Why does eating breakfast make me hungry before lunch?

RickYahr

Hi, I am new to the site but have to say I am finding it to be a great resource.

One of my goals is to make a life style change and start eating breakfast. So for the last weak I have been enjoying a bowl of instant oatmeal in the morning before work. The problem is that now by 10:30 or 11:00am I'm starving.

I have a desk job in an open office setting so I really don't want to be crunching away on carrots or celery sticks to get me through until lunch. I welcome any suggestions.

Thanks,

Rick


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shovav91

Try having a more protein-filled breakfast such as eggs or cottage cheese. They tend to keep you more full for longer than carbohydrates

bemott

I was going to say hard boiled egg, handful of almonds or light string cheese, seems to help me.

carterjerm

Protien will do the trick, Carbs are fast energy and your body burns it fast.

BarbWhite09

Breakfast gets your metabolism going, so that's why you get hungry. I like having eggs in the morning, it keeps me full longer. This morning I had shredded wheat and I'm hungry already & it's only been 2 hours, lol.

BerryH

Four things work for me:

1. Take breakfast into work and eat it at 9 instead.
2. More protein - eggs and toast, omelette or even a sandwich
3. Planning your calories so you have a healthy snack mid-morning. I love carrot sticks dipped in hummus.
4. Just getting used to it! I find I can wait until lunch now, but if I'm not fed by 12.30 you better watch out!

jadedone

Bulk up your oatmeal. Add some nuts and make it with milk. Also add some chopped fruit for more fiber. Instant oatmeal has less fiber than other forms of oatmeal. Add some raisins, apples, berries, dried cranberries or some banana.

bosstimmy

Unless you are eating the plain flavor, instant oatmeal tends to have a lot of sugar in it. It would make sense that your body experiences a sugar crash and you need more energy later in the morning. I dont know what time you eat the instant oatmeal, but i agree with the other commenter that a breakfast needs a little more protein unless you are able to have a small morning snack.

Voserichard

Also you could try making a shake for breakfast. mine is 1 banana, 2 cups of milk, 2 tbs of peanut butter, and maybe some protein powder if you want. Gets me right through lunch.

pratod

you could bring a protein shake to work and sip on it in between breakfast and lunch

almomnc

I have to have protein. I tried granola and milk and I was starving within a few hours. I use egg substitue and not just egg whites. I'm new (read: weigh more) at this and can still use the calories from the whole egg. Cheese sticks or greek yogurt are also great snacks midmorning.

emyback68

I can relate to this. I know when I skip breakfast, I am just not as hungry in the morning. The one I have something to eat, its like my hunger sensors wake up, and I am ready to eat again in an hour or so.

But since I am trying to be healthier and not skip meals, I am aiming for 5-6 smaller meals to keep me going. Problem for me is I am a grazer (and work from home most days) . . . so it often turns into one big meal.

I will say though that more protein (and less sugar/carbs) in the morning does help. I used to always have fruit with breakfast, or a greek yogurt with fruit, but I find the sugar spike makes me hungry too fast. Now I have turkey sausage and cherry tomatoes. It seems like a weird breakfast, but so far its been working pretty good.

paigemarie93

I never have breakfast, I was never a fan as a kid & used to throw a tantrum if I had to eat anything other than toast.
Eating in the mornings makes me feel really ill, so I have my lunch at 10:45am everyday (normally a sandwich & veggies) then have a huge dinner later. I don't find myself feeling hungry throughout the day, but most breakfasts actually do make you more hungry.

melrose09

like bawhite23 said, breakfast gets your body going. It's best to eat shortly after you wake up to get that boost. Choose a healthy mid morning snack to keep that metabolism up. Almonds and dried fruit or a piece of low fat string cheese and a handful of kashi crackers are favorites of mine.

karenmi

I work at a desk job in a cubicle and eat my breakfast here every weekday. Sounds like you need more food, and something less processed. As a previous person noted, instant oatmeal is usually loaded with sugar.

My breakfast is quick & easy & no problem to eat at my desk: 1/2 c. All Bran buds (great fibre), 3/4 c. plain, FF Greek yogurt (18 grams of protein) and a serving of fruit (berries, raisins, etc.). That keeps me full until my 10 a.m. snack, which I need to keep my blood sugar up at the gym (11 am 'til Noon).

Good luck!!

nml2011

I love breakfast.... probably one of my favourite meals!

Carbs should generally be avoided in the mornings due to your body being more sensitive (insulin) to them.

I would generally have:

Eggs
Bacon
Smoked Salmon
Coffee

Very rarely do I feel hungry before lunch at 1pm

chelledawg14

Hi. I just started MFP last week, but started my "healthy eating life style change" on Jan 3. I have ALWAYS had the same problem with eating breakfast - no matter what I eat, if I eat breakfast then I seem to be hungry all day. In the past two weeks, though, I've found that having 1/2 weight watchers bagel with four egg whites fills me up - I bring it to work and eat around 6 am. I've been drinking at least half 40 oz of water before lunch so that I'm NOT feeling the urge to eat. If I just can't help it, then I munch on a few of the peanuts I keep at my desk as my daily snack. It's working!!! The other thing that works for me is I wait until 8ish a.m. and I'll eat whatever vegetable I brough for my lunch - usually broccoli or cauliflower and/or an orange. I hope you find something that works for you ::happy:

Josteyn

Basically, you are eating the wrong stuff if you want to stave off hunger pangs for more than 4 hours.

Sugar and starch, not a lot of good for long-term health.

Change it for protein and slow-release carbs, cut out the sugar.

Have you checked the sugar content of one sachet?

DrNicoleRed

Agree that instant oatmeal may be the culprit…try "quick" oats instead, esp. the steel cut or even a multi-grain blend. It tends to be a little heartier. Still microwavable…mine are ready in 2-3 minutes. Also bulk up the oatmeal by additions as suggested…I use frozen blueberries and nuke them along with the oatmeal so then their juicy goodness has exploded and melted in with the oatmeal. Agree also that the addition of good fats/protein may add to your satiety: nuts, eggs, lean meat (leftover chicken/turkey, turkey bacon), yogurt.

Also, if you are eating really early (like before 8am), I would expect you would be hungry at least 3-4 hours later…and appropriately so. So if you are eating at 7 am, you should plan for a 10 am snack…like 1 serving of any of the following: nuts, popcorn, string cheese, drinkable yogurt, fresh fruit, fiber/protein bar along with a huge glass of water. The nuts, popcorn, fiber/protein bars are "desk friendly" since they don't require refrigeration and can be consumed quickly and discreetly.

RickYahr

wow thanks for all the advice. You guys Rock!

margo36

I usually have a couple of poached eggs on wholemeal toast :drinker: That usually sees me through to lunch time

tataliciousd89

Bulk up your oatmeal. Add some nuts and make it with milk. Also add some chopped fruit for more fiber. Instant oatmeal has less fiber than other forms of oatmeal. Add some raisins, apples, berries, dried cranberries or some banana.

Absolutely. This is what works for me. Find some good protein powder and use just a tiny bit and that helps as well. Beyond that,
I just always get hungrier throughout the day when i eat breakfast, but it does get better eventually. your body just has to adjust to the change.

AtticusFinch

I find a bowl of Porridge, (oatmeal), keeps me fed until lunch time.

Mix it with seeds / dried fruit to make it interesting, or a trickle of Honey.

Captain_Tightpants

I agree with everyone else here... have a hard boiled egg right alongside your oatmeal... you'll be stuffed until lunch.

BelleEns

I am exactly the same as you, and it doesn't seem to matter what I eat, even if it's protein. I'm not hungry in the morning unless I eat breakfast. So after trying and testing different breakfasts, I decided to listen to my body and only eat when I'm hungry. Which usually means I don't eat until 12. I've lost a lot of weight like this, and I'm just thinking of it at being mindful eating instead of eating at prescribed times.
Good luck!

ZombieChaser

I am exactly the same as you, and it doesn't seem to matter what I eat, even if it's protein. I'm not hungry in the morning unless I eat breakfast. So after trying and testing different breakfasts, I decided to listen to my body and only eat when I'm hungry. Which usually means I don't eat until 12. I've lost a lot of weight like this, and I'm just thinking of it at being mindful eating instead of eating at prescribed times.
Good luck!

I'm the same way! I started bringing my breakfast to work with me, and eating it when I got hungry (around 9 ish, my day starts at 5am, at my desk for 6:30am). If i'm so inclined, I'll have a very light cereal/milk bowl before work, but that's rare.

RickYahr

Thanks again for all the advise guys. Today I had one egg and one piece of whole wheat toast with a glass of skim milk. I was full when I was finished eating and now at 11:43 am I am just starting to feel like lunch hit the spot at noon!

toriaenator

its a complete myth that eating breakfast "reves up the metabolism" and what not! if you dont want to eat breakfast, then heck dont eat it! in fact you could even benefit from intermitant fasting where you fast 16hours and have an 8 hour eating window; basically you could for example stop eating at 8pm and then eat your first meal at 12. this has helped a lot of people lose fat, etc!

DanaDark

If you are not hungry, do not eat. (Unless there is an eating disorder involved)

Sleeping raises certain hormones in the body that will naturally make you not feel hungry. Upon awaking, these hormones slowly go down to normal level (designed to ensure you sleep through the nigh and not wake up in the middle of sleep for food, doesn't always work he he). When you eat, these hormones more quickly return to normal levels.

So, eating then results in hunger later on, as the hormones were lowered quickly at the beginning of the day.

For me, I wake up at 5am, and if I eat at 6am, I am hungry by 9am. If I do not eat, I am hungry around 11am. Not eating meant these hormones were still slightly elevated at 9am, preventing me from being hungry.

This is one of the various ways hormones can play on your behavior.

libbymcbain

I need to have some protein at breakfast (two eggs, or an egg and some bacon/salmon) or I am starving tout suit. An apple and a little stick of cheese/a spoon of pb/some yogurt round 11 keeps me going til lunch pretty good, without having to crunch away for ages. Hot drinks (herbal tea) and plenty of water help too.

kevseb66

I can totally relate. If I eat breakfat I am so freakin hungry by lunch time that sometimes I'm jittery & get light headed. I found I'm much less hungry period when I eat one big meal for dinner with no breakfast, lunch or snacks.