Need more ideas for early day meals

Options
ollilaa
ollilaa Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have to (and need to) switch my caloric intake to my biggest meals in the morning and fewer at night instead of more at night and few in morning. The problem is, I'm usually not very hungry until at night. I don't like to eat much in the morning....and sometimes force myself to eat. What are some ways you add calories to your daytime/morning meals? How did you make yourself hungrier in the morning than at night? I know eventually I will be able to switch, it's the getting started part I haven't figured out yet.

Replies

  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Options
    Eat within your calorie range when you want? Meal timing/frequency is purely personal preference based on how you perform and feel.

    ETA : For the record, I ate 1000 calories for a snack last night less than an hour for bed. ..because I like my snacks
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Options
    I was absolutely starving in the mornings after my night water aerobics class. I came home late so I didn't eat much when I got home.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Options
    Why do you feel it is necessary to switch?
  • mom2_4gr8kids
    mom2_4gr8kids Posts: 74
    Options
    I agree that there is no reason to change when you eat, unless you want to. I am not hungry first thing in the morning - it can actually bother my stomach to eat that early. I usually eat "brunch" around 10:30 or 11:00, eat a couple small snacks through the afternoon, eat dinner around 6:00, and have a couple small snacks just before bed. It seems to be working for me.

    If I forced myself to eat a bigger breakfast, I would still be hungry at night. I'm going by what my body is telling me. My brunch is often my biggest meal of the day, but I make sure I have enough calories for a snack at bedtime.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
  • annettehangartner
    annettehangartner Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    I am doing the same thing, I first went to bump up my mid day meal, and stayed there for a week or so, then I am creeping up to morning. I think by adding a mid morning snack I can do that comfortably. Breakfast is not normally great for me. I went many years with eating nothing at all until around 2pm.

    Breakfast for us:
    I cup cooked grits, 2 eggs
    2 egg omlette with left over steak, peppers and onions inside.
    turkey breakfast sausage, cottage cheese cantelope
    2 slices Ezekiel bread, unsweetened applesauce, 3 scrambled eggs with cheese
    left over cooked spinach or kale, peppers and onions, heated up with 2-3 eggs on top over easy
    half cup left over brown rice, chopped up meat from previous night, left over veggies, and 2 over easy eggs on top with hot sauce

    All these meals range 350 to 500 calories, if it is low and I want to beef it up I add cheese, but I can get in a lot of trouble with that glorious orange stuff! lol

    I aim for 450 in the am
    200 snack
    350 lunch
    400 dinner

    Usually I don't get my snack in and have a little more than 400 for dinner, but still working on that, I aim for 1400 to 1600 a day
  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    I don't eat a big breakfast, but I do sometimes get hungry around 10 AM and have a snack, like yogurt or an apple. If your schedule permits, I recommend trying that so that you don't feel pressure to eat a whole bunch at breakfast when you're not hungry. I also try to get in a snack between lunch and dinner, and that usually gets me through while still being in the green for the day.

    As far as being hungrier in the morning, usually I'm hungriest when I've worked out and gotten up early (even on a day off from work).
  • nonacgp
    nonacgp Posts: 132
    Options
    I agree that there is no reason to change when you eat, unless you want to. I am not hungry first thing in the morning - it can actually bother my stomach to eat that early. I usually eat "brunch" around 10:30 or 11:00, eat a couple small snacks through the afternoon, eat dinner around 6:00, and have a couple small snacks just before bed. It seems to be working for me.

    If I forced myself to eat a bigger breakfast, I would still be hungry at night. I'm going by what my body is telling me. My brunch is often my biggest meal of the day, but I make sure I have enough calories for a snack at bedtime.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

    I totally agree with you and I believe most recent statistics show that the time you eat has nothing to do with weight gain.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Options
    The problem is, I'm usually not very hungry until at night. I don't like to eat much in the morning....and sometimes force myself to eat
    Then there is no reason to switch.
  • ollilaa
    ollilaa Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    My ob/gyn is working with me on weight loss and energy. Since all bloodwork and tests are fine, she is thinking that I am not consuming enough calories early in day and wants me to try more calories in the morning and gradually decrease each meal by night. I am a creature of habit though and have for many years have eaten relatively light in the mornings.
  • ElizabethWillNotFail
    ElizabethWillNotFail Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    bump
  • Booda101
    Booda101 Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    As long as you are in a deficit, you should lose weight. Meal timing makes no difference.

    Are you weighing and logging everything you eat? Get a scale and actually weigh food items instead of logging as cups, tbsp, etc.
  • lastfarewell
    lastfarewell Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Hi there! I am a big breakfast eater, but it doesn't have to be traditional breakfast foods. I sometimes eat hotdogs for breakfast. Do you have a favorite food that would be more appetizing to you in the morning? Or consider something calorie dense like peanut butter. One serving is just 2 TB.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Options
    Add high caloric foods to your diet: Avocados, Nuts, Seeds, Nut butter, Chocolate.

    Breakfast ideas:

    Banana with PB
    Apple with PB
    Celery with PB
    Celery with cream cheese
    Protein shake
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
    Options
    make your diet plan to your life..your likes…so you can sustain your weight loss. that's my opinion.
  • thegilly6
    thegilly6 Posts: 137 Member
    Options
    Eat when you're hungry and don't when you're not.
  • HealthFitNow
    HealthFitNow Posts: 1,205 Member
    Options
    I agree that there is no reason to change when you eat, unless you want to. I am not hungry first thing in the morning - it can actually bother my stomach to eat that early. I usually eat "brunch" around 10:30 or 11:00, eat a couple small snacks through the afternoon, eat dinner around 6:00, and have a couple small snacks just before bed. It seems to be working for me.

    If I forced myself to eat a bigger breakfast, I would still be hungry at night. I'm going by what my body is telling me. My brunch is often my biggest meal of the day, but I make sure I have enough calories for a snack at bedtime.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

    I totally agree with you and I believe most recent statistics show that the time you eat has nothing to do with weight gain.
    Do you have links to those statistics? I would be very interested.

    I haven't seen any statistics that show time of eating has "nothing to do with weight gain". Most of what I have read over the years says when you eat influences how much you eat and how well metabolized food is. .

    e.g. Prevention: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/25-best-weight-loss-tips-ever?s=17 speaks to eating 70% of calories before dinner and 30% dinner/after dinner. And always leave 90 minutes after eating for the body to digest your food before going into sleep mode.

    e.g. Eat breakfast without fail: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/25-best-weight-loss-tips-ever?s=24 Prevention quotes the British Journal of Nutrition's study of 900 people...those who ate breakfast ate less and were more satisfied than people who didn't.


    Ollilaa,

    Personally, I start the morning with coffee combined with a protein shake (chocolate flavored) so I have a mocha drink that rivals Starbucks. My Melaleuca powder gives me 20g of protein. The flavor is great and I see the results with the protein giving me a productive morning without cravings. If for some reason, I miss the morning start, I find I am ravenous by night fall.

    There are some wonderful recipes that can pique your cravings: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-recipes/10-flat-belly-breakfasts?s=1
    also,
    http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-recipes/20-super-healthy-smoothies

    I do think that everyone must find what works for them. There are many things that create can-dos or can't-dos in the choices for meals. No one sticks with something that doesn't please them. Eating must fit your life style.

    If you find something that tickles your taste bud fancy it will be more enticing in the morning to eat/drink it. Soon you'll crave it. :) but it will be a good craving.

    I wish you well on your choices and that you can find what works best for your health. Finding what works for the long term is critical to maintaining a healthy and fit body.

    Best wishes!
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    Options
    I make a breakfast pizza using sausage, eggs, olives, and cheese in a 9 X 13 pan. It makes 10 servings. I freeze in individual servings and reheat for 10-12 minutes in the oven to crisp up the crust. 222 calories, if you want more you could have 2 servings.

    Premade pizza crust
    8 eggs
    1/2 cup milk
    2 teaspoons dry mustard
    2 cups cheese
    6 fully cooked turkey sausage links sliced into 8 pieces each
    olives

    Spread dough into a 9X13 inch dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure the edges come up along the sides at least 3/4 inch. Layer the sausage, olives and cheese in the dish. Combine eggs, milk and dry mustard in a separate bowl and whisk until blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over your layered dish.

    Bake @ 375 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. (Serves 8-10)
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,375 Member
    Options
    The problem is, I'm usually not very hungry until at night. I don't like to eat much in the morning....and sometimes force myself to eat
    Then there is no reason to switch.

    That's my thought, too. You don't have to eat if you're not hungry. It's not like your metabolism is going to drop off over one missed meal. Save more of your calories for night time, if that's when you're hungry.
  • pleasurelittletreasure
    pleasurelittletreasure Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    If it's energy you're looking for, perhaps it isn't so much a case of bumping up your large meal toward breakfast as incorporating some protein earlier in the day. What about having a couple hard-boiled eggs early on? I hate breakfast myself and will have yogurt with powdered peanut butter in it when I need a bump in the AM. I wonder that your doctor is suggesting changing your meals around and not WHAT your meals are if energy is an issue? Perhaps this was part of it and just wasn't in your post.
  • ollilaa
    ollilaa Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Some good thoughts here. I appreciate the input. Thanks again for taking the time out to offer your suggestions.

Categories