Should I eat or skip breakfast to lose weight?

Author: Unique Schowalter  |  Last update: Monday, June 30, 2025

A recent study compared weight loss among people who ate breakfast with those who didn't. The meal didn't make any difference. If you're dieting, don't think cutting calories by skipping the meal will help. Studies show that most people who lose weight and keep the weight off eat breakfast every day.

Is it better to eat breakfast or skip breakfast for weight loss?

Does Skipping Breakfast Help You Lose Weight? Breakfast skipping may help you lose minimal weight in the short term, but the practice is far from sustainable and can even backfire. According to a 2022 study in Nutrients, skipping breakfast was related to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Which meal is best to skip for weight loss?

Breakfast has become the most common option for people to skip when following some form of time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting. People tend to find it easiest because generally, it's the meal commonly taken at a time of hurry, as you rush out the door in the morning.

Is skipping breakfast better than eating breakfast?

While skipping breakfast is not recommended, good nutrition is not just about the number of meals you have each day. If you don't have breakfast, aim to make up for the nutritional content you missed at breakfast with your lunch, dinner and healthy snacks.

Does skipping breakfast make you lose weight?

Despite the belief that skipping breakfast can aid in weight loss by reducing overall daily caloric intake, most randomized controlled studies have shown no weight-loss benefit to omitting breakfast.

Should I Skip Breakfast or Dinner? (Intermittent Fasting) | Jason Fung

What is the best eating schedule for weight loss?

While there is no one perfect way to time your meals, there is some evidence that suggests that eating most of your food earlier in the day, going lighter at your evening meal and leaving at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast may have some health benefits—including enhanced weight loss.

Will I gain weight if I skip breakfast?

Regarding the analyzed association between breakfast skipping and body weight, all nine studies showed an increased relative risk regarding overweight/obesity. Within this, seven out of nine studies reported that skipping breakfast was associated with weight gain [36,37,38,39,91,93,94].

What is the most important meal of the day for weight loss?

There are plenty of reasons why many health professionals say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast can help jump-start your metabolism.

Why should we never skip breakfast?

After a night's sleep, your body's fuel stores are depleted. Breakfast replenishes these stores with glucose, the brain's main source of energy. Skipping breakfast leaves you feeling sluggish, foggy-minded, and unable to concentrate at work or school.

How soon after waking up should you eat?

However, eating breakfast really is important. In fact, eating within 30 minutes of getting up is needed to get your body re-energized and re-hydrated after fasting and dehydrating overnight.

Which meal should you never skip?

Eating all three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner – provides essential nutrients, supports metabolism, and helps maintain energy levels and mood throughout the day. By prioritising balanced meals, you're not just feeding your body, but also setting the foundation for long-term health and well-being.

What is the best breakfast for losing belly fat?

Research shows that eating a breakfast high in protein and fiber-rich foods, like eggs, vegetables, beans, and Greek yogurt, can help improve feelings of fullness and help you eat fewer calories later in the day, encouraging healthy weight loss.

What are the side effects of skipping breakfast?

Discover it here!
  • Lack of Energy. Breakfast allows you to fill up with energy. ...
  • Increase in sugar level. The nutrients you bring to the body at breakfast greatly affect the sugar level. ...
  • Food cravings. ...
  • Emotional disturbances. ...
  • Impaired immune system. ...
  • Digestive problems. ...
  • Risk of developing heart disease.

Does drinking water help you lose weight?

Water is more than just a thirst-quencher. It offers various benefits that can aid in weight loss. These include boosting metabolism, suppressing appetite, aiding in detoxification and enhancing exercise performance.

What is the healthiest breakfast?

Healthy Breakfast Ideas
  • Plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.
  • Olive oil and seasoning with herbs and spices instead of saturated fat and sodium.
  • Protein from fish, eggs, beans, legumes and poultry instead of red meat.

Is it better or worse to skip breakfast?

"There are numerous studies showing that people who skip breakfast have an increased risk for heart disease and many other ailments," he says. Not only that, there's also some evidence to suggest that heart attacks are more likely to happen in the morning.

Is intermittent fasting just skipping breakfast?

There are various ways you can carry out intermittent fasting. The most common method is following the 16:8 diet, where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour interval. In other words, you will be skipping breakfast and eating lunch and dinner.

What should I eat all day to lose weight?

The healthiest lower energy-dense choices are foods that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as:
  • Beans, peas and lentils, which are also good sources of fiber.
  • Fish.
  • Lean meat and poultry.
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
  • Egg whites.

What time should I stop eating at night to lose weight?

Although the actual time doesn't really matter, many people who eat late at night choose high-calorie foods, which brings weight gain. Late meals and snacks can also make it harder for you to fall asleep. Aim to stay out of the kitchen from a couple of hours before bedtime until you wake up the next morning.

Should I skip breakfast to lose belly fat?

Skipping breakfast is not a good weight loss strategy

Many believe the simple math of the calories-in-calories-out model of weight loss — if you reduce your calorie intake and increase your exercise, you will lose weight. If that were true, skipping breakfast would mean fewer calories, which would equal weight loss.

What is the best way to lose weight?

One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking. Work up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Some people may need more exercise than this to lose weight and keep it off. Also aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week.

Can an empty stomach cause weight gain?

It's true that one should have low quantity of food at night, but completely skipping the meal is not ideal. It will only lead to weight gain. "The body enters a mode where you start accumulating fat.

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