Breakfast

so i lost 20 pounds.......plateau and fell off the band wagon. i'm starting back up - but i have trouble what to eat, especially breakfast. i get up and i'm not hungry - it usually takes me a couple hours until i'm hungry. any suggestions on what i can eat and is it okay to wait until i'm hungry? i'm going food shopping tomorrow - and going to start logging back in tomorrow, but need to know what to buy (i'm up 5 pounds, so i need to lose that AND another 15). thanks for your help

Replies

  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
    Just wait until you're hungry. Everyone is different and while some people insist you can't skip breakfast. I think it's up to you.

    Personally, I have never really been a breakfast eater. I am the same way, I have to be awake for a few hours before I'm hungry. That being said, on days where I have to get out and get out the door quickly, I tend to eat something small before I go, otherwise I will not have the option until work is over. I can't eat when I'm in a session.

    I stick to low things like oatmeal, 100 cal bagels, 240 special k breakfast sandwich...something that's not a lot but will make it so i'm not really hungry by the time I'm done with my sessions). But on days where I don't work or my sessions are later, I don't usually eat for a few hours
  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
    I personally don't buy this 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day" propaganda. Probably started by the Kellogg company 100 years ago, lol.

    Look, if you wake up and you are hungry, by all means eat a healthy breakfast. But if you are not hungry, why put calories into your body that you don't want at the moment? Have a nice, hearty lunch instead.

    Of course, if you do skip breakfast and are having issues with fatigue or anything else, eat breakfast. But don't do it just because somebody else says you have to.
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
    It's not necesary to eat breakfast if you aren't hungry in the mornings.
  • JenOman
    JenOman Posts: 97 Member
    I was the same way, but I would just force myself to eat within an hour of waking up. And now I am hungry when I wake up. I really like the plain greek yogurt from costco (Kirkland brand). I usually add some strawberry jam in it for flavor (it adds a lot of sugar, but I don't worry about that). Or I eat nut and seed bars. Or my favorite is an english muffin with an egg.

    You could even start out just eating a piece of fruit until you get used to eating in the morning. But try to get both carbs and protein in your breakfast. The carbs gets your brain going and the protein keeps you satisfied longer.

    Good luck!!
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Wait.
  • mlnick69
    mlnick69 Posts: 84
    Some will say you should eat breakfast right away, others will say wait till your actually hungry. It boils down to what works for you. In the end, it is daily calories consumed vs calories burned, it doesn't matter when you eat them.

    As far as what to get, that depends on what type of meal plan your trying to follow.
  • I have always had a problem with my appetite in the morning. I found the best way to eat something when I wake up is making a shake. Drinking my breakfast is a lot easier then eating it. I grind up some oatmeal, add some chocolate whey, banana and blueberries and mix that all up. Can add PB or any other fruit to it and you're good to go. Takes less then a minute to drink and I can make it range from 400 calories to 1000 if I want.

    I've been doing this for over a year now and look forward to it every morning!
  • A_Healthier_Me2013
    A_Healthier_Me2013 Posts: 227 Member
    i'm the same way! i hate eating breakfast because i'm just not that hungry in the morning ... someone from mfp told me that i should eat every 3-4 hrs to keep my metabolism up so i've just been making a shake for breakfast so i'm not skipping and then eat normal meals after that ...
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  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    If you're able to wait until you're hungry, do so. This isn't an option for some people, such as those who don't get hungry until they're in the middle of a class or at work and can't take a break just then. In those cases you should probably try to eat something small, maybe a bowl of Special K or something. The vanilla almond kind is delicious and doesn't even remotely fill you up. I wish it did, I'd shove my face full of that stuff all day.
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
    If you're not used to eating early, you might feel a bit ill after breakfast. I definitely found this was the case for me when I started making myself eat breakfast - I used to skip it because I was never hungry then, either.

    However, your body will adapt over time if you let it. Now that I've had a similar food routine for quite a while, and I always make sure to get breakfast in, I find myself pretty hungry soon after I wake up.

    At the start I found it easiest to eat toast, now I eat porridge. But it's up to you, I don't think it's vital, it's just that back then I believed that breakfast was necessary to kick-start metabolism (now I think it's useful for giving me energy anyway, I'm always ravenous if I skip!). Do whatever you're most comfortable with.
  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    Don't forget Breakfast is just simply the first meal of the day, breaking the fast from being asleep, so essentially everyone has a breakfast, just not always as soon as they get up.
  • spangler1972
    spangler1972 Posts: 18 Member
    If you believe that weight loss depends mostly on total calories in - total calories burned, then you're free to schedule when you eat. My first meal of the day is 4-5 hours after I get up, and I usually have my last meal around 11pm (or later). Other people have to eat first thing in the morning, and can't sleep if they eat late. Fit your meals to what supports your weight loss goals.

    As far as what to buy for food... that varies wildly based on how you want to achieve your weight loss goals. Fitting your macros is a good idea, regardless. I prefer eating more food vs portion control, which means including more lower calorie foods with fiber (beans, vegetables, whole grains, etc.). Feel free to add me, and I can give you more suggestions from the cooking/food end of things.

    Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    in the end, it only matters that you get enough calories. It can be one meal or ten. You can eat in the morning or right before bed. Your body has zero clue about the time of day.
  • bi0nicw0man
    bi0nicw0man Posts: 56 Member
    I'm not a first-thing breakfast eater either...but having said that I do find if I eat a heartier breakfast when I'm ready it sets me up for a much better day. If my breakfast is too small I have the snack urge all damn day.

    I think your main question was suggestions though, so here's a few of mine:

    - oatmeal: either quick oats you can make with hot water, rolled oats cooked on the stovetop, or even overnight oats eaten cold. Mixed with a banana and some nuts or nut butter, and maybe some berries.

    - scrambled eggs with sauteed greens (kale, spinach, chard) and a sprinkle of parmesan or feta cheese. I usually have a bunch of baked yams or sweet potatoes in the fridge and will eat half of one with my eggs.

    - grilled chicken or turkey sausages, also with sauteed greens and baked yam.

    - english muffin or sprouted grain toast with almond butter and banana.

    - Greek yogurt with nuts and fruit.

    Good luck!
  • bcovely
    bcovely Posts: 57 Member
    thanks so much for all the advice!!! i really, really appreciate it