Fitness Myths: Skipping Breakfast Slows Your Metabolism for the Day

It is believed that skipping meals puts the body into “starvation mode.” While in it, the body begins to intensively store calories, stops fat loss and slows down the metabolic rate. This is especially often said about skipping breakfast - “the main meal that determines the metabolic rate for the whole day.” Is it so?

The idea of ​​"starvation mode" and decreased metabolism from just skipping a meal comes from old studies in mice and rats. Their metabolism decreases even during short periods of fasting. But small rodents, in principle, live very short lives: mice - about two years, rats - a little longer.

They also have very little fat reserves, so even a small calorie deficit can be dangerous for them. Some especially small animals can die from just one or two missed meals.

One day of fasting for a mouse is a significant part of its entire life, unlike for a person. A person’s metabolism does not even begin to drop until 3-4 days of complete fasting. And some studies have found that in the first days it even grows a little.

Of course, some people who skip breakfast may feel very hungry at their next meal and eat more in the afternoon. But the daily calorie content will still be less than if it were with breakfast. In extreme cases, it will be the same.

Let's say breakfast is 500 calories. Let's say we skip it and by the next meal we are very, very hungry. In addition to the planned 500 calories, we will eat another 300 on top. That's an 800-calorie meal, which is nearly impossible if you're eating right. But even in this case, you are still 200 calories in the red (). And in this case, you will lose weight because your calorie intake has decreased. And don’t gain weight because you’ve ruined your metabolism.

General rules

The “Fat Man’s Breakfast” diet is, first of all, a non-standard regime of separate meals: before 14:00 you must have three different breakfasts in turn, differing in their composition, and the portion sizes are not limited:

• the first breakfast is carbohydrate - may include baked goods, cereals, fruits and sweets in moderation;
• the second breakfast is protein, should begin no earlier than 1 hour after the first and consist of fermented milk products, both cottage cheese and yogurt, curdled milk or kefir are allowed;
• the third final lunch after at least 30 minutes is animal protein, for example, fish, eggs, tenderloin, poultry, seafood.

After 14:00 you can only eat lean meat and vegetable broths, juices without pulp, drink tea, coffee, lemonade without sweeteners, as well as clean still water.

It is recommended to adhere to this diet for 10-14 days. During this time, approximately 6-7 extra kilograms are lost.

Why does the Yakubovich system help you lose weight?

The big breakfast method is a low-calorie nutrition plan - 1200-1300 kcal per day is allowed. The main rule is that half of the calories, which is about 600, should come in the morning (7-9 hours). Breakfast must consist of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins will provide a feeling of fullness, and carbohydrates will give a boost of energy and a positive attitude. The remaining 600 kcal in the form of protein food is evenly distributed between lunch and dinner. The duration of the diet is about 4 months. This is exactly the period of time a person needs to develop a stable habit of eating breakfast properly.

1. According to the learned lady, weight loss according to her system is due to the following reasons:
2. A hearty morning meal helps reduce appetite throughout the day and improves metabolic processes in the body.
3. The technique helps to develop correct eating habits. People who eat a big breakfast snack less during the day and don't raid the refrigerator at night.
4. The body manages to use the calories received in the morning, rather than storing them as fat deposits.
5. After waking up, the level of serotonin in the human body is quite high and therefore the craving for sweets is minimal. If you fill yourself with carbohydrates at this time, then throughout the day the desire to eat cake or chocolate will decrease. If you give up carbohydrates in the morning, by the evening it will be extremely difficult to overcome the temptation to eat something tasty.

For those with an avid sweet tooth, for whom carbohydrates during breakfast seem insufficient, nutritionists recommend inhaling the aroma of vanilla; it increases serotonin levels, thereby reducing cravings for sweets.

The Breakfast Only diet has a number of undeniable advantages:

• an almost unlimited range of products;
• fractional meals;
• good tolerance;
• effective weight loss;
• ideal for those with a sweet tooth.

The disadvantages include the following factors:

• calorie counting;
• long-term adaptation of the body to a new diet;
• a small amount of daily calories.

Authorized Products

A hearty breakfast is strength and energy for the whole day; it is mandatory and must be complete and balanced, including all types of nutrients. “Fat man’s breakfast” contains everything you need to be healthy, active and, most importantly, slim, because all the calories consumed in the first half of the day are burned completely and not stored.

The “Breakfast Only” diet is considered balanced, because the body receives:

• complex and simple carbohydrates - you have no restrictions on the consumption of cereals, fruits, breads, you can eat your fill of them, the main thing is not to add fats, sweeteners, cook porridge exclusively in water;
• healthy fats from fermented milk products, as well as lactobacilli present in them and improving intestinal function;
• animal protein is a complete and, most importantly, lean, basic plastic material, necessary for the formation of a strong musculoskeletal system, for hematopoiesis, the health of the nervous and hormonal systems.

Table of permitted products

Recipes for diet

Breakfast recipes for weight loss vary in composition depending on the recommended set of foods and basic nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins).

For the first breakfast

Granola . In 1–2 days, germinate 2–3 cups of cereals (oats, buckwheat or wheat). Soak 1 cup of sunflower seeds overnight (you can also add pumpkin seeds).

In the morning, steam a handful of dark raisins and grate 1 large apple, including the peel, on a coarse grater. Remove the pits from 20-25 dates and grind them in a blender. If the date pulp is too hard, it is recommended to pre-steam them in a small amount of hot water for 1-2 hours. After grinding, a thick mass should remain in the blender bowl, which is suitable for gluing granola.

Mix sprouted grains, seeds, raisins, grated apple and date paste. Add a pinch of pink Himalayan or sea salt, cinnamon and vanilla (if vanilla is missing, you can do without this spice or add vanilla extract, but not vanillin).

The cereal mass should be carefully distributed in a layer of 5–10 mm over the working surfaces of a dryer for vegetables and fruits or a baking tray covered with baking paper. When using a dryer, keep the granola for 12–15 hours at a temperature of +40..+50°C until completely dry. In the oven, the mass is baked with the door open at the minimum temperature.

Carrot porridge with dried fruits . Place 100 g of 7-grain flakes and 3-5 prunes in a thermos or thick-walled mug, fill them with hot water and leave overnight. In the morning, transfer the resulting porridge into a bowl, pour in 100–150 ml of carrot or pumpkin juice, add cinnamon. Heat in the microwave. Sprinkle the finished dish with 5-10 finely chopped cashew nuts.

For a protein lunch

Baked fish . Take a small hake carcass, remove the entrails, fins, tail and head. Cut it into pieces 2-3 cm wide. Pour lemon juice (15 ml, from a quarter of a lemon), salt and season with black pepper. Cut 1 onion into thin rings. Finely chop a small bunch of parsley.

Place the fish pieces on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Place onion rings on top and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pour lemon juice over the hake again. Cover with foil, shiny side down. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes at a temperature of +190...+200°C.

Stuffed eggs with shrimp . Boil 3 eggs. Cool and cut them into halves, removing the yolks. Grind 50 g of krill, mix with a small amount of chopped herbs and finely chopped yolks, season and top with natural yoghurt. Stuff the egg white boats with the egg-shrimp mixture and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Fully or partially limited products

The fat man's breakfast diet can be classified as a healthy program, because fried, fatty, smoked foods are completely prohibited, in addition, for these 10-14 days you need to avoid:

• from white bread, buns, cakes and pastries;
• from vegetable salads and stews;
• from sweet carbonated and alcoholic drinks;
• from sausages;
• from fatty meats, such as pork, fatty lamb, goose, duck;
• from vegetable and animal fats, including vegetable oil, butter, margarine, etc.

Table of prohibited products

Menu (Meal Schedule)

Sample menu for the day

What to eat in the morning, or the right breakfast

It has already been mentioned what kind of diet this is; you can eat everything until 12. But you shouldn’t fill your stomach with the most harmful and high-calorie foods in the morning. Firstly, weight loss may slow down and go slowly, which is not very pleasant. Secondly, the body needs vitamins, microelements and other important substances every day. If you want to eat chocolate, please, but along with a proper breakfast.

Where to start the day:

• porridge. It is wiser to choose unprocessed grains that require cooking. Can be cooked with milk or water. It is allowed to add nuts, fruits, dried fruits. It is not forbidden to supplement with coconut flakes, chocolate, nut butter;
• sandwiches. It’s good if instead of sausage there is meat, chicken, lightly salted fish. Let it even be lard. In the morning you can! Any bread will do, even white loaf.
• scrambled eggs, omelet. You can also play with types of additives, cooking methods;
• fruits and juices, berries, nuts, dried fruits. Since they are prohibited in the afternoon, it is important to have time to enjoy them before lunch.

You can have fast carbohydrates for breakfast, but it is advisable to supplement them with proteins. It is better to make a variety of multi-component dishes. At the same time, it is important not to convey, otherwise you will not want to have lunch.

Advantages and disadvantages

Contraindications

The use of this weight loss method is contraindicated if:

• peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum (for heartburn, gastritis and other inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the method is used with caution);
• pregnancy;
• lactation;
• adolescence and childhood;
• high level of activity in the evening, work at night;
• intense sports activities, heavy physical labor;
• recovery period after operations and infectious diseases;
• exhaustion.

Fat man's breakfast diet: reviews and results

On forums, people leave different reviews about the Fat Man's Breakfast diet. Many consider it the best way to train yourself not to overeat at night. An undoubted advantage is the absence of restrictions on portion sizes.

• Anna, 30 years old: “... Eating only breakfast has already become a lifestyle. This method of losing weight allowed me to get rid of 5 hated kilograms that have bothered me for the last 14 years.”
• Nastya, 17 years old: “... The most effective diet for me - I lost 6 kg in 5 days. I didn’t have to go hungry, sometimes I would break into a piece of dark chocolate in the evening, but after a couple of days I got used to drinking only cold lemonade and tea in the evening.”
• Larisa, 34 years old: “... For a whole month after 15:00 nothing, no, no, I gained minus 15 kg and renal colic. As a result, I have mixed feelings - slim, but with health problems. Now I advise everyone, before you start experimenting on yourself, consult a doctor and nutritionist.”

Before and after the diet Fat man's breakfast (minus 5 kg)