There is a lot of confusing advice out there about the “optimal” meal frequency.
According to many “gurus” – eating breakfast jump starts fat burning and 5-6 small meals a day prevent a slowed metabolism.
To Eat Breakfast, or Not to Eat Breakfast
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” – sound familiar?
Conventional wisdom dictates that breakfast is a necessity, that it jump starts your metabolism for the day and helps you lose weight.
Observational studies consistently show that breakfast skippers are more likely to be obese than people who eat breakfast.
But correlation does not equal causation. This data does not prove that breakfast helps you lose weight, just that eating breakfast is associated with a lower risk of being obese.
This is most likely due to the fact that breakfast skippers tend to be less health conscious overall, perhaps opting for a doughnut at work and then having a big meal at McDonald’s at lunch.
Everyone “knows” that breakfast is good for you, therefore people who have healthy habits overall are more likely to eat breakfast.
The fact is that there is NO physiological need for breakfast. It does not “jump start” metabolism and there is nothing special about breakfast compared to other meals.
My advice: If you’re hungry in the morning, eat breakfast. If not, don’t… just make sure to eat healthy for the rest of the day.
