Cutting out breakfast and eating 2 meals a day is by far one of our member’s favorite tips, as they’ve reported instant benefits.
This doesn’t surprise me, as I had immediate results when I first tried this in 2011.
Back then I was working at Whole Foods Market, in the bakery, and was eating way too many sweets… go figure :)
One rainy day, I was chatting with some friends at Thrive, an awesome raw café (if you’re in Seattle, you must stop in).
I loved going over there on my lunch break with co-workers and friends; the employees are all super knowledgeable.
I was talking about my sugar cravings from all of the sweets I had been eating (vegan chocolate chip coconut scones to be exact), when one of their kitchen extraordinaire’s mentioned this author, Natalia Rose, and her book Detox 4 Women.
She said she was going to do a 4-week detox to get rid of yeast overgrowth in her body (candida), and I should give it a try.
Well, long story short, I tried it and it worked! I even got Peter interested and we still continue to follow this routine today.
Our Routine
Now, we only eat 2 meals a day.
We skip breakfast (it’s true!), which allows our bodies to “fast” from, say, 9pm (after dinner) to 12pm (before lunch) the next day.
We do, however, consume something in the mornings… every day.
We drink home made green juice (this is a non-negotiable of ours).
Green juice is full of vitamins and nutrients, giving us the energy we need to make it through the morning until lunch.
We try to limit our snacking, and only snack on raw foods in the morning; but only if we’re really hungry (but Peter usually has a smoothie mid-morning… he’s a guy, apparently they’re bigger and need more calories ;)
3 Big Benefits of Fasting
1). More Energy
When you fast, you give your body a break from constantly digesting food. When you eat something, you may notice at first you get a little tired, that’s because your body is spending all of its energy digesting the food. When you’re constantly eating, your energy is constantly being used up, leaving you feeling drained for no good reason.
When you fast, you’re reserving that energy; and it is then re-directed to other things like: healing injuries, preventing illnesses and/or getting fit via working out… to name a few.
2). Better Digestion
If you keep piling in food, your body will never be able to digest it all!
Think about when you were a kid and would get really hungry before dinner, but your parents would make you wait until dinner to have a snack – otherwise you would ruin your appetite… that doesn’t really exist anymore. We are constantly eating!
“One of the ill-advised habits we’ve culturally adopted is that of eating three meals a day. Not only is this too much matter for our intestine to break down, it overwhelms the bowel, which does not have the strength or opportunity to work as it was designed to” ~ Natalia Rose
3). Simplified Diet
By only eating 2 meals a day, you greatly simplify your life.
Not only do you get to cook just 2 meals a day, but you only have to shop and plan for those 2 meals!
A lot of you know Peter and I eat a huge amount of produce, and it makes our shopping trips so much easier when we just focus on those 2 meals!
Life is busy, simplify where you can.
Skipping breakfast also works really well if you’re a morning exercise person.
Peter and I alternate between heated yoga and running in the mornings.
Both workouts are best when hydrated and on a nearly empty stomach.
We like to feel flexible, light and quick; and this routine helps us feel that way.
How to Get Started
Cutting out breakfast may be easier for you if you don’t usually eat breakfast, but for others, this is can be really hard.
We suggest easing into it…
- Start by putting off breakfast for as long as you can, maybe you normally eat at 7am, see if you can go until 9am… and then 11am, and eventually you can make it until 12pm.
- Switch out your current breakfast for a green juice and some raw fruits and nuts. If that’s not enough, we really like this chocolate superfood cereal.
- Try to skip snacking between meals. If you’re really hungry, make a green smoothie or snack on raw veggies or fruits.
The Goal
2 meals (lunch & dinner), a snack or two (mostly raw, green apples, green smoothies, etc.) and a good chunk of time between meals to allow your body to digest the food and your bowel enough time to get rid of the matter.
PS – for all you Breakfast Lovers, don’t worry we’re not suggesting you give up your oatmeal or pancakes, just have them for lunch instead!
*Note this is not recommended for everyone; obviously children and those with medical concerns should not follow this. In the end, it’s important to listen to your body. This is something that has really helped us and it might work for you too.
65 replies to "Bye Bye Breakfast! (Why I eat 2 meals a day)"
I think I would DIE if I did this BUT I’m glad it works out for you two. I think everyone’s body is different and there’s a benefit to trying something outside of the box. It’s a great opportunity to learn something about yourself.
Hey Olivia!
Thats what I was thinking people were going to say when I wrote this! Its defiantly something you have to work up to but I agree everyone’s body is different. I should mention that this isn’t something you have to stick to, I know a lot of people who do it on occasion, giving their body time to rest. Thanks for sharing dear!
Farmers in India have been taking 2 meals traditionally. In the morning they have milk or curd, heavy lunch at noon, a single fruit or nuts post afternoon & early dinner.
Vedas say- If you eat one time, you are a Yogi; If twice, you are a Bhogi(Indulgent); If thrice, Then you are a Rogi(unhealthy/diseased)
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I do just two meals and one snack a day. Breakfast, snack (instead of lunch) then dinner. I always have breakfast, it gives me energy through the day, (oatmeal, with fruit and sliced almonds.) snack, (one fruit and one veggie.) Dinner always make sure half my dinner is of veggies. The more I do this, the less I want junk food. I realized when I started this I was just way over eating, and eating because I was board, stressed out, ect. Now I only eat when hungry. And lost weight and have more energy. Thanks, I really see what you guys are talking about. Your awesome.
I did this years ago and lost 30 lbs without trying bcse I was so broke I wouldnt eat but fruit or chips for lunch but I still worked out. Your not going to die. Thinking abt doing it again and I want to eliminate dinner and just drink a smoothie.. When I eat a good breakfast I normally eat 2 meals on the weekends anyway bcse my mind is pre-occupied…
I think that that’s a good idea to eat twice a day I would love to try that thank you so much for the article in Virginia
OK guys, this sounds good…(although I’m a big believer in eating something – like juice or a smoothie I can do after my workout) I have always struggled because I am a morning gym rat or runner so I get HUNGRIER after my workout. But my problem is then I am hungry for a big lunch and dinner after work, which is not good, I need to eat less and eat lighter at night. I STILL get snacky 3-5pm ALL THE TIME EVERY DAY:( It’s not good. And what’s worse I’m eating late because I get off late, which means even on the weekend I’m not hungry til 7 or so. :( No good! So I like eating a big brunch to last me throughout the day… but I see what you’re saying! I always thought eating around 1200 calories I feel better (lighter) but then I don’t want my metabolism to slow down either… Hmmm I’m starting to rant and rave so I’ll stop. LOL. -foodie and overeater anon;-) Thanks for your help and motivation!!
Hey Christiana! So many great points, foodie struggles for sure. We always workout in the morning and always follow it up by a green juice. Peter does green smoothies. I think its important to keep it as light as you can and get hungry for lunch. This is something you might have to work up to buy maybe give it a try and see how you feel. The goal is always for everyone to feel their absolute best and be beaming with energy and great health!
I am a early riser so I can get my workouts in before my work day starts. What is your favorite green juice recipe? Do you have a few or just stick to one? Very insightful and certainly something to think about.
Hey Sharon!
Oh man we have lots! We put our favorites in The Seasonal Diet: So check that out: https://theseasonaldiet.com/getstarted/
But one we had today that was great was, kale, green apple, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger and turmeric. Cheers:)
I work night shift in a hospital (6pm-6am) and have a totally whacked-out schedule. I’ve gotten used to sleeping during the day, but I do not have a set time where I can eat at night and sometimes end up either bingeing early in the night to “prevent” undereating or not eating until 4am (when I’m cranky, ravenous, and eat whatever isn’t nailed down). I get up around 3pm and go to bed by 7am most mornings. Will intermittent fasting, which is what this sounds like, help me sleep/digest better? What about weight loss? obviously switching from my current fast-food dependancy to a plant based diet will help but the odd hours handicap even a healthy diet.
Any and all advice is welcome! thankyou!
Hey Lindsey!
Wow that’s a tricky schedule but I do think intermittent fasting could help you and a healthy diet can be done:) Do you have the Seasonal Diet? I would recommend following that plan. So for your schedule it could look something like this:
Lemon Water: 3:15pm
Green Juice: 4pm
Snack: 7pm (Fruit)
Lunch: 9pm (Mexii kale salad is filling and travel well)
Dinner: 3 am ( Soup and crackers)
Obviously you don’t want to be starving at work that’s the worst, so maybe work up to this if you are use to snacking during all hours.
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I haven’t purchased the SD yet, but I very well may now! Since I spend most of my night in an Ambulance, does it include recipes that do not need refrigeration and can be knocked around in a backpack?
We are happy to help! The SD contains a lot of recipes that do not need refrigeration…to be honest we travel a lot and carry most of our food in this big whole foods market tote! The great thing about eating mostly plant-based is that you don’t have to worry about things going bad. We keep salads in the car without ice.. but just make sure you store the dressing in separate containers (we save salsa and hummus jars for this). The SD does required more cooking and planning, I will say that:) But it also comes with access to our group, where others have crazy work schedules and seem to make it work, we have a few nurses and they seem to be the most active. Hope that helps.
Hi there :-) i am so happy i found your article! I met a girl over the weekend and we were all hanging out and a plate of snacks was put on the table, everyone dug into it straight away and i noticed she never touched anything! i asked her why she wasn’t having any and she told me she only eats 2 meals a day and no snacking! she has a beautiful figure and it made me think that I want to try this out. I have done alot of research this morning and it seems successful. I just wanted to ask you if it matters what you eat for those meals? Obviously not to overindulge but can you have a meal with a carb/starch and are there any foods you should avoid? i dont eat any deep fried foods or take aways so just mainly wanting to know if its ok to eat carbs in those meals? I do want to loose a bit of weight so in terms of loosing weight? I think this is a great lifestyle and have started it today! I had 2 coffees this morning and a green thai curry with rice for lunch. I also work out everyday for 20 mins (Jillian Michaels 30 day shred) if you can give me any tips or advice id greatly appreciate it!
Hey Gypsy:)
We are happy you found us as well:) Cutting out snacks can really help with digestion which can help with a beautiful figure;0
What you eat for those two meals is very important. We recommend a mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, grains and in larger portions then you might be use to. I would defiantly recommend getting The Seasonal Diet (https://theseasonaldiet.com/get-the-sd/) if you don’t have it already, as we provide a meal plan and explain exactly what you should be including in those two meals.
But it Sound’s like you are off to a great start! When you fuel your body properly it’s amazing how the weight comes off…almost effortlessly. Let me know if you have any other questions;)
Happy to help!
I would love the rice salad recipe that is pictured. It looks delicious!
Hi Kelly!
That salad is actually in The Seasonal Diet (The Grain Section) and is called Thai winter rice:) If you’re not a member I’ll try and share it on a meatless Monday in the near future!
I had the flu early December which made me lose my appetite, and lost 7 lbs. After I started getting my appetite back, I feared gaining my weight back so I just started eating 2 meals a day. I drink my visalus shakes in the morning, then dinner. I may snack in between, a piece of cheddar cheese, a handful of pretzels. But what I eat for dinner is horrible! Pizza, cheeseburgers (not fast food ), Chinese, pasta. Ugh. But all in all, I feel great and have lost 15 lbs. Since December. That’s without me being active .
I was living in san francisco, and i dont get hungry mornings till around 10ish..
so i started riding my bike at crissy field. and having my first meal around 11.
or 12, a snack at 3 , and a moderate vegetarian dinner at 6. Maybe some yogurt and a whole wheat fig newton. if I was starving at 7or 8 pm .
I lost 20 pounds in 3 months. without much sacrifice, plus the IF fasting drops my blood pressure. You eat the same food you like you just cut one meal.
I felt soooooo much better! staying a little hungry,
i doubt our early ancestors ate 3 squares a day, its alot of work digesting all the time. Food was never intended to be entertainment, in my opinion.
Great i have been doing this for last 14 days i work offshore i start work at 8.00am
lunch is at 11:30 and diner is at 17:15. so i only drink water in the morning up until lunch and lunch is normally high protein and veg half the plate is veg and only have 250g of meat fish or chicken. i travel offshore on the 3th of feb and my weight was 109kg at the airport so i did this was of eating as it would suit my work. after 10 days offshore i lost 6kgs i was also doing a lot of cardio too. my 2 meals was around 600 cals each and i would have a cheat day say Sunday and Thursday in with the 2 meal 850 cals each just for that 2 days 21 days have passed 16 days have passed now and i have lost another 1kg so im getting fitter and losing weight i think this 2 meals is perfect hard for a start but once in to it amazing results when i get home next week i will up my meals to 750 cals a day and see if i still lose weight im sure i will. what you waiting for give it a try it works.
I started on the 2 meal plan a few weeks ago. I have lost about 5 lbs., have more energy & have not been hungry. I eat breakfast between 10am & noon and supper between 6pm & 8pm with no snacking at all between meals.. For breakfast I usually have oatmeal & a piece of fruit. For supper I eat whatever I want, usually a baked potato, meat dish & vegetable. On days I lift weights, I will have a protein shake after the workout. This diet took a few days to get used to, but drinking a glass of lemon water seemed to help if I did get hungry. Before this diet I would eat most of the day & never seemed to have any energy. This is a meal plan that I can stay on the rest of my life without being hungry & without having to count calories.
Update: Since being on the 2 meal diet, I have gone from being prediabetic to having normal blood sugars. And from tryglycerides from near 200 to 90. I have lost 5 more pounds without being hungry. At my last checkup the Dr. told me to keep doing whatever I am doing.
Wow, Gary. Just read your comment and it fills me with hope! I too am pre-diabetic and about to try this approach. Congratulations.
It’s the most amazing feeling when you notice a positive change in your body!
For the record I’m only on day one…i’m used to a 600 calorie breakfast. I skipped that today, and had a lunch at noon. It’s now 3:33pm and I feel wretched on 850 calories. Usually I’m at 1500 by now! But I know it’s for a good cause and my body will adapt ;) best of luck to you.
Emma
Hi,
I love experimenting with different diets and seeing what my body best responds to, giving me the best results. Is this calorie restricted or is it just eat your usual lunch and Dinner just trading breakfast for a geen smoothie?
Great article by the way!
Hey Jonny! This is not calorie restricted, really your just trying to give yourself breaks between meals. Good Luck!
hm, i like this – i almost never eat before my early am workouts… i do need to add more green juice to my life……
Great article! Love it. Starting doing this about a week ago and am seeing good results.
That’s great Hayley! We’re happy to hear 2 meals a day is working well for you too :)
u didn’t mention time for dinner and if I keep big gap between the meals my stomach has gas what should I do? what is d ideal time for two meals and what should I do not to have gassy stomach
Well Niranjan, I don’t think your gas is related to the big gap between your meals. It’s most likely due to something you’re eating that’s causing it (cruciferous veggies, onions, sugar… we all have our sensitivities), or it could simply be the symptoms of detoxification, which is the process your body may go through if you’re losing weight. When your body is shedding pounds, it goes through a purging process that can feel uncomfortable at times, low energy, excess gas, which is what this could be. Give it a couple more weeks and see if it eases up, if not then it could be something you’re sensitive to as mentioned before, but take that hurdle when you come to it. Hope this helps, stay strong!
Also drinking water with your meal also causes gas. Only drink water between meals, but keep a small amount of water around incase food gets stuck.
G’Day. I’ve been doing this for 5 weeks now, although a bit stricter in that I start the day with a glass of water and a black coffee. I only have water until 12:00 when I have some protein and salad (chicken, tuna, salmon). I then have nothing again until family meal which is usually low carb and high protein. I make sure everything is done by 8:00pm and only water after then until the following day. I have LOADS more energy in the morning than I use to eating breakfast, I have dropped 5kg (about 10 pounds) in the last 5 weeks and slowly starting to exercise more. I need to lose about 30kg (60lbs) all up as I am quite obese. If you are keen to give this a try i HIGHLY recommend it :) Cheers from Australia
Hi. I think having a green juice for breakfast is really vitalizing and energizing. I will try the breakfast type foods for lunch which I think will get me through the day longer. Thankyou
I find Green Juice very energizing as well. Let us know how it works for you Anette:)
Hello all. I have been eating twice a day and on a Paleo diet. Biggest meal is after you wake up and/or after exercise. Smaller meal before bed. EAT NOTHING IN BETWEEN, only drink water. NO COFFEE INBETWEEN EITHER. ONLY DRINK COFFEE WITH A MEAL.
Warning: Eating large meals may cause psoriasis flare-ups. My Psoriasis is due to flour/wheat/oats and large meals. So I have to alternate between 2 or 3 meals.
UPDATE: I now only drink coffee once a week (Saturday) as caffeine supposedly doesn’t allow our bodies to absorb iron. Made a huge difference. Have steady energy throughout the week. And the hair on my head is starting to return.
Hi there,
Great to hear all of your stories.
I’ve been doing the intermittent fasting thing for a week or so now and it feels great. I have breakfast at 8 or 9 and then lunch at 2 or 3 pm and that’s it. So I fast for about 18 hours and just before my first meal, I do my yoga routine. Just one question: Everyone seems to be eliminating breakfast. As you can see, I actually eliminate dinner. Am I right to assume that you can eliminate any meal? Or is eliminating breakfast somehow better? If so, how?
Hey Brad,
That is a great question and one I have not heard before. I think as long as you have that window break you’ll get similar results. However, I do lean more towards breakfast being a better option to skip. Here are my thoughts: While your body is sleeping it is repairing and restoring, all of which need energy to do so, if you skip dinner you might be lacking fuel. Also after sleeping your body is very dehydrated so it’s a great time to focus on water rather then food. That being said I think most people find it easier to skip breakfast over dinner, it’s just easy to sleep a little longer and avoid food in the morning over dinner in the evenings. That being said, do what works for you, you could always try both and see which you like best? I hope that helps.
Great to hear you. I better ask you if I can drink much water between the meals. Can I add anything more with water?
Hi there… I agree with the Two day Meal Plan …Why not give it a try with all the health benefits !
2 meals six hours apart Fast 18 hours a day.. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the start of a good day…I don’t recommend you miss that breakfast meal out…better to miss the evening dinner meal out.
The Health benefits ….
For Better hearing/Greater energy/less overweight/less osteoporosis/less stress/less allergies/less diabetes/longer life/better eyesight/sharper intellect/sharper memory/less kidney disease/less asthma/less arthritis/ less hypertension/93% few cancers.
I do two meals a day too, but personally I prefer having a brunch and an early dinner. This way I avoid of getting too hungry in the morning, and also avoiding having dinner too late, which is bad for digestion.
My meal times are:
Brunch – 10am
Dinner – 5pm
I have been doing this for the last few years, and it does me fine.
hi,
I have found this routine very helpful, two meals a day. Is it also possible to gain some weight. Because I have lost my weight and now I am bit underweight. I thought it could be due to initial adjustment that body makes. I have been losing weight quite some time.
Hi Ive been reading into having 2 meals a day. And im currently 50kg overweight. So ive started to give this a try. But im only having breakfast and dinner. Im hoping it works well.
I don’t think having breakfast foods is a problem, so I will usually have eggs and bacon or whatever around 11am or noon, then dinner anytime after 5pm, and sometimes a bowl of granola cereal after to stave off night hungers.
I have a sweet tooth…can I have sweets during lunch and dinner or between them?
I am not a breakfast eater so this sounds good for me
Hi Sarah!
I know this is an old post, but how long on average did you wait in between your two meals? And was there a cut-off at night, so like a time you would not eat past?
Thanks!
Hey Isabella. We usually eat at 12pm and 8pm with a protein shake or small snack in between. We don’t do a cut off time in the evening as we skip breakfast. Does that help?
Hi Sarah
It’s always reassuring to read that eating 2 meals a day really is good thing. I do doubt sometimes when there are others trying to convince you that grazing, eating 5/6 times a day is better. I’m not saying at all that it’s for everyone because everybody is different. I do it mostly for the same reasons especially to let my body have plentiful of time to digest everything properly It works well for me. So thank you for sharing your experience.
I was just wondering if you tend to eat very large meals, like I do? I have about 8 dishes at a time. They are small dishes, I promise. And I do need to mention that I only eat veggies, abit of fruit, whole fats and very clean.
I guess I’m pretty much asking for your approval, and your advice too.
Thank you again and for your time.
Keep up the good work!
Adek
Wow, I always forced myself to eat breakfast because I was told we needed to eat it. I can normally go till 12 without feeling hungry, maybe I’ll just do with what feels right and skip breakfast too.
I never eat breakfast; never have. I stick to two meals these days with no snacks and I’m slowly losing weight. Another thing I do is make sure I don’t linger over the meals for too long a time. I do, however, often incorporate chocolate during dinner. Don’t want to give that up! :)
You know I used to eat two meals a day in college out of necessity (no money) and I always joke around what a skinny kid I was so I think I will try this again.
Hi is it ok to have coffee with milk in the morning? I usually have a coffee around 8 then lunch at 1 and dinner at 7.
Hey, what do you put in your green smoothie?
How big would the meals be?
Hi Devorah,
So the two meals would basically be half of your calories for the day. But these days Sarah and I don’t really follow the ‘skip breakfast’ routine, as we have green juice & smoothies before lunch time. We also typically have an afternoon snack as well.
Read this article next, it’s a good followup to this one: https://theseasonaldiet.com/stop-intermittent-fasting
Hopefully this helps! ~Peter
I have just started 2 meals a day and I feel amazing ..i startmy day apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp with one glass of luke warm water..and another glass of luke warm water with lemon juice turmeric black pepper for detoxification of body.. no breakfast only lunch and dinner …no intermediate snacks..you will have amazing results within a week for sure..
I never ate breakfast after early childhood. Breakfast then was always hot cooked grain cereals. Around 12-13 I stopped eating breakfast and ate two meals a day. I’m just not hungry in the morning and my energy level is highest during that time. I’ve tried breakfast as an adult because people said I should and all that happened was weight gain and increased hunger. Now I just do my own eating plan. My first meal is around noon and my last is six hours later. I’m never hungry between meals and digestion works perfectly if I stay on this schedule. I’m not advising for others, but my father ate like this, and one of my son does, too. I think it’s the natural way my body processes food, but everyone is different and should find what works for them.
I am going to try this.
Maybe you should try to fast Ramadan, from dawn to sunset. No food and no drink all day, it’s possible, millions of Muslim do it.
I’m 21, and I have only been eating twice a day for quite sometime now. A few years. This is what has worked best for me and the diet my body feels works best. I haven’t lost any significant weight doing this, but I did this to feel better. Also, when you only have only 2 meals to worry about and plan, you tend to plan it a bit better.
I also don’t get hungry at all. I think I may just have a slow metabolism in general, so please keep that in mind. I don’t wait until 12pm like you guys, because I don’t see the purpose. I eat at around 9am, and at least 6 hours have to pass before I have my final meal of the day. So, normally I have my final meal at 4pm, but if I’m going to the gym, or I’m out doing something and I can’t eat at the moment, I sometimes eat as late as 8pm. I’m not starving, or even really hungry eating at this time as well.
Honestly, my case is different. I truly believe I have a slower metabolism. I don’t require as much food to be satisfied, my appetite is very controlled to non-existent and I can go LONG passages of time without feeling the slighest bit hungry. Even when I go to the gym and have a vigrous workout, I don’t feel hungry. It has it’s own perks and drawbacks.
What I’m saying is, if you can’t go more than 2-3 hours without hunger pains, this diet probably isn’t for you. If you function better on smaller, more frequent meals..don’t “fix” what isn’t broken. You need to know your body. Everyone is different.
I’ve recently discovered since starting an earlier shift I’m less hungry when I skip breakfast so this is definitely going to work for me and my workouts are in the evening time.
I used to do this 25 yrs ago and was very lean. Now I weigh 30 lbs more since I added breakfast, after listening ‘how breakfast is an important meal’. Started this skip the breakfast 4 days ago, lost 2 lbs. I will continue to do it until I loose 30 lbs. In my case, I eat whatever I want between 12 pm and 8pm(including fat food, fast food during lunch and dinner).