How can I change my relationship with food? I always, always eat about 1,000+ calories at breakfast.
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diannethegeek wrote: »Can you try skipping breakfast to see how you feel?
How is that a good idea, and what would it accomplish? OP mentions disordered eating/relationship with food in history so I would think that skipping breakfast in what would probably later lead to bingeing is not the best path.0 -
Yup I agree with the therapy. That's a huge part of it IMHO. Now as for the actual eating. Use smaller plates so you can't fit all that food on it and say, This is what I can have for now, and then go do something else. Change your routine. I'd say plan your meals. The rest of your meal, lunch, dinner, snack, and then see what your calorie allotment is left and then decide on breakfast. One carb, one protein, and some healthy fats and veggies. I love breakfast but during the week i don't have time, so i take a yogurt and some fruit with me, or I make some hard boiled eggs and bring those with maybe a piece of toast. Good luck though, eating disorders are hard, but with the right help i have total faith in you :-)0
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Try a high-fiber breakfast, like a bowl of berries and some granola. It's very yummy and sweet. You stay full for quite a while. They say a high-fiber breakfast is helpful for weight loss, too.
Bad habits ARE hard to break! But not impossible. Whatever you do, you just have to struggle and stick with it. Eventually, the new thing becomes your habit.
Good luck!0 -
Serena_Heart wrote: »Spread your calories out more evenly through the day. Why and what do you eat for breakfast just interested my breakfast is anywhere between 200 -400 and im full
I have struggled with binge eating issues since I was about 8 or 9. Here is an example of a breakfast I'd usually eat: 2 eggs fried in butter or olive oil, 1 potato, 50g onion, 1 T. ketchup, mushrooms, red peppers, on a bed of raw spinach. Then, 2 pieces of toast with butter, peanut butter, and jelly. On top of that, I could even eat 1 cup of grapes and then my usual coffee with heavy cream. It is not that food doesn't fill me up in the 200-400 calorie range, it's a behavioral issue.
How about just slimming down this breakfast somewhat? I usually eat 2 soft boiled eggs (140 cal) on 2 pieces of toast (160 cal) with a cup of 2% milk mixed in with my coffee (120 cal) and around 100 calories of fruit. That's 520 calories, which is a reasonable breakfast based on your 1460 goal. It's got a nice amount of volume, as well, if you like feeling full.
If it's really a behavioral issue, portion out your food several days ahead of time. In the example above, you could portion out 2 eggs, 2 slices of bread, a cup of milk, and the fruit in separate containers or zipper bags and then just grab one to prepare each morning. Being able to just grab one of your prepackaged meals from the fridge and then closing the door may help.0 -
Serena_Heart wrote: »Spread your calories out more evenly through the day. Why and what do you eat for breakfast just interested my breakfast is anywhere between 200 -400 and im full
I have struggled with binge eating issues since I was about 8 or 9. Here is an example of a breakfast I'd usually eat: 2 eggs fried in butter or olive oil, 1 potato, 50g onion, 1 T. ketchup, mushrooms, red peppers, on a bed of raw spinach. Then, 2 pieces of toast with butter, peanut butter, and jelly. On top of that, I could even eat 1 cup of grapes and then my usual coffee with heavy cream. It is not that food doesn't fill me up in the 200-400 calorie range, it's a behavioral issue.
How about just slimming down this breakfast somewhat? I usually eat 2 soft boiled eggs (140 cal) on 2 pieces of toast (160 cal) with a cup of 2% milk mixed in with my coffee (120 cal) and around 100 calories of fruit. That's 520 calories, which is a reasonable breakfast based on your 1460 goal. It's got a nice amount of volume, as well, if you like feeling full.
If it's really a behavioral issue, portion out your food several days ahead of time. In the example above, you could portion out 2 eggs, 2 slices of bread, a cup of milk, and the fruit in separate containers or zipper bags and then just grab one to prepare each morning. Being able to just grab one of your prepackaged meals from the fridge and then closing the door may help.
Preportioning and prelogging are good ideas if you can stick with them. I can't, but others can. I wouldn't cut your breakfast down by a huge amount at first. You'll just be hungrier sooner and more likely to binge eat at a different time of day. Work with you therapist and see if the two of you can work out the best method of adjusting your daily calories.tincanonastring wrote: »Meal timing doesn't really matter in the context of weight management, so if you're able to manage the rest of your day's calories, there's nothing wrong with eating the majority of them during breakfast. I know people who eat all of their daily calories in one meal.
If you're having an issue making it through the rest of the day, either set a lower (but still high) calorie limit for breakfast (say, 50% of your daily calories) or add in some cardio so you can eat more as the day progresses.
ETA: Sorry, I typed this and then took a while to hit submit. Didn't see your reference to binge eating until afterwards. If that's the case, you may want to just ignore what I posted! I like that idea about the timer and forcing yourself to complete activities before adding more food to breakfast. That's a great idea if you have the time in the morning.
Actually, the first part is still valid. If you prefer to eat most of your calories in the morning, that's fine. As long as your daily total is where it should be, it doesn't matter. If you want to shift some of those for a snack at night or larger dinner, that's fine too. You have to work out what works best for YOU.0 -
The way I see it, you have three options (a lot of this is repeated information from other posters).
1. Trim down your typical breakfast. You can do this in stages if needed, but try either eating smaller portions than what you eat now (1 egg, 1 piece of toast, etc instead of 2), or cut out something entirely (like don't eat both the potatoes and the toast, pick one).
2. Completely change what you eat for breakfast. Don't eat eggs, potatoes, or toast at all. Eat yogurt or oatmeal or a sandwich or any other variety of food (you don't have to eat "breakfast" food for breakfast). This might be easier than option 1 because it's a complete reset. It might be harder because you miss your normal foods. You could always try this for a little while and then work your way to option 1.
3. Keep eating big breakfasts and just eat less later on. Historically speaking, for most of human existence we only ate 1 meal a day. There are several people on MFP who have been successful with only 1 meal a day. If it works for you, no need to change it. I'm suspecting this is your least likely scenario since you are posting here to begin with, but there is nothing wrong with eating more calories at fewer meals. It's all about the number of calories you are consuming, not when you consume them.
Personally, I would go with option 2. For me a clean break would give me a fresh start. Then I would slowly change my breakfast rotation to include the foods that I used to eat (not all of them all at once) after I adjusted to eating differently and that's only if I missed eating eggs or toast or whatever. It seems like that would be the easiest way to break your habit.0 -
SingRunTing wrote: »Personally, I would go with option 2. For me a clean break would give me a fresh start. Then I would slowly change my breakfast rotation to include the foods that I used to eat (not all of them all at once) after I adjusted to eating differently and that's only if I missed eating eggs or toast or whatever. It seems like that would be the easiest way to break your habit.
Option 2 seems like it'd be the most reasonable and successful. I doubt I'd be able to break my associations with those foods while I'm still eating them. Great idea - I think I might start trying a high protein shake with whole foods for breakfast, or oatmeal and fruit.
3 is never going to "work" for me, because my stomach is overly full when I eat like this. Being physically uncomfortable is the least appealing option.
Thanks so much for your input
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Something that helps me is knowing that it's going to feel weird/uncomfortable for the first 2-3 days. If I know ahead of time that I might be hungry, but it won't last forever, I can make the transition to a different way of eating/schedule/etc. (Your period of "discomfort" may be shorter/longer.)0
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I usually skip breakfast, that way I avoid the temptation completely and I can have more satisfying meals at lunch and dinner.0
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Don't forget about #1 if you have a Saturday morning or something where you want the comfort of your old breakfast. Choosing between the toast OR potatoes is a great way to cut calories. This week you have the toast. Next week you have potatoes. Something like that. In fact, I've found the "stick to one carb" notion helpful at most meals. Like, have rice OR bread OR potatoes for dinner if you need to keep the calories down, not ALL of them (but also don't eliminate ALL of them altogether, either, if that's what you enjoy).Serena_Heart wrote: »SingRunTing wrote: »Personally, I would go with option 2. For me a clean break would give me a fresh start. Then I would slowly change my breakfast rotation to include the foods that I used to eat (not all of them all at once) after I adjusted to eating differently and that's only if I missed eating eggs or toast or whatever. It seems like that would be the easiest way to break your habit.
Option 2 seems like it'd be the most reasonable and successful. I doubt I'd be able to break my associations with those foods while I'm still eating them. Great idea - I think I might start trying a high protein shake with whole foods for breakfast, or oatmeal and fruit.
3 is never going to "work" for me, because my stomach is overly full when I eat like this. Being physically uncomfortable is the least appealing option.
Thanks so much for your input
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diannethegeek wrote: »Can you try skipping breakfast to see how you feel?
Yes! (IF) has helped tremendously. I would feel bogged down and sluggish eating that large of a meal especially in the morning. Have what you like if breakfast is what you like to eat... just lower your calories to 2/3rds less. Drink a large glass of water before you do and another when your done eating.0 -
Quit by quitting. Then you'll adjust to new portions like a any other change....slowly.0
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Don't forget about #1 if you have a Saturday morning or something where you want the comfort of your old breakfast. Choosing between the toast OR potatoes is a great way to cut calories. This week you have the toast. Next week you have potatoes. Something like that. In fact, I've found the "stick to one carb" notion helpful at most meals. Like, have rice OR bread OR potatoes for dinner if you need to keep the calories down, not ALL of them (but also don't eliminate ALL of them altogether, either, if that's what you enjoy).Serena_Heart wrote: »SingRunTing wrote: »Personally, I would go with option 2. For me a clean break would give me a fresh start. Then I would slowly change my breakfast rotation to include the foods that I used to eat (not all of them all at once) after I adjusted to eating differently and that's only if I missed eating eggs or toast or whatever. It seems like that would be the easiest way to break your habit.
Option 2 seems like it'd be the most reasonable and successful. I doubt I'd be able to break my associations with those foods while I'm still eating them. Great idea - I think I might start trying a high protein shake with whole foods for breakfast, or oatmeal and fruit.
3 is never going to "work" for me, because my stomach is overly full when I eat like this. Being physically uncomfortable is the least appealing option.
Thanks so much for your input
Ya, I stopped having bread with pasta, which has an additional benefit of cutting out butter calories as well.
With eggs I do the one starch thing as well.
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Also look into DBT --- dialectical behavior therapy. It is involves dealing with / regulating emotions. There are some self- help type sites on the web 0
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I can't imagine skipping breakfast, like some people have suggested, but I know that I try to wait until I'm actually hungry to eat... so if possible, I'd do that.
Then I'd think about WHAT exactly you like about big breakfasts - feeling very full? Having a lot of different foods at once? What is it? I sorta get it because for me the idea of a great breakfast is a lot of different foods too... you don't want to see me at breakfast buffets, for example. And I have to restraint myself pretty much every day not to eat too much as well.
What helps me is figuring out WHAT exactly I REALLY want to eat (I do that for about every meal though). For example, if I want an omelet, I can make myself one.. but I don't have to have all the extra stuff. If I really want to have toast with it, I'll switch an egg for two egg whites, and have one piece of toast with a bit of butter instead of two... if I want eggs, potatoes, toast and jelly, I'll make scrambled eggs with one whole egg and 3 egg whites, have a little bit of potatoes, and one piece of toast (I agree though, usually it's toast OR potatoes).. I'll eat that, and I'll have my coffee, and by then I'm usually not hungry anymore (if I'm still hungry, yeah, I'll have something else).
If you want to feel full, go for huge egg white and veggies omelets.
The bottom line is that you pretty much have to decide to stop eating too much at breakfast. As others have said, therapy might help you.
But I eat most of my calories by noon most days so I kinda get it (and that's why I laugh at the 'skip breakfast' suggestions. That would never work for me).0 -
Serena_Heart wrote: »My daily allotment is 1,460, which is manageable. My behaviors, however, are dragging me down. I have always had this compulsion to eat a ridiculously HUGE meal at breakfast, and then of course I'm left with only a couple hundred calories for the rest of the day.
Do you have any tips, personal experience, or any comments on this that may help me break through this cycle of feeling the need to binge at first meal?
Thank you!
it depends on what you like. I peronally love a big breakfast and have always had the bulk of my calories at that time, even when I was losing my weight (been in maintenance awhile now).
There is nothing wrong with how you eat as long as you like it and you are staying wihtin your calorie goals.0 -
Serena_Heart wrote: »Thanks chollands29, you have a good point. Unfortunately, eating this much at one meal does cause me to be uncomfortably full. I will try flipping to dinner and see if that results in a more even spread of calories. It could work!
If this is the case, then you need to find the willpower to eat less at this time so you are not uncomfortably full. Spread your calories out.0 -
Try doing a pre-packed or pre-planned breakfast the night before so that you don't show up at breakfast time with no plan and nosh on everything you want.0
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It seems like you have lots of food choices to play with to tweak your breakfast. I agree with others about making some small changes - for example, you eat toast with butter, peanut butter AND jelly? How about just pick one of those toppings? Or one piece of toast with two of the toppings? Or cook your eggs in Pam instead of butter. Or switch out the heavy cream for half and half, then work your way down to skim milk.
I would do it in baby steps - try to get your breakfast to maybe 800 cals for a week, then 700, then 600. Make sure with the additional calories you have for later in the day that you are making nutrient dense, filling choices. You may start to not crave as big of a breakfast in favor of something more filling later in the day.
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i have a protein smoothie.... protein powder, berry fruits,banana, half cup of oats, water with ice. All blended. its between 300 - 400 cals and keeps me full for around 4-5 hours.. taste great too0
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