Everyday Systems

Has anyone here skipped breakfast reguarly and had an extra meal later in the day instead? I've read over and over how the experts say it messes with your metabolism to skip that meal, "it's the most important meal of the day", but sometimes I'd rather have an extra meal later in the day instead.....eat when I'm really hungry, ya know?

Just wondered if anyone here had luck with that strategy, or if this is one time you should listen to what the experts say.....

There's an automatic assumption that if you eat three meals daily it will be breakfast in the morning, a meal at midday and one in the evening. But there's no rule that says it must be that way.

I generally skip breakfast altogether and eat only two meals. Breakfast is not given the same importance worldwide as it is here in the US (though many have something very light first thing in the morning, something more substantial several hours later, then later midday and evening meals).

Do what works for you.

hi for me, i get up at 4:30-5:00 a.m. and don't eat my first meal until 8:30 a.m., so I guess that could be considered moving my breakfast out a bit, then I eat lunch around 12:30-1:30, and dinner I have since moved off until later, like 6:30-7:00, this helps me not to binge.

I think if you start a little later, just adjust the rest of your meals.

I do this sometimes and it works for me. I don't really believe the whole metobolism thingy. I actually don't really feel hungry until closer to noon anyways.

I rarely eat breakfast. I'm just not hungry first thing when I wake up in the morning (and don't generally have much time to make food before I leave for work - I like my sleep!). I sometimes eat something when I get to work, but it's usually a small meal like a yoghurt or piece of fruit. My work day is pretty busy so most of the time I don't get the opportunity to eat until lunchtime.

I started having an afternoon mini-meal as 2 meals per day just wasn't going to work for me, and it's been pretty successful in helping me stick to the NoS rules. I can't say whether or not I would be more successful or lose more weight if I did eat breakfast, but it's just one of those things that doesn't work for me....

If I don't eat a good breakfast (heavy might be a better term) I am messed up for the rest of the day.

Some informative, well-balanced perspectives on breakfast, health, and metabolism myths:

1. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips. ... r-you.aspx

2. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips. ... -loss.aspx

3. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips. ... myths.aspx

The author is a certified nutritionist whose aim is to correct popular nutritional misconceptions. Most articles/podcasts include related links to related scientific studies. Reading through the comments is also very interesting and informative.

HTH,

I have found that delaying breakfast till about 9:30 or 10 makes a huge positive difference for me. I am never hungry before then, so there is far less pleasure in eating. It allows me to delay lunch until mid-afternoon, which is a gigantic help (actually a cure-all) for my mid-afternoon snack habit, which allows me to have a later dinner, which greatly reduces my desire (and excuses) for eating in the evening.

In all of the study results I've seen on breakfast, I've never seen anything that suggests it MUST be early. It's whenever you "break" the fast, which seems silly if you're not hungry.

From a logical standpoint, I find it hard to believe that humans historically had food ready as soon as they woke up. They probably had some big chores to do, if not only the preparation or hunting of breakfast. Corn flakes and a fridge full of options are a relatively recent phenomenon.

Rinehardt is a fan of copying the wisdom of the past to inform healthy habits today -- I would like his opinion on this.

I eat my first meal at 10 or 11, my second meal at 2 or 3, and my dinner at 6 or 7. Absolutely no snacks or eating after dinner. I love my schedule and it has worked so well for me--breakfast as such always used to set me off --I ate much more during days when I started eating early. I also need my long 16 hour intermittent fast between dinner and "brunch" It seems to reset something for me.

I work with an indiginous people group here in Michoacan. They eat at 11 or 12 at 4 and at 9. I have also worked with another indiginous group who has eated this way also.

Breakfast has always been a problem for me: the thought of food first thing in the morning is not one that appeals to me. Nevertheless, I've tried intermittently to have breakfast: usually yoghurt and a piece or fruit, or a smoothie. When I started No-S I had breakfast at 7, lunch at 1 and supper at 7. Most of the time, I had to force myself to eat breakfast. Then, after a few miserable weeks, I reminded myself that I'm the bus driver, not somebody else. I now have breakfast anywhere between 9 and 11, and lunch from 2 onwards. Supper is still sevenish, rarely after 8, as I try not to eat too lat at night. Sometimes I skip breakfast altogether, and it hasn't made any difference to the amount of food I eat for my two other meals.

So, play around with various ideas, and then stick to the one that works best for you.

I'd rather eat breakfast than dinner. I'm up at 5am and about 7:30 I have a veggie or Greek omelet most days. Lunch is at 11:30 or so and dinner is at 5:30. My worst time for wanting to snack is about 4pm. I probably need to push lunch back. I think it's good to work with your normal body signals. If you don't want breakfast then don't.

I get up at five, but I rarely eat breakfast. If I am off work, I will eat with the hubby about ten - brunch I suppose. At work, I usually just have tea or hot lemon water until lunch time. If hungry about three I will eat something else then like soup and then dinner about seven. Often I just skip the afternoon "meal". I have never been a breakfast eater. Once I start eating, I am just famished to continue eating all day long.

I think it depends on which 'experts' you choose to listen to. They are always contradicting each other. My personal feeling is that the expert on my body is...my body. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat.

Most of the time, though, I am hungry for breakfast - just not necessarily right when I wake up. Somedays I might have been hungry at 5.30 but it went away for a few hours - same as it does during the day. Some days I'm just not hungry til later, especially on Monday

Thanks everyone for your replies. They were very helpful!!