We’ve all heard it: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But is it really? New research suggests that for many people, skipping breakfast can actually be a smart and beneficial choice, especially if your goal is weight management without obsessively counting calories.
The Calorie Buffer Effect
The simplest reason skipping breakfast works is math. Most breakfasts range between 300–600 calories, I’m talking cereal with milk, a couple of slices of toast, a smoothie, or a coffee with a muffin - not to mention an Aussie-style Big Brekky which can easily be double that!
Even the seemingly “healthy” options add up fast. A granola bowl with yogurt and honey can pack 500–700 calories. An açai bowl, loaded with blended fruit, nut butter, and toppings, can easily reach 600–800 calories (which worryingly can sometimes be more than a burger and fries).
For people who find calorie counting stressful or unrealistic, this creates an automatic deficit that supports weight management. Because by choosing to skip that meal, you immediately create a calorie buffer of several hundred calories per day without needing to measure, track or log every bite.
Insulin and Metabolic Flexibility
When you skip breakfast, essentially you extend your overnight fast. This gives your body more time in a low-insulin state, which can improve metabolic flexibility - the ability to switch between burning glucose and burning fat for fuel.
Studies on time-restricted eating show that eating within a shorter daily window (for example, 12pm–8pm) can:
Improve insulin sensitivity
Support fat oxidation
Reduce overall energy intake without deliberate restriction
This doesn’t mean everyone should skip breakfast, but for those who can, it’s a simple way to harness fasting physiology.
Appetite Regulation and Simplicity
Skipping breakfast isn’t about starving yourself. For many people, appetite naturally adjusts: they don’t eat more at lunch to “make up” for the missed meal. In fact, some studies show people who skip breakfast end up eating fewer total calories across the day, not more.
It also simplifies decision-making. One less meal means fewer chances for hidden calories, fewer food choices to worry about and less stress about tracking numbers.
Who Might Benefit Most
People who aren’t hungry in the morning: forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry can lead to overeating later.
Busy professionals or parents: skipping breakfast can save time, energy, and decision fatigue.
People struggling with calorie tracking: it’s an easy, practical shortcut to create a daily deficit.
Who Should Be Cautious
Skipping breakfast isn’t for everyone. Children, pregnant women, people with diabetes or blood sugar regulation issues or those with a history of disordered eating should avoid this approach unless advised by a healthcare professional.
The Takeaway
Skipping breakfast isn’t a magic trick. But for many adults, it’s a simple, scientifically supported strategy to cut hundreds of calories without calorie counting. It improves metabolic flexibility, reduces decision fatigue, and creates a sustainable “buffer” that helps manage weight and health more easily.
If you’re asking me (after all, it’s called Ask Dr Vincent😊), the old saying may need an update: Breakfast can be important — but only if it works for you.
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PS: Check out my AFTER HOURS Podcast too!