We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

is oatmeal for breakfast enough?

windycitycupcake
windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
just about to finish my shift at work...trying to plan out my breakfast for tomorrow. do you think 1/2 cup oatmeal, one scrambled egg white, and coffee with soymilk is enough?

Replies

  • sparklelioness
    sparklelioness Posts: 600 Member
    That wouldnt be nearly enough for me, but everyones different. I eat a larger breakfast with no lunch, but i know if you eat lunch you'll want to keep breakfast cals down. Id do at least two egg whites ( theyre egg whites, after all-they dont have a lot of calories) and throw some spinach and or mushrooms or other veggies in too, and maybe a tbs lowfat shredded cheese. Thats just me tho :)

    Eta-had a look at your diary. Are you trying to starve yourself on purpose? Youre only eating half your allowed cals, you dont eat much at all actually.
  • Alohathin
    Alohathin Posts: 360 Member
    just about to finish my shift at work...trying to plan out my breakfast for tomorrow. do you think 1/2 cup oatmeal, one scrambled egg white, and coffee with soymilk is enough?

    You really haven't given enough information. What is your height/weight? How many meals are you planning to eat per day? When will you exercise? What kind of exercise and how long? How active are you during your everyday life? What are you planning to eat for your other meals?

    These are all things you have to consider. I would say that at first glance, it looks pretty light, but it really depends on what the rest of your day looks like.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Add some fruit and milk in your oatmeal for a balanced meal.
  • cathomer
    cathomer Posts: 88
    It's enough for me, but I'm home all day with my kids, so I eat a snack mid morning and afternoon instead of bigger meals. I'd probably still do the same if I was working tbh, or have a banana as well maybe.
  • ladyark
    ladyark Posts: 1,101 Member
    just about to finish my shift at work...trying to plan out my breakfast for tomorrow. do you think 1/2 cup oatmeal, one scrambled egg white, and coffee with soymilk is enough?

    I usually cut up strawberrys , blueberrys or a banana in mine and sometimes a hard boiled egg on the side. It holds me for about 3 -4 hours.

    Is that all you eat is your breakfast? ( peeked at your diary). Amazing you dont pass out. Please eat your 1200 at least. Believe me , been there done that...
  • Alohathin
    Alohathin Posts: 360 Member
    I checked out your log for the last three days.

    I mean this in the kindest way...please eat more calories. You will still lose weight, I promise you. You definitely need more protein.

    I've been eating 1500-1800 per day, and it's still too low (for me). I've lost ten pounds in the two weeks that I have been logging, and I feel full every day simply from the amount of food I consume compared to the smaller volume of caloric junk food I used to eat. And I have plenty of energy every day for my exercise.

    You have to trust that the right food choices make all the difference. 1200+ calories of the right foods is NOT the same as 1200+ calories of Jack in the Box. Your body can't handle the JitB as well, and is MUCH more efficient at processing the better foods.

    Restricting yourself to less than 800 calories does you no good. All it's going to do is set you up for failure. You won't have the energy you need to keep it up, and so you'll quit. I've tried it.

    I'm going to open up my diary for you, and you can get an idea of the kinds, and amounts, of food I've been eating.

    One thing to note, the last couple days I have been experimenting with intermittent fasting. That basically just means that I try to eat all my calories in a 4-8 hour window, and I exercise before I eat. Don't feel like you have to do it that way. The days prior to that, I mostly stuck to a 5 meal per day diet.

    Also, I am not an expert, but I do have my best friend helping me, and he is a certified personal trainer, a nutritionist, and a nurse. I'm still working on getting my diet straightened out, too. But, I wanted to show you that you can consume plenty of calories and still lose weight. In fact, if you do it right, it's EASIER to lose it, imo.

    Hope this helps a little.
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    thank you everyone for your advice. yes my calories have been low, and yes my energy is dwindling. i am not very good at dieting, i am an extremist which is why im overweight in the first place. i'm very "all or nothing" and when i started to do this again a couple of days ago i was feeling very disgusted by food. but now it is day three and i am starving so yes, i need to make some changes so i don't fall off the wagon. I need to keep my energy up in order to keep my commitment of going to the gym every day this week (the first week). it's just hard for me to stop eating if what i'm eating tastes to good. i have to avoid really flavorful foods or i will overeat.
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    amaizen: i took a look at your diary and it looks like you have a really well balanced intake! but doesnt eating it all at once make you hungrier later on?
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I have 2/3 cup oatmeal (60g) with some fruit sometimes and black coffee. I have also some yogurt with more fruit in the mid morning and then lunch. Probably some protein shake when I get home and a nice dinner, maybe a snack after also. It just depends how often you eat.

    My diary is open if you want to see how much I eat a day (normally between 1200 and 1600 a day)
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    Add some fruit and milk in your oatmeal for a balanced meal.

    ....and a scoop of protein powder.
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    i have whey isolate powder i could use...should i consume more calories before going to the gym or after?
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    It all depends on what time of day you work out. You should get some good nutrition post workout, but as far as total calories go it's a daily thing. You don't have to micromanage it.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    ....and a scoop of protein powder.

    I would test this at home before taking it to work. The powder I have does not lend itself well to being mixed with oatmeal. It turns into a big gross "curdled milk" looking mess. I found that out the hard way..
  • twinmom14ek
    twinmom14ek Posts: 174 Member
    If you're just starting out, I highly recommend you read this post. It has really good basic information on how to look at your calorie intake. I used it to adjust my calorie goal up for the past week, and finally got over a month-long plateau. I lost a whopping 4.2 pounds in seven days. And I definitely did not starve myself. Take a look, and good luck!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    If you're just starting out, I highly recommend you read this post. It has really good basic information on how to look at your calorie intake. I used it to adjust my calorie goal up for the past week, and finally got over a month-long plateau. I lost a whopping 4.2 pounds in seven days. And I definitely did not starve myself. Take a look, and good luck!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    Yes! I was just about to post that link - excellent info there and I highly recommend reading through it and using the tools and advice given there.

    As for breakfast - I just finished my oatmeal. I have 1/2 cup Multi-grain oatmeal, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 c fresh blueberries, 1/8 c walnuts, and a tablespoon of honey - 347 calories, 16 grams of protein, and a whole lot of YUM! :tongue: Oh, and black coffee.

    I also looked at your diary and it scares me - you are burning over 1000 calories in exercise, but only eating 400 - 800 calories the past few days?? :noway: You need more than that to lie in bed all day in a comatose state! Healthy weight loss and exercise requires feeding the body - food is fuel, and you can't function properly without it. Definitely check out that topic, it really has been helpful for me and a lot of other people here.
  • Sailorwind
    Sailorwind Posts: 158 Member
    I myself only have coffee, a tbs of chia seeds and either a bowl of instant oatmeal or a small greek yogurt or banana for breakfast, but then I tend o have a 10am snack, a 12:30 lunch, and often times a 3pm snack and then dinner. I have always heard to eat a larger more balanced breakfast, but for me the thought of food in the morning kind of makes me naseaus and I have to wait two hours after I wake up to even be able to force myself to eat the oatmeal or yogurt. I figure if I don't really want breakfast and am not going to enjoy it, I'll just eat something light so that by the time I actually want food I'm not all jittery and weak from my blood sugar.

    I think what I'm trying to say is if that's enough breakfast to satisfy you and stave off extreme hunger before your next meal that will lead to over-indulging, then yes, that's fine for breakfast.

    On another note, I often tend to have breakfast for dinner. I do LOVE toast and eggs and cereal, just not in the morning.
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    thanks guys that link was really helpful! i calculated my bf% and my bmr. wow, 87 lbs to get to my "ideal" weight. just thinking about it makes me want to cry.
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    my ideal weight is 133, i've NEVER weighed 133 in my life!!!!
  • Alohathin
    Alohathin Posts: 360 Member
    amaizen: i took a look at your diary and it looks like you have a really well balanced intake! but doesnt eating it all at once make you hungrier later on?

    I'm just experimenting with a different method. If you scroll back a few days, you will see where I was eating 5 meals per day.

    I understand the feeling of hating food for what "it" has done to you. But it is possible to teach yourself to love eating the right things, in the right amounts. In fact, it is necessary for you to this in order for you to succeed. If you don't like the food you are eating, you'll never stick to it.

    You will be surprised by how much food you are actually able to eat. I personally am consuming more food (in volume) than I was when I got fat. For example, in one sitting at a fast food restaurant, I would eat 2/3rds of the amount of calories I am now, but all I ate was one hamburger, some fries, and a soda. It was a lot of calories, but not a lot of food. But if you choose the right foods, you can eat a lot of food, and not a lot of calories.

    Don't think of this as a diet. Just as an exchange of the types of food you eat.

    Don't be afraid of eating foods that are rich in good fat. Some fat is extremely good for you. Like:

    avocados
    nuts
    olive oil ( I put one serving of this in my smoothies; or you can use it like like a salad dressing)
    olives
    seeds
    fish fat (like in tuna and salmon; omega-3)

    Don't be afraid of eating the right kind of carbohydrates, like:

    Fruits and vegetables
    plain greek yogurt (sweetened with a little raw honey or real maple syrup)
    potatoes (just leave out the bad toppings)
    whole grain rice
    oatmeal
    beans

    Protein:

    fish
    chicken
    turkey
    You can even have lean steak, just be careful with portion size and how you prepare it
    eggs (eat 4 whites for every one yolk)
    yogurt
    almonds

    Definitely read that link that was posted, lots of good info in there.

    Please send me a message if you have questions. If it is something I don't know the answer to, I'll try and find the answer for you.

    You don't have to hate dieting. You can look forward to eating.

    Good luck!
  • andie2013
    andie2013 Posts: 101
    Sound good enough for me
  • Alohathin
    Alohathin Posts: 360 Member
    thanks guys that link was really helpful! i calculated my bf% and my bmr. wow, 87 lbs to get to my "ideal" weight. just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

    I know what you mean, I started out with 91 pounds to go. It is daunting. But this is how you have to look at it: you are not on a diet just to lose weight. You are learning the proper way to eat. You should be training yourself to eat the way you will eat for the rest of your life. Get those "I hate diets" feelings out of your head, because you can still eat good food, in good portions, and still lose weight.

    It takes work though. There is a lot of information to learn. But the more you learn, the easier it will become, and the more you will enjoy the meals that you eat each day.

    You will also learn that you don't have to completely give up on the "bad" foods that taste so good. You can incorporate those into your diet occasionally. But make sure that you read literature on HOW and WHEN to do so. And you should probably wait for a few weeks at least until you are comfortable with eating correct portions.
  • head_in_rainbows
    head_in_rainbows Posts: 290 Member
    just about to finish my shift at work...trying to plan out my breakfast for tomorrow. do you think 1/2 cup oatmeal, one scrambled egg white, and coffee with soymilk is enough?

    This sounds just perfect as far as I am concerned :)
  • windycitycupcake
    windycitycupcake Posts: 516 Member
    well i added some blueberries and spinach but i think tomorrow ill add on a piece of toast and a boca burger. i'm getting my *kitten* handed to me at the gym i think i need the carbs
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
    Yes you need some carbs to fuel your workouts.
    You could also eat some fat. I see you were under 10 grams for several days. That alone would make me feel ravenous, no matter how many total calories I was getting.

    If you are having eggs at breakfast, you can eat the whole egg. LOTS of good stuff in that yolk; don't be afraid of the little bit of fat that it has. Or add some walnuts to your oatmeal. Put some olive oil on your spinach.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories