When to Eat

There have been a few discussions on 3FC about when people eat their largest meal, as well as topics about to eat or not to eat breakfast. Invariably, it seems that many people skip breakfast and eat most of their daily calories at dinner. I found this poll on fitsugar.com, and it seems that people answered the question the same as they do on 3FC.

This article that accompanies the poll on fitsugar states that

• eating breakfast is important because it jump starts your metabolism
• you should eat your largest meal at lunch so you have time to burn off the calories
• eating too late in the day can affect your body in ways that interfere with the fat burning benefits of a restful sleep.

Bob Harper's Skinny Rules (which you can read HERE) also encourage people to eat a large breakfast and go to bed hungry.

So, I wonder....why do so many people function well - and lose weight - by skipping breakfast and eating a large dinner? I know it doesn't work for me.

If I don't eat an adequate amount within a short time after waking, I drag. A lot. And the one time my weight loss slowed down was before I tinkered with my calorie allotment and started eating less in the evening. I have no trouble sleeping when I'm hungry, but I'm not able to function during the day if I need food.

I'm guessing it might have something to do with variables in people's life schedules. If you get up at 8 am, and go sit at a desk in an office for a few hours before eating lunch, you might be okay skipping breakfast. (I get up at 4:30 am and have put in a hard half day's work before I eat lunch). And if you eat a large dinner at 6 pm, then hit the gym, and don't go to bed until midnight, those dinner calories would be necessary. (I go to bed about two to three hours after dinner, and usually don't do anything strenuous during that time.)

What about you? Are you part of the majority who skips breakfast and eats a big dinner? Or are you more like me in your eating habits?