The Truth About Skipping Breakfast And Whether It Works For Weight Loss Or Not

Is it really the most important meal of the day?

Why You Need To Forget Everything You Ever Knew About Eating Breakfast getty
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You have been told it is essential to eat a good, healthy breakfast. You may have even heard that a big breakfast is the answer for how to lose weight.

Your body has been fasting all night and now needs fuel, but what if you aren't hungry? You have a busy schedule and don’t have time to fix a big breakfast, let alone sit down and eat it. Is skipping breakfast really that good for you?

Well, even if you did eat in the morning, the typical breakfast foods, like eggs, raise the question about getting too much cholesterol. Cereal consists of grains, and this brings up gluten sensitivity. Then, there is the milk that typically goes on the cereal, and many people are sensitive to dairy.

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RELATED: Chocolate Cake For Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight, Says Science

Continental breakfasts — pastries and muffins — which consist primarily of grain and sugar, are guaranteed to add extra inches to the waistline.

The next answer is smoothies. Smoothies consist of fruit juice and a protein powder. The problem with protein powders is a lot of people have difficulty digesting them, especially if they are a soy or milk base.

So, does this mean you should just skip breakfast? What I found in testing, and working with thousands of patients in over 25 years of clinical practice, is that no one that should totally skip breakfast.

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However, there is a big difference in the size of breakfast, the best time to eat, and what to eat.

I did find a common denominator, and that is a person’s dominant gland, organ or system, which I categorized into 25 different body types. When it comes to determining the best breakfast for you, you need to get in touch with how you feel.

Do you find yourself tired and sluggish? Do you need coffee to get you going? How does your body feel when you eat certain foods? Did you have a good dinner last night? How demanding is your schedule today? Will you be able to eat a good lunch and if so, what time?

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These are all factors in determining your ideal breakfast, and can vary from day to day. However, you will find a basic pattern that is right for you.

Sometimes, finding your basic pattern or rhythm can be difficult, especially if you have been ignoring your body or trying to fit into other peoples’ patterns. Identifying your body type streamlines the self-discovery process.

RELATED: 20 Healthy Cereals To Eat In The Morning (So You're Not Subsisting On Sugar And Empty Calories)

Your body type is a lot like your astrological chart in that it shows your strengths and challenges, and provides you with a roadmap. It validates what you intuitively know, and fills in the gaps.

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Ultimately, it’s about learning to listen to your body. Since not everyone in the same family is the same body type, you can’t just rely on how you were raised.

When it comes to breakfast, some people wake up famished and need to eat, and can even get weak and shaky until they do. On the other hand, there are those who need time for their digestive systems to wake up, which can take anywhere from an hour to mid-morning.  

The next question is how much to eat. For some, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and they need to make sure it is a good one. These are the people who will eat a typical dinner for breakfast.

Others find if they eat a large breakfast, they are eating larger quantities of food all day long. For them, a piece of fruit or fruit juice is enough.

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For many, smoothies are a great choice. This way, they can add a protein powder to fruit, vegetable juice, rice milk or a nut milk. Plus, include additional oils and supplemental nutrients.

All too often, we allow our lifestyle to control our dietary habits, rather than listen to our bodies. After ignoring our bodies for years, it can be difficult to get clarity on what our body really needs. This is where discovering your body type is invaluable. It allows you to get in touch with the foods and eating patterns that truly support you.

As I worked with people, I began to see a similarity between people with the same body type. They basically thought the same way, had similar strengths, passions, and faced the same challenges. This is when I wrote the personality profile, which has come to be the most profound part of the 25-body type system.  

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It identifies your characteristic strengths and motivation, as well as how to identify and deal with your challenges to turn them into your unique strengths. It literally takes 20 years of self-discovery and condenses it into 4 pages.

By following your body, rather than outsider advice, you will not be trying to fit into someone else’s mold, but rather validating what you intuitively know and filling in the gaps.

RELATED: 8 Ways To Change Your Relationship With Breakfast (Plus: 5 Crazy-Healthy Smoothie Recipes)

Dr. Carolyn L. Mein is a chiropractic physician who developed the 25-body type system as a way to help her patients attain and maintain their ideal weight and energy levels. She is also the author of "Different Bodies, Different Diets". 

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