Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

[Cary]

Hello Dears,

I ask this question b.c I have a really hard time eating breakfast. In fact sitting here now almost 2pm I haven't eaten a thing all day. I just now grabbed a salad. Now is it really important to have breakfast? If you go to the gym and eat twice a day? Please help.

-Cary

[DebbietheHugBug]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

Carey, of all the meals throughout the day, breakfast is THE most important meal!! Why? Your body has been resting for 6-8 hours and you haven't fed it for probably 10-12 hours. Even though you may not feel hungry, your body is starving. Breakfast will get your metabolism going and will give you energy.


If you continue to starve your body, your metabolism will not kick into gear and your body will hang on to the fat. Force yourself to eat, and don't go more than 6 waking hours without eating. I promise, you will feel the difference in how you feel and you will have plenty of energy.

There will be more advice to come. If you're having a hard time deciding what to have for breakfasts, check out the recipe section. There are many things you can make ahead of time so all you have to do is zap a serving and you're done.

[ladyinred]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

Yes, what Debbie said. Skipping breakfast is counter-productive because your metabolism doesn't start to move until you eat. But breakfast can be anything you're allowed. A boiled egg, tuna salad, regular salad, steak, cheese. It doesn't have to be bacon and eggs. Start with something small and work your way up.

[Zarabelle]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I used to find breakfast really hard to stomach but now really enjoy it.
My favourite is BLT with cheese & mayo and without the bread. Yummmy!

[slimndown]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I agree! There are SOOOOOO many studies out there that show more benefits by eating SOMETHING for breakfast. I have non-hungry mornings too, but go ahead and eat a hard boiled egg just to make sure my metabolism will be happy. It's nice because they are convenient!!!

[Brook]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I'm somewhat like you, Cary. I often don't eat for 2-5 hours after I wake up because of my wake-up schedule and because I don't eat before I work out.

That said, there are tons of studies that tout the benefits of eating to break the sleep fast. Eating does rev up your metabolism, but starvation mode as a result of not eating breakfast is hokey IMHO. Starvation mode is a debatable metabolic phenomenon at best. It would take a *long* time for your body to enter "starvation mode". Starvation mode speaks to your body shifting to save fat stores in favor of burning lean muscle mass to preserve itself. This isn't something you're going to have to worry about if you've got quite a lot of fat stores on your body or because you're not eating breakfast. It is, however, true that your metabolism doesn't work nearly as fast without something to burn regularly.

I absolutely refuse to eat when I'm not hungry. Force feeding is not something I practice or recommend. Dr. Atkins absolutley talks of us not going more than 6 hours without eating - and at the same time he tells us to learn to listen to our bodies and take cues from it.

In short - you will rev up your metabolism by eating within an hour or two of waking up.

If you feel good, you're not hungry, your energy levels aren't suffering, and you're listening to your body - do what works for you. Nothing is one size fits all

~Brook

[allierw26]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I think that breakfast IS important, but I too am rarely hungry or have time for it. I tend to wait until 11 am lunch time to break my fast during the week. If I am hungry, though, I tend to eat sooner. My problem is that if I wait too long, I start feeling weak and it is that much harder to make the proper food choices!

[BabyDreamer]

Breakfast

Hello!

I was going to ask if it is the idea of eating so early that turns you off or the idea of breakfast food? I hate eggs so I often eat weird things in the morning just to make my tummy happy. I eat a 1 oz. piece of cheese, some pepperoni or even tuna fish.

I eat breakfast because if I don't eat, it makes it harder on me to make good choices the rest of the day. For example, today I had to miss breakfast because I had a grading deadline for finals and if I miss that, I get in big trouble. By the time I was ready to eat lunch I was FAMISHED and MEAN! My whole day is better where there is fuel in the machine. I could have eaten a horse (ok on Atkins I guess) with a side of mashed potatoes (not ok) by the time lunch was here. So, if you eat in the morning, you are telling your body to SHUT UP so you can do some work.

Just my thoughts though! You have to do what you want because this is your WOE now!

Deb

[Sheshy]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I totally agree about the importance of breakfast...you don't have to eat a ton if you're not that hungry. Also, I find that I'm more apt to cravings in the afternoons and evenings if I don't eat something every few hours.

I was wondering about the timing of breakfast, too. I know quite a few people that just don't want to eat when they first wake up, including me!

Most mornings, I'll take my breakfast with me to work and eat it there...maybe a morning break if you can't eat at your desk.

[Cary]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

Thanks for all the help guys, I got some really good ideas from it.

and now im craving a hard boiled egg hee hee

I think I'll start off w/something small to get my metab. going it's better than nothing.

Thanks

(and I agree, in the feeding your body when your not hungry.)

[Chris]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

I'd like to add that I'm often not hungry when I wake up. Out of habit, on weekdays, I get out of bed and go make breakfast before going to work; however, on weekends, I often wait as much as two hours until eating. The reason that I DO make myself eat breakfast, even though I'm not particularly hungry, is that I've learned that if I don't I then want to keep snacking in the evening. I'm not quite sure what the relationship is, but that's how it seems to work for me.

[BabyDreamer]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

Chris,

I do the same thing! I think there is something about eating in the morning and using some of the allotted carbs...it makes my brain realize I can't snack all night long.

Deb

I'd like to add that I'm often not hungry when I wake up. Out of habit, on weekdays, I get out of bed and go make breakfast before going to work; however, on weekends, I often wait as much as two hours until eating. The reason that I DO make myself eat breakfast, even though I'm not particularly hungry, is that I've learned that if I don't I then want to keep snacking in the evening. I'm not quite sure what the relationship is, but that's how it seems to work for me.

[Desertthorn]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

One of my problems is, if I don't eat breakfast I get hungry while at work and then there is nothing to eat there except the candy dish... Or I get really hungry and overeat at lunch and cheating happens when I get out of control
I have hard boiled eggs always in the refrig and if I absolutely can't eat a good breakfast, I slip one of them into my lunchbag to eat when I get to work, I also bring a few cherry tomatoes.

[Brook]

Re: Is Breakfast REALLY neccessary?

"Know thyself."

Gotta find and know what works for you!