Breakfast like a King...

TaraMaria
TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
"Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper."

A very skinny friend of mine in the entertainment business has sworn by this mantra for years. I, on the other hand, maintained by perfectly overweight physique by doing the exact opposite. lol...however, even though I'm at my goal weight now I STILL hoard my calories for dinner. Today I was feeling under the weather but I've eaten 1/3 of my calories in preparation for dinner. LOL!

I guess in my mind, I wait all day to eat dinner with my hubbo and love the time I spend with him. However I'm still giving food soo much importance. I'm just not sure HOW in heaven's name I would eat so much in the morning. Anytime I eat a big breakfast, I literally have to take a midmorning nap. If I switched my dinner calories with my breakfast calories...ZONK. I'm talking healthy things too...I'm not saying a pile of pancakes and waffles exhaust me, LOL. Just having a ton of calories first thing in the day tends to wear me out! But that was in the past, I haven't tried it with my new bod...Hmmm...

Just wondered what your take was on this. Noticed someone blogged about this too and I thought...Tara...you should stop doing this...SIGH....
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Replies

  • Scorpiomom222
    Scorpiomom222 Posts: 1,462 Member
    lol I kinda do the same thing. If I know I might have pizza or something, I hoard my sodium and drink lots of water in advance. lol I didn't know who this was until I looked at the screenname. I know people by their pictures and a picture change confused my poor little mind. haha
  • Audi68
    Audi68 Posts: 113 Member
    I try to split it up pretty evenly through the day, breakfast 300 cal, lunch 300 cal, dinner 400 cal, and then 200 to 300 for snacks between all of them. It took awhile to get used to eating in the morning but now I have to eat in the morning or I am starving.
  • skinnyack
    skinnyack Posts: 683
    Guilty- TOTALLY eat most of my cals in the evening and a good portion *gasp* after 7 pm. A lot of this has to do with I don't workout until 630 or 7 and am not home until after 8- and now I've got a (minimum) 500 cal deficit.

    As much as I hate waking up I have started working out (P90X) in the morning which has encouraged me to eat a little more during the day... only because I'm STARVING right afterwards.
  • MardellD
    MardellD Posts: 42
    okay here's my take and I may be way off but for the most part it works for me. I am 5'4" and weight 109lbs. I have a small but very curvy frame. I eat like a pig (all vegan diet) in saying that, I tend to eat over half my daily calories between breakie and a morning snack. Also I eat every 2 hours or so all day long. BIG breakie though (normally my home made granola with a pot or 4 of coffee) then fruit and nuts for a snack and I never wimp out, I get all the calories I can get. I run all day long between meetings, a 3 year old a 4 year old, 5 dogs to be walked and a company to run. So I agree with the theory personally. It took me awhile to get used to eating that much in the mornings with out feeling overful and tired, but now days that I skip/skimp on breakfast are horrid and I always always always go WAY over on cals. Just my two cents... it's worth it to eat more in the mornings
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
    Funny, I was just thinking about this and discussing it with some friends. I eat well all day, and I still end up with lots of cals at the end of the day, so I snack snack snack in the evenings. I know a lot of people say that it doesn't matter when you eat, but I have found in my case, it does matter. So I am working on switching this so that I follow the "King, Prince, Pauper" thing a little better instead of eating light in the morning, and then progressively eating more and more as the day goes on.
  • elmct57
    elmct57 Posts: 594 Member
    i like the idea and am going to go for it...makes more sense to me. the pics change is in support of no violence against children thru Dec 6--you pic a favorite toon character from your childhood..so if we look different for a few days it's in support of this project...
  • carrieliz81
    carrieliz81 Posts: 489 Member
    If I eat a lot at breakfast, it makes me want to eat lots throughout the whole day. So, I tend to keep my breakfasts at around 150 cals and my lunches at around 500. That gives me a bigger chunk for dinner. I seem to be pretty successful with this plan, and I have a feeling that eating a ton earlier in the day with a tiny dinner would not be something I could stick with....
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Guilty- TOTALLY eat most of my cals in the evening and a good portion *gasp* after 7 pm. A lot of this has to do with I don't workout until 630 or 7 and am not home until after 8- and now I've got a (minimum) 500 cal deficit.

    As much as I hate waking up I have started working out (P90X) in the morning which has encouraged me to eat a little more during the day... only because I'm STARVING right afterwards.

    My issue is similar - I work out at night. I try to eat more during the morning and day, but it's HARD, and I can't get my brain around eating more than my goal and then working out because I know I am going to burn off the excess. It's a process.
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    Do we want to start a group dedicated to eating like breakfast kings? I need the support for sure. I am, you have no idea...SO BAD, at ever EATING breakfast. I didn't even eat lunch until 2? Come on now. That was my own fault...but I kept thinking tonight is Thursday, we watch all of the NBC tv shows and have so much fun snacking and eating. Blech.

    I want to go grocery shopping and pick out awesome healthy breakfast and attempt to eat this way for a month. Anyone with me?
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    I can eat between 300-500 calories before 10am hits. However, I workout in the morning.

    I enjoy the time that I spend with my husband as well. But beware, we can't pack away the same amount of calories per day that they can without getting fat. It is best to enjoy the company without the added calories.
  • MardellD
    MardellD Posts: 42
    TOTALLY WITH YOU TARA!! :D
  • MardellD
    MardellD Posts: 42
    crap... dual post due to my excessively slow computer :S
  • kewkdb
    kewkdb Posts: 207 Member
    "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper."

    Just wondered what your take was on this. Noticed someone blogged about this too and I thought...Tara...you should stop doing this...SIGH....

    Me personally I'm very consistent with my calories. All my meals are around 250-350.
  • Scorpiomom222
    Scorpiomom222 Posts: 1,462 Member
    Do we want to start a group dedicated to eating like breakfast kings? I need the support for sure. I am, you have no idea...SO BAD, at ever EATING breakfast. I didn't even eat lunch until 2? Come on now. That was my own fault...but I kept thinking tonight is Thursday, we watch all of the NBC tv shows and have so much fun snacking and eating. Blech.

    I want to go grocery shopping and pick out awesome healthy breakfast and attempt to eat this way for a month. Anyone with me?

    You might think of a breakfast shake instead, that way you won't be thinking of it as eating, but drinking. Take a look at my food diary. I make about a 10 oz glass of the shake. It's good and good for you. I'm thinking of cracking a couple egg whites into it, just to get some more protein into it and the protein will keep you fuller, longer.
  • kewkdb
    kewkdb Posts: 207 Member
    "Project MILF" ROFL!
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    Do we want to start a group dedicated to eating like breakfast kings? I need the support for sure. I am, you have no idea...SO BAD, at ever EATING breakfast. I didn't even eat lunch until 2? Come on now. That was my own fault...but I kept thinking tonight is Thursday, we watch all of the NBC tv shows and have so much fun snacking and eating. Blech.

    I want to go grocery shopping and pick out awesome healthy breakfast and attempt to eat this way for a month. Anyone with me?

    You might think of a breakfast shake instead, that way you won't be thinking of it as eating, but drinking. Take a look at my food diary. I make about a 10 oz glass of the shake. It's good and good for you. I'm thinking of cracking a couple egg whites into it, just to get some more protein into it and the protein will keep you fuller, longer.

    Very good point. Okay, I've done some research, and it continues but I believe Operation Eat Like a King is about ready! LOL!

    So far one of the most important things I've read is to plan your breakfasts in advance. I'm SO bad at planning my days in advance. BUT I think I could SO plan my breakfasts. Infact, THAT sounds like fun. I could fall asleep dreaming of chocolate protein shakes and scrambled eggs! :o)

    Found this little tidbit "Breakfast is exactly what the name suggests - Break Fast. It’s breaking the fast your body had while you were asleep for 8 hours (or however long you normally do). It is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning (assuming you slept at night). If you’ve got a twisted sleep cycle (perhaps due to working on shift, etc) and you sleep in the afternoons, then your breakfast will be the first meal you have when you wake up. Breakfast does not follow the time of the day, but your sleep cycle, and helps kick-start your metabolism levels for the day, which is crucial to weight loss."

    I actually love breakfast foods. I just have to retrain my body....my old lazy body...hahaha! If you want to read a little bit more:

    http://www.dailymuscle.com/2007/06/05/everyday-weight-loss-tip-6-eat-breakfast-like-a-king/
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
    okay here's my take and I may be way off but for the most part it works for me. I am 5'4" and weight 109lbs. I have a small but very curvy frame. I eat like a pig (all vegan diet) in saying that, I tend to eat over half my daily calories between breakie and a morning snack. Also I eat every 2 hours or so all day long. BIG breakie though (normally my home made granola with a pot or 4 of coffee) then fruit and nuts for a snack and I never wimp out, I get all the calories I can get. I run all day long between meetings, a 3 year old a 4 year old, 5 dogs to be walked and a company to run. So I agree with the theory personally. It took me awhile to get used to eating that much in the mornings with out feeling overful and tired, but now days that I skip/skimp on breakfast are horrid and I always always always go WAY over on cals. Just my two cents... it's worth it to eat more in the mornings

    Out of curiosity, how many calories does your BIG breakfast end up being? I tend to follow a similar eating pattern, small, frequent snack/meals.... first off, coffee, then breakfast, then nuts/berries, etc. But it's easy to freak out if the breakfast is over 300...
  • Scorpiomom222
    Scorpiomom222 Posts: 1,462 Member
    Do we want to start a group dedicated to eating like breakfast kings? I need the support for sure. I am, you have no idea...SO BAD, at ever EATING breakfast. I didn't even eat lunch until 2? Come on now. That was my own fault...but I kept thinking tonight is Thursday, we watch all of the NBC tv shows and have so much fun snacking and eating. Blech.

    I want to go grocery shopping and pick out awesome healthy breakfast and attempt to eat this way for a month. Anyone with me?

    You might think of a breakfast shake instead, that way you won't be thinking of it as eating, but drinking. Take a look at my food diary. I make about a 10 oz glass of the shake. It's good and good for you. I'm thinking of cracking a couple egg whites into it, just to get some more protein into it and the protein will keep you fuller, longer.

    Very good point. Okay, I've done some research, and it continues but I believe Operation Eat Like a King is about ready! LOL!

    So far one of the most important things I've read is to plan your breakfasts in advance. I'm SO bad at planning my days in advance. BUT I think I could SO plan my breakfasts. Infact, THAT sounds like fun. I could fall asleep dreaming of chocolate protein shakes and scrambled eggs! :o)

    Found this little tidbit "Breakfast is exactly what the name suggests - Break Fast. It’s breaking the fast your body had while you were asleep for 8 hours (or however long you normally do). It is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning (assuming you slept at night). If you’ve got a twisted sleep cycle (perhaps due to working on shift, etc) and you sleep in the afternoons, then your breakfast will be the first meal you have when you wake up. Breakfast does not follow the time of the day, but your sleep cycle, and helps kick-start your metabolism levels for the day, which is crucial to weight loss."

    I actually love breakfast foods. I just have to retrain my body....my old lazy body...hahaha! If you want to read a little bit more:

    http://www.dailymuscle.com/2007/06/05/everyday-weight-loss-tip-6-eat-breakfast-like-a-king/

    Eh, I would avoid the yolks, just so ya know, so that your cholesterol stays in check. Two eggs WITH the yolks put me over on cholesterol. HATE it, cuz I LOVE eggs!
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    That sounds easy enough...I really want to add fruit in the way of smoothies...I love cereal but milk hates me. Might have to try rice milk or soy.

    Found some suggestions:

    Some ideas for a healthy breakfast include:

    * wholegrain cereal with fruit and yoghurt & green tea
    * wholegrain bread with a boiled or poached egg
    * an omelete with a bran muffin and fresh juice
    * wholegrain toast with natural nut butters
    * an English muffin topped with lean ham and fresh juice
    * wholegrain toast with fresh fruit
    * hot cereal such as oatmeal is high in fibre and low in sugar
    "We need the most energy at the beginning of the day, and the least energy at the end, when most daily tasks are over and we are relaxing. For this reason, it is wise to stick to the old adage, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper”. Eat according to the needs of your day. If you have an office or other sedentary jobs, eat lighter meals. If your job is more active, eat foods that provide sustained energy.

    If you are very athletic and train hard, then you will need more nourishment towards the end of the day, to sustain your training needs. Always apply these principles to your own individual needs, nothing ia ever written in stone.

    At lunch time, still eat a substantial meal to fuel you for the afternoon but make sure that it isn’t too heavy. A hearty soup with salad is ideal or perhaps lean meat with vegetables or salad. Essentially, it should be a medium-sized meal – smaller than breakfast but larger than dinner.

    If you eat a large meal at dinner, which is traditional in most homes, weight gain can occur as the body cannot use all the energy in the food and thus stores it as fat instead. A heavy meal at dinner can also cause sleep disturbances"

    I have been training a lot lately and its going to be upped even more in January for a half marathon in April. But I have a ton of calories to eat in a day and I don't even put a calorie in my mouth usually before noon. I can afford some calories. Ha ha!
  • Texsox
    Texsox Posts: 146 Member
    The problem for those of us that live with people not trying to lose weight is convincing them to follow that diet. And dropping the evening ritual of a full dinner table. I am thinking about leveling my calories a bit more. Right now they are usually 300/400/900 with 100 snacks.
  • wocm15
    wocm15 Posts: 81


    Found this little tidbit "Breakfast is exactly what the name suggests - Break Fast. It’s breaking the fast your body had while you were asleep for 8 hours (or however long you normally do). It is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning (assuming you slept at night). If you’ve got a twisted sleep cycle (perhaps due to working on shift, etc) and you sleep in the afternoons, then your breakfast will be the first meal you have when you wake up. Breakfast does not follow the time of the day, but your sleep cycle, and helps kick-start your metabolism levels for the day, which is crucial to weight loss."


    Oh... heh... I had always assumed that the two words "break" and "fast" meant eating quickly and hurrying out the door. This makes much more sense... :laugh: Shows what kind of lifestyle I have!:yawn:
  • ltfitz
    ltfitz Posts: 48
    this is interesting... I've heard of this but not sure if I can do so I would need a support system if anyone else is willing to give it a try :)
  • Sparklewolfie
    Sparklewolfie Posts: 271
    "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper."

    I try to keep my calories sort of similar, but I really want to eat a lot in the early afternoon :laugh: There is a similar saying I grew up with in Chinese that translates roughly to "Morning eat well, noon eat full, night eat less"

    Which means in the morning, you don't have to eat a lot, but you should eat GOOD foods like eggs, fruit, whole grains, etc. At lunch you should eat until you are full so by dinner you do not need to eat so much. Of course, if your workout happens to be at night, this will not apply, but the saying is more for daily life than for dieting :tongue: so at night there is less time to burn off the calories from a big dinner
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    this is interesting... I've heard of this but not sure if I can do so I would need a support system if anyone else is willing to give it a try :)

    I'm all about trying this and creating a support system. Should I create a new thread entitle OPERATION EAT LIKE A KING so we can all sign in and keep track of one another that want to attempt to eat a healthier heartier breakfast? We could try for one month! :o)
  • MardellD
    MardellD Posts: 42
    okay here's my take and I may be way off but for the most part it works for me. I am 5'4" and weight 109lbs. I have a small but very curvy frame. I eat like a pig (all vegan diet) in saying that, I tend to eat over half my daily calories between breakie and a morning snack. Also I eat every 2 hours or so all day long. BIG breakie though (normally my home made granola with a pot or 4 of coffee) then fruit and nuts for a snack and I never wimp out, I get all the calories I can get. I run all day long between meetings, a 3 year old a 4 year old, 5 dogs to be walked and a company to run. So I agree with the theory personally. It took me awhile to get used to eating that much in the mornings with out feeling overful and tired, but now days that I skip/skimp on breakfast are horrid and I always always always go WAY over on cals. Just my two cents... it's worth it to eat more in the mornings

    Out of curiosity, how many calories does your BIG breakfast end up being? I tend to follow a similar eating pattern, small, frequent snack/meals.... first off, coffee, then breakfast, then nuts/berries, etc. But it's easy to freak out if the breakfast is over 300...






    For the most part my breakie's are around/over 400 cals. Then maybe 50-100 for snacks 200-400 for lunch, another 50-150 for snacks and then dinner is anywhere from 200-300 (there are days that I am over this, but they are the days that I am running around non stop)
  • Scorpiomom222
    Scorpiomom222 Posts: 1,462 Member
    That sounds easy enough...I really want to add fruit in the way of smoothies...I love cereal but milk hates me. Might have to try rice milk or soy.

    Almond milk is good for you too, and it's not that expensive. I have been thinking of switching to almond.
  • Beth720
    Beth720 Posts: 661 Member
    If I eat a lot at breakfast, it makes me want to eat lots throughout the whole day. So, I tend to keep my breakfasts at around 150 cals and my lunches at around 500. That gives me a bigger chunk for dinner. I seem to be pretty successful with this plan, and I have a feeling that eating a ton earlier in the day with a tiny dinner would not be something I could stick with....

    Your body quickly adjusts to it. I used to be the same way, but I held out and stuck to my game plan and within a week my body had adjusted.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    If I eat a lot at breakfast, it makes me want to eat lots throughout the whole day. So, I tend to keep my breakfasts at around 150 cals and my lunches at around 500. That gives me a bigger chunk for dinner. I seem to be pretty successful with this plan, and I have a feeling that eating a ton earlier in the day with a tiny dinner would not be something I could stick with....

    You may be eating too many carbs. Breakfast shouldn't make you want to overeat during the day, however if you don't have a good amount of protein in each meal then you will feel hungry.
  • AnaNotBanana
    AnaNotBanana Posts: 963 Member
    I just posted a blog about this a few days ago!! I got the saying out of a book called "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. And today is my first day of eating more calories. It's definitely a change. I have already eaten 400 calories and it's only 9:30! I usually hit 400 calories after I eat lunch. I'm curious to see how this will affect my weight loss. I would like to join the Breakfast King/Queen group.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
    If I hit 400 cals at breakfast I'm indulging. But that is because, like most people, I make a full meal for dinner. The way I figure, its not really messed up my weight loss. But I average closer to 600 for dinner, between 300 and 400 for lunch, breakfast is usually around 300. Then my snacks make up the rest. So I guess I do it the exact opposite, slowly increasing all day. Even when I eat what I consider a huge breakfast.... 400 would make me out probably. Example:

    1 Bagel Thin: 110
    1 cup egg beaters: 60
    2 slices oscar meyer bacon (the pre-cooked thin stuff) 35
    Garlic/herb laughing cow: 35
    Salsa: 10
    (I make a sandwich out of this)
    Quaker instant grits: 100

    That's only 350! And i'd need to go lay down or something!
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