In my personal anecdotal experience, skipping breakfast and instead "fasting" from last night's dinner through to lunch has been really effective at weight control. You are starving by 10am for the first few days you do it, but after that you dont even notice you've skipped eating breakfast. Makes you wonder why you even had breakfast in the first place after a while. I believe that skipping breakfast has now been given a grandiose term of "intermittent fasting" or "intermittent energy restriction diet". I still call it skipping breakfast.
I'll still have breakfast at the weekends as its more of a social thing then, but on the usual 9-5 rat race I just skip it and save 10-20 mins of my day usually spent getting/making + eating breakfast. I even skip before a morning workout - so far no problems after many years doing it.
Skipping breakfast just means increasing the time interval between starting your fast after dinner and breaking your fast during break-fast, call it whatever you want.
I find it funny how many people dislike the term intermittent fasting. To me it’s just as silly as the people who attach their whole being to a diet like those living the “Keto life”. Keto and IF are effective ways of losing weight for lots of people including me, but it all just comes down to calorie in calorie out at the end of the day.
Consuming breakfast takes tome so I’ve skipped for awhile now. When I get hungry I usually drink a cup of tea black. I eat an early lunch around 11.30am so that does me until dinner at 6pm. I find a cycle of predictiveness allows me to keep a regular weight which trends downwards if I don’t deviate.
I also avoid snack machines at work by never having loose change. I also avoid ‘free food’ unless fruit. Keep sugar to a minimum so no soda and no visits to drive through or donut shops. No soda either.
Nutritional guidelines have very short lives compared to every other field of science. It's such a minefield of contradictions.
Astonished how many pretend a topic so complicated by biology/genetics and routinely proven wrong can be easily broken down into simplistic good/bad buckets (and of course they definitely got it right this time)
Saturated fats and salt are next in line to fall, despite how hard the entrenched old guard of health authorities want to ignore the new evidence.
Diet studies are some of the most corrupt in American science, given the huge amount of money at stake based on what the American public eats. It’s not unusual to discover that the academic who releases a study proclaiming the magical power of <Food Group> is actually receiving money from the <Food Group> association.
Lifestyles and activity levels have dramatically changed. Eating breakfast everyday and consuming high levels of carbohydrates is actually a good idea, if you do manual labor on a farm.
Western lifestyles are relatively sedentary, yet our brains are consuming more information than ever. Mental processes have nutritional needs and we're stabbing in the dark as to how to approach this problem. People have not figured out the best regimen for this new lifestyle.
When I was young and without a daily schedule, I'd typically end up eating two meals a day. Something like brunch and something like dinner.
In adult life, with a typical schedule, I just skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner like everybody else. It's not a problem at all. Getting up and pretty much immediately having something to eat is just a habit. Sometimes I might get a little hungry before it's time for lunch. Then I have a fruit and that's it.
I don't think this is bad for my capacity at work at all. Ive done the breakfast routine as well, so I know what it's like. I always notice that I'm not working at full speed when I for example haven't slept well or if I'm about to come down with a cold, so I think I would be able to tell if skipping breakfast was having an impact.
It's pretty indisputable that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces CVD, increases mental well-being, and lowers weight.
> Saturated fats causing increased cholesterol, thus leading to heart failure
Previous evidence certainly overestimated the impact of saturated fats, especially vis-a-vis processed carbohydrates. However there's no doubt that saturated fat still increases CVD mortality vis-a-vis unsaturated fats.
One of the biggest pitfalls in thinking about nutrition is asking "is food group X good or bad?" The real question is food group X good or bad in comparison to what? After all if people reduce the percent of X in their diet they have to replace it with something else. Beef is "good for you" if the marginal substitute is cupcakes, but "bad for you" if the marginal substitute is salmon.
Don't confuse unsupported with no scientific basis. The scientific method allows for making hypothesis that are later demonstrated to be false. It can absolutely be the case that the old recommendations were the best we knew at the time from science, and be unsupported today.
Just saw this comment on a Facebook page dedicated to science:
"Late last year, an analysis of 1.7 million people found you were 25 percent less likely to develop the condition if you had your appendix removed. Now a bigger study says the complete opposite. Believe it or not, this is science working
I had to take Health class in middle school and high school, and it didn't include any of these claims. Even if it had, my health education (while admittedly not great) consisted of a lot more than just 3 facts.
For anyone considering skipping breakfast but finding themselves too hungry, I would recommend trying it anyway. When I eat breakfast regularly I get hungry at that time of day, but once I’ve skipped it for a week or two then my body seems to get used to it and I no longer get hungry at that time.
Also, black coffee for me helps suppress my appetite.
Hunger is an interesting feeling. The tide sweeps in, hunger emerges like a wave, a call for action on the horizon. It reaches a crescendo, and then collapses, and disappears. At least, that's how my "routine hunger" feels: eat at time A on day 1, and you'll be hungry at time A on day 2.
The thing to remember about hunger as a craving is that it'll always pass if you leave it alone. Have a cup of water and let it go.
(please note: this is only referring to short term hunger sensations. there is a longer term hunger, but it feels different, more subtle but more all-encompassing)
Eat if you're hungry or your doctor tells you too. And when you eat, eat good food.
I don't understand why people overcomplicate it. The only difference is if you're trying to lose or gain weight, in which case it makes sense to watch how much and what you eat, when is less important. Follow your body's cues, and plan ahead so you have good options when you're hungry.
Personally, my body isn't ready for breakfast for an hour or two after I wake up, but my kids like to eat as soon as they get up, so I get up earlier so my mealtime matches my kids. I get up between 5-6, and my kids get up around 7:30, so breakfast at 8 works for both of us. Before I had kids, I'd wake up later, skip breakfast entirely, and have an early lunch (11 or so).
Afaict, the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" came from breakfast makers (dairy, cereal, etc), not medical research. Breakfast can be important, if you're hungry in the morning.
This is a surprisingly good article. It addresses "confus[ing] correlation with causation", addresses the "sponsored by Kellogg" problem, and hammers on the bad breakfast issue:
"So if you’re going to eat breakfast, seek out foods that give you the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy, like fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich cereals, and eggs. Steer clear of desserts masquerading as breakfast, like high-sugar granola or yogurt."
The channel is run by Aaron Caroll : Professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, the Vice Chair for Health Policy and Outcomes Research and the Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research.
Ensemble averaging has not worked well for me when it comes to dieting. I’m at a point where I’ve found what works well for me: high protein Mediterranean eat when I’m hungry. I tried skipping breakfast and wound up being skinny-fat. I tried keto and got fat and muscular. You might fit cleanly into a bin, like me, you might not.
Skipping breakfast is my doctor-approved way of keeping my weight in check. I found myself eating a few hours after dinner, so I still have three meals a day, just not at the traditional times. And like others have said here, hunger is almost never a problem. And drinking water is a great way to satisfy the occasional hunger.
They only go into the effects on your health regarding weight loss/gain, but I feel like I get a mental boost on mornings when I eat breakfast (either traditional American or Mediterranean style, never sugar cereal or whatever). The days I eat breakfast, I feel more focused. When I skip it, I’m on the express train to A.D.D. Town.
Last time I read an article, it was "Death of the Calorie". That article tries to imply that simple counting "calories" doesn't actually measure health's correlation to "diets".
I know we have come full circle with regard to protein and fats, but having that much fried food all at once doesn't seem like a the most healthy thing.
It usually comes with baked beans - the sauce has a high sugar content.
I don't eat particularly healthily myself, but saying full-English is healthy just sounds like nonsense.
Yeah I came here to make the same observation, this article is, as most things on HN, very US-centric. Being a european I've mostly eaten granola, porridge, müsli or sandwiches with cheese and meat for breakfast. But I've still always heard that breakfast is an important meal, without any association to cereal.
Just the fact that I'm hungry in the morning when I wake up should be an indicator.
> if you’ve been eating breakfast to stave off weight gain, researchers are increasingly learning that breakfast might have the opposite of the desired effect — it can promote more calorie consumption and weight gain.
[+] [-] mattlondon|7 years ago|reply
I'll still have breakfast at the weekends as its more of a social thing then, but on the usual 9-5 rat race I just skip it and save 10-20 mins of my day usually spent getting/making + eating breakfast. I even skip before a morning workout - so far no problems after many years doing it.
[+] [-] willio58|7 years ago|reply
I find it funny how many people dislike the term intermittent fasting. To me it’s just as silly as the people who attach their whole being to a diet like those living the “Keto life”. Keto and IF are effective ways of losing weight for lots of people including me, but it all just comes down to calorie in calorie out at the end of the day.
[+] [-] sys_64738|7 years ago|reply
I also avoid snack machines at work by never having loose change. I also avoid ‘free food’ unless fruit. Keep sugar to a minimum so no soda and no visits to drive through or donut shops. No soda either.
[+] [-] A2017U1|7 years ago|reply
Astonished how many pretend a topic so complicated by biology/genetics and routinely proven wrong can be easily broken down into simplistic good/bad buckets (and of course they definitely got it right this time)
Saturated fats and salt are next in line to fall, despite how hard the entrenched old guard of health authorities want to ignore the new evidence.
[+] [-] mlrtime|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] village-idiot|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kneel|7 years ago|reply
Western lifestyles are relatively sedentary, yet our brains are consuming more information than ever. Mental processes have nutritional needs and we're stabbing in the dark as to how to approach this problem. People have not figured out the best regimen for this new lifestyle.
[+] [-] LifeLiverTransp|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fmhul|7 years ago|reply
Like psychology. And I'm sure there are many other examples.
[+] [-] lustysocietyorg|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] rags2riches|7 years ago|reply
In adult life, with a typical schedule, I just skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner like everybody else. It's not a problem at all. Getting up and pretty much immediately having something to eat is just a habit. Sometimes I might get a little hungry before it's time for lunch. Then I have a fruit and that's it.
I don't think this is bad for my capacity at work at all. Ive done the breakfast routine as well, so I know what it's like. I always notice that I'm not working at full speed when I for example haven't slept well or if I'm about to come down with a cold, so I think I would be able to tell if skipping breakfast was having an impact.
[+] [-] hmd_imputer|7 years ago|reply
Eating an apple a day - unsupported
Saturated fats causing increased cholesterol, thus leading to heart failure - unsupported
It seems that almost everything we've been told since childhood to be healthy has no scientific basis whatsoever.
[+] [-] dcolkitt|7 years ago|reply
It's pretty indisputable that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces CVD, increases mental well-being, and lowers weight.
> Saturated fats causing increased cholesterol, thus leading to heart failure
Previous evidence certainly overestimated the impact of saturated fats, especially vis-a-vis processed carbohydrates. However there's no doubt that saturated fat still increases CVD mortality vis-a-vis unsaturated fats.
One of the biggest pitfalls in thinking about nutrition is asking "is food group X good or bad?" The real question is food group X good or bad in comparison to what? After all if people reduce the percent of X in their diet they have to replace it with something else. Beef is "good for you" if the marginal substitute is cupcakes, but "bad for you" if the marginal substitute is salmon.
[1] https://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g4490.full.pdf+html [2] https://www.nature.com/articles/0802795 [3] https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2016... [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5475232/
[+] [-] Pfhreak|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hmd_imputer|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ken|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jmkni|7 years ago|reply
I figure you may as well.
[+] [-] lincolnq|7 years ago|reply
Also, black coffee for me helps suppress my appetite.
[+] [-] Nav_Panel|7 years ago|reply
The thing to remember about hunger as a craving is that it'll always pass if you leave it alone. Have a cup of water and let it go.
(please note: this is only referring to short term hunger sensations. there is a longer term hunger, but it feels different, more subtle but more all-encompassing)
[+] [-] pauljurczak|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] beatgammit|7 years ago|reply
I don't understand why people overcomplicate it. The only difference is if you're trying to lose or gain weight, in which case it makes sense to watch how much and what you eat, when is less important. Follow your body's cues, and plan ahead so you have good options when you're hungry.
Personally, my body isn't ready for breakfast for an hour or two after I wake up, but my kids like to eat as soon as they get up, so I get up earlier so my mealtime matches my kids. I get up between 5-6, and my kids get up around 7:30, so breakfast at 8 works for both of us. Before I had kids, I'd wake up later, skip breakfast entirely, and have an early lunch (11 or so).
Afaict, the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" came from breakfast makers (dairy, cereal, etc), not medical research. Breakfast can be important, if you're hungry in the morning.
[+] [-] virtualritz|7 years ago|reply
With the exception of the joghurt there is not a single food in this table that I or most of my friends in Germany would eat for 'breakfast'.
[+] [-] GordonS|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Ensorceled|7 years ago|reply
"So if you’re going to eat breakfast, seek out foods that give you the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy, like fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich cereals, and eggs. Steer clear of desserts masquerading as breakfast, like high-sugar granola or yogurt."
[+] [-] screye|7 years ago|reply
The channel is run by Aaron Caroll : Professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, the Vice Chair for Health Policy and Outcomes Research and the Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research.
[+] [-] ctulek|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tsjq|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Josh379|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ryannevius|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jaden|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] magic_beans|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bigwheeler|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nishparadox|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] lustysocietyorg|7 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] vbuwivbiu|7 years ago|reply
other kinds of breakfast (full-English etc) are healthy
[+] [-] stuaxo|7 years ago|reply
I know we have come full circle with regard to protein and fats, but having that much fried food all at once doesn't seem like a the most healthy thing.
It usually comes with baked beans - the sauce has a high sugar content.
I don't eat particularly healthily myself, but saying full-English is healthy just sounds like nonsense.
[+] [-] INTPenis|7 years ago|reply
Just the fact that I'm hungry in the morning when I wake up should be an indicator.
Everyone's mileage may vary.
[+] [-] ubercow13|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TheSpiceIsLife|7 years ago|reply
Eating breakfast is not a good weight loss strategy, scientists confirm
And then goes on to say:
if you’ve been eating breakfast to stave off weight gain
Did I miss something?
[+] [-] asaph|7 years ago|reply
Same quote, more context:
> if you’ve been eating breakfast to stave off weight gain, researchers are increasingly learning that breakfast might have the opposite of the desired effect — it can promote more calorie consumption and weight gain.
[+] [-] ses1984|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] asaph|7 years ago|reply