such interest in radically different diet advice

OP posts:

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 24/11/2015 23:51

I feel validated by all the PPs who prefer not to have breakfast. I never used to until about 6 years ago. On breakfast days, I'm awfully hungry. It does just seem to wake my appetite up. I feel much better with just an egg, half an avocado, or nothing. I might go back to it. Would be a lot less of a rush in the morning.

Seeyounearertime · 24/11/2015 23:56

Do it telephone, come to the non brekkie darkside....

talkinnpeace · 25/11/2015 15:29

Breakfast is only essential for the breakfast food industry

The big set of research that said that breakfast was essential was funded by Kelloggs

3 meals a day is a modern Western construct.
Our bodies do not need it
same as we do not need to snack

only the food industry needs us to eat several times a day.

If you choose to eat twice a day or once a day, and do so in a mindful manner and it helps you stay a healthy size, go for it.

talkinnpeace · 25/11/2015 15:30

PS Many 5:2 fans combine it with 16:8

Ie they skip breakfast 5 or 6 days a week and skip lunch as well 2 days a week or have a very small lunch
and then have nice big supper so they sleep well

I've been doing it for over 3 years and never plan to stop

ChipsandGuac · 25/11/2015 15:32

I don't eat breakfast either. If I go out for lunch, I skip dinner too as I'm just not hungry. Otherwise, lunch at around 1 and dinner at 7. Works for me.

Dowser · 09/12/2015 12:18

It was probably put out by Kellogg's or the bacon council or whatever.

I often do wake up hungry. Every breakfast I have a two egg onion omelette. This can be anywhere from 8-30 to 12!

Certainly wouldn't thank you for cereal horrible icky stuff.

Protein all the way for me.

Dowser · 09/12/2015 12:19

Cross posted

SquadGoals · 11/12/2015 19:20

I also can't eat breakfast - I normally can't face food in the mornings and if I do eat, it awakens the hunger beast inside.

I've been low carbing this week, having huge salads at 12.30-1pm, snack of berries and full fat yoghurt at 5.30pm, gym at 6pm and dinner of meat and veg/salad at 8pm.

So far, I've lost 2.8kg since Monday.

raisin3cookies · 22/12/2015 03:32

I fell into this habit over the summer and although I was losing weight before, I really lost inches quickly once I stopped eating my carb-laden breakfast. Like others, eating a carby breakfast (all I ever really did) just opened the floodgates for extreme hunger and bad food choices for the rest of the day.

Embarrassingly, I've noticed a significant savings in our weekly shop because I'm not stuffing my face with cereal, toast, etc all morning.

IonaNE · 28/12/2015 20:24

I'm another one who does not eat breakfast - I agree it only wakes up your appetite. If I do eat breakfast, even if it's protein, I am starving by 10 am, whereas otherwise I go easily till lunch at 1.

My rationale, btw is that I like to have a proper cooked meal in the evening, which comes to about 6-800Kcal. Then I watch telly or read, then I sleep, and none of these activities would use up 6-800 Kcal until the morning, so why would my body need more fuel? It still has the fuel from last night.

When arguing with the "Breakfast like a king..." party, my favourite is when they say: "but if you don't eat breakfast you'll eat more for lunch". I work in an office, there is no canteen, you eat what you brought in with you. Do these people mean I would go into the staff fridge and eat others' lunches?!

peachypips · 28/12/2015 20:53

So glad I found this thread! I have been dropping breakfast since Sept 1st and I have lost a stone. Two more to lose. I like talkinpeace 's idea of then dropping lunch too twice a week. This makes it sound much more doable than naming it the 5:2 diet - I then obsess about counting the 500 calories and I am absolutely not doing that- it makes me give up.
From Jan 1st I shall be dropping two lunches a week as well as dropping breakfast every day. Whoop!

maybemyrtle · 29/12/2015 20:58

I suspect the logic comes from a time when breakfast was not a sugar and carb fest. Bacon, eggs etc are unlikely to wake up appetite in the same way that bread or cereal does.

I don't tend to eat breakfast and can get to mid afternoon before needing something, it varies during the month though. I still need to lose a stone however so clearly skipping breakfast alone doesn't necessarily work :)

Ledkr · 01/01/2016 15:14

I am quite excited by this concept.
I wake up hungry so eat breakfast but on rare occasions that I don't I find the hunger goes very quickly.
It's true that brekkie is pretty carby.
I wonder if some berries and yogurt or some carrots and hummus at about 11 would be ok as I often feel snacky around then.

Movingonmymind · 01/01/2016 15:18

Good for you- though it's both ancient and v up to the minute wisdom, just not textbook! Fab for your blood sugar levels etc and great way to avoid unnecessary food. Within reason, don't eat if not hungry, especially breakfast.

ApplesinmyPocket · 01/01/2016 15:47

Agree with 'don't eat unless hungry' and I'm never hungry in the mornings and haven't eaten breakfast for literally decades.

My weight is normal and stable so I'm not about to add in an extra meal at a time I don't want one.

Breakfast might be "the most important meal of the day" if you struggle for energy early on, or if you'd feel hungry later or snack all morning if you didn't have it, but that just isn't true for many people.

AppleAndBlackberry · 01/01/2016 16:00

Ooh I think I might try this. Willpower is low at the moment and I need to lose about a stone. I think I could manage to skip breakfast relatively easily.

MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 01/01/2016 16:02

The people I know who don't eat breakfast tend to eat later into the evening - is this the case with you non-breakfasters?

I always eat breakfast but I am never hungry after supper (main evening meal) which is usually finished by 6pm. If i had to wait until lunch to eat I would be very hungry!

Movingonmymind · 01/01/2016 17:33

Sometimes. Can see ehy you nay be hungry first thing if you stop at 6pm. I try vaguely to have an 'eating window' in my head wach day, depending on what am doing. So typically eat between say 10am - 7/8pm. Fasting/body resting in berween. Fadting sounds acary but if you're fiexible about it - letting it work around you, not vice versa- it really isn't.

CremeDeSudo · 05/01/2016 11:37

I was intrigued by this thread and as I always have breakfast first thing almost out of habit. I remember that when I was a teenager I wouldn't eat breakfast as it made me feel sick and I was also the slimmest I've ever been despite struggling with my weight since junior school age!

I was started my diet yesterday I thought I'd see how long I could go before I was actually hungry. Yesterday I ate at half 12 and today I'm still feeling fine! Quite excited about this! Of course if I'm hungry I'll eat, but I'm genuinely fine on 2 cups of tea!

Am doing the 5:2 diet and on the non-fast days am doing 16:8/eating reasonably healthily. I'm also hoping to stick to the 'only eat when hungry' mantra! Wish me luck!

Kinvale · 07/01/2016 08:43

I don't eat brekkie. As a child my parents struggled to get me to eat in the mornings. As an adult I just don't eat until 1pm. On the rare occasions that I feel hungry I have a piece of fruit. Normally a coffee sorts me out. Lunch is at 1 then dinner at 7.30ish once home from the office and back from a run. Before anyone starts yes I run almost every night on only 500 cals consumed all day. I fee fine though and have done for years doing that. It might make other people unwell but we are all different

Kinvale · 07/01/2016 08:44

Sorry meant to add... I then have healthy dinner in the evening. Works for me 😀

hugoagogo · 07/01/2016 10:56

I would struggle without breakfast, I am most hungry in the morning and at lunchtime.

I rarely eat after 6pm, I wonder if there's a corellation? My dm for instance never eats breakfast, rarely eat's lunch and then eats a large meal in the evening followed by cheese biscuits! This would make me ill and miserable. ( she is not slim)

We are all different.

AmserGwin · 07/01/2016 21:17

I'm going to start doing this! I never used to have breakfast until I had children, and got into a routine of mealtimes. I eat just for the sake of it, one was to cut calories without trying

Flip

1 2 3 4