This is not about low carb, but when did it become gospel that

BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY! ???

and when did it become gospel that

SIX MEALS A DAY ARE BETTER THAN TWO MEALS A DAY ???



There are many examples of thin people/ groups/ nations, where the norm is two or three meals a day, and there are many thin people who dont eat breakfast and have not done so for their adult life.

So, where are people getting the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and has this proven true in YOUR case???

When I eat breakfast I do not have the afternoon binge mode happening.

Hi Dude,

Don't get all upset, nobody will try to force you to eat breakfast if you don't want to.

Liz

Hi, Welcome to the Forums!

The word "gospel" is a Greek word that means 'good news.' Well, the good news here is that you don't have to eat breakfast. Your metabolism may slow down, because it thinks it's going to starve, but no one here will put a gun to your head to make you eat. There are no breakfast police or any other police, just a lot of people who have lost the weight they want to, or are on their way.

I have a much nicer time with this when I don't try to re-invent what Dr. Atkins invented, and follow the program.

Best of luck to you!

I just think that people are jumping off the cliff because everybody else is doing it.

Sometimes this is adviceable, but we should think about it first and not just blindly accept it.

Penelope,
I find the opposite to be true in my case. When I eat breakfast, I still eat the same size lunch and dinner.

mostly i eat breakfast cuz i workout before work - need feeding and its important for me cuz i dont want to be snackin wrong stuff or eating more than i should

but - on weekends where sleeping till late is vital - i skip breakfast and usually if i was at home all day - i wouldn't worry much about breakfast as i could eat small snacks

As an avid science reader many times I read Science News when eating breakfast - now typically during the week - Flaxomeal or carbsense hot cereals.

While there is not an abundance of scientific studies supporting breakfast there is some scientific data that does support a claim that eating breafast may sharpen your mind. Particularly with school children test scores may be higher. I say "may" because more studies are needed.

This site talks about it:

http://www.adksportsfitness.com/bac.../nutrition.html

Probably about the same time the "calories in/calories out" concept became gospel, and throngs of dieters concluded that it would be a good idea to skip breakfast.

Yes, it has proven true in my case. I used to work early mornings and skipped breakfast if I slept in. It was not pleasant!



Probably when people figured out that blood sugar levels had something to do with mood, hunger, and weight gain/loss.

I myself do not eat 6 meals a day. I can't personally locate a study with an internet search that supports 6 meals a day over 3. There are articles like the link I provided that state there are studies that support 6 meals a day as being better.

Both of my posts Breakfast and 6 meals - there appear to be studies supporting the ideas but more work is needed to make them "gospels"

From the link:

Question:
I've heard many experts say you should eat 5-6 smaller meals a day as opposed to 2 or 3 large meals a day. Is this true?
Answer:
The answer is an emphatic "yes". To improve your body, to look better, feel better, and improve your health, you must get in the habit of feeding your body more often. Numerous studies have shown that eating often helps accelerate the metabolism, so you burn more calories. When you consume5-6 nutritious, smaller meals a day, the food is more efficiently absorbed and processed by your body than the typical American diet of three square meals a day.

By eating every few hours, you will have more energy, less hunger pains and cravings. Above all, you will be creating a metabolic environment that supports fat loss and muscle gains, allowing you to transform your body in the shortest amount of time.


http://www.health-fitness-tips.com/...-gym-search.htm

If I don't eat breakfast, I notice that I have less energy in the morning and am generally less productive.

I think one thing to remember is there is a difference between a diet for weight loss and a regular diet. There are people that are thin and in good health that only eat 2-3 times per day. However, those people probably aren't trying to lose weight and they're probably not exercising much. While on any weight loss diet, you should be exercising and your body simply requires more food every day while you're doing it. At the moment I eat 4-5 times per day and exercise for 60-90min or more per day. Once I hit my goal weight and body fat %, I'll be eating 2-3 times per day and only doing 30min of exercise per day.

I was under the assumption that when most people eat breakfast and small frequent meals they would feel so much better that they would 'know' it was the best thing to do.
I first read about it's potential benifits: stable blood sugar, constant supply of nutrients for growing muscle, increased metabolism etc... and it all made sense.
Then I tried it... and I felt great compared to going hours between meals. I feel like I have more energy, and less hunger. My muscles seemed to grow faster also. When you wake up in the morning your body is feeding off itself... including muscle.
I'm not saying it's normal in all primitive cultures... but I know it makes sense from a muscle building standpoint, and it seems to work for me. I try to eat every 3 or 4 hours. When my mood changes for the worse before a meal... I know I've gone too long.
If you feal better eating only a couple meals per day... I don't think that is what the average person experiences, but you should do what's right for your body. Unless you are trying to build muscle, in which case you should eat frequently, otherwise your body may be forced to catabolize your own muscle to get the nutrients it needs.
On the other hand, I read that animals that are forced to repeatedly fast for periods of time are less likely to get diabetes. My opinion: If it's a fact then it's a fact. But that doesn't mean there are not better ways to avoid diabetes. (Like not eating refined carbohydrates)

I eat breakfast and I eat six small meals a day... sometimes seven if I'm up late night....

It's been the best thing that I've ever done! I'm never hungry and I've been less inclined to binge and overeat. This has been a lifestyle change for me - one that is working very well.

The thing to remember is that what works for one person may not work for others. There is no one diet plan that works for everyone. If it did there wouldn't be the abundance of diet plans out there... even on this board you'll find 10+ different lo-carb diets.

It's all a matter of determining what works best for your body. I've tried 3 meals a day and was constantly standing at the fridge putting food to mouth because I was hungry. Now I'm never hungry! Go figure...

Kiks

Even though it might not be necessary to eat breakfast if you want to lose weight, it has been demonstrated that it gives you an edge. Eating your biggest meal first thing in the morning has been demonstrated to a) increase metabolic rate and b) prevent excessive eating later in the day.

I never eat breakfast, can't stomach it...except last year when I lost a lot on LC, when I ate my bacon and eggs religiously ('cos it was gospel). OK, I'm concvinced, I'm going to start eating breakfast again.

For me, eating the right foods in the morning, give me the boost I need. Now especially since I'm working out more often, I"m hungry more often so eating the 6 small meals is great for me. Again, Wildcard you don't have to do what everyone else does, every individual is just that, an individual and what works for me may not work for you.