IF stands for intermittent fasting, which people have adopted as an effective method of losing weight. It is also a good way of improving metabolic health and simplifying the eating process. Intermittent fasting is based on eating for several hours and fasting for the same number of hours to give the body time to burn fat. If you eat low calorie foods, as you engage in IF, then your weight loss journey will be faster.
A common question for those beginning intermittent fasting is: Which meal is worse to miss? breakfast, lunch, or dinner? The appropriateness of each meal depends on personal preferences and perhaps some dietary and health requirements. Read on to learn more about your choices.
Skipping Breakfast: The Popular Choice
Skipping breakfast is not always easy if you didn’t eat dinner the previous night. However, intermittent fasting comes with its challenges and pros.
Pros of skipping breakfast
- Convenience: Most individuals find it more convenient to prolong the hours without food at night into the morning. Therefore, if dinner is taken and eaten before 8 PM, it can benefit from breakfast up to lunchtime by 16 hours later.
- Appetite control: Some people are inclined not to feel hungry in the morning, so skipping breakfast and not feeling like the world is ending would not be a problem.
- Simplicity: People who do not have time in the morning to have breakfast avoid it and reduce their efforts to prepare for it.
Potential drawbacks
- Energy levels: If you are energetic in the morning or have a busy day at work or school, having breakfast is important since it boosts energy levels.
- Impact on mood: Eating meals frequently, especially breakfast, can lead to irritability and lack of concentration, which can impact working capabilities.
- Cultural factors: If taking breakfast is part of social or family culture, skipping may lead to feeling restricted.
Skipping Lunch: The Middle Ground
Skipping lunch during your intermittent fasting may be easier if you eat breakfast. Check out the pros and cons of skipping lunch during intermittent fasting.
Pros of skipping lunch
- Flexibility: Skipping lunch gives one a proper breakfast and dinner, which is convenient for people who prefer these meals.
- Smoother transition: Fasting at midday is easier if one is busy with work or other engagements that may require being out of the house.
- Social considerations: If breakfast and/or dinner are family or cultural meals, omitting lunch is a way of sustaining those meals.
Potential drawbacks
- Midday hunger: If one has a light breakfast, they are likely to feel hungry in the middle of the day if they skip lunch.
- Energy dips: It is important for those who have tight schedules at work or for those who train in the afternoon to take lunch because you may feel sleepy or your accomplishing performance may reduce.
- Disrupted patterns: A break might be an opportunity to rest or spend time with other people, and missing lunch could make the person feel lonely or out of whack.
Skipping Dinner: The Evening Challenge
Like skipping breakfast, skipping dinner also comes with its challenges. Here are the pros and cons of skipping dinner during intermittent fasting.
Pros of skipping dinner
- Improved digestion: Going to bed without eating leads to avoiding digestion at night, which may benefit from a better night’s sleep and the smell of heartburn.
- Calorie control: Second, evening meals are typically heavy with high-calorie foods. Choosing not to have supper assists in trimming the number of calories and lessening night snacking.
- Weight loss: Previous research has proposed that spreading a person’s food intake across the day may be less harmonious with circadian rhythms, as the digestive system has more capacity in the morning than in the evening.
Potential drawbacks
- Social impact: People may feel lonely when they miss dinner because it is usually a group meal involving family or friends.
- Evening cravings: Many people experience hunger at night, which may cause them to overeat or have problems sleeping.
- Lifestyle incompatibility: It may be impossible to miss dinner, especially when working late at night, training at night, or having family obligations.
Which Meal Should You Skip?
Choosing what meal to skip is subjective because people have different preferences, working schedules, and objectives. Here are some tips to help you decide:
- Eat when you are hungry: Avoid controlling your portions from your body because our body has its natural way of telling us when it is time to eat. If you seldom feel hungry in the morning, the best thing you could probably do is to skip breakfast.
- Think of your life cycle: Consider the routine activities you often engage in when it is time for you to return to work or go to the gym, and choose meals that will provide the energy you need.
- Trial and error: There is no set schedule for Intermittent fasting. Researchers recommend skipping all sorts of meals to determine what works best while considering energy levels and appetite.
- Pay attention to food portion size: If you have to eat, ensure that you eat quality foods to meet all your body requirements.
Conclusion
There is no single correct solution for which meal to skip for intermittent fasting. Many people whose schedule and appetite adaptation exclude breakfast in the morning have no issue with this experience. Some may choose to eat only twice a day by having lunch or dinner only based on current energy requirements, working hours, and other engagements.
Determining a fasting pattern that aligns with your daily schedule is important, and that does not appear unrealistic when considering the long-term implications. Adapting to your body’s cues, and with trials and errors, you can master the art of intermittent fasting.
