Big breakfasts make me overeat

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moe5474
moe5474 Posts: 162
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else have this issue? Every time I eat a larger breakfast (350-400 cals) I end up overeating the rest of the day. I make sure the breakfast have lots of protein and fiber in it, but it still happens.

You would think it would have the opposite effect on me, but when I start the day with a bigger meal I end up craving even more food at lunch and dinner. But if I eat something really small ~150 cals then I do fine.

I guess my question is, is this going to come back and bite me in the rear end later during my weight loss journey? Has anyone ever lost weight and kept it off eating a much smaller breakfast?
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Replies

  • Spence_
    Spence_ Posts: 139 Member
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    Seriously: what ever works for you!

    I'm intrigued by this, though... I'm going to have a small breakfast tomorrow and see if I eat less :p I have a feeling it'll have the opposite effect on me.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Has anyone ever lost weight and kept it off eating a much smaller breakfast?

    Plenty of people have lost weight eating no breakfast.

    The whole concept of breakfast being "necessary" is a myth. You can literally eat nothing until the evening and be just fine.

    Considering that your large breakfasts are causing you to go over your calories (I have the same problem), I would suggest either eating a very small breakfast or even nothing at all.

    If you choose to skip breakfast it will take a short while to adjust.
  • 1nsanity
    1nsanity Posts: 95 Member
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    do what you gotta do. if eating smaller in the morning helps you eat less throughout the day go for it! its more about calories in v. calories out than "eat big breakfast... lose weight!" everybody has different styles and techniques.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    sounds like there's a simple solution to a complex problem
  • SteveTries
    SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
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    Are you sure that it's cause and effect and that the larger appetite for that day overall isn't an effect of some other cause?

    I absolutely find it easier throughout the rest of the day when I have a larger breakfast. When I AM hungrier all day I've realised it's when I had a heavy cardio workout the day before and didn't eat enough to cover that extra caloric burn. Could that be the case here?
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
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    Has anyone ever lost weight and kept it off eating a much smaller breakfast?

    Plenty of people have lost weight eating no breakfast.

    The whole concept of breakfast being "necessary" is a myth. You can literally eat nothing until the evening and be just fine.

    Considering that your large breakfasts are causing you to go over your calories (I have the same problem), I would suggest either eating a very small breakfast or even nothing at all.

    If you choose to skip breakfast it will take a short while to adjust.

    Well I don't skip breakfast, I just eat something much smaller than what most nutritionists would typically recommend. For some reason if I eat something larger it makes me crave more food throughout the day instead of giving me great fuel and willpower to push the plate away sooner at lunch and dinner.

    Go figure....
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    It's the opposite for me. Large breakfasts make me not want to eat for like 6-7 hrs after!
    I try to keep my meals a decent size so that I'm not starving by the next meal.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
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    If I force myself to eat in the morning, I'm extremely hungry for the rest of the day, no matter what I eat. If I just wait until I'm hungry (usually 12 or 1PM), then I feel great.

    If it's not working for you, stop doing it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I'm a snacker, and I need breakfast, but I find the same is true of me. If I eat a big breakfast, I'm hungrier during the day and tend to eat more.

    But, oddly, I also feel more energetic, so I'm wondering if I'm burning off more of that larger breakfast and making up for some of the calories?

    Either way, I've dealt with it by eating relatively small breakfasts, which set me up for relatively small snacks all day long, which keeps me from being hungry and keeps me feeling pretty energetic. Then, at supper, I can have a small meal and a snack later, and I'm almost always within my calorie budget. But that's what I've found works for ME. I'm also 6' 3" and running a 1000 calorie deficit so I'm eating 1450 calories a day. That's a lot of body to feed on 1450 calories, so I need to keep small amounts of food coming in nearly constantly or I find myself near a vending machine and HUNGRY!HUNGRY!HUUUNNNNGRRYY!! and I make piss-poor food decisions.

    When I get out of maintenance, I may slowly adjust back to 3-4 meals a day. With the extra 1000 calories to use, I may be able to craft meals that keep me satisfied long enough. But any such adjustment will be done slowly, because I want a smooth transition from loss to maintenance - I've worked my *kitten* off (quite literally) on this weight loss and I don't want to do it again. Ever.

    Your body doesn't care when you eat calories in terms of weight loss, but it does care how many of them there are. If skipping breakfast or having a small breakfast works for you, it works for you.
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    i am the exact same way. i was just telling my dad about this very thing. if i don't eat at all, or eat very little, i do better, but if i eat alot for breakfast, i am starving the rest of the day. weird!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    I skip breakfast so I can eat more later in the day......Thats how I roll.
  • BodyElectric1
    BodyElectric1 Posts: 120 Member
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    I normally have a small breakfast,. Big breakfasts keep me full till dinner, and then I end up eating a big dinner due to not eating lunch/ having a very small lunch. But my calories still kind of even out to my normal days.
  • Mayorcheeseheadbrownpants
    Mayorcheeseheadbrownpants Posts: 5
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    About a year ago I didn't eat breakfast, ate salad for lunch, and nothing for dinner. It is a great way to lose weight! It really sucks because I can't get back in that groove again! I've put on 10 pounds! But make sure you never eat breakfast! Once you get the taste of food you body goes nuts and starts craving everything.
  • Kitty582
    Kitty582 Posts: 5 Member
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    When I eat breakfast (normal or big portion sizes) I always overeat that day. So I skip breakfast and eat my first meal around 2 pm (getting up at 3:45 am).

    It works for me, staying in my calories
  • hannah_ryann
    hannah_ryann Posts: 259 Member
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    I'll eat a protein bar and have some coffee in the mornings because like you, if I eat a 300-400 calorie breakfast I'm starving throughout the rest of the day. I'd rather save my calories for dinner also so I always eat a light breakfast.
  • shauner03
    shauner03 Posts: 21 Member
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    I'm the exact same way. Those commercials on TV constantly advocating breakfast being the most important meal of the day for weight loss drive me nuts!

    I typically eat a very small breakfast or none at all. On days I have a large sized breakfast I end up hungry all day and overeat considerably. I guess we are just wired differently!
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
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    About a year ago I didn't eat breakfast, ate salad for lunch, and nothing for dinner. It is a great way to lose weight! It really sucks because I can't get back in that groove again! I've put on 10 pounds! But make sure you never eat breakfast! Once you get the taste of food you body goes nuts and starts craving everything.

    :noway:
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    I don't know the science behind it...but yes, a big breakfast always leads to more hunger and more food by day's end.
  • DeterminedToLoseIt02
    DeterminedToLoseIt02 Posts: 113 Member
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    I like to save calories for lunch and dinner and snacks. But if I'm especially hungry in the morning I do eat something like oatmeal or cereal or toast
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Has anyone ever lost weight and kept it off eating a much smaller breakfast?

    Plenty of people have lost weight eating no breakfast.

    The whole concept of breakfast being "necessary" is a myth. You can literally eat nothing until the evening and be just fine.

    Considering that your large breakfasts are causing you to go over your calories (I have the same problem), I would suggest either eating a very small breakfast or even nothing at all.

    If you choose to skip breakfast it will take a short while to adjust.

    Well I don't skip breakfast, I just eat something much smaller than what most nutritionists would typically recommend. For some reason if I eat something larger it makes me crave more food throughout the day instead of giving me great fuel and willpower to push the plate away sooner at lunch and dinner.

    Go figure....

    Do whatever works for you. When I eat in the morning it's like I am starving all day. I used to force myself to eat in the morning because of the whole morning break fast myth.

    Keep in mind that breakfast = breaking the fast which can be done at any time in the day.

    I don't eat until 1:30pm now and only eat twice a day. Works best for me.

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