Intermittent Fasting: Skip Breakfast and Burn Fat? Here’s What to Know

There’s a lot of contradictory information out there about the first meal of the day, with a common question being, “Does skipping breakfast help you lose weight?” Research shows that fasting in the morning can actually give you more energy, help you burn fat, and even boost your immunity.

If the idea of eating breakfast in the morning is totally unappetizing, or if you think you can go until 1 PM without food (and without turning into a hangry monster), you might be a perfect candidate for intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast. 

Yes, we’ve been told for ages that we should eat small meals throughout the day to boost our metabolism, but there’s evidence that skipping breakfast to lose weight as part of intermittent fasting is just as good for fat burning and muscle building as eating a few small meals daily.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting involves cycling your eating so that for a short period of time (anywhere from 16 to 24 hours) you don’t eat anything. You naturally fast for about 8 hours while you’re sleeping, so you’re already more familiar with intermittent fasting than you think!

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

When you begin an intermittent fasting regimen, involving skipping breakfast or another meal, your body begins to make changes in order to use energy more efficiently. Your insulin levels decrease when you haven’t eaten for a few hours, and when that happens, your body is able to burn fat more efficiently. 

In fact, subjects who tried fasting lost an average of 4%-7% of their waist circumference, which tells us they lost belly fat simply by fasting alone.

Human growth hormone, which also helps your body burn fat and build muscle, has also been proven to increase 5x as much when your body is in a fasted state. That’s really good news if you’re working out and trying to lose weight. The results of your hard work can be magnified if you simply skip breakfast. 

Another intermittent fasting perk? Fasting for breakfast can protect you against chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

Who should try intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting that requires skipping breakfast might not be for you if you’ve got any sort of adrenal or hormonal dysregulation, and if fertility is an issue for you, it’s best not to mess with fasting. The same goes for those with adrenal fatigue or chronic fatigue, as skipping breakfast to lose weight might exacerbate those issues and make you feel even worse. 

If you’re going through a stressful time in your life, it may be best to hold off on a fasting regimen until things are a little more normal, as you can’t be sure that fasting will affect you positively until you try it.

So, your adrenals are in tip-top shape, you’re getting 8 hours of sleep a night, and you’re relatively stress-free? Then, you can definitely try skipping breakfast to lose weight and see how it feels. 

How to intermittent fast

There are a few different types of fasting, but the most common is the 16/8 Method, where you’ll be sleeping for half of your fast (which makes it way easier to bear) and basically skipping breakfast. 

This intermittent fasting method then allows you to eat normally from 1 PM to 8 PM, when you stop eating and start over in fast mode. You can try this method once or twice a week, or if you really like it, you can eat every day like this. 

Advocates of intermittent fasting remind first-timers to eat healthy meals. Just because you didn’t eat breakfast doesn’t mean you can binge on junk food and expect to see the pounds melt off.

If you ace skipping breakfast to lose weight by using the 16/8 Method, you can try fasting for a full 24 hours. But if it leaves you feeling awful, then you certainly don’t need to stick to it. 

Intermittent fasting works differently for everyone, so don’t feel bad if you can’t go as long without food. There are a few other ways to fast, including periodically skipping meals when it’s convenient or eating one huge meal for dinner. At the end of the day, it’s really up to you to figure out if fasting works for you or if you work better when you have breakfast in the morning.

As always, before you start an intermittent fasting regimen involving skipping breakfast, consult a doctor if you have any preexisting health conditions. If you feel lightheaded or faint, it’s probably a good time to cut your fast short and chew on something of sustenance. 

But intermittent fasting has some pretty unbelievable (and totally legitimate) benefits, so it’s worth playing around with different protocols until you find one that works for your body.

Learn more about intermittent fasting and the keto diet here.

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before changing your diet or healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.