Breakfast

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 12:58pm

I hijacked this thread: http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=107469

Because the original poster ended up banned. Oops. But I wanted to break out one of my questions into a separate thread as it's not really about a diet plan as much as a diet question in general.

That question is this: From a dieting to lose weight perspective does it make sense to eat breakfast?

I've read a number of conflicting studies, everything from "Breakfast is critical ZOMG" to "Breakfast is useless, skip it" to "Eat six+ meals a day" and everything in between.

The general consensus is that calories in < calories out = weight loss. This is true as far as my limited experience can tell. Granted, when I eat less, and work out more, I lose weight.

In the esteemed Bully opinion, do you eat Breakfast to help lose weight, if yes, why. If not, why?

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 1:06pm

I do eat a small breakfast if trying to lose weight.
Part of the reasoning as i understand it is small regular meals reduce your insulin response to food, thus making it easier to lose weight.

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 1:38pm

Originally Posted by ChenPengFi

I do eat a small breakfast if trying to lose weight.
Part of the reasoning as i understand it is small regular meals reduce your insulin response to food, thus making it easier to lose weight.

I've heard this too, however anecdotally I tended to lose more weight on weeks where I skipped meals. Granted, that's more due to the reduced caloric intake then the lack of a specific meal.

I just get frustrated at the amount of conflicting information that's available.

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 2:00pm

Agreed, but of course you can cut calories and increase workload in a variety of ways.
I just find that i'm ravenous by lunch if i don't eat at least a small breakfast.
Then i tend to eat more.
I've done the elimination of meals thing too with positive results.

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 2:32pm

I will wait for someone like Tae Bo Master to appear in this thread, however my understanding is basically like this:

Upon waking, your body has been "starving" for about 8+ hours without food. To deny yourself breakfast, and wait to lunch, is to create a metabolic atmosphere whereby your body believes it needs to store more fat for fuel for energy reserves, as it now must wait 12-14 hours before refeuling.

Now, not all breakfasts are the same. You would be better skipping than eating Fruity Pebbles, however a breakfast with a good mixture of fruits, proteins and yogurts will jump start your metabolism...at least from my experience.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 2:53pm

One of the kung fu teachers I know spent 10 years in the NFL and is in very good shape, and he was a big advocate of eating breakfast, basically for the reasons Snake posted.

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 3:02pm

Originally Posted by Snake Plissken

I will wait for someone like Tae Bo Master to appear in this thread, however my understanding is basically like this:

Upon waking, your body has been "starving" for about 8+ hours without food. To deny yourself breakfast, and wait to lunch, is to create a metabolic atmosphere whereby your body believes it needs to store more fat for fuel for energy reserves, as it now must wait 12-14 hours before refeuling.

Now, not all breakfasts are the same. You would be better skipping than eating Fruity Pebbles, however a breakfast with a good mixture of fruits, proteins and yogurts will jump start your metabolism...at least from my experience.

Originally Posted by ignatzami

I've heard this too, however anecdotally I tended to lose more weight on weeks where I skipped meals. Granted, that's more due to the reduced caloric intake then the lack of a specific meal.

I just get frustrated at the amount of conflicting information that's available.

Snake Plissken is correct, on all of those points. In addition to the metabolic factor, there is a psychological one. For a lot of us, success in dieting is more about having control than knowing correct nutrition. I mean, deep down we kind have of an instinctive knowledge of what are healthy and unhealthy foods. Eating breakfast ends the overnight fast, and begins the day in a state of satisfaction rather than hunger. This often has the beneficial effect of psychologically boosting your control for the rest of the day. So by having those calories in the morning, you'll ultimately have fewer calories throughout the day; and those you do intake will be more likely to be quality.

If you're going to skip a meal, in my opinion it's better to start from the end of the day and work your way up.

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 3:14pm

Originally Posted by ChenPengFi

I do eat a small breakfast if trying to lose weight.
Part of the reasoning as i understand it is small regular meals reduce your insulin response to food, thus making it easier to lose weight.

As to the insulin issue, there is an effect that matters, but it's probably not the chief reason.

As you know, insulin is a hormone that is released when there is an increase in blood sugar levels, particularly if they spike high and fast. Insulin's effect is to basically cause nutrients, primarily glucose and fatty acids, to exit the bloodstream into storage.

Controlling insulin levels matters to an extent, because if you have a surge of insulin it can cause elements to get stored as fat when they otherwise might have been used for beneficial activity. The best way to avoid this is to maintain fairly steady insulin levels, rather than cycles of spikes and drops.

This is part of the reason for the advice of eating breakfast, as well as eating many small meals frequently through the day. Doing so significantly aids in maintaining steady insulin levels.

However, if you're not diabetic then you'll most likely have pretty reasonable insulin level responses. So, I would recommend not basing your decisions around insulin levels unless you have mastered all of the basics first. Trying to control your insulin levels with any precision should be considered an advanced technique.

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 3:18pm

Originally Posted by TaeBo_Master

Snake Plissken is correct, on all of those points. In addition to the metabolic factor, there is a psychological one. For a lot of us, success in dieting is more about having control than knowing correct nutrition. I mean, deep down we kind have of an instinctive knowledge of what are healthy and unhealthy foods. Eating breakfast ends the overnight fast, and begins the day in a state of satisfaction rather than hunger. This often has the beneficial effect of psychologically boosting your control for the rest of the day. So by having those calories in the morning, you'll ultimately have fewer calories throughout the day; and those you do intake will be more likely to be quality.

If you're going to skip a meal, in my opinion it's better to start from the end of the day and work your way up.

Awesome. Thanks.

I generally tend to have three snatches of information floating through my head:
the first was that old Schoolhouse Rocks video of this creep

the second was Denise Austin, cuz an old girlfriend:
'Eat breakfast like a King , lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper.'

Finally, Teh El Macho on this site whom used to review everyone dietary intake....but then you get someone like Emevas who eats fast food all the time and screws up my entire notion of how things should be.

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 3:23pm

Originally Posted by Snake Plissken

'Eat breakfast like a King , lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper.'

This right here is pretty damn good advice. Especially if your schedule doesn't permit you to have a great deal of detailed control over your food.

As for people like Emevas... unfortunately, there are just those genetically lucky bastards out there who don't need to follow the rules as closely to get what they want. But even those guys could see even better progress by applying the science.