Is eating a HEAVY Breakfast the way to go?

wild_wild_life

For the majority of people it is more beneficial to eat:
Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, diner and perhaps another evening snack.
This way the hungry feeling you get is suppressed.
Drinking water will also suppress the feeling of being hungry

This is how I eat. No hunger pains.

Maybe I will try this for a week! So, what would you typically eat following this plan? No too heavy meals, right?

I think this works for a lot of people but for some it doesn't work as well because eating multiple small meals never leaves them feeling satisfied.

For me, I find that different things work at different times. Sometimes I want multiple smaller meals, sometimes I want few large meals with long periods between them. Sometimes I want more protein, more carbs or more fat.

For me, the most important thing was to realize there isn't "one" right way, even for me on any given day. The ability to be flexible and not tied to one specific way of doing things is probably the most important thing I have gained in this process.

That said, you never know until you try something how it's going to work for you, so experimenting is great. I would just caution against the mindset that there is going to be any single "best way".

Hezzietiger1

I skip breakfast, workout first.. then eat 5 meals about the same calories throughout the day between 11am-8pm with a good combination of pro/clean carbs.

usually

m1 oats and pro powder
m2 bar or tuna/apple
m3 chicken/rice/veggies
m4 pro powder/fruit
m5 fish/sweet pot/ veggies

ninerbuff

It's different for everyone. Personally I do better eating a heavy dinner, skipping breakfast and a decent calorie lunch.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

beamie2687

I LOVE breakfast. I have low blood sugar sometimes, and I find that I need a large, protein-heavy breakfast. I usually have between 500 and 700 calories and focus on eggs and other proteins. That will keep me full for about 4 hours, and I don't need a mid-morning snack. I then eat a medium-sized lunch, and a small dinner. I find that starting with enough food makes me full, and then I just have to STAY full for the rest of the day.

callie006

A big breakfast works for me when I'm going to be really busy through the morning and afternoon. If my schedule permits, my ideal eating pattern is a late modest breakfast, a big filling late lunch and a small dinner after my workout. If I need to make lunch early and don't have to do taxing things, like surgery, in the mornings, I often just do coffee for breakfast.

lisalsd1

I read through some of the previous comments, and I'm not sure this was mentioned; but maybe it isn't the "heavy" b'fast that keeps you going, maybe it's the high amount of protein you are getting in the morning. I've heard "30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking."

Maybe try some other high protein foods in the morning (greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean chicken, eggs), see if that works. It would probably be lower cal/lower fat. Just an idea.

aimforhealthy

OP, that may indeed be the way you're built! Some people wake up starving after breakfast and need a lot of calories right up front, then a couple of small meals and a snack gets them through the rest. Some people are like me and wake up with no appetite all the way through mid afternoon. I usually have something tiny like a yogurt and a piece of fruit or a some eggs and a couple of slices of turkey bacon or something, then a very light lunch, then a huge dinner. I have another friend who only eats once a day - all her calories in one big early-evening supper. And so on. It doesn't really matter when you eat! The important thing is that it works for you and fits into your calorie goals for the day!

Carnivor0us

I've found that eating half my calories in the morning helps me personally.

GiddyupTim

For the majority of people it is more beneficial to eat:
Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, diner and perhaps another evening snack.
This way the hungry feeling you get is suppressed.
Drinking water will also suppress the feeling of being hungry

This is how I eat. No hunger pains.

Maybe I will try this for a week! So, what would you typically eat following this plan? No too heavy meals, right?

I suppose we are all individual. But, there have been studies done comparing eating a big, heavier protein breakfast (eggs and bacon type) versus a lighter carbs-type breakfast (oatmeal or some kind of cereal) and in those studies they found that the people who ate the heavy breakfast consumed significantly fewer calories during the day. They presumed this was because the bacon and eggs keeps a person's hunger satisfied longer.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

If you are hungry in the mornings, sure. I have a tendency to eat when I am hungry.

In the mornings I usually have coffee and a maybe a cracker or two with vitamins. I don't feel hungry till about 2 pm most days. If I attempt to eat breakfast (any kind) I feel sluggish and hungrier earlier in the day -- usually around 12 pm. I don't worry about it because it works for me.

As others have pointed out, it might be what you had to eat. I generally find that protein dense meals are more satisfying, in terms of hunger satiation, than those that are more carb heavy -- but I like carbs more, so it's always a balance.

MissKitty9

This only works for me on weekends, like if I sleep in a little, & have that big breakfast around 10, or 11? Then, same as you... won't be hungry until 4 or 5, & I'll have dinner. So if it works for you, & your schedule, why not! I just can't do it during the week--- the big breakfast will put me over calories waaaay too quickly, haha

neanderthin

You woke up hungry because you didn't eat much.....try eating more and spread out your calories

xiamjackie

I'm the opposite. No matter how big or little of a breakfast I eat, whether it be 10 calories or 1000 calories, I'm always hungry by lunch time. I actually find that I'm less hungry if I DON'T eat breakfast.... so I don't. Technically, this would be intermittent fasting, since I eat dinner every night between 6 and 8 and don't eat again until 12 the next day when I have lunch. It's been working for me, but to each their own. The idea that we need to eat breakfast is a myth, but if it works for you, then great!

lauren3101

Yesterday I had 3 slices of 50/50 bread, 2 sausages and 2 slices of bacon with a cup of cappuccino for breakfast. Total calorie count: 753. I skipped lunch because I was not hungry, although I had 2 cups of tea and plenty of water throughout the day. At about 5PM the hunger started to set in. So, I had slices of dried mango, another 330 calories. When I got home, I did my Insanity workout, had more water, then went to bed.

Woke up this morning feeling hungry, so I had a white egg omelette with cherry tomatoes, onions and spinach and a cup of tea (294 calories), which was not filling!!!! Feeling hungry now!!

I notice that when I have a heavy breakfast (I have even tried rice in the morning - about 10AM), I am good until evening. When I don't feel full in the mornings, I tend to binge throughout the day, eating all sorts of "bad" calorific foods - and once I start,I cannot stop! Is it only me?

In answer to your question, it does not matter when you eat your calories. You just need a deficit. I prefer to eat mine at night, so I save roughly half for the evening.

However, a sandwich and some dried mango is simply not enough food. You ate 1083 calories and then probably burnt 300 doing an insanity workout. That is probably why you feel hungry. Eat more!

rileyhunter169

I might be the only one here; but usually consuming breakfast actually increases my appetite and makes me crave ****, I mean all it usually means though is I get to maintenance, I also feel less mentally clear; and I crap a lot more. The weird thing is; I have healthy insulin levels, and fasted blood glucose. After a large breakfast though I get pretty freaking lethargic for an hour or two; and I can't start my day as fast. Breakfast for me is no go.

SoDamnHungry

Whatever works for you. I'm hungrier with breakfast a lot of the time, but some people are fuller. However, I notice that on your breakfast day, you only ate around 1100 calories. Make sure that feeling full from breakfast doesn't cause you to under eat every single day.

Myhaloslipped

I ate about 200 calories less for breakfast today than I have been for the past few days, and I did not have nearly as much stamina as I normally do at the gym this morning. So I try to go with a 400-450 calorie breakfast.

bentobee

I aim for a 400-500 calorie breakfast. That keeps me feeling great until lunch and helps control my hunger in the afternoon also (afternoon can be my snack-attack time period). On the days I don't feel like eating much a breakfast (rare, but it happens), and I can barely choke down a container of greek yogurt, those are the days I am famished and cranky and clawing the pantry walls all afternoon and into the evening.

On days I plan to workout in the morning I'll have a breakfast that pushes 700 calories. I generally burn around 700 per exercise session, and eating less than that going in leaves me feeling weak and dizzy.

MrsFowler1069

Well, I for one love to eat breakfast. I keep it pretty light - typically well under 400 calories, sometimes only 200 or so. I always include some protein and some fiber. I also know about myself that I prefer to eat the majority of my calories later in the day, so this gives me a good start without using a large percentage of my calorie budget.

Most often on work days, I have an egg, a small amount of turkey sausage or a homemade veggie burger, and a sandwich "round" - 90 or 100 calories and 5-7 grams of fiber, depending on what brand I have. This totals somewhere between 220 - 270 calories and is perfect for me.

Probably my favorite stay at home breakfast is an egg white and veggie omelet. It varies a little, but mostly I use four egg whites, a little flavorful cheese, spices, and a ton of veggies. Yesterday I even added a cup of shredded hash browns on the side and the whole shebang was only 249 calories.

Occasionally, I'll have oats with add-ins, but I'm not a cold cereal eater. I don't know if it's the carbs or what, but I'm always hungry sooner. I like it for an evening snack, though!

Ultimately, this is all about what works for you. If a "heavy" breakfast is what does the trick and keeps you on track, then go for it! This is your program, your preferences, your body. I hope you do find what satisfies you and helps you the most in reaching your goals. I know you can do it!

MissMeghan802

I used to eat breakfast, then I realized I wasn't even hungry. I was eating breakfast just to because It was breakfast time.
I stopped doing it. Instead, I have an apple around 9 am (i wake up fairly early) and that keeps my going until lunch at 12.
I know everyone is different, and some may need breakfast. But for me, personally I would much rather skip it and have a bigger lunch/dinner.