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I know a lot of people who enjoy just one real meal a day and that would be dinner. I, periodically do this. I love breakfast but often eat very little except for my coffee and juice. I have never been a huge lunch eater This is why dinner is the meal I long for most everyday. I don't do this on purpose, it just happens this way. I have also lost about 12 libs this year and I credit my small breakfast and lunch for this. I certainly can't say losing weight for me, comes from lots of exercise.
It’s called intermittent fasting, and yes it’s a thing. I do it every day and dropped about 20 pounds. 16:8. Fast 16 hours, eat within the remaining 8 hour window.
See also the more extreme Warrior Diet which is a 20:4 ratio.
Does it work? Weight gain is all about calorie intake. You can fast 20 hrs and stuff yourself silly the remaining 4, with fatty, sweet stuff, big meals etc. and you WILL gain weight, guaranteed!
What do you think about not eating any protein or anything like that until later in the day?
I have at least two vivid memories of doing this:
1. I spent the night at a friend's house when I was a kid. We got up very early to drive to the coast with his dad to go fishing. We stopped for donuts on the way. I had at least two. The drive was several hours. We stayed about two hours, then drove back. That was all we ate. I didn't get hungry though or even think that it was odd.
2. Once on a Saturday I went to a park with some friends. I can remember walking around for a while, so it's not as if I was just sitting all day. All I ate for most of that day (until dinner) was something like a small piece of pumpkin bread.
I was fine both times, but it just seems odd to remember these things. It defies logic and what they tell us about nutrition. Especially the lack of protein.
This isn't unusual, and I think that we all are doing that sometimes, planned or not, because of circumstances - some life emergencies that are more important than eating, or just got super busy and didn't have time to eat most of the day.
Most people don't have such vivid recollection of the days they didn't eat anything or skipped most meals. A day here or there really does matter to your health, unless you are sick and its absolutely crucial that you have something to eat every few hours.
There are also religious fasts like Lent or Ramadan.
People who observe Ramadan wake up well before dawn to eat the first meal of the day, which has to last until sunset. This means eating high-protein foods and drinking as much water as possible right up until dawn, after which they can't eat or drink anything. Ramadan lasts either 29 or 30 days and 1.6 billion Muslims will observe it.
That's why I don't understand the need for munching all day on something, mostly junk - in fear that an hour or two will definitely make them sick or die.
People are worried to go to the movie and don't eat for two hours. I had a coworker who had a big basket of junk food in her car, and said this is her necessities just in case she gets stuck in commute traffic
I saw people who non-stop eat something and sip on fluids the whole 8 hrs at work. By the end of the day, they had no clue how much food they actually ate.
Those are very unhealthy eating habits and in most cases promote weight gain.
Does it work? Weight gain is all about calorie intake. You can fast 20 hrs and stuff yourself silly the remaining 4, with fatty, sweet stuff, big meals etc. and you WILL gain weight, guaranteed!
Pretty much my thoughts, but not eating much during the day certainly will cut down on most of our calorie intake. I had a doctor,many years ago who put it this way: like you said: it isn't what or when you eat as much as the total calorie intake. cut the intake down by 1/2 or even 1/3 and you will lose weight regardless of what time of the day you eat. I feel my weight loss is due to not eating much during the day. I do love my dinner but because I eat so little during the day, I guess my tummy needs have diminished. I fill up quicker, but have to admit by morning I am pretty hungry. I just don't eat much.
Does it work? Weight gain is all about calorie intake. You can fast 20 hrs and stuff yourself silly the remaining 4, with fatty, sweet stuff, big meals etc. and you WILL gain weight, guaranteed!
Latest studies suggest that it is not about "calories in/calories out".
It is about insulin. If you don't produce insulin, you can't gain weight. Going 16 or more hours without eating will drop your insulin output to practically nothing during that 16+ hours.
What about the other 8 or so hours? You can only produce so much insulin during any given time period. In that sense, it really doesn't matter how much you eat, or of what foods. Of course, if it's your only meal of the day, better if it's a healthy one.
It is all about insulin production, not calories. It seems counter-intuitive, as most of us grew up worrying about calories. But they really do not matter. That's why reduced calorie diets don't work, while intermittent fasting works so well for weight loss.
I never eat breakfast unless going out as a treat because I have no urge for food in the morning.
Lots of people skip meals regularly. It’s called intermittent fasting.
I graze very lightly a couple of days a week.
Otherwise I eat brunch around noon and a well balanced dinner between 6 and 7 pm.
Keeps the kitchen cleaner, plus saves money and time as I cook only once or twice for the whole week.
And I eat whatever my body tells me to which usually is protein at noon.
Latest studies suggest that it is not about "calories in/calories out".
It is about insulin. If you don't produce insulin, you can't gain weight. Going 16 or more hours without eating will drop your insulin output to practically nothing during that 16+ hours.
What about the other 8 or so hours? You can only produce so much insulin during any given time period. In that sense, it really doesn't matter how much you eat, or of what foods. Of course, if it's your only meal of the day, better if it's a healthy one.
It is all about insulin production, not calories. It seems counter-intuitive, as most of us grew up worrying about calories. But they really do not matter. That's why reduced calorie diets don't work, while intermittent fasting works so well for weight loss.
Controlling insulin is not easy, 1/2 the population has insulin resistance and not doing anything about it. We have to get away from the mindset of frequent eating and loading up on carbs with body cravings. Insulin resistance is when insulin is no longer managed correctly by the body and is constantly being deployed to convert sugars and even protein into fat cells. Yes, even having too much protein can spike insulin. The only way to fix this is to go long period of fasting and only eat in a small window of the day or night.
I've been grouping my meals to only late afternoon and then dinner, then no more eating the rest of the night and no breakfast at all. Cravings completely gone. I no longer have the feeling of starvation or ravenous eating. Once your insulin is managed, your meals should involve keeping insulin under control. Watch the glycemic index for all foods and eat those with the lowest to manage insulin response. In addition to doing a ketogenic diet, fasting, and insulin management you'll see real weight loss and body metabolism changes.
People have to understand that we were never to be frequent eaters. Our ancestors went days and weeks without eating. There were no such thing as set meals. The body has a lot of ways to store energy and use it when it needs. Absolutely no need for a 3+ meal plan unless you're an athlete and you have to increase your body mass.
I did once at work and it was not intentional. I remember how miserable and angry I was at the end of the day. There is no way in hell I am doing that ever again. I eat 4 and sometines 5 meals a day and that would make my life a living hell so definitely it is not for me.. Heck I can't even go to work without breakfast. I am like a car without gas in the tank I don't run.
I'm more the opposite... often times the last time I eat in a day is 1 or 2pm and I don't eat again till 7~9am the next morning.
I *used* to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, because eating early made me feel ill and I was busy (or too poor to go out/too stupid to bring my own) during lunch. I ballooned up to nearly 300lbs in those years, felt terrible and sought help. Wound up changing my diet more than anything else, and that change was to "eat like a King for breakfast, a Prince for lunch and a Pauper for dinner"..... took a month or two to adjust to the change, between going to bed earlier (so I could get up earlier), cooking/eating/cleaning before going to work and making sure I had a proper meal while at work. But it worked, I lost ~80lbs of weight in a few months, and as a bonus I felt better, had more energy through the day, brain felt clearer and faster. Basically, the results more than justified the change and I haven't deviated in the past ~17 years... Worked for my wife too.... she basically cut 1/3rd her total body weight in 3 months and has kept it off too, while also enjoying the other benefits.
Same intermittent fasting, just applying it in a way that's shown to work the best for humans in the modern world. Yes, some people May be different, or they may be stubborn and unwilling to try something different. It kills "social" aspects like evening dates focused on eating (though our friends now have all been met while we've been on this schedule, so it's just normal to not have food anytime we get together in the evenings ~ our eating gatherings are Always brunch or early afternoon lunch).
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I graze very lightly a couple of days a week.
