You may have heard that breakfast is super important. Well, turns out that’s not entirely true. When we observe people who regularly eat breakfast, they often seem to be healthier compared to those who skip it. However, just because two things are connected doesn’t mean one causes the other. Scientific studies that randomly assign people to different meal plans have shown that no single meal is the most crucial one of the day.
Depending on your intermittent fasting routine, you might choose to skip breakfast as part of your daily habit, or maybe you skip it a few times a week. So, let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of skipping breakfast.
Fasted State in the Morning
In the morning, when you wake up, you are in a fasted state because you haven’t eaten for several hours while you were asleep. This is when your body is naturally fasting, and it has some interesting effects. Your insulin sensitivity is at its highest, and your glycogen levels (stored energy) are at their lowest during this time.
If you choose to extend your fasting period in the morning by skipping breakfast, you can actually enhance the benefits of fasting, which go beyond just weight loss. Research suggests that it’s the fasting itself that matters when it comes to losing weight, rather than the specific time of day in which you fast.
If your goal is weight loss, the total number of calories you consume throughout the day is what really counts, not the timing of your meals. There’s no evidence to support the idea that eating smaller, more frequent meals leads to more weight loss. Studies comparing people who skip breakfast, those who eat breakfast, and control groups have shown no significant difference in overall weight loss.
It’s also a myth that you need to eat breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism in the morning. In fact, the opposite is true. When you eat, your body stops burning fat and starts using glycogen for energy. Studies have shown that the number of calories burned by breakfast eaters versus non-breakfast eaters is virtually the same.
Luckily, your metabolism functions perfectly well when you wake up in the morning. Otherwise, how could you go about your day without grabbing a bite to eat right after getting out of bed?
Ultimately, the decision to eat breakfast or not is a matter of personal preference. So, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of both choices.
The Benefits
Skipping or delaying breakfast provides an easy way to practice intermittent fasting because you’ve already been fasting for at least eight hours while you slept. Sleeping is the most convenient time to fast since you don’t have to deal with hunger or boredom. By having an early dinner and postponing breakfast until 10 am or later, you can easily achieve a fasting window of 14 to 16 hours.
Foregoing breakfast also gives you extra time in the morning, which is another advantage of skipping your morning meal. If your goal is weight loss, the morning hours are a convenient time to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Research shows that working out in a fasted state can help you burn more fat, improve insulin response, and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Maintaining a shorter eating window allows you to have a slightly later dinner since you delayed your first meal of the day. While it’s generally not recommended to eat outside of your circadian rhythm, many social events take place around dinner time. By skipping breakfast, you can enjoy socializing with friends and still adhere to your intermittent fasting plan. Just remember to choose nutritious meals and avoid eating too late at night.
So, skipping breakfast is not harmful if it helps you stick to your intermittent fasting plan. In fact, it may even become a comfortable routine for you. It’s simply an extension of the natural overnight fasting period. If you wake up without feeling hungry, there’s no need to force yourself to eat breakfast.
The Drawbacks
Not everyone enjoys skipping breakfast. If you feel hungry in the morning or if your day requires you to have enough energy in the early hours, it’s important to listen to your body and provide it with the necessary calories. But if you aim for losing weight, the more meals you have in a day, the smaller the portions should be.
Skipping breakfast may lead to overeating at lunch and dinner for some individuals, although not everyone will experience this. You might find it easier to control your daily calorie intake if you start your day with a small meal.
Some studies suggest a connection between consuming excessive calories and consuming the majority of those calories later in the day. This eating pattern can contribute to obesity and potentially disrupt your sleep. But even though we can link eating late at night and obesity, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the cause. Those who eat late at night often consume larger portions and opt for more fast food, but it’s unclear whether it’s the timing of the meal, the poor nutritional quality, or the overall excess calories that lead to weight gain.
Tips for Breakfast Skippers
If you want to skip breakfast to aid in weight loss, here are some helpful tips to support your goals:
- Stay occupied in the morning: Keep yourself engaged during the early hours. Use this time to sleep a bit longer, exercise, or get started with your work to divert your attention away from food.
- Address early morning hunger: Sometimes, inadequate sleep, overeating, or consuming carbohydrate-rich foods the night before can lead to morning hunger. To prevent this, have a nutritionally dense dinner that includes plenty of fats and proteins, ensuring a restful night’s sleep and a hunger-free morning.
- Stay hydrated: After hours of fasting while you slept, it’s common to wake up in a mildly dehydrated state. Drink ample water as soon as you wake up, and feel free to enjoy unsweetened coffee and tea to hydrate yourself.
- Challenge breakfast myths: There are numerous misconceptions surrounding breakfast. Skipping breakfast alone won’t make you gain or lose weight, but it can be a simple way to extend your overnight fast and experience the benefits of intermittent fasting. If breakfast boosts your energy and enhances focus throughout the day, feel free to have an early meal. However, if weight loss is your primary objective, be mindful of your overall calorie intake.
Remember, the choice to skip breakfast or not depends on your personal preferences and goals.
