Jakarta, ThedailyID — Skipping a meal may seem like an easy way to lose weight. However, choosing between breakfast and dinner involves more than simply counting calories.
Meal timing can affect how the body uses energy. It can also influence fat burning, blood sugar and insulin responses.
A 2017 study by Nas Alessa and colleagues examined this question. The researchers published their findings in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in June 2017.
The study involved 17 healthy adults. Participants followed three different eating patterns.
First, they ate three meals a day. They then tried skipping breakfast or skipping dinner.
The researchers kept the participants’ calorie intake consistent. This approach allowed them to compare the effects of meal timing on the body.
Both meal-skipping patterns increased 24-hour energy expenditure compared with eating three meals. However, the body responded differently depending on which meal participants skipped.
Skipping Breakfast Increased Fat Burning
Participants burned more fat over 24 hours when they skipped breakfast. Their fat oxidation increased by around 16 grams compared with the three-meal pattern.
This result suggests that a longer fasting period can encourage the body to use more fat for energy.
However, that does not automatically make skipping breakfast the better choice.
After lunch, participants who had skipped breakfast showed higher blood sugar and insulin responses. The breakfast-skipping pattern also produced a stronger inflammatory response after the next meal.
What Happens When You Skip Dinner?
Skipping dinner also extended the fasting period. In fact, participants recorded a slightly greater increase in 24-hour energy expenditure than those who skipped breakfast.
However, the dinner-skipping pattern did not produce the same increase in fat burning.
Therefore, skipping breakfast appeared more effective if fat oxidation was the only factor considered. Yet the study did not show that skipping breakfast was universally better for weight loss.
So, Which Meal Should You Skip?
There is no single answer that works for everyone.
Both approaches can form part of a time-restricted eating pattern. However, individual responses can vary.
Instead of focusing only on which meal to skip, pay attention to the food you still eat. Make sure your diet provides enough nutrients, including vegetables, protein and other nutritious foods.
If you want to try intermittent fasting, choose an eating pattern that fits your routine. It should also feel comfortable and remain nutritionally adequate.
Ultimately, successful weight management involves more than skipping breakfast or dinner. The overall quality of your diet and your ability to maintain the eating pattern also matter.
