Intermittent fasting/Skipping breakfast is horrible for most people

[JamesHowlett]

Before I start, yes I know breakfast means breaking your fast, I’m talking about the typical intermittent fasting schedule of not eating anything after waking up until the afternoon or until you’re hungry.

IF doesn’t work for most people because you just end up binging later on. I tried fasting for years and it never worked long term.

If you do intermittent fasting and it’s worked for you long term then keep going, you’re one of the few who it works for. But if like the majority of people its not working long term, then I suggest eating a big breakfast soon after waking. The benefits of eating a big breakfast vs no breakfast are as follows (there are many more but these are from the top of my head):

- No urge to binge later
- Less sweet cravings
- More energy
- Burn more calories throughout the day (internally and also due to more movement naturally)
- Less anxiety and stress (Jordan Peterson advocates a big breakfast because of this).
- Not thinking about food all the time
- Spreading protein-based meals throughout the day is better than stuffing all of your protein into a small time-frame when it comes to muscle building and protein synthesis.

A lot of these benefits are related to your blood sugar levels, which in general is extremely underrated for mental and physical wellbeing.

Makes more sense having all the energy you need when you actually use it I.e. in the day, rather than having less energy throughout the day then dumping a load of energy into your system at night when you don’t need it.

For those of you thinking “if I have a big breakfast, I won’t have enough calories for night when I’m usually the most hungry”. Trust me when I say, you’re most hungry at night BECAUSE you starved during the day. Eating a big breakfast completely removed my night time urge to eat.

Also, Greg Doucette, the most legit and based Fitness YouTuber has said many times not to skip breakfast for the reasons stated above.

 

[John124]

Fasting has health benefits though

Also 1-2 meals it's easier to control your calories and plan meals with 100% of your micros/macros.

 

[JamesHowlett]

Fasting has health benefits though

Also 1-2 meals it's easier to control your calories and plan meals with 100% of your micros/macros.

Shouldn’t be that much harder to count calories for 3-5 meals. Also, If you’re eating out one night and usually have 5 meals, combine the calories of your 4th and 5th meal.

The typical IF schedule of skipping breakfast just doesn’t work for most people in the long run.

 

[Scarfaced]

I agree , also if you lift then fitting multiple high protein meals in a small window is sub optimal for protein synthesis

 

[JamesHowlett]

I agree , also if you lift then fitting multiple high protein meals in a small window is sub optimal for protein synthesis

Forgot about this, added to my post

 

[TrestIsBest]

I don't really buy into the IF as a health intervention hype but it really helps me with keeping hunger at bay. Even when I'm breaking my fast, I'm usually like "god damn, do I really have to prepare food and sit down to eat now? So annoying..." This doesn't happen when I'm starting my day with a breakfast. I like both tho, IF and eating breakfast. The former just really is a cheat code for losing weight for me and TRT makes catabolism a non-concern

 

[JamesHowlett]

I don't really buy into the IF as a health intervention hype but it really helps me with keeping hunger at bay. Even when I'm breaking my fast, I'm usually like "god damn, do I really have to prepare food and sit down to eat now? So annoying..." This doesn't happen when I'm starting my day with a breakfast. I like both tho, IF and eating breakfast. The former just really is a cheat code for losing weight for me and TRT makes catabolism a non-concern

Fair enough if it works for you.

In general, are you an anxious/emotive person? I think the breakfast vs IF thing comes down to that too, I think anxious/emotive people do better with breakfast.

 

[Bewusst]

If you can't go a day without food, you're just a mentally weak food addict like most people. It's easy to adapt to extended fasting windows if you just stop being a bitch and push through a few weeks of minor discomfort. After that, it becomes second nature and you stop thinking about food all the time

Imagine dividing 1,500 kcal into 5 meals. That's a pathetic 300 kcal per meal or a snickers bar and three strawberries

 

[Deleted member 7725]

If you can't go a day without food, you're just a mentally weak food addict like most people. It's easy to adapt to extended fasting windows if you just stop being a bitch and push through a few weeks of minor discomfort. After that, it becomes second nature and you stop thinking about food all the time

Imagine dividing 1,500 kcal into 5 meals. That's a pathetic 300 kcal per meal or a snickers bar and three strawberries

I don't think it works like that tbh. I took MK677 and force-fed myself 4000 calories a day for bulking for 3 months straight. As soon as I stopped, I reverted back to my normal 1000-1500 calories a day.

 

[chasing aesthetics]

eat when your body tells you to eat. there you go.

 

[JamesHowlett]

If you can't go a day without food, you're just a mentally weak food addict like most people. It's easy to adapt to extended fasting windows if you just stop being a bitch and push through a few weeks of minor discomfort. After that, it becomes second nature and you stop thinking about food all the time

Imagine dividing 1,500 kcal into 5 meals. That's a pathetic 300 kcal per meal or a snickers bar and three strawberries

Well done, you found something that works for you. This is horrible advice for most people.

You could just have 3 meals if you’re eating 1500 cals, that’s 500 cals each. Stop being fucking retarded, who has a snickers bar for a meal? If you focus on low calorie foods, 500 cals can be a lot of volume. Also when eating breakfast you won’t the same sugar craving/binge urge later compared to if you fasted.

 

[Deleted member 13409]

Farting every now and then is good for your Brian

 

[JamesHowlett]

Farting every now and then is good for your Brian

Proof in human studies? Glucose is your brain’s primary fuel source.

 

[JamesHowlett]

eat when your body tells you to eat. there you go.

Nope, if you eat once you’re hungry it’s already too late, ghrelin is punching you in the face and you will overeat. After this you will still want to binge later because your blood glucose is out of whack for the rest of the day,

 

[Deleted member 15246]

Why don't you skip the dinner ?

 

[Constantin Denis]

Water fasting is amazing. If you have the mindset for it. Don't do any type of fasting if you're still in puberty tho.

 

[JamesHowlett]

Why don't you skip the dinner ?

But why though? Who says you need to skip any meals?

 

[JamesHowlett]

Water fasting is amazing. If you have the mindset for it. Don't do any type of fasting if you're still in puberty tho.

I agree that fasting can be good in the short term. Eventually most people will revert and binge.

 

[Deleted member 15246]

But why though? Who says you need to skip any meals?

I follow 16/8 model daily.
Previously I did 20/4.