Everyday Systems

Most of the "diet" books say that eating breakfast soon after awakening is a must for boosting the metabolism........I know it's important to eat when you do get hungry but......if you are not hungry in the morning.....is breakfast really necessary?

No. (See fasting myth #7: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-te ... unked.html)

However, personally, eating a good bit of protein in the morning does keep me satiated for quite a while.

Do what works for you. If you're comfortable with two meals do that; or perhaps you want three spaced differently. I definitely need to eat breakfast, but that doesn't mean it's true for everyone.

I don't believe that breakfast is necessary. I eat breakfast only occasionally. Do what works for you.

I am a strong believer in breakfast, and I make sure it includes protein. If I do not eat breakfast, I tend to overeat later in the day. However, as everyone else says, you need to make your own choice.

r.jean wrote:If I do not eat breakfast, I tend to overeat later in the day.

I'm just the opposite. If I eat breakfast because I "should," no matter what it consists of, I tend to be a food vacuum the rest of the day. I'm better off skipping it unless I happen to be extremely hungry. I'm rarely extremely hungry in the morning.

Wosnes - That's exactly what happens to me, too! That's why as I was losing weight, I drifted into two meals. If i ate breakfast, to be 'good', my stomach would growl 2 hours later and would.not.stop. regardless of how much I continued to eat. Still happens to this day!

Studying nutrition in college, I was often told I was 'crazy' by some of the other girls in my program. They'd say, "But breakfast - that determines your whole day!" I'd say, "Exactly, for me it determines that I won't get anything else accomplished because I'll be eating all day!"

So interesting how different we all are.

Whatever boosts your metabolism will be trumped by the power of habit and responding to what works for your body and social life. I've found I can play it by ear and it doesn't disrupt the rest of the day at all.

Personally, I believe breakfast is very important. But that doesn't mean I always eat it first thing in the morning. Sometimes I'm ravenously hungry and I will eat before I get my day started. Other times, I get up and get a few things done for about an hour at least before I eat. But I have to have the 3 meals a day to keep myself feuled, even if they are not always at the same time of day (as long as they are spread out from eachother). Do what helps you keep your portions down and what helps to tame the cravings for snacks.

I have just recently moved my meals up to later times. Breakfast is coming more around 10 and lunch 2 or so. I eat dinner around 7 or even later at night so this is working real well for me right now.

Just wanted to add in that I traveled in Nepal back in the late 70's and spent time up in the mountains in quite primitive villages. The local people got up very early and worked for a few hours each day with only hot water or tea. They didn't eat a meal until the mid-morning. The body is pretty adaptable. You can make this work for your schedule and needs.

Dr. Oz on tv says within 30 min of waking up to eat some low fat protein (he mentioned turkey sausage)to get your metabolism going. I personally am not hungry when waking up in the morning, but I've been making myself eat and trying to get a routine going. I just need to work on the protein part. Right now I'm eating cereal.

My first year of No S, I found that with not bingeing in the afternoon and evenings, I was often hungry for breakfast early. In this my third year, I find that even if I eat a relatively light dinner, I may not be hungry in the morning. I sometimes elect to skip breakfast. I never then allow myself to eat solid food before lunch, but it is never an issue because I do have milky coffee most mornings at work. I am not looking for the most efficient way to boost my metabolism.

scottwblack wrote:No. (See fasting myth #7: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-te ... unked.html)

Thank you for posting this. Really made sense to me and helped me to understand more. I have long suspected that many of these myths had little basis in true, research-verified fact.

I eat breakfast, but I make sure I eat a fair amount of protein, or I end up bingeing on junk all day.

I have been experimenting a bit. I find that if I have 1-2 oz of quality protein, usually chicken or turkey about an hour or so after I get up I'm satisfied until about noon. I then can NoS with small portions for the rest of the day. It seems to Be great for eliminating the cravings.