The Art of Fasting: Why I Don't Eat Breakfast

[Svengodofman]

I don't eat for about 16 hours a day, and the other 8 hours I eat normally, in fact less than I did before. This is called an intermittent fast, in layman's terms a short fast where I don't starve to death. But why would someone starve themselves for 16 hours? That's the issue in that I don't. Oftentimes we can find ourselves eating because we're bored, or just because we feel like it. Most people in developed countries don't even know what it is to truly feel the sensation of being hungry.

Our modern notions of 3 meals a day lies in the industrial revolution, when people were encouraged to eat before work, one meal at midday, and a third at night when they got home. Prior to this Europeans generally followed 2 meals a day, one at midday, and one at night. This was the way it went for 1000s of years, and only changed when the customs did not fit the mould factory owners wanted. Native Americans didn't even have the notion of timed meals, they simply ate when they were hungry. The plain and simple fact is that food has never been so abundant in human history, and our bodies are meant to be able to survive an ungodly amount of time without food, but we continue to gorge ourselves daily.

The reason that we eat is 3 meals a day is because we believe that this is the way it has always been, however that does not mean that eating that much is healthy for everyone. Many people can eat that much in a day, and be fine, if I eat that much then I balloon up into a size I don't want to be. I have a profession where I need to be able to move quick, which I can only do if I eat in a manner which is healthy for me. I personally skip breakfast, and eat my first meal around 12:00. But you all ask, what about that delicious breakfast food? I eat it when I want to. There is nothing wrong with eating in a pattern which is comfortable for you, and instead of stupid fad diets, and meal plans, we should be eating in sustainable manners which best fit our body type in order to live long, happy, and healthy lives.

[AskNaz]

I simply eat whenever I'm hungry.
I'm Vegan and eat pretty simple, whole foods. I think the type of foods you eat truly have the most impact on everything, from your waist size to your health.

Before 12 I'll have 1,000 calories (that's for breakfast).
By bedtime I'll have a total of about ~2600+

That's what I discovered works best for me.

I stay fit, regardless of eating early and a big breakfast. I don't feel slowed down at all, in fact I feel energized. I'm just constantly resupplying with good foods, as I feel my body wants.

Here's the thing, if you eat the right foods, your body will become expert at telling when you REALLY are hungry and when you should eat.

Eating junk, throws that way off, and that's when we start piling up the plate.

Though fasting has its benefits, I think a lot of the focus should be cleaning up your diet and becoming more inline with your mind and body.

Your body will be the best judge of when and when not to eat, because it caters towards the best personalized pattern of eating for YOUR own personal body.

We just need to eliminate all the junk first, so the connection is clear.

Hope that made some sense haha.

[djvtech]

What are you eating to get that many calories?

[AskNaz]

@djvtech
Well this is what I had today for breakfast starting at about 8-9 am:
2 servings of rolled oats = 340 cal
Mixed berries = 30 cal
Maple Syrup = 60 cal
Nut milks = 50-100 cal
So about 500 calories for a bowl of oatmeal

Then maybe an hour or two later at like 10-11am, I had..
Mixed nuts and/or dates = 170-220 cals
2 bananas = 220 cals
Chia Drink =120 cals
About another 500 calories

So I had 1,000 calories before 12 today. Similar to most days.

[AskNaz]

Then I usually have lunch at like 12:30-2pm, usually something carby like potatoes, rice & beans, legume salads, etc.

And then there's a bit of longer gap till dinner, when I usually have something more protein oriented.

But also in between those meals and before bedtime, I usually grab a bite of something too as snacks, so the calories stack up to about 2,500-2,600+ by the end of the day.

12 hrs of eating and then 12 hrs before the next breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately I cannot skip meals. I have hypoglycemia and when I go too long without eating, it's not pretty. I've tried fasts before, and I've tried intermittent fasting, but both led me to the same place where my body tried to kill me, so my doctor so kindly suggest that I not do that anymore. I do however recognize the benefits of what you speak of. A lot of people truly do not realize how mindlessly they eat. If you ask them, why are you eating now, it's like, because it's 12 o'clock, but noon has nothing to do with whether or not you are actually hungry, but because we have the work system we do where they only give you this certain hour to eat, people are forced into this schedule and they cannot break the habit when they are on vacation or on their off times because it has become routine rather than absolutely necessary that they eat, so yes, they start eating so many more calories that aren't needed simply because they are on a timed system in their minds. I too, also believe that you eat what you want no matter the time of day. I routinely cook breakfast foods for dinner and dinner foods for breakfast---it's just food. Your body doesn't know what an omelet is vs. a turkey sandwich!

[NearlyNapping]

I never eat breakfast. It just has no appeal to me. I need to be up for several hours before I feel like eating. Usually my first meal is 5-8 hours after I get up. Sometimes I'm up for twelve hours or more before I eat the first time.

Even when I did construction work, which was very heavy labor, I still didn't eat breakfast. I'd eat something at mid-morning break which could easily be after several tons of lifting in a fast paced environment. I'd eat a lunch, but not enough to bog me down. Then I'd load up in the evening. Along with my regular meal, I'd eat a pint of Häagen-Dazs 2-3 times a week after work.

[Anonymous]

I have skipped lunch before, but that was because I had a part-time job that had me work from 11 to 5. Hence no lunch. I got a nice 15 minute break for being part-time but no lunch. On weekdays, I would eat something simple and quick and nutritious before work, maybe an apple with peanut butter. On weekends, Mom would make something for me, which usually meant a relatively large breakfast. Being of East Asian descent, there was no food specifically for breakfast, so I might have noodles, rice, or even apples for breakfast. At least they weren't overly sweet or loaded with sugar as many American breakfasts are.

[VesatileMarie]

I agree and i applaud you, I fast during Ramadan? from sunrise to sunset, and after you get past the gory hours?(1-4ish) its pretty ok, i dont crave food anymore, its essentially easy to do. On a regular day? i am guilty of eating when im bored or cause i think i need to eat from not having eaten all day but like you said, we should eat what is enough to sustain our body types

[oddwaffle]

Yeah I usually do that too. When I really want to appreciate my food, I would skip an extra day.

There is a huge difference between eating for the sake of eating and eating when you are really hungry.

You can appreciate the sensation of food. It's something you can't just tell people. Most people can never feel this way about food. It's like you taste has been charged into overdrive! Even water tastes better!

[ShaeNielson]

I wouldn't really call it "starving yourself" if you don't eat for 16 hours, that is pretty normal. I don't believe it is healthy for us to eat all the time either, but people today are almost scared of being hungry and therefore eat all the time to avoid it. I myself eat very irregularly, some days I will eat nothing and other days I will eat a lot, and I think that is pretty healthy.

[AskNaz]

As I would imagine, a Viking such as you, King Ragnar, would eat.
Some days raiding, some days feasting :P Lol
Awesome show.

[Svengodofman]

@AskNaz Fyfan, helvete lol. But seriously I'm mostly of British, Irish and German extraction, and it's probably related to how our ancestors lived due to rocky terrain, etc that we see nowadays so many people of Northern European ancestry overweight. Our bodies are designed to not be consuming 24/7

[Anonymous]

I'm more or less the same way. I haven't had breakfast for years, so on occasion when I do it feels strange and I feel more fuller than usual. Sometimes, I don't even have lunch either, just a snack that can keep me going until dinner (I don't binge during dinner either). I get it, genetically I come from people with bodies that tend to held onto fat, even though I do have some aunts and uncles here and there with FM's, so I have to do this to prevent becoming overweight and stay under 60kg.

[Svengodofman]

Yup it's a struggle. My grandfather was as active as they come (sailor, and walked for literally kilometres) and he still had a belly. It's that or end up like my Great Grandfather who was so fat, my great grandmother apparently was tying his shoes for him near the end

[Opinion Owner]

Wow. For me, the women just tend to be big bodied. My grandma on my Dads side has diabetes from it and, my grandma on my moms side, is a little big but smaller than my paternal grandmother. Both my grandfathers are/were skinny men. It sucks lol, because the traits pass on to you in terms of having to deal with that struggle of making sure you eat a certain way and stay active to prevent your body losing itself like that

[Mi2mi2a]

I don't have dinner. However I eat fully on breakfast, like sometimes a heavy meal but without grease. I usually eat around 2 meals a day one in the morning to get energy for the day, and one at noon around 3 pm for the rest of the day.

[coachTanthony]

This definitely gives my body a break from all that digestion of food. Been doing this for about a year now. Keeps me in my 1700 calorie a day range especially if you start eating later in the day. Nice Take!

[FýrdracaDócincel]

Dude, don't bring yourself down to the limit.. eat as much as you need to. What are you truly gaining from this? 😕

[Svengodofman]

Well I personally feel better this way. I am descended from mostly North European peasant stock so my body tends to hold on to fat, which makes me feel like shit

[FýrdracaDócincel]

Well don't borderline starve yourself. Sounds like you might be developing some kind of mental anorexia.

[1truekhaleesi]

I love eating so much, that I structure my day around eating. I still have a flat stomach and weigh 100 pounds.

[Loveherbut]

Because u r young weight until mid 20s when ur bidy turns against u

[1truekhaleesi]

@Loveherbut its all in my overactive thyroid. You should always eat breakfast. I have to because if I go more than 8 hours without eating and I will go into a coma. If you have difficulty maintaining a good weight while eating three meals, you should take a look at your diet or try a thing called exercise.

[Svengodofman]

Today I did 30 minutes on a stepmill, and ate 2 meals. This is the way I keep weight off. It works for me

[1truekhaleesi]

Whatever works for you.

[Loveherbut]

No need to be defensive with both of us lol 😂! I can't believe u have this romantic profile pic 😅

[1truekhaleesi]

@Loveherbut haha I'm defensive? Okay sure. Whats wrong with the picture of Daenerys and Drogo?

[SnowHearth]

There are some civilizations that had the 3 daily meals before contact with Europe. Maybe in Europe the 3 meals a day was introduced during the industrial revolution, but not worldwide.

[Svengodofman]

The three meals though wouldn't have been to the level that we do now. Nowadays it's not even 3, some people eat 6

[SnowHearth]

I eat 5 meals a day, and I was raised in the wilds where I had to get my own food

[Svengodofman]

Congratulations. I live in a rural place too. I'm not talking to you personally. Ты можешь есть, как хочешь

[meatballs21]

I seldom eat breakfast as I always found it makes me feel gassy or bloated. The most I usually eat is a piece of fruit.

Eating a huge pile of stodge as per your picture seems like a recipe for disaster.

[lovelyhoneybones]

Sometimes I fast, usually if I need to cut down on stomach bloat or if I had a bad week. I've tried intermediate fasting, but I wasn't a fan because I like eating when I want to eat.

[peachblossomluck]

I think this is an option for me as well. When I skip breakfast, I end up functioning better and being a smaller size and healthier.

[samhradh_leannan]

If I don't eat breakfast I get queasy and weak.

Everyone is different I guess.

[John_Doesnt]

I don't eat for 8 hours straight everyday, because I'm asleep.

[Svengodofman]

Your comment really goes with the Krieger picture lol

[ASEXY]

I need breakfast, I'm a big guy and I wake up early in the morning.

[Anonymous]

I maintain weight eating twice a day, but I gotta eat 3 times if I'm trying to gain because I get full easily. I know some people who eat within an 1 hour window, that's a fuckton of food in an hour.

[Anonymous]

Mom, please read this MyTake. I'm not the one who starves himself.

[Anonymous]

it seems i won't able to fast this year

[Svengodofman]

Why not

[Opinion Owner]

I have gastric

[GAGSUCKS333]

so that means you fart alot?

[Opinion Owner]

@GAGSUCKS333 i wish l can lol but l can't n it makes my stomach big

[GAGSUCKS333]

oh is there any treatment?

[Opinion Owner]

@GAGSUCKS333 doctor gave me pills but it made no change

[GAGSUCKS333]

that sucks :/