Breakfast. Why?
Study finds it’s no magic fix for weight loss.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
You’ve heard that one.
But the science doesn’t back it up—at least not for weight loss.
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized trials tested whether breakfast helped people drop pounds.
The result?
Those who skipped breakfast lost a bit more weight. They also ate fewer calories over the day.
Translation: breakfast eaters consumed more and lost less.
Now—before you chuck your oatmeal, some caveats:
Most studies were short-term (2–7 weeks).
The quality wasn’t great.
Results varied.
But the big picture: we’ve oversold breakfast as a weight-loss strategy.
This doesn’t mean breakfast is bad.
It just means adding it won’t magically shrink your waistline. For some, it might do the opposite.
Like most things in nutrition, it depends.
Facts, Not Fluff. Heather
I wish it would help me gain weight, but it doesn't do that either. What it does do, however, is help me stay focused and get stuff done in the mornings. That's a win.
I've played with both. Landed on what makes me feel best mentally and physically. At the end of the day, we need to test it out for ourselves.