Which is the most effective meal to drop?

I dropped breakfast because I find it easier to not eat in the morning. Other people drop dinner apparently because it allows a better rest overnight as the body is not processing your food. Dr Fung does mention that this could be more effective than skipping breakfast but skipping the first meal of the day fits most people' lifestyles better and eating dinner with partners and family is a tradition. But really whatever suits the way you live. I wouldn't recommend just skipping lunch though as it means you'll be having insulin responses at the start an at the end of the day which may not be so effective.. a 16 hour fast is considered more useful than a 12 hour one.

I'd also suggest breakfast, or as a poor second, dinner, as either of these may well give you the longest fasting period. Breakfast is probably also the easiest to skip time and preparation wise, but its really a matter of what schedule best suits you, and what you'll find easiest to stick to.

Breakfast is the one meal I'm most used to going without, as I've never been a breakfast eater for most of my life. But I currently work on the principle that I don't eat if I'm not hungry whatever meal this might be, and it's far easier to think "I don't want to eat now" rather than having to accept that "I'm not allowed to eat now"! And while this may not be "structured" fasting, those options do at least give give my pancreas a welcome (approx) 12 hour break.

I've found if I've cut meals out over several days, then my glucose levels do go up a little but will come down again, and I assume it's just my liver trying to do its job and thinking my throats been cut, so maybe being a little over enthusiastic.

Robbity

Maybe try all the options and see which feels better & keeps the meter happy?

I started by skipping breakfast, then lunch and now only eat early evening. I'm curious if that fits with circadian rythms and whether people are morning types, or night owls.

Just for info, Jason Fung's fasting book recommendschoosing lunch if you are having only one meal per day "The Warrior Diet".

This because the amount of the hunger inducing hormone Grehlin is at its lowest at 0800, but at its highest at 2000, so boosts the insulin effect (or something like that).

Anyway Jason says it may be the better choice, all other factors being equal.

EDIT
Sorry Bulkblker, I foolishly had not read the previous posts ...

I eat when I get up, as that stops the rising BG levels I used to see, and then go all day and eat in the evening. I find that easiest as it means I can go out all day without needing to worry about food. It also seems to result in low BG levels but no deep dips.

T2#Me said:

Just for info, Jason Fung's fasting book recommendschoosing lunch if you are having only one meal per day "The Warrior Diet".

This because the amount of the hunger inducing hormone Grehlin is at its lowest at 0800, but at its highest at 2000, so boosts the insulin effect (or something like that).

Anyway Jason says it may be the better choice, all other factors being equal.

EDIT
Sorry Bulkblker, I foolishly had not read the previous posts ...

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That's ok I do that all the time.. then flick through after posting and think... duh!

first14808 said:

Maybe try all the options and see which feels better & keeps the meter happy?

I started by skipping breakfast, then lunch and now only eat early evening. I'm curious if that fits with circadian rythms and whether people are morning types, or night owls.

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I am a night owl and have to have something for breakfast to face the day.
But I don't eat 3 square meals a day, instead I eat smaller meals every few hours (when I get hungry). It works better for me than 3 square meals spaced farther apart.

SaskiaKC said:

I am a night owl and have to have something for breakfast to face the day.
But I don't eat 3 square meals a day, instead I eat smaller meals every few hours (when I get hungry). It works better for me than 3 square meals spaced farther apart.

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Trouble with eating that way for some is that it will continually prompt insulin production and overwork your pancreas a bit. Do your sugars remain steady or do you get lots of us and downs when you are eating that way?

I'm thinking of giving fasting a try too Flora - I'm blundering about a bit at the moment, haven't quite got to a whole day but having some interesting results - on Saturday I didn't eat breakfast, felt absolutely fine/had energy, sugars steady around 6 which is good for me.

I also went low carb but probably had too much protein on Sat. I ate a fairly large meal of lamb chops and brussels sprouts with butter and loved it at about 2pm. I then had a light dinner of lamb chops and live unsweetened yoghurt at about 6pm. Sugars stayed steady at around 6.

In the morning, I was 6.2, a good low reading for mornings for me. I get up at five am, and fasted until 11am when I had a piece of babybel and some walnuts at work, sugars 5.2. Sugars before evening meal at 17.10 4.6, a very unusual good reading for me. Evening meal was chicken, some baby new potatoes, brussels sprouts and lots of butter. I know, the baby new potatoes were a mistake, but actually didn't trigger more eating and after an hour I was 6.4, so I got away with the blood sugar aspect anyway... maybe haven't got away with the insulin response though! I wish there was a meter for that.

So far so good, now I need to think about extending the fasts to 24 - 36 hours so I can aim for reducing my insulin resistance. Is it best to extend slowly or jump in? Maybe that's an individual thing, I am thinking of getting there more slowly to allow for my fallibility gene!

Can you tell I'm almost finished reading Jason Fung's Obesity Code, bulkbiker?

Edit: I had the yoghurt for dessert, not on the lamb!

jpscloud said:

Edit: I had the yoghurt for dessert, not on the lamb!

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I have cooked lamb in a plain yoghurt and mustard marinade jolly nice and it tenderises the lamb a bit..

I'd recommend easing yourself into fasting by reducing your eating window.. after all you have the rest of your life to perfect your technique so no point in rushing.. I started by skipping breakfast.. then skipping lunch too then not eating for 24 hours.
It takes a bit of practise and might become easier once you're a bit more fat adapted so less hungry.

Thanks bulkbiker, I'm surprised already by lack of hunger. Breakfast is definitely the right meal for me to drop - very happy so far.

In my opinion it’s good to alternate. Keep the body on its toes - primal style - eating whenever food is available and fasting when it’s scarce or between hunts, rather than sticking to prescribed meal times. I mostly skip breakfast but will often alternate OMAD between lunch and dinner.

I don't skip meals or fast as that just makes me loose weight that I do not need to

Jim Lahey said:

eating whenever food is available and fasting when it’s scarce or between hunts

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I have a Waitrose within walking distance, so hunting isn't usually my preferred choice.

Although saying that I do live next to Bushey Park and there are hundreds of Deer in there