Why am I so hungry in the a.m.

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I ate a scrambled egg, bowl of instant plain oatmeal and a piece of whole wheat toast at 6 this morning. It's barely 3 hours later and I'm starving. WHY is that?

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  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
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    Try two eggs and just the toast or oatmeal, or just add the second egg. The protein and fat will satiate you longer.
  • beachteach
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    Maybe you need to add more protein or add fruit. These will both help keep you fuller longer. Hope that helped.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
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    I would forget the oatmeal entirely and have 4 scrambled egg whites with whole wheat toast. That will keep you satiated much longer. You should have at least 10 grams of protein in the morning. If you don't like egg whites, then have 2 scrambled whole eggs. Also, try greek yogurt and a piece of fruit, that's about 18 grams of protein.

    Also, if that kept you going for 3 hours that's not so bad. Maybe have a non fat greek yogurt now to keep you going till lunch?
  • Teri716
    Teri716 Posts: 8 Member
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    I also use REGULAR oatmeal instead of instant. 5 minutes 1/2 power in the microwave. It beats instant, keeps me full longer. I top with sugar free syrup. yum. Also the suggestion to add an egg and ditch the toast is a good one. I am also a believer in Greek Yogurt FAGE 2%

    And sometimes it's just "that time" and i am flat out hungrier then.:flowerforyou:
  • Rhondavet
    Rhondavet Posts: 5
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    Hate to get off topic...but what is Greek yogurt and where would I find it?
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Fage and Chobani are two brands. My Publix carries them.
  • beckbeck
    beckbeck Posts: 31
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    Three hours is GREAT. I don't believe you need more food at breakfast; you are SUPPOSED to eat again about three hours later. You should never go longer than two to three hours without eating something (and of course, that something should be healthy and sustaining, like protein or fiber or good fats or a little of each).

    What has been working for me, and keeping me feeling like I am not even on a "diet" or anything, is eating a somewhat BIG breakfast (pretty much like the one you had) around 8:00, then having a protein shake or an apple and peanut butter around 10:00, and THEN having lunch around noon with a good amount of lean protein (chicken, turkey, or tuna fish sandwich) and some fruit or veggies. Then I have another snack around 2:30-3:00, after my afternoon walk/run, usually some walnuts with veggie juice or a protein shake or a protein bar. Finally, dinner is some protein and carbs around 5:30. And I know you're not supposed to eat after 6 or 7 p.m., but I will have a glass of skim milk or something light around 8 or 9 if I am hungry (which I usually am). I go to bed around 10:30-11:00.

    Protein, fiber, and healthy fats plus LOTS of water spaced out evenly over the course of the day REALLY works!
  • santosha85
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    I'm in the same boat. I usually wake up starving, I have a cup of coffee with fat free cream to tide me over until 7:30 when I get to work and eat my breakfast. I usually just take cereal and milk. Do any one have any suggestions for breakfast on the go?
  • LainMac
    LainMac Posts: 412 Member
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    Amandac6772,

    I have the same problem with oatmeal (love but it doesn't keep me at all). I would agree that you need to up the protein or plan for a protien rich snack about 2 hours after the breakfast. I love the Chobaini Pineapple flavor. (Have been known to lick the sides of the container with my tongue to get ever last bit of it.)
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    Thanks guys. I'm at work by 7:15 so I have to eat that early to get myself and my little one ready for the day. I try to wait to eat my snack, lately ham and cream cheese roll ups but that is pushing my sodium way over, at 10 and then my group at work eats lunch at 12:30. It's just in the morning that I have this problem. I'm fine in the afternoon.
  • recipe4success
    recipe4success Posts: 469 Member
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    I ate a scrambled egg, bowl of instant plain oatmeal and a piece of whole wheat toast at 6 this morning. It's barely 3 hours later and I'm starving. WHY is that?

    That sounds like very few calories to me, so it isn't surprising to me that you are hungry. I think of breakfast as a meal that you can somewhat freely eat more at, since you will be burning off those calories throughout the day. That being said, if you feel hungry, that means you need to eat more! Have a snack mid morning :)
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
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    I make my porridge with jumbo rolled oats (so they are much chunkier, not the dust-like oatmeal!), full fat milk and... that's it. Keeps me going from 7h until lunchtime. Oh, and a coffee. The whole thing comes to about 350 calories.
  • deanna1209
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    I love love love Chiobani! It's kinda like sour cream with fruit in it...but it's creamy and has more protein than the regular yogurt. I havent tried a flavor yet I didnt like...but yes..you can get it at Publix, Winn Dixie, Target or if you want a case of 12 I think you can get it at Sam's. You can use the plain Chiobani in place of sour cream also in your recipes that call for sour cream.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I can have big breakfasts (400-600 calories), small breakfasts, fiber-rich breakfasts, protein-rich breakfasts, fat-rich breakfasts and any combination of eggs, egg whites, fibrous veggies, beans, steel-cut oats, fruits, peanut butter, etc. etc. and I am still REALLY hungry three hours later. Same for all my other meals. So, I eat three hours later. I don't buy into a lot of the "eat really often to keep your metabolism fired up" talk but I buy into the "listen to my body and eat when it tells me to eat" strategy. If the hunger feelings come less than three hours after my last meal, I try to think about whether I am bored or thirsty and have a big glass of water and/or some hot herbal tea before I reach for food, but I do find my stomach empties like clockwork every three hours or so. I guess I feel like that regularity is a good sign.

    So, you can try changing things up according to some of the suggestions mentioned but you might still just find that you need to eat more often and that is okay, in my opinion.
  • jdsouthernbelle
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    I can have big breakfasts (400-600 calories), small breakfasts, fiber-rich breakfasts, protein-rich breakfasts, fat-rich breakfasts and any combination of eggs, egg whites, fibrous veggies, beans, steel-cut oats, fruits, peanut butter, etc. etc. and I am still REALLY hungry three hours later. Same for all my other meals. So, I eat three hours later. I don't buy into a lot of the "eat really often to keep your metabolism fired up" talk but I buy into the "listen to my body and eat when it tells me to eat" strategy. If the hunger feelings come less than three hours after my last meal, I try to think about whether I am bored or thirsty and have a big glass of water and/or some hot herbal tea before I reach for food, but I do find my stomach empties like clockwork every three hours or so. I guess I feel like that regularity is a good sign.

    So, you can try changing things up according to some of the suggestions mentioned but you might still just find that you need to eat more often and that is okay, in my opinion.


    I am the same way.....I can eat a fairly decent sized breakfast and still get hungry a couple of hours later. I drink plenty of water thru out the day as well. I say listen to your body as well. Eat a mid-morning snack if need be.
  • glfprncs2
    glfprncs2 Posts: 625 Member
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    I try to eat every 3 hours...when I'm at work, though (I'm a teacher), my morning and afternoon snacks sort of have to go whenever I can eat something very simple during class change.

    I'm an oatmeal person...I have it every morning at 5:30 a.m....plain mixed with 2T flax seed, 1T cinnamon and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder.

    I have my first class change at school right around 9:00. I make homemade protein bars and have just enough time to eat one of those during the 4 minute bell change.

    Lunch is early...11:00...and I generally wait until I get home at 3:30 for my afternoon/preworkout snack. I eat dinner around 6:30 or 7:00, and if I'm still hungry, have a 100 calorie snack around 8:30 or so.
  • isislc
    isislc Posts: 140 Member
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    What I would have for breakfast is 2 eggs and half a cup of egg whites with 2 oz of spinach and 1 oz of cheese. If not that then a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1 scoop of protein powder and 2 ozs of a berry fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries). As one of the other girls mentioned, you should be eating some kind of snack 3 hrs later.

    When you go to sleep, normally it's for 8 hrs of sleep. During that 8 hrs your body goes into starvation mode which is why you're so hungry when you wake up. So it's better to eat a little more for breakfast since it is breaking the fast.

    @ Rhondavet - Greek Yogurt is now also available by Dannon and Yoplait. You will find that they are about double the price of regular yogurt but it is so much better for you. For example, the Dannon fruit on the bottom is usually 130 calories and only 4-5 grams of protein with 1 cup. The Dannon greek yogurt runs anywhere from 90-20 calories and offers up to 16 grams of protein per serving.

    The difference in brands and what it tastes like:

    Fage usually comes plain and has the taste of a thick sour cream. To eat this I would always have to add fruit or something else sweet to cut that sour cream taste. You get somewhat of a tangy aftertaste. $5.80 for a med tub

    Chobani plain is the same as the Fage but it is now available in single size cups and comes in flavors where the yogurt is separated by the fruit as in the cottage cheese and fruit cups. These are pretty good but the single cup sizes will set you back at $1.80 for a serving. A med tub runs around $5.40

    Dannon - this one is my definite fav! The fruit is on the bottom and you can easily mix it in with the rest of the yogurt. The yogurt is a little sweet similar to a custard and really yummy with nice texture! A single serving runs about $ 1.15

    Yoplait - There is nothing really big about this one but it's maybe 1 step above the Fage and even though it would be a blueberry flavor, the taste is bland with no texture and pretty ucky. This one will run you about $1.09

    As you can see, I buy these a lot! You can find coupons online and some grocery stores will print off coupons for them once you start buying them. The coupons are usually for $1 off on one cup but it would be nice on a double coupon day!
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
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    I really don't see a problem as it is recommended that you eat more frequent, smaller meals. I usually eat every 3 hours every day, while of course tracking the calories. My day does not necessarily follow the typically breakfast, lunch, dinner pattern, as I eat breakfast, then again around 11 and again around 2, followed by some type of late day snack (nuts, dried fruit), and another meal around 6ish. I think you just need to consider eating every 3 hours, some of those being meals, interspersed with small, healthy snacks. Your breakfast sounds great by the way!
  • itsmeagain45
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    Intersting, everything you read says protein keeps you full, it doesn't for me. I am never full. I just want to lose feeling hungry all the time. Any suggestions? Or reasons why protein and fat don't make a difference in my hunger. Yes I eat lots of fiber and have a pretty decent diet except once a month.

    Thanks for any responses.