If you decided to eat a big dinner yesterday and want to skip breakfast today, you should first understand the advantages and disadvantages of skipping this meal .
It’s happened to all of us at some point. We eat a big meal for dinner and can’t even think about breakfast: the feeling of fullness lingers, and the mere thought of eating seems overwhelming. When we get to that point, the big question arises: Should we eat that morning meal or should we skip it altogether?
To help you cope, we consulted leading health and fitness experts. Here are their top tips.
“ Skipping breakfast would give your digestive system time to readjust after a heavy dinner the night before,” says Dr. Subhash Markhande, an Ayurvedic expert at CGH Earth Experience Wellness. “It would lessen the strain on the various organs that make up the digestive system and allow them to work more efficiently. Plus, the mind also functions better when the pressure on the different organs is given enough time to reset. That said, rather than skipping lunch in the morning, it would be healthier to skip dinner or have a light dinner .” We would also add that it’s worth considering the best time to have dinner when making this decision.
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Advantages of skipping breakfast after a heavy dinner
If you consumed a large amount of calories the night before, skipping breakfast can help you balance your daily calorie intake. Aman Puri, fitness expert and founder of Steadfast Nutrition, explains: “The reason is that when we consume a high-calorie dinner, our body may not transmit the feeling of hunger to us, which is a normal phenomenon because the body already has enough energy to supply. Skipping meals after a heavy dinner helps control calorie intake in such situations, but skipping breakfast regularly after consuming a large dinner can increase the risks of chronic problems like metabolic disorders, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Therefore, a person may skip breakfast occasionally after a heavy dinner to control calorie intake.”
After a big dinner, your digestive system has been working hard, and fasting after such a meal prolongs the period when it isn’t actively processing new foods, giving it a break. “Waking up after a heavy dinner the night before can make you feel lethargic or sluggish. If you wake up feeling full, heavy, or not hungry, skipping breakfast will help your body by giving it a bit of a digestive break and allowing its natural detox and cleansing process to take place. This allows your body to focus on digesting the large dinner and gives your digestive system a break before lunch, when your digestive fire is at its peak,” notes Nimmi K, an Ayurvedic physician at Ananda in the Himalayas.
Skipping breakfast after a long dinner lengthens your overnight fasting period, which aligns with the principles of intermittent fasting to improve digestion and metabolic flexibility, says Nyela Kapadia, a fitness expert and co-founder of Intermittent Fasting and Mindful Living. “If you’re not hungry in the morning, extending your overnight fast allows your body to tap into stored energy instead of consuming unnecessary calories .”
If you’re not hungry after a heavy dinner, forcing yourself to eat breakfast can backfire. It’s important to pay attention to your body’s hunger cues. “ Skipping breakfast after eating a heavy dinner is fine as long as you maintain balanced meals throughout the day. The key is to listen to your body: If you’re not hungry in the morning, don’t force yourself to eat, but be mindful of your overall nutrition throughout the day. Instead of skipping it altogether, opting for a lighter breakfast, like fruit or a protein shake, will help maintain your energy levels and prevent excess hunger later,” adds Pravin Yadav, fitness expert at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.
Disadvantages of skipping breakfast after eating a lot for dinner
Some studies show that regularly skipping breakfast affects your metabolism and increases your risk of certain health problems. “It may make you feel low on energy, which isn’t ideal if you have a busy schedule. For some people, making it a habit can even lead to a slower metabolism over time. I don’t believe in rigid rules; it all depends on what makes you feel good. If I’ve had a big dinner, I love to start the day with warm lemon water or herbal tea to detoxify and hydrate. But if I have an early workout, I always eat something light, maybe a banana or a handful of nuts to keep me energized,” explains Farhana Bodi, TV personality and fitness enthusiast.
Skipping breakfast can make you hungrier throughout the day, which, in turn, leads to overeating or unhealthy food choices. Therefore, it’s advisable to eat regular, balanced meals instead of skipping meals or overeating at once.
That said, it’s also important to consider the best time to have breakfast and organize your schedule around this meal, which is vital for the proper functioning of our bodies.