Workout of the Day

Should You Eat Breakfast?

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As a kid, I remember being told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Medical professionals, media, family -- they all made sure to emphasize the importance of breakfast, that you should never skip it, how it would kickstart your metabolism for the day (whatever that means), allow your brain to perform at its best, supply you with vital nutrients, keep you from overeating at other meals, help manage body weight, etc. Fast forward a couple decades and now you’re likely to hear something that sounds quite the opposite. Intermittent fasting is a hot topic, limiting your eating window comes highly recommended, and the alleged benefits of fasting in the morning just keep rolling in: it helps you metabolize fats better, you have less brain fog, helps with gut healing, helps manage body weight, prevents overeating, can improve recovery and performance, etc. And so we’re left with a list of basically same alleged benefits derived from two completely opposite actions. We’ve seen the same remarkable 180 degree turnarounds in many health, diet, and fitness claims as well: butter, heavy lifting, coffee consumption -- the list goes on.

So should you eat breakfast? I don’t know. It depends, really. I know that’s not the answer you came here for, but it is the answer. Human health and fitness is nuanced and individualized that we have to face two challenging realities when it comes to these questions: 1) no matter how sure we are, we don’t actually know for sure; and 2) there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

This means you’ll need to test and learn, to some degree, what works for you. This should start with what is well established. If it has worked for tens of millions of people before, there’s a good chance it will work for you. Then it must stand the test of time. Eat breakfast every day for 60 days. Then skip breakfast every day for 60 days. Pay attention. Write things down. What differences did you notice? What benefits and side effects did each bring? Often, the clearest answer will be the one you earn and discover for yourself.

Happy experimenting!

- PS


2/19/19

  • Deadlift - 5,5,5

Then...

  • For time:

    • 20 deadlifts (225/155)

    • 800m run