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The most important meal of the day.
Mon, 02/20/2012 - 1:05am — Charles Izzo
In the USA it is typically thought that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet when I asked people from a variety of Asian countries and even other countries in the world where the norm isn't being a fat slob, the consensus is they might have something small because they don't have the time. Same thing with lunch. So breakfast might be some tea and maybe a piece of bread depending on the individual. Lunch might be anywhere from fruit and nuts to a sandwich, but nothing too much. Dinner is the main course where everyone eats together.
When ever the topic of less meals comes up it seems the argument about sumo wrestlers always comes up, that they are the ones that do this to get fat. I don't believe this to be true. The difference between your average person and a sumo wrestler is that the wrestler actually has the goal of getting fat. With that in mind, somewhat regardless of the number of meals, all that is required to get fat is to eat foods high in calories and to eat way beyond the point of being full. That is a sure recipe to get fat! But eat foods with a reasonable calorie density and eat until you are full and satisfied and no more, and fat gain should never be an issue.
So what about the idea in the USA where "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"? I think saying that is a really good way to sell cereal to people and make a lot of money, especially in a country where there is plenty of it. The same thing goes for "soup is good for you when you are sick". A lot of people in the USA believe it even though it isn't true, and what they don't realize is that the idea came from ads decades ago and nothing more.
Last year I came to the conclusion that the best advice I could ever give someone on diet, is to never take diet advice from anyone from the US. Because statistically speaking, what ever it is that they think they know what they are talking about, it's obviously not working. I think I'll stick with what has been working for me, the way they do it in Asian countries. I know I'm not going to die of starvation if I wait until noon to eat.
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Most fat slobs I know don't
Most fat slobs I know don't make breakfast a priority. They either don't eat it or they eat all huge meals, so every meal is the most important. I think it is smart to make sure you eat breakfast, but I do agree that it isn't necessarily more important than your other meals, especially considering different people's schedules. If you have a very labor intensive job that starts at 8 or 9am, I think breakfast would be extremely important.
Agreed.
Well stated.
I tend to adhere to Mauro DiPasquale's philosophy of keeping quality calories coming in throughout all waking hours however.
Kris Perry
Not eating breakfast is
Not eating breakfast is associated with overweight and obesity because most people who don't eat breakfast don't try to eat well in general. But there is such a thing as a nutritionally-conscious breakfast-skipper. The issue here isn't eating or not eating breakfast, but eating habits generally.
Nutrition usually confuses me, and I rarely feel confident in making judgments about nutritional issues, but I've become almost certain that it makes absolutely no difference, beyond sheer personal preference, whether someone eats breakfast or not. I've been skipping breakfast for the past two months as part of an intermittent fasting protocol, and I've never been any leaner or felt any better than I currently do.
That's the problem with
That's the problem with being guilty by association. Most people will see what they want to see based on their current beliefs. Honestly, I have known people with a variety of meal patterns with different results. Of the breakfast skippers you have people who are overweight, skinny people, and people who are lean and ripped.
What makes all the difference for breakfast skippers however is the fat ones are the ones who eat the wrong foods and eat way beyond the point of being full. The skinny and lean folks on the other hand don't eat when they aren't hungry and they never eat beyond the point of being full.
Drop breakfast and you can easily make a significant difference in the amount of calories you are consuming that day. And that's enough to lose weight, providing you aren't canceling it out by junk foods high in concentrated calories.
Ike, How about some good
Ike,
How about some good news?
You say you've only been doing this for 2 months? I've been doing it for almost a year now and still going with ease. I still feel comfortable with it and I kept everything I've lost.
So that's my encouragement for you that this stuff works and it will continue to work long term. IF helps a lot.
For me, I am sure I have gotten about as lean as I can for now without being a little strict for a while. But if I want to drop another 10 lbs and see my abs better, I know what to do. Once you know what you are doing it becomes nothing but a choice.
Charles, I'm loving IF, and
Charles,
I'm loving IF, and can't see ever stopping. Lately, less food has been filling me up when I have my one meal. So I've been eating until I'm stuffed (~2000 calories), go to bed satisfied, and do it over again the next day. Fat continues to melt off. Such an easy way to restrict calories, because I can still eat a large amount of good food (don't feel deprived).
I got my mom on it, and she effortlessly lost 10 in a month (didn't change food choices). Several of my friends are doing it as well.
Ike, I have tried one main
Ike,
I have tried one main meal per day and it works great. I would do it fast 5 style where my first meal would be raw fruits and vegetables and maybe only 300 calories, then a few hours later I would have my main meal which would be anywhere from 1000-2500 calories. That first raw foods meal helps a lot to maintain control for dinner time.
Also, I don't like doing it that way all the time, only when I am real busy and possibly traveling or when I am cutting. While traveling I actually find that such a style is essential in order to stay in good shape while maintaining flexibility for traveling.
However, for long term maintenance, I like 2 meals per day within roughly an 8 hour window the best. I just find it to be more practical and comfortable. Ideally and as usual, I prefer meal 1 to be lower in calories.