7 Reasons Cutting Out Breakfast Is The Healthiest Thing You Can Do

What’s the most important meal of the day?

Ask almost any mother in North America, and she will tell you it's a nutritious breakfast.

It’s funny that when we move out of our parents' house and start feeding ourselves, we never question the logic behind eating breakfast.

You may look to re-engineer everything else about your lifestyle, but for some reason, the typical eating schedule is never questioned.

Well, I think it’s about time to turn this whole system on its head.

The current eating rituals that most of us follow in the US have resulted in an exponential increase in the rate of obesity.

So hear me out, America, because I may have a solution for you: Stop eating breakfast.

Whoa. As I write that sentence, I can feel the apprehension.

Not eating breakfast is one of those taboos that will get you a weird look and line of questioning from most people across the United States.

Despite what you may hear from your family doctor or in trendy articles offering weight loss tips, I want you to open your mind to the possibility of eliminating breakfast from your daily routine.

Before anyone gets too excited, I want to state this is not for everyone.

If you are a serious athlete, a pregnant woman or a child who is still growing, this is not a good option for you.

This is something I suggest to my clients who are corporate warriors and entrepreneurs living fast-paced lifestyles.

They want the convenience and health benefits that go along with skipping breakfast.

Now, I wouldn’t just suggest something like this to you without sharing some research first.

So, check out the seven reasons why I personally stopped eating breakfast:

1. It helps you burn fat.

For years, doctors told us that by not eating breakfast, we could be putting ourselves at risk for excess weight gain.

This advice was largely based upon observational studies, which are now showing to have very little legitimacy.

More definitive research has been conducted on the effects of eating or skipping breakfast, and the verdict is out: The doctors had it wrong.

Fasting in the morning has been shown to deliver greater fat loss results than eating breakfast.

Mind-blowing, I know. But, the research has been conducted.

Although there are outliers, it seems pretty definitive that if you're trying to lose body fat, you should fast until mid-day.

2. It can help you live longer.

Want to make a small change that may tack years back onto your life?

Fasting (skipping breakfast) has been shown to potentially help increase life expectancy.

As outlined in this article, one of the easiest ways to engage in a fast is by simply skipping breakfast and not eating your first meal until the afternoon.

We have also seen reduced risks of Alzheimer's and heart disease.

So not only can you live longer, but your quality of life can significantly improve as well.

3. It’s convenient.

Time and energy are our most precious commodities.

You know what making or cooking a nutritious meal costs you? Both time and energy.

I’m all for making healthy eating decisions, but when the healthy benefits of not eating breakfast outweigh the benefits of choosing to eat breakfast, it just seems to be a no-brainer to avoid that first meal every day.

Just think about all the extra time you’re going to have to do other activities.

Try swapping out your breakfast routine for another healthy habit like meditation or yoga.

4. It saves money.

You know what happens when you don’t eat breakfast? You don’t have to pay for breakfast.

This may sound obvious, but removing a meal from your daily eating regimen is a super easy and convenient way to save money.

5. It makes it harder to overeat.

One of the biggest reasons so many people struggle with obesity is simply due to the fact they eat too much.

Simple fix, right? Eat fewer calories.

Well, for many of us, counting calories is an extra hassle.

So if you don’t want to do that, you can make your life easier by making it more difficult for yourself to overeat.

Just eat your first meal later in the day.

When you skip breakfast and don’t eat until later in the day, your window for consuming food automatically becomes smaller.

When that happens, it's easier to avoid overeating.

In addition, have you ever noticed that once you start eating, your appetite increases for the rest of the day?

This can be attributed to the release of the hormone ghrelin, which controls your appetite (hunger cravings).

When you start eating, it triggers your body to release more of this hormone.

It aids you in consuming a sufficient amount of calories for the day.

Ideally, you don’t want to feel hungry all day long. If you do, you're more likely to overeat.

That’s just another reason it makes more sense to hold off on eating your first meal until later in the day.

6. It leaves you satisfied.

A huge reason I choose to skip breakfast is because after my body adjusted to fasting in the morning, the process was effortless.

I don't get hungry until around 2 pm or 3 pm. When I eat, I get to feast like I want to.

Just think about all the extra calories (food) you get to eat later in the day if you skip breakfast.

Instead of having bird-sized servings throughout the day, you can eat the way you really want.

You can have a feast when you’re ready.

7. It teaches you what hunger really feels like.

Back in the day, when I was playing college football and then bodybuilding, I was on the "eat every three hours program."

It started the second I woke up. When I woke up, I didn’t think twice about being hungry.

I just immediately stuffed my face because I thought it was the right thing to do.

Can you relate to this experience? You look at the time and think, “Well, I guess it’s time to eat.”

This is unique to the Western world.

We eat when the clock tells us to, instead of when we feel true hunger.

Skipping breakfast will teach you what hunger really feels like.

By the time 12 pm comes around, your body will trigger you to feed it.

This is not because the clock says so, but because your body is functioning normally.

It is sending a signal from your brain to your stomach, letting you know it’s time to refuel.

Skipping breakfast is one of those lifestyle changes that delivers huge returns on your efforts.

I’ll be honest: For the first couple of weeks, you’re going to be hungry in the morning.

Drinking some black coffee can help you make it to lunch without eating.

The beauty about the human body is it is incredibly intelligent.

It’s always looking to establish a new homeostatic rhythm (a new state of normal).

Therefore, it won’t take too long for your body to adjust to your new eating schedule.

Give it two or three weeks, and those hunger pangs will be a thing of the past.

So, who’s with me? Let’s start the no-breakfast revolution.