Is breakfast your most important meal of the day?

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   yolanda yvetteposted 14 years ago

   I eat breakfast, but I don't eat it until around noon or 1p.m. since I don't get up until 11:00 most days.  But I'll still eat breakfast food for the first meal.  Just because I like eggs and cereal and toast and such. 
   
   So I guess my first meal of the day is, technically, lunch.  With a breakfast menu. 
   
     It seems that most people skip breakfast, for one reason or another.  Even though we've all heard it's supposed to be the most important meal of the day.
   
   
     Do you skip breakfast?

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      NP.QUEENposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      hi yolanda,
                         
                   According to my point of view i think breakfast is the most important
                   meal of the day as it gives us energy and many other nutritional benefits which enable us to work the whole day.Skipping of breakfast will lead to overeating which may be a cause for obesity.So next time dont skip your breakfast.

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         yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Great input.
         
         You're so right when you say skipping breakfast leads to overeating.  I have experienced that.  That's why I'm going to, in this new year, get myself on track with all 3 meals:  breakfast, lunch and dinner.
         
         I'm going to eat breakfast at a proper time.  Have my lunch and eat dinner.  If I eat properly it will alleviate a lot of unhealthy eating habits.
         
         At present I'm only eating lunch and dinner and a whole lot of bad stuff in between.
         
         And yes, we definitely need the nutritional benefits and energy breakfast offers (especially the right kind of breakfast) at the start of our day.

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            Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            A good breakfast can keep you satiated throughout the day. Emphasis on good breakfast. The traditional American breafkast consisting of a ton of sugar, processed carbs, and hydrogenated fats and oils in the form of cereal, "healthy whole grain" bread/sandwiches, sugar-laden juices, etc. will lead only to two things: Hunger, and diabetes.

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            ketchup101posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, i am so much in agree! Skipping meals especially breakfast really makes you fat.
            If you want to have a good diet, eat a lot in breakfast, because eating breakfast stimulates body's metabolism. And then after that, you can eat lunch, and dinner in small amount.
            Preferably, 3 meals, and 2 snacks in a day is recommended for a healthy diet.

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               yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               That's what I say.

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         Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Although, to be honest, I wouldn't go so far as to say breakfast is the, "most important" meal of the day. The most important meal of the day is the one in which you eat a big a$$ salad consisting of a colorful variety of fresh, natural, nutritious vegetables, and an animal of some sort raised as naturally as possible.
         
         And variations thereof.

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      neelyquinnposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      As a nutrition therapist, I can tell you that ALL of my clients feel better when they start eating breakfast.  Particularly when they start eating a high protein (eggs (yolk included), meat), low sugar and low grain breakfast.  I can't stress how important protein and fat (coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, raw butter) are to a good breakfast and good health in general.  It stabilizes your blood sugar so that you don't crash throughout the day.  You have all day to burn off the calories of a big breakfast and it sets the tone of your day.  I wrote an article about it here on page 84 of this online mag:  http://edition.pagesuite-professional.c … &skip=
      
      I hope that helps!

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         Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         +1
         
         I eat 3 eggs and bacon every morning with tea/coffee and perhaps some dark chocolate. I go for the entire day without food and with minimal hunger sometimes. Other times, if I really want a snack, I just eat something like fruit, or cottage cheese with berries and a bit of honey. Nuts are also a great snack.
         
         But I never feel ravenous hunger. I can eat, or I can not. It doesn't really matter one way or the other if I don't get my Snack in between breakfast and dinner.

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         yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         

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      rcrm89posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think a macro picture of your daily nutrition is far more important than any individual meal.
      
      I don't skip breakfast and tend to eat quite a big one at that, but there are people that do and find they do better without immediately eating breakfast upon waking.
      
      As with most things - do some research, try out different strategies and find out what works best for you.

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         yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That makes sense.

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   Disturbiaposted 14 years ago

   I suppose I'd have to answer yes to this question.
   
   I'm a morning person and I get up before 5:00 a.m. every morning whether I'm working or not and even on weekends.  I usually have a cup of something like decaf or hot cocoa, maybe fruit juice when I get up... but most days, I can't even look at real food until after 10:00 a.m. and by then I've probably done about a hundred things. I don't think I could eat a big breakfast, it would make me feel sluggish and I'd probably want to crawl back into bed. 
   
   I believe breakfast is an important meal and it only makes sense to fuel up before you face the day... but it's not for me.  I'm definately more of a "brunch" type person.

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Right.  In the new year I'm going to try and get my sleep schedule on better track so that I can get me breakfast, lunch and dinner schedules on track. 
      
      I believe it makes for healthier living that way because I'll be getting all 3 meals (foregoing a lot of junk food)and at decent times.

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         Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         For the vast majority of human evolution, there was no such thing as, "3 square meals a day." This is an artificial construct of modern society. The human body is designed to function best on an IRREGULAR eating pattern. Some days you eat, some days you don't. Some days you eat one giant meal until you are bursting at the seams, some days you eat a few small meals. Some days you have access to one type of food, some days you don't.
         
         Hunger should be a regular part of your diet. By that, I mean, it's alright to experience, "Hunger." It's alright to have an empty stomach for a few hours. It's alright to fast every now and then for 12-18 hours+ This promotes ketosis, which leads to accelerated fat loss. Good for fat people to lose weight, and good for athletes looking to get single-digit body fat. Most importantly, it boosts your metabolism, drive, and energy levels. When you are hungry, you are telling your body that it needs to kick things up a notch if it wants to eat. And your body becomes a lot more optimized. Insulin sensitivity goes up, you are more alert and sharper, hormones balance themselves to a sharp edge.
         
         Forget the 3 meals a day stuff. I usually eat only breakfast and dinner each day, and sometimes I skip one or the other. I also exercise/sprint/go outside after such a fast. Guaranteed to get sculpted body and bullet-proof immunity and health.

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            Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Of course you should still be getting all of the food you need. Fasting does not mean starving yourself of food. It simply means longer intervals between bigger meals. You can eat your food in one giant feast, or spread it out into smaller portions through out the day. But don't stick to a fixed schedule. It's extremely liberating to not have to worry about when I eat. I know that there is no, "dinner time" and if I am doing something important I can always put it off for later when it's convenient. some days I might eat dinner late, some days I might eat it at 5 Pm.

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               Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Actually, a better way to say it would be that it's not as important how much you eat each day, but whether or not you are getting enough nutrients and "Resources" on a week to week basis.

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   lex123posted 14 years ago

   For me, breakfast is the most important food. I'm an early riser and my breakfast is also very early (by 8 a.m). If a need comes I can skip my lunch or dinner, but never breakfast.

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I really think that's the way it should be.

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   Maria Ceciliaposted 14 years ago

   Not really but it's my favorite during day off, I love taking my breakfast when I am not in a hurry to leave for work

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If that's what works for you.

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   camloposted 14 years ago

   I never eat breakfast, nor lunch. I drink one or two cups of coffee when I get up in the morning, then start eating about two hours later. No real meals, just eating all the way through until it's time for dinner. Then I eat a huge meal, then chocolate until I go to bed.
   This must be a good diet, because I'm always in the best of health, and never put on an ounce of weight.

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      Joy56posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      yeah but how does your brain function.... should have breakfast Camlo.

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I think eating a lot of protein is a good idea - and I do , and I've heard experts say that it's good to drink plenty of water, which I do.

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            yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You need more than protein and water.

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Camlo, you've got to be kidding.  This is no where near a good diet.  You know that.  Unfortunately, lots of us have strange and unhealthy eating habits that we think are unharmful.  Or at least try and excuse them.  But, hey, if your diet works for you, what can I say?

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         Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         He didn't mention what he eats. He just said he drinks some coffee and chocolate. Coffee is great, dark chocolate is full of anti-oxidants and IS healthy (The more cacao and less sugar, the better).
         
         He didn't mention what type of chocolate or what type of coffee, nor did he mention what he eats for dinner. As for eating just one big meal per day with a few light snacks, again you must know what he eats first before making a judgement. The fact is the human beings are not designed for 3 square meals a day. Breakfast/lunch/dinner are artificial eating times that only we modern humans have the luxury of having. Our body is designed for irregular eating. Some days you eat until you burst, some days you don't eat anything at all, some days you forage for a few nuts/berries/roots/mushrooms/etc. and manage to catch large game so you have plenty of meat and foraged foods that the gatherer's brought back.
         
         And some days you eat nothing but banana's all day because that's all you manage to find.
         
         Point is: What you eat is more important than when you eat it. As long as you are eating the right foods and enough of them, that's the most important part.

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   ravenlordposted 14 years ago

   I have 2 agree breakfast is defenitly the most important meal of the day .
   I look at my body as a car , if u do not put fuel in ur car , u will not get very far .
   Personnally I never take less than 250 calories to start off the day , with a snack around 10-10:30 am , then on to lunch , a snack around 3 pm then a nice supper .
   It is recommended to never eat anything after 8 pm or 4 hours before u go to bed .

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This sounds like something I should incorporate into my new routine.

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   ravenlordposted 14 years ago

   drinking water is a must for ur body , been it is composed of 65% water .
   It is specially good to drink water when taking supplements as the water will bring all the nutrients to ur system .

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      Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You get most of your water through the food you eat. Overdrinking water creates other problems besides. Use your sense of thirst as a guide, not what, "The recommended amount by X organization of over-qualified doctors"

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   Midnight Oilposted 14 years ago

   Absolutely a must for me.  Without breakfast, my body doesn't perform to its best, and I am sure others would feel and work better with a bit of breakfast inside them.
   
   Many people I know skip breakfast just to gain an extra few minutes in bed...

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I believe others would work and feel better with breakfast, too.
      
      A lot of the people I know say they just can't eat early and that's why they skip breakfast.

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         Midnight Oilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Still think it's - bed vs breakfast, and bed wins with most people.

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            yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            ok

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      Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Pro tip: Fasting is extremely healthy. Assuming your diet is right (plenty of fats as your fuel source along with protein, minimal carbs from mostly vegetables and fruits) then your body will burn fat for energy, not carbs. This means you can go for very long periods of time without food and still be satiated and have steady mood and energy levels. There is ample scientific and anecdotal evidence to support that fasting (going without food for extended periods) every now and then not only dials in your hormonal balance and insulin sensitivity, but also leads to fat burning. With such nutrition, if you skip a meal or otherwise run on empty, your body will enter ketosis and begin to burn your fat reserves for fuel. You will not experience a loss of energy until you enter starvation energy conservation mode a couple days later.
      
      Funny thing is that your energy levels and will to do things will go UP if you are in a fasted state. Why? Because this signals to your body that you don't have food, which means you need more energy and higher determination to go get it. It wouldn't make sense evolutionarily if human beings became whiny, sniveling, cranky little girls that pass out if they don't get their carb fix every few hours. So, if you want accelerated productivity and a feeling of alertness and "in the moment-ness" try fasting for eighteen hours and doing some exercise. Then eat as normal.
      
      It doesn't really matter how often you fast as long as you get all of the food you need in the long term. I used to eat breakfast than go more than 18 hours without food every single day until dinner when I went to school.
      
      But ye, breakfast is really good, but it's beneficial to skip it every now and then (or any other meal.)

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   supplement-adviceposted 14 years ago

   Never ever skip breakfast (unless hungover so so ill i can't eat)
   Your right it is the most important meal of the day because its the longest your body has been with food and nutrients (whilst sleeping). Your last meal may have been between 10 and 12 hours earlier so your body really needs something otherwise you go into a type of starvation mode. So skipping breakfast won't help you lose weight, its actually a great time to kick start up your metabolism with a health breakfast. Rather than being in starving mode where your body is reluctant to burn off any excess fat stores we all have because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming. Eating breakfast keeps your metabolism high and the body happy that it knows its getting energy and therefore can burn off excess fat without worry!
   Small meals but more of them is much better and healthier than the standard two of three meals most people eat nowadays.

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      yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't know that eating breakfast keeps your metabolism high.  That's a good reason of and in itself to eat breakfast.  Would it be ok to eat breakfast, skip lunch (but eat a snack) and eat dinner?

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      Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Read my post above. You don't enter starvation when you haven't eaten for less than half a day, lol. We would have all died out a long time ago if that were the case. Not only does it not make sense in terms of what's actually going on in your body, but it also doesn't make sense evolutionarily. You can go up to several days (depends on person also) before you go into, "Starvation mode." The reason many people cannot go for very long without food is because they get their energy from carbs, not fat. This is contrary to what is optimal for the human body. Our body is designed to efficiently store and burn fat for energy. Carbs are a quick source of energy that your body uses very fast and offer no lasting benefits. Guess what happens when your stomach is empty? Your body mobilizes fat reserves and enters ketosis. In effect, you can last as long as your fat reserves.
      
      Also, constantly having food in your stomach is not ideal for your health. People are designed to experience hunger. It was a regular part of our life until very recently. Hunter/gatherer's did not have grocery stores to go to when they were hungry. Your body uses a lot of energy to digest food. Going without every now and then makes more energy available for awhile and boosts your metabolic function.
      
      This is assuming you eat the right way and your body is functioning the way it should. Many people's (in fact most people on Earth) have messed up metabolisms because they eat mostly carbs and little fat, when it should be the other way around. It doesn't help that those carbs are empty. They aren't even from sources such as vegetables and fruit which have nutrients.

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         Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Grains allow us to support a massive population at the expense of health. Any diet with grains at it's foundation does not promote optimal health.

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    JP993posted 14 years ago

    Supplement- advice has said what I was going to say. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as you have starved yourself all night when sleeping hence the word Break-fast. Breakfast is what kick starts your motabalism and gets it working asap, many health magazines suggest a coffee in the morning too to really boost things up. If you are seriously looking to lose weight then brekfast is a vital part of it. you should eat a wholegrain breakfast/ complex carb like porridge oats, not a commercial cereal. Having breakfast will stop you from snacking and over eating at lunch time. If you think about it, if you went to bed a 10-11 o'clock and don't eat untill the next day at lunch say 12-2 o'clock thats over 12 hours without food your body will then think you are starving it and will hold on to food you eat as fat to store as energy seeing as it thinks your starving yourself. 6 small meals a day will strip the fat off.

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       yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks for sharing.

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       Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Lol, I don't mean to offend, but your advice is rubbish. If people follow your advice they will gain weight slowly over time, and develop all sorts of problems (such as diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer later in life, heart problems, high pressure, etc.). Your advice will also lead to compromised immunity and systemic inflammation. In other words, it isn't healthy.

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    fit2dayposted 14 years ago

    I would definitely say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it gets the body going with energy to do the day's tasks. I don't think breakfast should be a huge meal, just for the simple fact that waking up and putting something heavy on an empty stomach isn't good.
    
    For the people who deny breakfast being important because they aren't hungry, I would recommend eating a small piece of fruit or something just to give the body what it needs in the morning. I think eating breakfast consistently helps the body utilize nutrients better

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       yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah, I know people who don't eat breakfast in the morning because they say they're not hungry in the morning time.
       
       I can eat breakfast, but I try not to eat anything too heavy in the morning.  It tends to make me feel sluggish and sleepy.  Who needs that first thing in the morning when it's time to go to work?

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       Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       It doesn't matter if you put heavy food in your stomach or not. What matters is the quality of the food, and whether or not you are getting all of the necessary nutrition. When you eat that food is not as important, although it is true that morning is the best time to eat as your body is wide awake and more readily processes and makes use of the food. If you go to bed with a lot of food in your stomach, it will sit there for awhile and not be digested. This is all not that important though if you're eating junk.

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    supplement-adviceposted 14 years ago

    Small meals and often (call them snacks if you like, I just don't like that word as people link snacks to unhealthy foods - which it doesn't have to be) every 2-3hours is a very great way to eat but not always the most practical.
    www.supplement-advice.co.uk
    follow me on twitter @suppsadvice

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah, eating every few hours wouldn't work for me...I know a lot of people say that eating more smaller meals throughout the day is the way to go, though.

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    TheSeniorposted 14 years ago

    You are sooo right about breakfast It is the most important meal of the day.  I eat 4 jumbo eggs with only one yolk and a slice of whole wheat bread and sometimes I add 2/3 slices of turkey sausage - this after my protein shake and brain vitamins.

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       yolanda yvetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       seems like a healthy and pretty tasty breakfast...i see you didn't forget about the vitamins.

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       Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Why would you only eat one yolk? The main reason to eat the egg IS the yolk. That's where all of the nutrients are. The whites are mostly protein. I don't understand why you wouldn't just eat the whole egg. It's one of the most nutritionally complete foods on the planet.
       
       I guarantee you that a pasture raised, organic egg from a properly raised chicken will have A LOT more nutrients than some over-the-counter vitamins and an egg white from an egg that was made in an industrial-aggra facility with shoddy standards of food production.
       
       I would get rid of the bread. Ye, shocking, I know.

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    couturepopcafeposted 14 years ago

    Yes.  Unfortunately, I don't get to eat it until almost lunchtime.

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Like me.  I'm still trying to get a better schedule for my meals...especially my first meal.

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    Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

    Absolutely. I feel off balance if I don't eat breakfast.
    Lunch can be skipped but not breakfast!

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       

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    habeeposted 13 years ago

    Do coffee and cigarettes count?

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       Pillowfireposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Yes. Cigarettes are chock full of anti-oxidants, 500% of every single nutrient, vitamin, mineral, or other substance you need for the entire year, and many that we have yet to discover. In addition Cigarettes cure every disease in existence and give you the ability to fly.
       
       This is why it's important to get your daily serving of cigarettes. If you start caughing, this is just a sign that it's working.
       
       

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Of course.

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    Don Shipposted 13 years ago

    It really doesn't matter if you skip either lunch or dinner, but you can never skip breakfast. I skipped breakfast for the last couple of days and it doesn't feel good, I tell ya!

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I know what you mean.  It makes me feel horrible to go without that first meal.

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    evvy_09posted 13 years ago

    What is breakfast? 
    On most days, I'll eat once, somewhere around 3 or 4.  I might eat a small snack around noon and eat later, but no breakfast.  Unless you count coffee.

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       yolanda yvetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       

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