• Red Meat Causes Cancer And Heart Disease
• Fish Is Contaminated With Mercury And Toxins
• 99% of Broiler Chickens Are Infected With Feces
• Fruits Contain Poisonous Fructose That Make You Obese
• Grains Contain Carbs That Spike Insulin And Make You Fat
• Vegetables Have Pesticide Residue That Cause Kidney Disease
• Saturated Fats Cause Bad Cholesterol And Make You Fat
• Water Is Filled With Fluoride, Toxins And Estrogen

What are we supposed to eat? And how far will they go with this nonsense?

Rarely will they remind you of a simple fact - the top 3 causes of death in the US according to Wikipedia remain smoking, obesity and alcohol. Is it surprising that more people die each year from smoking tobacco than from eating tuna cans? It shouldn't, yet a lot of guys waste their time worrying about the details instead of staying focussed on the big picture...

EXERCISE - EAT WHOLE FOODS - BE CONSISTENT

And everybody knows the best training program and diet is the one you stick to. Ironically, being anal kills consistency. Dude won't eat tuna cans because of the mercury, but eating taco bell 3x/week because he didn't have time to prepare his food for work, that's okay. Just take the frigging tuna can with you to work and eat it with salad, this lazy 5min meal is 100% healthier than that crap.

And don't get me even started about the guy who only buys organic food that are pesticide-free, but then eats organic DONUTS that make him fat. Or the one who smokes cigarettes between his sets of biceps curls. Dumb and Dumberer.

This isn't your fault, they wouldn't sell newspapers, books, TV viewership or get your taxpayer's money to conduct silly research if they weren't catching your attention by scaring you with this nonsense. What do you expect? The exercise-eat-whole-foods-be-consistent-record has been played to death.

Personally, I don't pay attention to it anymore. Plenty of distractions already, don't need more from people who don't even know what they're talking about. I recommend you start ignoring and blocking these people too.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Hi, I wanted to know your opinion about red meat and cancer since I didn't see anything in your website regarding this subject. what do you think about that claim?

Best regards,

Filipe.

Sorry the short question but I know your a busy man and I dont want to wast your time with giant emails .

keep up the good work !

I think this whole red meat causes cancer deal is bullshit spread by vegetarians, vegans and environmentalists meant to rationalize their foolish behavior and to convince us carnivores to be part of their silliness because they feel so lonely and miserable eating radish while we're enjoying our barbecues.

Don't misinterpret - I do respect guys who are vegetarian for religious reasons like StrongLifts Member Guru (42y, India). Same thing if you don't want to eat animals for moral reasons - do as you wish, I don't care. But scaring people by spreading myths in order to further your own agenda is plain disgusting.

Fact is, you'll be hardpressed to find studies that truly singled out a single food, in this case red meat. Test subjects will always eat a combination of foods, and it should be obvious that a t-bone steak with spinach is a radically different meal than a t-bone steak with Belgian Fries, mayonnaise and beer.

Similarly, there's a Grand Canyon sized difference between UNPROCESSED and PROCESSED red meat - t-bone steaks aren't hot dogs. It shouldn't be surprising that decades of JUNK FOOD, which everybody knows are filled with nitrates for preservatives, coloring and flavoring, could eventually cause colon cancer.

But none of that applies to you if you do what I've been preaching for 4 years: eat whole foods most of the time. Unprocessed meats that come as close as possible to their natural state as possible: sirloin, top round, flank, ground round, etc. These red meats are free of all the nitrates, salts and preservatives present in processed meats, which dramatically reduces risks of colon cancer.

So just keep eating red meat, as long as it's unprocessed most of the time with plenty of veggies & fruits you'll be fine. Especially if you lift weights: just Google "weight lifting reduces cancer," it turns out that guys who gain strength and muscle with StrongLifts 5x5 are 40% less likely to die from cancer...

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Mehdi, I've read your 5x5 report twice now. I like your rhetoric and the no BS content of the report.

I'm 30 years old, 178cm and 97 kg. Until now I've worked out twice a week. Upperbody-only which took 1.5 hours to complete and was exhausting. No squats, no deadlifts... In addition to strength training I run a couple of times per week and cycle to work.

So upon reading your report I had several revelations. I used to train to failure and was sore after most of my workouts. The progress was minimal and I stalled alot. The threshold to go and train was also high since the program was so rigorous. On a lazy day I skipped training and I had no fixed days I trained.

I just started SL5x5 and it's fun to train again. One session is about 40 minutes so that makes it so easy to just go and train. I also love that I now have a schedule, training mon, wed and friday.

I'm in the process of losing body fat. My starting weight was 102.5, and the goal is 85kg. I've lost 0.5 to 1.0kg weekly and I'm now at 97kg. My target caloric intake is 1950kcal which equals basal metabolic rate for 85kg. I weigh every gram + I eat extra to cover the deficit from workouts for restitution purposes.

You mention in your 5x5 report that one should target 3000kcal for proper restitution and gains. I think that if I eat for my goal weight + cover the deficit from my workouts the body will use energy from fat reserves? Surely there must be a difference in daily caloric intake for person A with 10% body fat, and person B with 30%?

Does the my extra kilos of fat allow me to target a caloric intake for 85kg (1950kcal) and still train SL 5x5 with progress and gains?

What if person A and B weigh exactly the same? What if person A only Squats 135lb but person B Squats 400lb? What if person A eats 3x more protein per day than person B? Get it? It's not the difference in body-fat that matters, it's the difference in body-weight, muscle mass, activity levels and food choice.

Also, you always reduce calories from the amount you need to maintain your current body-weight - NOT your goal weight. Resting metabolic rate is 11kcal/lb for guys or 2347kcal at 97kg BW. Add at least 1000kcal as fuel for StrongLifts 5x5 + cycling + running + moving around, and you understand that you may need up to 4000kcal/day depending on how hard/long you exercise.

Most guys doing StrongLifts 5x5 are not severely under-weight or over-weight, but just want to lose fat. Usually, they don't do much sports besides SL5x5 either, and have a sedentary job like me. In these cases, 3000kcal/day works fine to gain strength and muscle while losing body-fat. Obviously, the more active, stronger and bigger you are, the more calories you'll need.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

First why breakfast is not king - it doesn't boost your metabolism. Here's why: your metabolism does NOT slow down when sleeping (studies show it increases the first 36h fasting). Even the NY Times reported in March there's no difference eating 3 or 6 meals. What if you want to skyrocket your metabolism? Exercise.

But that doesn't mean that everybody has to stop eating breakfast. My StrongLifts Diet recommends it, and I have every single client eat breakfast and build the habit of eating breakfast if they aren't doing it already.

Bill Philips, bestselling author of Body for life, repeatedly said that the secret to losing fat was eating breakfast. Now I do not agree with his isolation routines and supplements, but I will agree with this. The fact is that guys who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to eat healthy the rest of the day.

Rigid dieters don't get that one meal doesn't matter. Thus when they eat crap at breakfast, they think that they wrecked their diet and then really ruin it by eating junk the rest of the day with the mindset of "I'll do it right tomorrow".

Changing your habits is easier than changing your thinking. Thus the strategy of kicking off your day with a healthy breakfast that helps you achieving your goal. It sets the trend for the whole day, "I started great, I need to continue like this".

Tomorrow I'll reveal a powerful method to never skip breakfast again.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Post workout nutrition is crucial for muscle recovery & rehydration. The common advice is to have whey after a weight lifting session because it's a fast protein. You want to get protein in your muscles as fast as you can for recovery.

Truth or marketing from supplement companies? Fact is that many weight lifters have used milk as a post workout drink for years. After reading this post you'll know why it's the ultimate post workout food for many people.

Milk Content. 1 cup (250ml) whole milk contains 8g protein, 13g carbs & 8g fat for a total of 150kcal. 1 cup also has 290mg calcium & 107g sodium. This combo makes milk perfect for lean body mass gains & recovery. Full content:

• Casein. Slow digesting protein. Milk consists for 80% of casein, a dairy protein that keeps you full longer and helps fat loss & muscle repair.
• Whey. Fast digesting protein. Milk consists for 20% of whey which helps muscle repair. This is the same kind of whey you find in protein shakes.
• BCAA. Milk is rich in branched chain amino acids : leucine, isoleucine and valine. A diet rich in protein, especially dairy protein like milk, will get you plenty of BCAAs. No need to waste your money on supplements.
• Carbs. Milk contains lactose. Your body uses this sugar to replenish your energy stores. Some can't digest lactose. Check the tips at the bottom.
• Fat. Unless you go fat-free, milk contains 1 to 3g fat per 100ml. Fats digest slowly and keep you full longer, thus decreasing hunger.
• Calcium. Dairy calcium increases fat loss & improves bone health. The latter is especially important if you're a woman (osteoporosis).
• Water. Milk is about 87% water. Proper hydration improves muscle recovery and can increase strength by preventing fatigue & stalling.
• Electrolytes. Milk contains sodium & potassium. These minerals improve re-hydration by retaining the fluids you consume post workout.
• Nutrients. Biotin, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, vitamin K, riboflavin and many others (naturally or through fortification).

5 Reasons You Should Drink Milk Post Workout.

1. Muscle Gains. Research shows a mix of slow and fast digesting protein is superior for lean body mass gains. Milk is 80% casein, 20% whey.
2. Fat Loss. Dairy calcium increases fat loss. The fat in milk keeps you full longer which decreases hunger and thus helps you to lose fat.
3. Recovery. Milk is a fluid and has electrolytes. Research shows milk is superior to water and sport drinks for rehydration post workout.
4. Cheap. When you consider the protein (whey/casein/BCAA) and calorie content of milk, it's one of the cheapest foods available.
5. Easy. Milk requires zero preparation. 1 quarter (1 liter) milk can be a perfect post workout meal depending on your daily caloric needs.

Milk vs Whey. Some people still believe you need whey post workout. Probably because supplement companies keep pushing it. But studies show slow protein OR a mix of slow & fast protein is superior for lean body mass gains.

Whey is a fast protein. While milk is a combination of slow & fast protein (casein & whey). That's why milk post workout is superior to whey but also to soy milk for lean body mass gains: whey & soy milk are fast digesting proteins.

If you don't drink milk, the point is that a slow OR mix of slow & fast protein is better post workout. So even meat, poultry or fish is better than whey. Turns out many people have used solid meals post workout with success.

I haven't used whey since a long time. I have milk post workout and/or a solid meal that consists of meat, grains & some fats. Exodus shared in this post that he got ripped using a similar kind of post workout meal.

Milk vs Sports Drinks. Strength training causes water loss through sweating. Rehydration is crucial for muscle recovery since dehydration can cause stalling. Signs of dehydration: fatigue & headaches (think hangovers).

Studies show milk is superior to water and sport drinks for rehydration. Here's why: milk is rich in sodium & potassium which retain fluid, but also in protein & fat which slow digestion. Less hunger, longer hydration.

I don't recommend sport drinks if you do strength training. Their sugar content will make you fat. Have a solid meal and/or milk and drink plenty of water post workout. Sport drinks are for endurance athletes, not weight lifters.

Whole Milk vs Fat Free Milk. Studies show whole milk causes more lean body mass gains than fat free milk. Since slower protein is better post workout, this could be why whole milk is superior: its fat content could slow absorption.

The fat in whole milk makes it tastier than fat free milk & keeps you full longer. So you'll tend to eat less with whole milk and be less hungry. Although the fat content in whole milk can be an issue since it's more caloric dense.

• Whole milk: 30g protein, 40g carbs, 35g fat, 600kcal.
• Low fat milk: 30g protein, 40g carbs, 10g fat, 370kcal.
• Non fat milk: 30g protein, 40g carbs, 0g fat, 280kcal.
• Low fat choco milk: 30g protein, 115g carbs, 10g fat, 670kcal.

Nutritional values are for 1 quart (1 liter) milk.

Milk Recommendations for Fat Loss. To lose fat, you need to eat less calories and/or burn more calories. Milk won't make you fat. Neither will the fat content in fatty milk make you fat. Only excess calories cause fat gains.

Smoothing is possible when introducing milk in your diet (read below). But this isn't fat gain. No food can make you fat if you have a caloric deficit. Just like any food, including protein, can cause fat gains when you have a caloric excess.

Research clearly shows that whole milk causes more lean body mass gains than non fat milk. Which proves fat doesn't make you fat. Excess calories do. As long as you have a caloric deficit, it doesn't matter if you drink non fat or whole milk.

So which milk you should drink post workout depends on your caloric needs for fat loss, which depend on your body-weight most. Example:

• If you're 220lbs, you need about 2800kcal/day to lose fat. 1 quart whole milk post workout leaves room for 2200kcal the rest of the day.
• But if you're 160lbs, you need about 1900kcal/day for fat loss. 1 quart whole milk only leaves 1300kcal. Or only 325kcal/meal if you eat 4x/day. Smaller meals don't fill your stomach and could cause hunger.

So if you're on the lighter side and need to lose fat, you have 2 options:

1. Drink smaller quantities whole milk: 1 cup has 150kcal, 2 cups 300kcal.
2. Drink low fat milk: 1 quart has 370kcal, 2 cups 185kcal.

Everything depends on your caloric needs for fat loss. Rule of thumb: 13kcal/lb of body-weight (or 11kcal/lb if you're a woman). Do the math and make the milk fit within your caloric needs.

I recommend low fat milk over non fat milk because the difference in calories is insignificant. Low fat milk has only 90kcal more when you drink 1 quart and only 45kcal more when you drink 2 cups. Not a big deal.

On top of that, research shows that fattier milk causes more lean body mass. So drink low fat milk if you can't make whole milk fit in your diet. Remember to drink milk post workout only if you follow the 8 nutrition rules, milk has carbs.

Milk Recommendations for Weight Gain. To gain weight, you need to have a caloric excess: eat more calories and/or burn less calories. Since burning less calories is hard to do, this means you have to eat more.

So it makes sense to drink 1 quart whole milk post workout: more calories and according to research more lean body mass gains. A more extreme version of this is obviously GOMAD: gallon of whole milk a day.

Chocolate milk could work too calorie wise. But it could be less effective than whole milk since it has less fat. Chocolate milk also seems to constipate.

Quick Tips. Some people can't digest lactose. And many people experience smoothing from milk which they always mistake for fat gains. Tips:

• Lactose Intolerance. Take lactase pills with your milk if you get gas or diarrhea. Avoid lactaid-free milk: it's convenient but more expensive.
• Smoothing. Milk is rich in sodium. Going from low to high sodium intakes causes water retention. Solution: increase your sodium intake. Eat more dairy products, eat pickles, supplement with real sea salt.

Share your experience with milk as a post workout drink in the article section of the StrongLifts.com Forum. Click here to find the related thread.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

• Eat Stop Eat Review: why I fast and how to mix it with StrongLifts 5x5.
• Eat Stop Eat Q/A: bunch of questions and answers about fasting.
• Eat Stop Eat Discussion: forum members share their experience.
• Eat Stop Eat ebook: special offer for StrongLifts readers.

Fasting has a negative connotation to some. Probably because there are diets which advise you to fast for days. Intermittent Fasting — like Eat Stop Eat — is different: you're just taking a small 24h break from eating 1x or 2x/week.

Here are 7 tips to make Intermittent Fasting easier when you use Brad Pilon's approach Eat Stop Eat.

1. Don't Believe The Myths. You won't lose muscle, your metabolism won't slow down, your weight loss will be fat loss not water/muscle loss and you won't lose strength. Read the book for the research.
2. Start Your Fast After Dinner. Have your last meal around 7pm. If you wake up at 7am, you'll already be halfway your 24h fast when you get up. And you'll sleep better by avoiding big meals prior bedtime.
3. Drink Plenty of Water. An empty stomach will make you feel hungry. Fill your stomach with water. Tea & coffee (without cream/sugar) are also ok. So is diet soda although I advise against (processed food).
4. Break Your Fast with Normal Size Meals. Have the same kind of meal you'd have if not fasting. So no big meals or junk food. Have a regular size meals that consists of whole unprocessed foods. And eat slow.
5. Never Break Your Fast Because You're Hungry. One goal with fasting is to build the self-discipline of dealing with hunger. Eat a regular size meal once you've fasted for 24h. Never before.
6. Don't Fast More Than 2x/week. Fasting 2x per week for 24h cuts your calorie intake by about 30%. Fasting more would cut calories too much and cause lack of strength/energy and/or over-eating.
7. Do It for At Least 2 Months. Your first fast is the hardest since you'll get very hungry. But it gets easier after 2-3 weeks. Count at least 2 months to fully adapt and experience all the health benefits of fasting.

Remember the only way to find out if Intermittent Fasting is something for you, is to be open-minded and try it for at least 8 weeks. That's what I did.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

A healthier way to start your day is to have breakfast. But I know: you lack time for that in the morning and never feel hungry. This post will help you. Here are 7 strategies to easily build the habit of eating breakfast within 30 days.

1. Start Small. If you get nauseas when you eat breakfast, start small and add food slowly but gradually. This gives your body time to adapt. Example:

• 1st week: 2 scrambled eggs.
• 2nd week: 2 scrambled eggs with a 1/2 cup spinach.
• 3rd week: 3 scrambled eggs with a 3/4 cup spinach and an orange.

2. Eat Less Pre Bed. Having a big meal just before you go to bed will mess with your sleep and will make you less hungry on waking up.

• Have Pre Bed Snacks. Dinner 3h prior bedtime, snack 1h before going to bed. Example of good pre bed snack: cottage cheese with berries.
• Stop Training 3h Prior Bedtime. So your post workout meal doesn't fall too close to bedtime. But also because exercising right before going to bed can keep you awake (by raising your body's temperature).

3. Stop Midnight Snacking. Waking up in the middle of the night to eat makes you less hungry at breakfast and lowers your sleep's quality. Avoid midnight snacking. You won't lose muscle anyway as long as you exercise regularly.

• Buy Whole Foods Only. If you don't have ready-to-eat processed foods that come out of a box, the only way to snack is to cook.
• Remove Leftovers. Harder to snack if you don't have ready-to-eat foods in your fridge. Make smaller portions or give your leftovers to your dog.
• Go Back In Bed. Hunger in the middle of the night will stop if you eat at fixed intervals. Build the habit of waking up early if you can't catch sleep.

4. Make It Tasty. Eating foods you like will make it easier to build the habit of eating breakfast. Learn to use spices and herbs. Alternate the ingredients in your breakfast meal so you avoid boredom.

• Check the breakfast recipes for fat loss.
• Get a cookbook. Check Gourmet Nutrition.

5. Keep It Simple. Especially if you struggle to wake up early. Don't waste your time with recipes that take hours to prepare. Make something simple and easy that's also tasty and healthy.

• Make Smoothies. Take 5 mins to prepare. Mix whey, veggies & fruits in your blender. Drink. Done. Check the smoothie recipe thread for ideas.
• Use Frozen Veggies. Pre-washed, pre-cut and often better quality than fresh. You'll cut down your preparation time by using frozen veggies.
• Prepare Ingredients. Put frozen veggies like peppers or spinach in your colander the night before. They'll be unfrozen on waking up. You'll only need to fry them in your pan with your scrambled eggs.

6. Wake Up Early. Lack of time is one of the top causes for skipping breakfast. I recommend you wake up 2h before you leave for work so you have time to eat breakfast and to get ready without getting stressed.

• Read 7 Reasons You Should Wake up Early.
• Read How to Wake Up Early: The Definitive Guide.

7. Eat Breakfast Daily. The fastest & easiest way to form a new habit is to do the same task daily for at least 30 days. After this your internal resistance decreases and you'll take action automatically. Persistence is key. Tips:

• Do It for 30 Days. Prepare and eat breakfast daily for at least 30 days. Even if it's only something small and including in the weekend.
• Use Willpower. Your first 10 days are the hardest. But it gets easier as you see the benefits. Use willpower to get through the first 30 days.
• Be Consistent. Do not skip a day during your first 30 days trial. It only makes things harder. Use willpower and count your days off.

Again: it only takes 30 days and then you're rolling. Persist!

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

I received a lot of feedback after the posts 7 Reasons Why You Should NOT Eat Breakfast and 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Breakfast.

• Positive feedback because I addressed myths regarding breakfast.
• Negative feedback because some assumed I was anti-breakfast.

To make sure there's no confusion, quick recap on breakfast.

8 Nutrition Rules. After the last 2 posts, you might have been confused about 3 out of the 8 nutrition rules. Here's why you should keep following them.

• Eat Breakfast. Because it helps building healthy eating habits: harder to eat junk food the rest of the day if you start with a healthy meal. It also helps weight gain: easier to eat more if you spread your calories.
• Eat Every 3hours. So you don't end at the candy machine or overeat on the next meal because you got hungry. It also decreases stomach size because your meals are smaller. So you'll feel full faster.
• Eat Protein With Each Meal. You need 1g of protein per pound of body-weight since you're limiting your starchy carb intake. Otherwise meeting your caloric needs gets impossible. Also: protein blunts hunger.

Nothing Changes. The 8 nutrition rules still apply and will continue to apply. You should keep eating breakfast, eat every 3 hours, eat protein with each meal, ... But NOT for the reasons they usually tell you. 3 myths debunked:

• Frequent Meals Don't Increase Metabolism. Your body won't burn more calories if you eat a meal every 3 hours. So you won't burn more fat. The only way to increase your metabolism is to exercise and lose weight.
• Skipping Meals Doesn't Decrease Your Metabolism. Breakfast doesn't kickstart your metabolism because it never goes down when sleeping. It doesn't even go down when fasting for up to 72h.
• You Don't Lose Muscle If You Don't Eat. Your body needs protein to build muscle. But starvation mode is a myth. As long as you do regular strength training, you won't lose any muscle.

For research, check Eat Stop Eat, How Much Protein, Leangains, pubmed, ... The research on this is fairly new and many coaches/nutritionists are updating their books based on it. Do not take mainstream advice for granted.

Why Does It Matter If Nothing Changes? Several months ago I experimented with Intermittent Fasting for the first time. First Eat Stop Eat, then I moved to Leangains' approach which I'm still on today.

Like many readers I've had great results with Intermittent Fasting. Especially in terms of productivity and hunger control. So far it doesn't seem like I'll ever go back to my old way of eating (8 nutrition rules).

This means you'll most likely get articles on Intermittent Fasting in the future. The post 7 reasons you shouldn't eat breakfast sets the foundation for these future posts since there are many myths regarding fasting.

I don't believe that everyone who tries Intermittent Fasting will like it. But I do believe that anyone can adapt if you give it time.

Saying "I feel like crap when I skip breakfast" is like saying "I don't look like Ivan Stoitsov but I've been doing StrongLifts 5x5 since 2 weeks". Your body needs time to adapt. Especially if you ate breakfast daily for 15years like I did.

By the way: Intermittent Fasting is not a way to make your life easier because you're too lazy too cook. It's also not a get-ripped-quick scheme. Build the habit of eating healthy consistently before you try it.

Please Read Articles Thoroughly. Not just the headlines and subheadings. In the post 7 reasons you shouldn't eat breakfast, I explained at the bottom why you should keep eating breakfast. So the confusion surprised me.

Read through this & this forum threads in the forum. There's a lot of feedback coming from both sides. I've replied to questions too.

Remember to stay civil, constructive & open-minded. Disagreeing is fine. But say why/ask what you don't understand/give your perspective. This way we can all learn from eachother.

Expect more about breakfast in the coming weeks. Click here to automatically get future articles in your mailbox or by RSS for free.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Let's see what the benefits of having breakfast are. Especially if your goal is fat loss or weight gain. This post will give you 5 reasons why you should build the habit of eating breakfast starting today.

1. Lose Fat. Eating breakfast won't speed up your metabolism. Research shows fasting does not decrease your metabolism, neither do frequent meals increase it. But having breakfast does help fat loss by improving your diet.

• Less Binging. An unhealthy breakfast ruins your day: you'll keep eating junk food thinking "tomorrow I eat healthy". But a healthy breakfast sets the trend: you'll want to continue eating healthy foods the whole day.
• More Healthy Food. The food you buy on your way to work usually isn't healthy — although its label says so. By making breakfast yourself, you get control over the ingredients and thus over your results.

2. Gain Weight. To gain weight you must eat more. Hardgainers usually need at least 5000kcal/day to see weight gain. Eating breakfast is crucial to reach these amounts so you lose your skinny look forever.

• More Hunger. Breakfast usually makes you hungrier during the day. This makes weight gain easier since skinny guys often struggle to eat a lot.
• Less Bloating. The more meals you eat, the smaller these must be to reach your caloric needs. Meaning less nausea's, less bloating, ...

3. Build Healthy Eating Habits. As explained in point 1, starting your day with a healthy breakfast sets the trend: you won't ruin the rest of your day with junk food if you begin it with a healthy meal.

Breakfast doesn't benefit your health directly. Studies that claim otherwise are correlational. But breakfast is crucial to build healthy eating habits - like eating whole foods 90% of the time - which will eventually improve your health.

4. Save Money. Preparing breakfast is cheaper than buying foods on your way to work or school, foods that are often also unhealthy.

• Short-term. Healthy, whole, unprocessed food isn't more expensive. If it is: you're not doing it right. Read 20 ways to eat healthy on a budget.
• Long-term. Poor diet causes excess body fat and eventually heart diseases which is the top cause of death in developed countries.

5. Avoid Stress. What you do the 1st hour after you wake up sets the trend for your whole day. You'll avoid stress by waking up earlier and eat breakfast.

• No Skipped Meals. No more stress because you couldn't find something healthy to eat for breakfast in the grocery store on your way to work.
• No Rushing. No more stress because you woke up late again, didn't had time to eat breakfast and now have to rush to make it in time for work.

Read also: how to build the habit of eating breakfast.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

But this changed when I began going to school by bike. I always got sick cycling on an empty stomach: cold sweat broke out by the time I arrived at school and I threw up my coffee several times.

I thought skipping breakfast was the cause because everybody told me I should eat breakfast, it's healthier. So I started to eat like an animal on waking up. And indeed: I no longer got sick when I went by bike to school.

15 years later, I've trained on an empty stomach many times without problems. I no longer get sick from training in a fasted state, although I train at higher intensities than I did at age 14. What happened?

I now believe my bad eating habits and being out of shape as a teenager were the causes. Because it turns out eating on waking up is not healthier. Here are 7 reasons why you should not have breakfast.

1. Breakfast Doesn't Increase Your Metabolism. Studies show that fasting or less frequent meals don't decrease your metabolism. And eating every 3 hours, including breakfast, doesn't increase your metabolism neither.

People promoting Intermittent Fasting like Brad Pilon from Eat Stop Eat & Martin Berkhan from Leangains have shown the opposite is true: your metabolic rate increases slightly when you fast.

2. Breakfast Doesn't Stop Muscle Breakdown. Starvation mode is a myth: you won't lose muscle if you don't eat every 3 hours — like when sleeping — and as long as you do regular exercise.

Your muscles also don't need protein every 3 hours. Getting protein around your training seems to be more important than your total protein intake. Read Brad Pilon's How Much Protein for solid research on topic.

3. Breakfast Doesn't Manage Blood Sugar Well. The common advice is to have breakfast to raise your blood sugar and control your insulin levels. Insulin is key for muscle growth but is also responsible for fat storage.

Fasting reduces your insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity dramatically more than eating small frequent meals do. People with diabetes have reported they managed their blood sugar better using Intermittent Fasting.

4. Breakfast Increases Hunger. Many people — including me — feel hungrier during the day after eating breakfast. This could be a benefit or a drawback, depending on whether you want to gain weight or lose fat.

• Great for Weight Gain. If you're a skinny guy who struggles to eat a lot, eating breakfast will make it easier to reach your caloric needs.
• Not So Great for Fat Loss. Especially since more frequent meals don't increase your metabolism. You'll have to control your food choice, like starchy carb intake, to avoid fat gains. Follow the 8 nutrition rules.

5. Breakfast Is Not Healthier. People who don't eat breakfast are usually the ones who don't exercise and who grab a donut on their way to work, eat junk food at noon and a big dinner in front of the TV.

Breakfast doesn't benefit your health directly, but helps building healthy eating habits. Studies claiming that breakfast is healthy are correlational.

• Breakfast does not manage blood sugar well.
• Breakfast does not increase your metabolism.
• Breakfast does not prevent muscle breakdown.
• Breakfast makes you hungrier the rest of the day.

6. Breakfast Impairs Concentration. Studies show fasting for 48 hours doesn't impact cognitive tests negatively. You don't need breakfast for mental alertness.

A lot of people, especially students, skip breakfast because they know they'll be more productive, concentrated and motivated during the rest of the day as a result. I've experienced the same thing.

7. Breakfast Is Unnatural. Our ancestors probably didn't eat large breakfasts: they'd have to hunt it first (unless we're talking left-overs). Hunter-gather meal patterns with large dinners and little during the day seem more natural.

This could be why many people's instinct is to skip breakfast. Some say cereal companies pushed the idea that breakfast is healthy for their own benefits.

No More Breakfast? Am I saying you should stop eating breakfast? Not if you struggle to eat whole foods 90% of the time. In this case you should learn to eat breakfast as it will help you build healthy eating habits.

But once you've been eating healthy 90% of the time for at least 1 year and depending on what your goal is, you could experiment with approaches like Intermittent Fasting. See how that works out for you.

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