Do we really need breakfast?

[anonymous-user]

I could do with dropping a few kgs but don't have a weight problem as such, more that I overeat and it turns me into a zombie, tired and sleepy and with a real brain fog that impacts on my work and personal life.

I've found that skipping breakfast and only having maybe a hot chocolate at 11 to stave off hunger, lunch at half 12ish, maybe a snack in the afternoon and normal (fairly big) dinner leaves me much brighter and feeling more energetic, and I don't feel the need to get 20 minutes kip at lunchtime any more. When I ate breakfast before work I would be eating constantly all day, and generally eating more because I'd start craving more carbs.

I used to think that my body needed the kickstart of breakfast (generally cereals or porridge) but I seem to be doing okay without it. I know the thing about 'people who skip breakfast find it harder to lose weight' but is that because they just end up eating more later in the day, or is there something special about eating first thing in the morning that I'm missing out on?

[PWeston]

Short answer: No.

Breakfast being the "most important meal of the day" is unfounded drivel. The "need" for breakfast most people have is purely a habit and they could wean themselves off it in a couple of weeks (allowing for hormonal adaption). They'd save money and time each morning as well as benefiting their health...win win!

Skipping breakfast has obviously improved your insulin sensitivity (hence no tiredness after your lunch) and as such you're massively less likely to ever develop type 2 diabetes. Google "intermittent fasting" - there's loads of info out there. Most people advocate 16+ hrs/day of fasting. I've been doing this 7-8 years now and could never go back to three square meals a day. In fact I'll routinely not eat until evening with little to no hunger cravings during the day.

[hondafanatic]

PWeston said:

Short answer: No.

Breakfast being the "most important meal of the day" is unfounded drivel. The "need" for breakfast most people have is purely a habit and they could wean themselves off it in a couple of weeks (allowing for hormonal adaption). They'd save money and time each morning as well as benefiting their health...win win!

Skipping breakfast has obviously improved your insulin sensitivity (hence no tiredness after your lunch) and as such you're massively less likely to ever develop type 2 diabetes. Google "intermittent fasting" - there's loads of info out there. Most people advocate 16+ hrs/day of fasting. I've been doing this 7-8 years now and could never go back to three square meals a day. In fact I'll routinely not eat until evening with little to no hunger cravings during the day.

Not just me then! I haven’t had breakfast during a working day for decades. And I don’t have lunch either... my work colleagues think I’m nuts and it’ll make me ill. My weight is totally stable and I tend to have a guilt free evening meal as I’ve had zero calories during the day.

I did challenge myself to water fasting for a while to see if I could do it... I’d stop eating on Sunday afternoon and would just have water until Thursday evening... did this for two months while at work. Just kept lots of breathe spray and brushed my teeth often

[Hoofy]

I normally have a large cup of coffee with a couple of spoonfuls of oats thrown into it. Probably amounts to 100kcals if that but keeps me going from the moment I wake up until lunchtime.

[PWeston]

hondafanatic said:

Not just me then! I haven’t had breakfast during a working day for decades. And I don’t have lunch either... my work colleagues think I’m nuts and it’ll make me ill. My weight is totally stable and I tend to have a guilt free evening meal as I’ve had zero calories during the day.

I did challenge myself to water fasting for a while to see if I could do it... I’d stop eating on Sunday afternoon and would just have water until Thursday evening... did this for two months while at work. Just kept lots of breathe spray and brushed my teeth often

I've done 5 days of just water once before. I actually felt fantastic by the end and wasn't really hungry at all. My skin has never looked clearer and a minor dermatological issue I had totally disappeared. Fasting is a potent tool for cell-repair and yet it amazes me how ignorant most people are regarding it. The mounting evidence for it's effectiveness at preventing (and even curing) cancers I would have thought would be getting more attention.

[Hoofy]

5 days! Were you on a hunger strike or something?

[PWeston]

Hoofy said:

5 days! Were you on a hunger strike or something?

I did for a bit of a challenge more than anything. I think nothing of 2 days without food so thought I'd see how 5 went. I reckon a week would be pretty achievable but I am not sure of any marginal health benefits over 5 days.

Interestingly, after a good meal on the evening of day 5, I lifted the morning of day 6 and was strong as ever. Zero strength loss from 5 days without food.

[hondafanatic]

PWeston said:

hondafanatic said:

Not just me then! I haven’t had breakfast during a working day for decades. And I don’t have lunch either... my work colleagues think I’m nuts and it’ll make me ill. My weight is totally stable and I tend to have a guilt free evening meal as I’ve had zero calories during the day.

I did challenge myself to water fasting for a while to see if I could do it... I’d stop eating on Sunday afternoon and would just have water until Thursday evening... did this for two months while at work. Just kept lots of breathe spray and brushed my teeth often

I've done 5 days of just water once before. I actually felt fantastic by the end and wasn't really hungry at all. My skin has never looked clearer and a minor dermatological issue I had totally disappeared. Fasting is a potent tool for cell-repair and yet it amazes me how ignorant most people are regarding it. The mounting evidence for it's effectiveness at preventing (and even curing) cancers I would have thought would be getting more attention.

Insomnia was the only drawback for me. I was so full of energy... I think skipping meals is a bigger psychological issue for people to get over than anything physical.

I’ve heard so often from colleagues that they couldn’t survive without breakfast and lunch. Errr yes you can. You won’t die. Just keep the fluid levels sensible and you’ll be fine.

[hondafanatic]

PWeston said:

Hoofy said:

5 days! Were you on a hunger strike or something?

I did for a bit of a challenge more than anything. I think nothing of 2 days without food so thought I'd see how 5 went. I reckon a week would be pretty achievable but I am not sure of any marginal health benefits over 5 days

I could go further but like you it felt marginal how much more benefit there was. I would still cook meals for the family although I’d have something very plain for the first meal. I imagine if you’d have a fat greasy burger you’d be seeing it very quickly again.

[budgie smuggler]

I've done 7 days of water (+ electrolytes and vitamins) fasting, then 5 days the next week, and 5 days the following week. Lost a lot of flab, a bit of strength (approx 10% on my squats), bit of top end speed on the wattbike, generally felt great. After the first two days, I didn't feel hungry at all really.

I will readily to being absolutely hooked on sugar and carbs, but I found it pretty easy to be honest. No real will power required after the initial couple of days. Felt like I could have gone longer as well. It's mostly family events etc which meant I had to end my fast. I didn't want to sit there in a restaurant not eating

[Gary29]

I used to have a light breakfast, and then skip lunch and train after work, then eat a normal sized meal around 7pm, weight fell off, I felt great.

Do whatever you want as long as it's working for you.

[jimPH]

I do it the other way, small breakfast, lunch, then nothing in the evening. Seems to suit me better.

I do morning cardio before breakfast, so I look forward to it after my workout.

[Hoofy]

I guess I shouldn't ask how much muscle was lost as a result of such a fast?

[dandarez]

I do!!

I've related this before many times. I had skipped breakfast on a few occasions, but on this one morning I did it again everything went wrong that could. In fact, it became a dangerous condition on the day. Wake up late, so mad rush, no time for breakfast - cleaned my teeth and had a drink that was it. In the car, 20 mile drive. All fine until a few hundred yards from work. Traffic lights. I look both ways as lights change... wtf! my head drops - whoa, what the hell is going on. I struggle to hold my head upright, I grip wheel and I drive(!) as quick as I am able to the car park. Open door and simply roll onto the car park tarmac. Somehow I get inside and cut long story short, I'm driven (head between my knees as I can't sit upright without blacking out) to my docs (yep, miles back. I actually felt like I was a GP's look at me, no idea what's wrong. Ambulance is called. Blue lighted back where I just came from (area)! Medic who funnily was a old school pal said 'your heart's fine, so you're not dying!'. Hospital. Seen by several docs. No ideas. Hmm. I've led there for some time when a junior doc comes along and asks what's up with me? No idea, but I can't sit up nor stand. He makes me sit up and I keel over. 'Have you had a blood test? Nope. Right. He comes back, takes a sample and disappears. Few mins later he comes back all joyous. 'I know what's wrong with you!' 'hypoglycaemia.' 'Tell me what you've done this morning...' I rushed out because I was late for work and drove here - I work just up the road.' 'What did you eat?' 'Nothing.' 'BINGO! that's it.'
He calls nurse to arrange for me to have some food - it was damp cucumber and soggy cheese, but I ate it. All! Half an hour later I walked out of the hospital and to work as if nothing had happened.

Today. I bet my licence would have been handed in, I'd probably be 'diabetes 2' suspected or something. It was all down to (doc said) blood sugar being low when you wake up and I'd needed something (as simple as breakie) to bring it back up to where it should be.

And as said I have never missed breakfast since. Not once, 35 years on!

Of course, doesn't mean to say anything will happen if you do miss breakfast. But that was as scary as hell for me. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if it had been the week prior when I had been doing a fair bit of motorway driving?
I'd missed breakie before and nothing had happened. But if a risk is there, and you can eliminate it so easily, why not?

[sas62]

Lots of stuff on the web on the 8 hour diet where you only eat noon till 8pm. Seems to work for a lot of people.

[skilly1]

I have been doing one meal a day for a 6 weeks now. Started from a comment on Pistonheads and though I would give it a try to loose weight.

You can eat whatever you want in your one meal (within reason). I general eat main course, cheese, biscuits bit of chocolate (all the healthy stuff!). The idea is unlike a diet where you restrict food types and you get fed up after a while, with this you just eat what you want so you don't have cravings.

I have lost half a stone and don't get overly hungry now throughout the day. You can only drink water, coffee or tea but no milk during the fast and no food of any type, (inc fruit) or chewing gum etc.

I have since joined the Facebook page 'One meal a day', loads of success stories on there, including people who have got rid of type 2 diabetes. The issue I have is all the negativity from friends, family and partner. They think its madness and I will become ill. However I have now moved from obese to overweight and will hopefully be in the normal range in 2 months if I keep it up.


I generally do a 22hours fast and 2 hours eating window. However I'm not that strict, so I still got the pub 1-2 times per week and If having a meal or day out with friends I will eat as normal.

Edited by skilly1 on Monday 9th April 12:35

[FocusRS3]

So basically all this “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is BS.

I don’t care for breakfast during the week when I’m at work but will eat at weekends oddly enough .
It’s become routine at work for some reason and I don’t feel I suffer for it .

For me small amounts of food during the day and a big meal of an evening works better.

My only issue is trying to stay off the booze prior to dinner or stuffing chocolate afterwards .

I’d like to try a 5 day fasting period just as a test to see if I could do it .

I remember a story some years back of a guy in his 70’s that was as fit as a fiddle playing tennis 4 times a week that hadn’t eaten solids for ten years . He had instead survived on vitamin drinks and supplements.

[bloomen]

FocusRS3 said:

So basically all this “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is BS.

Almost all information about diet, exercise and most other things health related eventually turns out to be BS. I find it mind bending in this day and age that all 'advice' is still worthless.

I don't eat until 4-5 hours after waking up. It's so late by then that it's not technically lunch, let alone breakfast.

[BoRED S2upid]

Hoofy said:

I normally have a large cup of coffee with a couple of spoonfuls of oats thrown into it. Probably amounts to 100kcals if that but keeps me going from the moment I wake up until lunchtime.

Coffee and oats now that’s hardcore. Anew take on a smoothie.

[skinnyman]

I generally don't have breakfast, I just can't be arsed, I'll have a black coffee then have my shower and crack on with the day. I don't feel hungry, and I'll sometimes skip lunch too. However, on the odd day I do have breakfast, I find myself hungry a few hours later, and I tend to eat way more than the days that I don't have breakfast.

Mate of mine is trying a fasting diet, doesn't eat Mon/Weds/Fri. Says it's brilliant, he feels better, has more energy, and is dropping weight despite not paying massive attention to what he eats. Still does light gym sessions on his fasting days too. Plus, he's saving money.