how many calories should you be eating for breakfast?

gsodano23

for breakfast, "the most important meal of the day" should you be eating healthy but with a significant amount of calories to start up your metabolism, or keep it still healthy obviously, but a smaller amount of calories? to throw a number out, under 300 calories, or over? just curious

irisheyez718

I think that would depend on you, and your calorie goals for the day. I eat 400-500 calories for breakfast most days I plan on exercising. A little over 300 on rest days.

MadeInDR022

On a good day, (when I don't feel the need to snack before lunch time) I eat a bit over 300 calories. Eggs help fill me up a lot too.

Michellereducf

That depends. There is no hard, concrete answer.

jamie1888

There's no magic formula! You have to find what works best for you. Some people like to eat a huge breakfast to carry them through to lunch... some people like a smaller one and have a snack before lunch.

caseye98

Honestly, the thing I have found for me, is the southwestern egg beaters. I make 3/4 - 1 cup each morning and it fills me up. It totals about 80-100 calories for it but I would rather save my calories for lunch and dinner. So, since it fills me up, I try not to eat anything else.

Ph4lanx

482 for me. Every day. Without fail.

Sidesteal

for breakfast, "the most important meal of the day" should you be eating healthy but with a significant amount of calories to start up your metabolism, or keep it still healthy obviously, but a smaller amount of calories? to throw a number out, under 300 calories, or over? just curious

Your metabolism isn't started by breakfast or any other foods for that matter. That's basically a myth. You do burn calories processing food, and people mistakenly took that to mean that the more often you eat, the more calories you burn (also false).

Generally speaking, all you need to concern yourself with as far as meal sizes and timing:

1) Hitting your calorie and macronutrient targets by end of day*
2) Eat with a timing/frequency/meal size according to personal preference and gym performance.


* and some people will have an easier time doing this using a specific timing or size. Ex: I skip breakfast because it makes it much easier for me to stay within my goals by doing so.

SillyDrusilla

I drink a lot of fruit juice (fresh squeezed) in the morning or watermelon or something super liquidy. I don't know how many calories it is but it gets me going and I've been losing weight.

My1985Freckles

482 for me. Every day. Without fail.

Funny because studies have shown the optimal b-fast calorie count is 457. More than that is too much and less is too low.

verbalriot

I eat between 200 and 350is cals for breakfast every day. This usually has to do with the size of the banana I am slicing into my yogurt and cereal combo!

RealWomenLovePitbulls

I only eat a 70 cal Activia Light Yogurt for breakfast, and it works for me. I've never liked to eat breakfast and can't stomach a big meal first thing in the morning. Then I have more calories for a filling lunch and dinner.

sgarrard01

On an exersize day i'll eat around 400-500kcal, on a non exersize day around 250!....

Si x

ElizabethRoad

I should eat less than 300 because I'm not hungry in the morning and I enjoy having a big dinner. You should eat whatever works for you.

kie_kie

If i'm going to have a high calorie lunch and/or dinner I normally tend to go light on breakfast around 200-250 but on a normal day I eat anywhere between 300-400 calories for breakfast

Most times my dinner takes up most of my calories for the day

skinimin

I have read that one of the best breakfast foods to start your day with is porridge, confirmed by my personal trainer and also a nutritionist. I think that is a pretty interchangeable option between individuals as well, it actually usually keeps me well and truly satisfied until just before midday without making me feel stuffed.

navstone

I take my calories for the day and divide by 4. 1/4 for each meal and 1/4 for snacks.

joebb3

Like sidesteal said... Doesn't matter. Just try to spread your calories out over a 3-5 meal day depending on your lifestyle. The important thing is to burn more than you take in each and every day. The more weight you are trying to lose, increase your caloric deficit. The closer you get to your goal, you can decrease that deficit.

This isn't a diet thing. Its a LIFESTYLE change. If you get to your goal weight and go back to twinkies and pizza, your doomed.

kie_kie

482 for me. Every day. Without fail.

Funny because studies have shown the optimal b-fast calorie count is 457. More than that is too much and less is too low.

Everyone is different. A study generalizes and may not work for everyone.... keep that in mind

jcstanton

for breakfast, "the most important meal of the day" should you be eating healthy but with a significant amount of calories to start up your metabolism, or keep it still healthy obviously, but a smaller amount of calories? to throw a number out, under 300 calories, or over? just curious

If I'm working out in the morning, I'll eat about 200cals before my workout and about 100-150cals after. If I'm not working out until the afternoon, I'll eat all my breakfast cals around 6:30am.

cannotfailunlessyoustoptrying

If I work out I will eat eithor a greek yogurt (abpout 130-160 clories) or a protein shake. (160-200)

xaveria2

Everyday I start my day with the same breakfast totaling 83 calories. I have a bowl of oatmeal with 10 blueberries. I use 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/2 cup of water which is half of a normal serving but makes me sick if I eat that much. I don't use milk or butter in it just splenda to taste.

Ph4lanx

482 for me. Every day. Without fail.

Funny because studies have shown the optimal b-fast calorie count is 457. More than that is too much and less is too low.

Studies. There's always studies. I know what I take for breakfast is good for me, so the calories for me not an issue. It also keeps me completely satisfied until my lunch at 1pm. And I have breakfast at 6am. No snacks, no nothing. And if that was the case, the things like IF and ADF wouldn't work, but clearly they do.

BiggyFuzz

I usually have a over 500 calories

kt2134

Breakfast is usually 350 to 450 calories for me. I'll have egg and bacon on an english muffin with a yogurt. Or a smoothie, that totals about 400 calories by time I add oatmeal or Kashi cereal. Those are like my 3 most common breakfasts.

moonfire628

I generally eat about the same amount of calories per meal, and I always have a smoothie for breakfast that puts me at about 220-250 calories (depends on what I put in it that day lol) It depends on what and how you are eating though, but for me a 250-calorie meal is plenty because I can't actually eat that much in one sitting.

jcstanton

Porridge (UK) = Oatmeal (US,)..... (Right?)

I'm from the U.S. and I think of Porridge as oatmeal with other stuff added to it (like dried fruits and nuts), but if there's nothing else in it, it's just oatmeal.

holeshottdr

So breakfast is the most important meal of the day huh. I havn't ate breakfast in years. That must be what is keeping me from getting ripped....

capriciousmoon

Just find something that works for you. Eat something that fills you up and leaves you enough calories for any other meals you'll want to eat.

docturtle

I think you just need something, anything, to kickstart your metabolism. Today my breakfast was over 400 calories, yesterday it was under 100. I believe it all evens out in the end, however, I guess it is true that the more calories you eat in the morning, the more time during the day you have to burn them off, so probably more calories in the morning is better than more calories in the evening. I'd like to keep dinners light, but haven't been able to train my husband/cook on that yet. =>

RainRedfield

I shoot for 300 - 400 (and I exercise a lot).

I also try to eat good carbs (Fruit, Oatmeal, Protein Bar/shake) early in the day to give me the energy to power through the rest of my day.