Breakfast - the Most Important Meal of the Day?

The Claim: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and kickstarts your metabolism. If you skip breakfast you’ll overeat at the end of the day and you won’t perform as well at work/school.

Answer: FACTOID

Eating breakfast has no special effect on your metabolism or metabolic rate as it were. If you like to eat breakfast then by all means go ahead, but don’t expect it to help with your ability to burn calories.

There is some persistent claim that breakfast can also help with cognitive function but this research was only shown to have an effect in children. It may very well be that growing children might do better in school if they get something to eat in the morning simply because it keeps them happy and more attentive in class. Whatever the case may be it is clear that there is no effect of breakfast on adults.

So, eat breakfast if you like, but be aware that it’s not going to have a special effect on your ability to burn fat or get work done.

John

Posted by johnbarban in metabolism

Tags: breakfast, metabolism, Weight Loss |6 Comments

6 Responses to “Breakfast – the Most Important Meal of the Day?”

Wood Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Still dont iunderstand why is there so many opposite view in such an easy (seems so) issue. Quote from a fitness page:
” During this time (morning) your body has gone into starvation mode after an 8-12 hour starvation period. Eating immediately after you wake up is extremely important to increase your metabolism for the upcoming day. What should you eat? Make sure to ingest complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, complete protein such as an omelette full of mixed vegetables and drink green tea and water. ” – and I think this is the common answer for the question.

John, any chance You (we, someone) could change this?
B. Howard Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Hey Wood, all I have to say is this, just look at how John looks in this video.

Pretty big I’d say, at 182-3 lbs, 6 foot tall.

And he’s just doing what I would call the “bare minimum” as far as nutrition (ie monitoring calories in and out)

And don’t forget, it’s easy for one person to quote research (even if it’s on rats) the RIGHT way, and then have others emulate or repeat that research without including the “caveats” in the research itself (like it was done on rats)…

Plus, when there’s money on the line, selling requires being different and “special”

B
Jordan Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 11:27 am
“8-12 hour starvation period.” Geez, do these people ever stop and actually think about what they just said or wrote? How the hell does someone “starve” after 8-12 hours of no food?! Ridiculous. Human beings are the product of millions of years of evolution. I doubt we’re that fragile.
Brad Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Never thought I’d say this to a dude… but Nice rack!

lol

B
Rahim Samuel Says:
February 16th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I can take or leave breakfast to be honest. I only eat something so I won’t pass out during my morning training. Lunch would be more like “breakfast” for me.

Rahim Samuel
Publisher, Wellnessbymanymeans.com
ERV Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Breakfast might not be ‘the most important’, but it is super easy and has all my favorite foods: eggs (which you can make a bazillion ways), bacon, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls, oatmeal, cream of wheat, granola, orange juice… why the hell would anyone skip breakfast?? lol!