[BadgerHut]

Has anybody found a good reason to either eat or not eat breakfast daily?

I usually don't get up early enough to get breakfast in before work, so I often skip it, and do a brunch-type thing for weekends. I don't think I've noticed any ill effect, but curious what others' experiences are. (I don't do coffee either so I'm usually not putting anything but water in my body until lunchtime.)

I'll note two points of pop-science:

On one hand, I'm told (from a Jordan Peterson video) that eating a big, fat/protein-heavy breakfast is a hedge against anxiety. I tried going hard on the bakey-eggs, and maybe it helped me focus a bit at work but maybe that was just the effect of the discipline itself.

On the other, I saw Rhonda Patrick on Joe Rogan's podcast talking about time-restricted eating and saying that 11 hours is a good window, which for me would cover lunch, dinner and a late snack but NOT an earlier breakfast.

[The Catalyst]

I believe ultimately you should test- if you skip breakfast(or eating in general) and you feel "low" but feel better when you eat- you should just eat. However nothing wrong with skipping it if you don't feel anything.

Skipping breakfast is IF- IF is a stressor(like exercise), but can be good.

[The Beast1]

Jury's out. I used to do IF and a morning work out without breakfast. Just drank some tea without sugar.

Nowadays, I still eat a breakfast but it's very light and quick. Go out to the store, buy some cottage cheese, baked beans, oatmeal, and milk. It takes 5 minutes to prep that meal and is easy to go down because it's mostly semi-liquid.

[MajorStyles]

Years ago, I was teaching English to a group of Chinese students. When I asked them what they had for breakfast, they all said the same thing: milk and bread. And, as you might imagine, they all were skinny.

Recently, I adopted this Chinese model and I've been very happy with it. A glass of almond milk with a piece of bread, and then I bounce out the door. It's just enough to satiate my appetite and give me energy for the morning. And moreover, it really does not move the digits on the scale.

So I vote for a small breakfast...almost a snack, essentially. This is, in my opinion, superior to eating nothing, as well as eating too much (pancakes, eggs, etc.).

[BadgerHut]

(12-17-2017 11:26 AM)MajorStyles Wrote:  

Years ago, I was teaching English to a group of Chinese students. When I asked them what they had for breakfast, they all said the same thing: milk and bread. And, as you might imagine, they all were skinny.

Recently, I adopted this Chinese model and I've been very happy with it. A glass of almond milk with a piece of bread, and then I bounce out the door. It's just enough to satiate my appetite and give me energy for the morning. And moreover, it really does not move the digits on the scale.

So I vote for a small breakfast...almost a snack, essentially. This is, in my opinion, superior to eating nothing, as well as eating too much (pancakes, eggs, etc.).

Sounds like their cultural view of breakfast is "a thing you eat to get your body started for the day." I'd put the continental breakfast in that category.

Other cultures seem to view breakfast as a dining experience in its own right, or a social event (think of the English breakfast which is like a steak dinner, or American brunch culture, or the "working breakfast" or reading a full-length newspaper while munching away).

I would bet that people who value their time are in the former category and view breakfast as nutritional delivery for a purpose, combined with maybe a ritual to get the discipline booted up. Then again, juicing takes a good 20-30 minutes.

[RatInTheWoods]

The Russians have a saying:

Breakfast is for you (eating early is good for you)
Lunch is for your friends (lunch if for socialising)
Dinner is for your enemies (dinner makes you fat)

[Dulceácido]

Eat breakfast, Dude. It's fundamental to starting your metabolism. You'll burn more calories through the day if you've eaten breakfast, which, by the way, means that exercise in the morning--as opposed to the evening is more beneficial.

[Chetthebaker]

Team breakfast here.
When I was in my 20s I never ate breakfast, wouldn't eat until 2 or so. I think it's one of the things that destroyed my digestive system.

Lately I've been working a day job for the 1st time in awhile. I started out eating breakfast at home before leaving, eggs and rice/GF bread, or a hot cereal with fruit preserves and butter. Then I tried just bringing the hot cereal since I could make it the night before and save time, but then I ate breakfast much later.
For some reason I feel much better if I eat before I go in. I'm not sure why, but I do. Either way I always eat breakfast. Those odd weekend days where I sleep in and don't eat til 12:00-1pm, I just don't feel as well.

[Steelex]

If you wanna get jacked, eat breakfast.

[Duke Main]

Different people have different needs. The benefits of intermittent fasting have been proven, but there are right ways and wrong ways of doing it. I heard Tim Ferriss recently remark that when he's in ketosis he doesn't need breakfast, otherwise he does. Do we have any RDs on here? If you want to dig in to the science of diet here's a short list of bloggers/researchers I've found interesting.

Dominic D'Agostino (big keto guy)
Rhonda Patrick
Denise Minger (debunks the China Study)
Terry Wahls (MD who treats her own MS with diet)
Lierre Keith (went from vegan to paleo)

[Thomas the Rhymer]

I was told by a nutritionist that 90% of people don't wake up hungry and eat breakfast more as a ritual than anything else.

I was surprised this this, because I wake up hungry.

Apparently, if you wake up hungry, you should eat breakfast; but if you don't wake up hungry, you shouldn't have anything representing a substantial meal.

The nutritionist explained that it's natural not to feel hungry in the morning, because in hunter-gatherer days you usually would only have food available towards the end of a day's work.

I'm not sure how accurate his opinions are on the breakfast thing but it's something to ponder. I wake up hungry and I have to eat. But I've spoken to some people and there are indeed people that eat breakfast even though they don't really feel hungry in the morning.

[Ruslan]

^^ Recently I have read a book that states importance of timing of meals. The gap between supper and breakfast should not be longer then 15 hours as body "goes" into saving mode. Also it advices to delay breakfast for 2-3 hours after waking up. Once digestive system is activated by first meal it will demand another one. All this attests the idea of intermittent fasting; 12 hours feeding window is good enough. It also denies the need of eating every 2-3 hours but encourages long breaks between meals as it will prevent one to become more insuline resitant. There is also psychological argument for that. One would never feel satiated having 2.5k calories broken in 5 meals, therefore making the whole process more strugglesome. The book is only in polish as far as I know. Here is the link: http://2xme.pl The photos of man and woman popping out are of the authors.

When I used to wake up at 4:30AM to get ready for 6AM physical labour I did eat breakfast right away after cold shower. It worked really well that time, as I was very active throughout the day; finishing work at 2PM then gym at 3, either tennis for 2h or bball for 2h at 6PM (30mins walk to court). Second meal used to be at 10AM containg 2 brown toast and of 6, up to 12 fried eggs, depending how hungry I was. Third meal: chicken breasts, rice, salad with extra virgin olive oil. Last meal: 150-200g curd cheese with cinamon, black pepper and honey. Nowadays, I do not work and eat breakfast late sticking to 3 meals a day. Most of mornings I spend on reading. Waist and weight stays the same. All it comes down to how you feel; energy, mood, boners etc. One way to check what works for you and what does not is to follow Steelex in his cutting thread .

Quote:

I don't snack I eat the same thing every day. Remove the variables.

[ElFlaco]

(12-18-2017 03:28 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

I was told by a nutritionist that 90% of people don't wake up hungry and eat breakfast more as a ritual than anything else.

I was surprised this this, because I wake up hungry.

Apparently, if you wake up hungry, you should eat breakfast; but if you don't wake up hungry, you shouldn't have anything representing a substantial meal.

If you're used to eating breakfast, you wake up hungry.

If you're not used to eating breakfast, you don't wake up hungry.

It can take as little as a few days for your mind and body to adjust to not having breakfast.

Don't give too much importance to hunger signals. Studies on fasting show that hunger can come in waves. You can feel hungry at 8am but by 10am it's gone, even though you haven't eaten (especially if you've had coffee).

[Truth Tiger]

I agree with Thomas and IF in general. Has worked for me (blood type O hunter gatherer). I usually aim for at least 12 hours and more like 14 hrs between dinner and 'brunch.' It can vary on if I'm recovering from an intense workout / sport activity or just in maintenance.

Drink a glass or two of water on waking. Add lemon to help detox your liver and alkalize your blood.

I avoid gluten / bread / wheat as much as possible as modern wheat is NOT healthy, whether labeled 'organic' or not. It was hybridized in the 1970s with wild strains that now caused or exacerbated gut dysbiosis, multiple sclerosis (as Terry Wahls has healed herself from), and pretty much every auto immune disease you can name.

I'm also anti-bean as they're also hard on the gut but some types can tolerate them okay.

A few medium boiled eggs, some natural uncured pastrami, and a little ghee / clarified butter are my staple starter meal.

Any liquids should be 30 min before eating or 60 min eating to allow full digestion and absorption.

Kombucha is a great way to get beneficial bacteria. The 'Bu' brand at whole foods is low sugar and really pleasant. I also like GT Dave.

I think juiced vegetables (with little fruit) are best had in afternoon or early evening, not first thing but see what your body responds to well. You shouldn't need they much fuel first thing in the morning if you ate well at supper and got enough sleep. Lack of sleep triggers hormones that increase hunger cravings.

I am a fan of salmon sashimi and every other day will have 'sake' sushi (salmon sashimi over sushi rice). The husk from brown rice can irritate the stomach and gut lining. White rice is pure glucose, good fuel for your muscles in recovery. Sometimes I will also have sashimi for brunch.

Smachnego!

[General Stalin]

100% dependent on your personal goals and lifestyle. I would say it is generally to your benefit to get some good calories in your body soon after you wake up unless you are specifically on a weight-loss sort of regiment. I can't think of a good argument against eating an early breakfast unless you are intentionally trying to fast.

[TooFineAPoint]

I've found that I lose weight easier when I eat breakfast almost immediately upon waking (something like a hard boiled egg, a stick of celery, and a cup of black coffee).

I've also found that when I restrict my eating window to 11am-8pm I don't feel hungry or poorly at all, I save money on food, and I keep or gain muscle mass much easier. But I find it hard to lose weight quickly.

So if your body responds in any way like mine, I recommend early breakfasts to shed belly fat and IF to maintain. Assuming the food you do eat is reasonably healthy (grass fed meat, fresh veggies, etc).

[ProGambler]

Apparently limiting your food and non-water drinks to a 9 hour window per day increases your muscle mass compared to otherwise.

[theCatSaysMeow]

I am a strong believer in IF. Skipping breakfast make my day so much easier. I do miss having breakfast some days. I do allow to have brunch sometimes as long as it is within my feeding period. The key is to maintain a consistent fasting period in order to not over eat or under eat.

[gracy]

(12-17-2017 04:04 AM)BadgerHut Wrote:  

Has anybody found a good reason to either eat or not eat breakfast daily?

I usually don't get up early enough to get breakfast in before work, so I often skip it, and do a brunch-type thing for weekends. I don't think I've noticed any ill effect, but curious what others' experiences are. (I don't do coffee either so I'm usually not putting anything but water in my body until lunchtime.)

I'll note two points of pop-science:

On one hand, I'm told (from a Jordan Peterson video) that eating a big, fat/protein-heavy breakfast is a hedge against anxiety. I tried going hard on the bakey-eggs, and maybe it helped me focus a bit at work but maybe that was just the effect of the discipline itself.

On the other, I saw Rhonda Patrick on Joe Rogan's podcast talking about time-restricted eating and saying that 11 hours is a good window, which for me would cover lunch, dinner and a late snack but NOT an earlier breakfast.

Sir don't skip breakfast, As far for my knowledge you should your day with heavy breakfast, if you want you can skip after meals.

[Bushido]

Eating breakfast (especially a carb heavy one) fuels insulin resistance in a lot of people. There is a fundamental difference in how your body responds to food at different times of the day. I'm switching to IF.

"Breakfast is a dangerous meal" - great book on the topic by a medical doctor who lays out the scientific arguments.

[heavy]

Try different things. You'll know what works for you.

Something potentially good didn't work:
It's like morning workouts for me. I know they're a good thing. I know many who say the results from that type of discipline is awesome. But I hate it. I tried it for a month or two and hated it. Maybe someday, but for now I can't.

Something good did work:
I cut refined carbs and sugar out for a while (mostly) just to try it. Specifically, no more pasta ever. A few months later I ate a lasagna at a family thing, felt like shit for hours after. It changed my life. I realized that sick full feeling was simply inflammation from refined carbs. Nowadays I eat less refined carbs, and it's not because of discipline, it's because I don't want to feel like shit.

[ElFlaco]

(12-21-2017 11:08 AM)heavy Wrote:  

I cut refined carbs and sugar out for a while (mostly) just to try it. Specifically, no more pasta ever. A few months later I ate a lasagna at a family thing, felt like shit for hours after. It changed my life. I realized that sick full feeling was simply inflammation from refined carbs. Nowadays I eat less refined carbs, and it's not because of discipline, it's because I don't want to feel like shit.

That has been my experience as well. Two slices of pizza and now I uncharacteristically feel like shit later or next morning.

It might just be that your system has gotten out of practice at digesting carbs but I take it as a sign that you're better off without the carbs.

[IvanDrago]

I feel most people's views on breakfast come from Kellogg and Post cereal commercials that ran on Saturday morning cartoons when they were kids.

A cartoon character commercial cuts to a picture of a table with toast, eggs, bacon, fruit, glass of milk and a box of Fruity Pebbles... the announcer then says "Fruity Pebbles is part of this complete breakfast". That always got me thinking WTF does that even mean? "Part" of this complete breakfast. If I put a box of Fruity Pebbles in a bag with some jumper cables, a socket set, wrenches and a tow rope would I be able to say "Fruity Pebbles is a part of this emergency roadside tool kit."? The phrase is burned in to the lexicon of everyone but it makes no damn sense.

Another thing I hear from breakfast advocates are words like "boost", "kick start", "rev up", "jump start" when referring to metabolism. These words are meaningless to me as well and whenever I ask anyone what do you mean by "boost" or "rev up", they can't give me a response. I ask why can't I do my "boosting" at 11am instead of 8am and I can't get an answer.

I am not knocking eating breakfast by any means, and I am intrigued by OP's mention of fatty/protein rich breakfast in being a hedge against anxiety. I generally don't eat until around noon because I am not hungry until noon and I generally feel more alert when I am in a fasted state (although I admit I do feel anxious at times as well).

I have been in to IF off and on for about 4 years now by skipping breakfast with great results as far as my body fat percentage is concerned. I have noticed I am more anxious from time to time though, I was attributing it to a job change and high caffeine. I might try having some eggs and meat right when I wake up for a bit and see if anything changes.

[BadgerHut]

I love fruity pebbles though.

[IvanDrago]

(12-22-2017 10:47 PM)BadgerHut Wrote:  

I love fruity pebbles though.

Damn straight. They're part of a balanced breakfast.