Is it bad if I don't eat in the morning, as long as I eat enough?

Question

I have been on a low carb diet (<30g/ day) for the past 6 months. I have always been one to forget to eat, but recently it had been particularly bad.

Almost every day, I will completely forget about food and won't eat until 1pm ish, at which point I wake up to the fact that I am starving and find something to eat. I have a pretty high focus job which keeps me distracted.

After that point, my diet is completely normal. I eat enough calories over the rest of the day to compensate for the lack in the morning. My BMI is healthy and my diet is quite healthy too ( lots of veggies). I usually track my calories and carbs using MyFitnessPal and if i am lacking, I'll add a bit of cream to my tea in the evening.

So is it bad that i don't eat at all in the morning, given that my diet is otherwise healthy?

Answer 1

https://authoritynutrition.com/is-skipping-breakfast-bad/

Breakfast Eaters Tend to Have Healthier Habits?

It’s true, many studies show that breakfast eaters tend to be healthier.

For example, they are less likely to be overweight/obese, and have a lower risk of several chronic diseases (2, 3, 4).

For this reason, many experts have claimed that breakfast must be good for you.

However, these studies are so-called observational studies, which can not demonstrate causation.

These studies show that people who eat breakfast are more likely to be healthier, but they can not prove that the breakfast itself caused it.

Eating Breakfast Does Not Boost Your Metabolism?

Whether you eat or skip breakfast has no effect on the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. This is a myth.

Skipping Breakfast Does Not Cause Weight Gain?

Higher-quality studies show that it makes no difference whether people eat or skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast makes you eat more at lunch, but not enough to compensate for the breakfast you skipped.

Skipping Breakfast May Even Have Some Health Benefits

Skipping breakfast is a common part of many intermittent fasting methods.

This includes the 16/8 method, which consists of a 16-hour overnight fast followed by an 8-hour eating window.

This eating window usually ranges from lunch until dinner, which means that you skip breakfast every day.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to effectively reduce calorie intake, increase weight loss and improve metabolic health.

However, it’s important to mention that intermittent fasting and/or skipping breakfast does not suit everyone. The effects vary by individual

But Breakfast is Optional. The evidence is clear, there is nothing “special” about breakfast. It does not matter whether you eat or skip breakfast, as long as you are not starving and eat healthy for the rest of the day. Breakfast does not “jump start” your metabolism and skipping it does not automatically make you overeat and gain weight. This is a myth, based on observational studies that have since been proven wrong in randomized controlled trials (real science).

At the end of the day, breakfast is optional, and it all boils down to personal preference.

Answer 2

The body loves a rhythm. So if you are regularly skipping breakfast, and otherwise eating healthily, there shouldn't be a problem. You will adapt.

However, I would not recommend skipping breakfast. Depending on your daily activity, it may be wise to "fuel up" first. I personally ascribe to an old maxim:

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper".