Not eating breakfast: Weight loss
Discussion
Anyone else do this?
After a bizarre fluctuation early last year, (when I unaccountably put on about a stone and then suddenly lost it again about 10 months later), I've generally weighed in at about 14st 4lbs for the past few years. Pretty healthy diet, well built, plenty of aerobic exercise. However, I usually eat massive portion sizes and so it was pretty obvious why the weight was staying on.
Come January, I decided to skip breakfast each day. Essentially (albeit unintentionally) I'm following an 8:16 fasting regime with all my eating done between noon and 8pm. Lunch and dinner are pretty much the same as they always have been. Lunch can often be a pretty big meal because the choice at work is good, although I generally have slightly smaller portions then before in the evening, mainly because since starting this regime I don't feel the need to eat huge portions at that time of day. But I will have a big bowl of soup with some bread, or a big bowl of pasta. Snacks? The odd one when I get back from work but probably a single slice of toast or a small chunk of cheese, just to keep the pangs at bay. And maybe a bit of cheese or fruit for desert (although since I've discovered Waitrose cappuccino mousse I've been like a smack addict)
Progress so far? Weighing in consistently at 13st 3lbs. If I cut out the bread and carbs I'd would probably drop below 13 without any effort.
Seems to be working for me, then. Do I feel hungry in the morning? Yep, now and then but a cup of tea or coffee sorts me out.
Thoughts, or am I ruining myself?
After a bizarre fluctuation early last year, (when I unaccountably put on about a stone and then suddenly lost it again about 10 months later), I've generally weighed in at about 14st 4lbs for the past few years. Pretty healthy diet, well built, plenty of aerobic exercise. However, I usually eat massive portion sizes and so it was pretty obvious why the weight was staying on.
Come January, I decided to skip breakfast each day. Essentially (albeit unintentionally) I'm following an 8:16 fasting regime with all my eating done between noon and 8pm. Lunch and dinner are pretty much the same as they always have been. Lunch can often be a pretty big meal because the choice at work is good, although I generally have slightly smaller portions then before in the evening, mainly because since starting this regime I don't feel the need to eat huge portions at that time of day. But I will have a big bowl of soup with some bread, or a big bowl of pasta. Snacks? The odd one when I get back from work but probably a single slice of toast or a small chunk of cheese, just to keep the pangs at bay. And maybe a bit of cheese or fruit for desert (although since I've discovered Waitrose cappuccino mousse I've been like a smack addict)
Progress so far? Weighing in consistently at 13st 3lbs. If I cut out the bread and carbs I'd would probably drop below 13 without any effort.
Seems to be working for me, then. Do I feel hungry in the morning? Yep, now and then but a cup of tea or coffee sorts me out.
Thoughts, or am I ruining myself?
Funnily enough exactly the same as you. I consistently weigh about 91kg - 92kg, I did 16:8 about three years ago for the whole summer and I dropped to 84.5kg, which in stones is more or less identical to you. Hunger pangs were bad at first but not too bad after a few days. I ate between 11am - 7pm.
I think it is fairly sustainable. But I'm now back at 91.5kg and might start doing it again.
I think it is fairly sustainable. But I'm now back at 91.5kg and might start doing it again.
Been doing this for a couple of months, not every day but most, to be honest I get hungrier before lunch if I do have breakfast, seems to be working, just have black coffee before lunch or water.
It saves a few hundred calories and means I can eat fairly well the rest of the day and stay around 2000 calories.
It saves a few hundred calories and means I can eat fairly well the rest of the day and stay around 2000 calories.
HappyMidget said:
mcelliott said:
5% you sure?
maybe 6% on a bad dayFor me I find breakfast is the most necessary meal of the day, get it wrong and I'm struggling all day.
I've come down 33lbs since the start of the year, it's a low carb diet so a big part of that has been the full fat greek yogurt with crushed nuts for breakfast which sees me through to lunch easily.
I guess like most things you find what works for you and stick with it
I've come down 33lbs since the start of the year, it's a low carb diet so a big part of that has been the full fat greek yogurt with crushed nuts for breakfast which sees me through to lunch easily.
I guess like most things you find what works for you and stick with it
Big breakfast makes no sense to me. I train 11-12 noon then eat my first meal after that. Last meal before 8pm. So 16/8 with fasted training.
I'm not one for a diet based around the whole "we are all cave men" approach but the notion that, after lying in bed for hours, you you need to get up and consume loads of food is very odd to me.
I have my biggest meal after exercise then an afternoon small meal and medium size tea. Snacks on top (in those hours) if needed.
I'm not one for a diet based around the whole "we are all cave men" approach but the notion that, after lying in bed for hours, you you need to get up and consume loads of food is very odd to me.
I have my biggest meal after exercise then an afternoon small meal and medium size tea. Snacks on top (in those hours) if needed.
Breakfast is good. Unless you're into storing calories overnight you should be pretty empty in the morning. This is ok if you want to do cardio and burn some fat as your blood glucose will run out pretty quickly. For weight training though you need some carbs. Studies say for mental dexterity you need breakfast, especially if you're young. Whether eating breakfast or not is helpful for weightloss depends on how calorie heavy the breakfast is. The theory is that after a moderate breakfast you don't consume anywhere near as much for lunch. Miss breakfast and have a big lunch and the inevitable insulin spike will help blood sugar get to the cells but this can also can lead to fat storage.. and serotonin release will make you drowsy. Not ideal for that visit to the gym to help with your weight loss plans. So if you're a disciplined kind of person that has plenty of energy through the morning and can keep to a calorie controlled lunch after skipping breakfast then that's great. Most people aren't.
J4CKO said:
How are you measuring that, pretty impressive but based on what I heave read it is only pro Bodybuilders that have that low a BF percentage and only generally when building up to a competition, not really something that can be sustained long term.
Day to day tracking just use the scales, but was calipered a while back and that was within about 1% of what the scales said.Unfortunately this is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by the BB world. Anyone can stay between 5 & 10% BF quite easily, getting below 5% to the 3-4% required for a BB comp is the hard bit whilst still trying to retain muscle mass. Unfortunately, only the BB world really cares about measuring low BF% so the data is skewed towards what myths they perpetuate. The usual routine to bulk up is to Bulk and Cut, with people eating far in excess of what they need in the bulking phase, leading to a large gain in BF as well.
HappyMidget said:
Day to day tracking just use the scales, but was calipered a while back and that was within about 1% of what the scales said.
Unfortunately this is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by the BB world. Anyone can stay between 5 & 10% BF quite easily, getting below 5% to the 3-4% required for a BB comp is the hard bit whilst still trying to retain muscle mass. Unfortunately, only the BB world really cares about measuring low BF% so the data is skewed towards what myths they perpetuate. The usual routine to bulk up is to Bulk and Cut, with people eating far in excess of what they need in the bulking phase, leading to a large gain in BF as well.
At 5% body fat, you're either incredibly skinny, or stage ready for bodybuilding. 5% BF is basically skin over muscle- you'd look incredibly ripped (or skinny)Unfortunately this is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by the BB world. Anyone can stay between 5 & 10% BF quite easily, getting below 5% to the 3-4% required for a BB comp is the hard bit whilst still trying to retain muscle mass. Unfortunately, only the BB world really cares about measuring low BF% so the data is skewed towards what myths they perpetuate. The usual routine to bulk up is to Bulk and Cut, with people eating far in excess of what they need in the bulking phase, leading to a large gain in BF as well.
Either way, it's not a healthy place to stay.
didelydoo said:
At 5% body fat, you're either incredibly skinny, or stage ready for bodybuilding. 5% BF is basically skin over muscle- you'd look incredibly ripped (or skinny)
Either way, it's not a healthy place to stay.
Fairly skinny but haven't died in 33 years of being like this and suffer no health issues from it so your last point is complete and utter bEither way, it's not a healthy place to stay.
ks. I've never been a fan of breakfast as such. Maybe when I'm away skiing, I'll have a bircher muesli or some cheese and ham but usually I'll just have a coffee (flat white or latte type) and that'll do me till lunchtime.
I'm also trying to follow LCHF rather than paleo, and generally it works well for weight management but I do occasionally give in to the large bags of paprika Ruffles crisps at the local spar.
I'm also trying to follow LCHF rather than paleo, and generally it works well for weight management but I do occasionally give in to the large bags of paprika Ruffles crisps at the local spar.
Think the testing machine had a glitch 
Even elite male athletes training almost every day of the year rarely get sustainably below 6-10% body fat.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/188526-what-is-t...
Even elite male athletes training almost every day of the year rarely get sustainably below 6-10% body fat.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/188526-what-is-t...
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