why am i hungry all day if i have a big breakfast?

suzycreamcheese
suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Ive noticed that once i have something to eat in the morning, i just cant stop, and am more hungry than if i dont have anything at all. It seems to really screw my calories up for the day.
This morning i havent had any breakfast and im no more hungry now than i was at this time yesterday when i had a big breakfast.

I understand breakfast is officially "the right thing to do", but does anyone else find the same thing?
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Replies

  • SGartz
    SGartz Posts: 57
    What do you have usually?

    Do you have a snack mid morning?

    Something like porridge will keep you full longer, maybe sliced banana too and for a snack peanut putter and apple.
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    I am just about to have a cooked breakfast, so I will let you know how I feel later.

    It could be because your metablism has gone up a notch as they say it does when you have a good breakfast. It wil also depend on what you have; as sugary cereal and other high GI foods will make you crave more food.

    I am about to have eggs and bacon so i am hoping the protein will fill me up.
  • BillieDeacon
    BillieDeacon Posts: 12
    Completely agree, i find eating food makes me hungrier, as stupid as that sounds!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i have different things most days. Ive been trying to experiment with what keeps me fuller for longer, but am coming to the conclusion that it doesnt matter what it is. High fibre, High protein, low fibre, low protein, I still feel hungry again an hour later and pretty much crave food all morning once i start.
  • tinareet
    tinareet Posts: 126
    When I first started eating breakfast, I found I was hungrier throughout the day, but that eventually reduces as your body starts to realise its the normal, However even now if I miss breakfast one day, I will be fine that day but the following day when I do have breakfast I'll be starving. Maybe start with small breakfasts like a slice of toast, small amount of porridge, and gradually build it up. If you can get some good carbs and protein in your breakfast it will keep you going longer.
    Xx
  • tinareet
    tinareet Posts: 126
    I also found when I was on a low carb diet cheese and meat and go completely continental at breakfast may really keep the cravings away.
  • SGartz
    SGartz Posts: 57
    Try having a large glass of water with your breakfast - I find this helps a lot.

    Also, try and associate the hunger feelings as your body telling you it's burning fat, this is what I do and I actually feel good about being hungry!
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    I am more hungry all day if I have a simple carbs (refined) or sugary breakfast. If I have protein and dairy with fruit, I am a lot better. Maybe it is the type of breakfast?

    Or maybe being hungry is a good sign that your metabolism is jump-started and burning more :)
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    I'm exactly the same! I've never really been a fan of breakfast, so now eat my breakfast during my morning coffee break at work which is at 10:30. I just have a yogurt and I find thats enough to keep me going until lunch time without feeling too hungry in between.
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    Update: I didn't have bacon; I was so busy on here it ended up as charcoal! Had poached egg on wholemeal toast though :)
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
    When I was in my high school health class they explained that eating breakfast kick started your metabolism so it actually makes you hungrier though the day.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    ive just found this on the internet

    http://stronglifts.com/7-reasons-why-you-should-not-eat-breakfast/

    I think its interesting. I was actually looking for "reasons TO eat breakfast"
  • chrymo
    chrymo Posts: 17
    Same Here... Big Breakfast makes me sleepy and more hungry, although eating a different set of big breakfast makes me less hungry.

    For example the other day, since I decided I will have a longer walk, I ate One Egg, Hotdog and Two Slices of Bread with coffee... The whole time I was out, I felt hungry and I felt exhausted fairly easily.

    The next day, another big breakfast, this time 1 bowl of kelloggs with milk, a peanut butter sandwich (wheat bread) and one pear and I felt more energetic and wasnt able to snack on anything til lunch, I felt I would have skipped lunch If I didnt know it would screw up my metabolism...
  • Laura_Helen
    Laura_Helen Posts: 8 Member
    I have the exact same problem! I call them my hollow-leg days because all the food I eat seems to end up in a mysterious hollow leg instead of my stomach!! If I don't eat right away (wait a few hours), then I manage to stay mostly on track for the rest of the day. But if I start with breakfast, I'm done!! I've tried oatmeal, eggs, eggs and toast, yogurt, fruit, sandwiches (maybe if my stomach *thinks* it's lunch, it won't bother me?), but no combination seems to help!! I just drink a couple cups of coffee and drink my water until lunch.

    Interesting article!!!
  • kirstyfoy
    kirstyfoy Posts: 139 Member
    Are you sure you are actually hungry, or (a bit like the addict I am) you are just craving food? I have 30g crunchy nut cornflakes or 45g Alpen every morning. At the start of my diet I felt hungry because I was used to snacking. Try eating slow release energy like porridge or maybe banana's?

    x
  • ramseyrose
    ramseyrose Posts: 421 Member
    UPDATE: didn't feel hungry til lunch time but I had 3 mugs of tea which may have kept hunger at bay.
  • niki30
    niki30 Posts: 40
    I try to eat very little carbs in the morning. and drink alot of water. It keeps me full for longer. try drinking a big glass of water right after eating and when you feel hungry. that should trick your body into feeling full until its time to eat again.
  • Natalie0506
    Natalie0506 Posts: 163
    While this may not be the best way to do it, if I have coffee with my breakfast, I stay fuller much longer. I ate about two hours ago, and I'm starting to get thirsty again, which is manifesting as a rumbly tummy. I also try to make breakfast my largest meal of the day, around 500 calories. That way when night time rolls around, I'm not quite as hungry as I could be if I hadn't have eaten that much.
  • ButterflyKristen
    ButterflyKristen Posts: 109 Member
    When I was in my high school health class they explained that eating breakfast kick started your metabolism so it actually makes you hungrier though the day.


    That makes sense and is very interesting. I feel the same about breakfast. That is why, I drink my coffee (I put milk and agave equalling about 100 calories) in the morning. Then I graze on high protein a scrambled egg, some peanut butter, etc. I eat some fruit before my workout and eat lunch after my workout (I can do this b/c I'm a "stay-at-home-mom"). Being able to graze seems to help with the huge 10:30 a.m. hunger.
  • staceylaines
    staceylaines Posts: 6
    Eating in the morning revs up your metabolism. You are literally "breaking a fast" from not eating all night. When we fast, our body realizes it and slows down. This is why people who eat breakfast generally are more successful in losing weight. You are waking up your body's metabolism earlier, meaning you start burning more calories sooner.

    At least, this is what I learned in my last nutrition course.
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
    I can usually manage until 1-2pm before needing to eat if I don't have breakfast. But if I do have it then that's it, i'm craving food all the time and feel genuinely ravenous.

    But, yesterday I had a massive bowl of wholewheat muesli (100g of the stuff!) with some skimmed milk at 5am, as I was at work for 6 and wouldn't get a break until 10.30 and didn't want to go hungry... It's the best i've ever felt in the morning! I didn't feel hungry at all yesterday. I don't know if it was a fluke and I would have been less hungry yesterday anyway... but i'm tempted to try it again just to see. Maybe getting the right amount of the right thing is what works??
  • heatherlh83
    heatherlh83 Posts: 76 Member
    I'm the same way. I think it's because the first thing you eat for the day speeds up your metabolism and makes you hungrier, as a pp mentioned. Once I start eating for the day I want to eat more, but if I don't eat breakfast, I don't get hungry until 12-1. I don't think that's a healthy way to control eating though, so I just eat every 3 hours or so instead. Breakfast at 8:30, lunch around 11:30-12:00, a snack around 2:30-3:00, etc. It works for me.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    For me, it matters WHAT I eat for breakfast. If it's mainly carbs, then yes, I am ravenously hungry all day. If it has a good amount of protein and few carbs, I'm fine.
  • eternlgladiator
    eternlgladiator Posts: 69
    try eating breakfast in the morning. Something wholesome and filling like oatmeal. then between breakfast and lunch snack on a few almonds and drink at least 4 glasses of water. It's easy to mix up thirst with hunger. I usually feel hungry mid way through the morning but I big drink from my water bottle takes care of it. I'm not sure how long you've been at this but it takes time to train your mind and body to new things. You have to stick with something for at least a week or two for your mind and body to realize you're serious or it will keep trying to revert you to what it knows best.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    When I was in my high school health class they explained that eating breakfast kick started your metabolism so it actually makes you hungrier though the day.

    This sounds about right to me! I have a protein rich breakfast, and then an hour or so later I'm hungry again. I usually have lunch about 2 hours after breakfast. I don't get this with the rest of the day/rest of my meals though, just breakfast. Always ready to eat again an hour or so later! So sometimes, I do.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    ive just found this on the internet

    http://stronglifts.com/7-reasons-why-you-should-not-eat-breakfast/

    I think its interesting. I was actually looking for "reasons TO eat breakfast"

    I don't really know if I buy into that guy. Most of his "7 reasons" aren't really reasons not to, they are just disputing some of the common reasons people say you have to. With that said, and I'm no expert, I'm all about listening to your body. If you don't feel that you need breakfast and you have enough energy or feel better without it, then I don't see why why you should force yourself to eat it. As long as you are taking in enough calories and nutrients during the day, you should be just fine.

    If you feel like like you should be eating breakfast or feel better when you do but your worried about it making you hungrier, I'd take a good look at what kind of breakfast your eating. I think the main cause for people being hungrier when they have breakfast is because of the types of foods they eat. It is very common for people to eat foods that are high in carbs/sugar for breakfast (bagels, toast, pancakes with syrup, cereal, french toast.) Eating a breakfast too high in carbs/sugar can cause a later blood sugar drop that is going to make your body crave more. So if you really want to try to work in breakfast but notice it makes you hungrier, maybe switch some carbs for some protein?
  • cthomps
    cthomps Posts: 31 Member
    I am the same way - I have to wait to have breakfast till I am at work or I am starving all day. On the weekends I eat it later too. Doesn't matter what I eat either - I have tried all kinds of filling things and I am still hungry an hour later.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i think i "should" be listening to my body. i think its telling me to put on weight, but obviously i dont want to, and to stick to the calories MFP gives me, but if i do the healthy thing of eating when its trying to tell me to, i gain weight, so i need to work out what times of day i find resisting easier or hard, as long as i get the right amount of calories in general over the course of the day, im not sure it matters much if i eat them at 6am or if i wait till 10.30/11am
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    i think i "should" be listening to my body. i think its telling me to put on weight, but obviously i dont want to, and to stick to the calories MFP gives me, but if i do the healthy thing of eating when its trying to tell me to, i gain weight, so i need to work out what times of day i find resisting easier or hard, as long as i get the right amount of calories in general over the course of the day, im not sure it matters much if i eat them at 6am or if i wait till 10.30/11am

    Ah I see. So you are underweight? If so, it's a totally different story. Eat your calories when you can how you can whenever you can. Good luck!
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    Here is the reason breakfast is important (and not just another eating opportunity that you can make up for during the day). Since it is hormones that control our metabolism, we have to be aware that different hormones are released when we sleep (also very important) than when we are active. What we eat first thing in the morning can take advantage of those hormones and give us a metabolic boost. The number I often see recommended is 500 calorie breakfast, with at least 30% of those calories coming from protein.

    The fact that we continue to be hungry throughout the day means that our fire is actually burning, our metabolism is working. But it does mean having food choices on hand that won’t send us over our calorie goals or that are nutritionally poor. Just take some time to adjust and make tweaks. You will find balance. Don’t beat yourself up for not having it al figured out the minute you make change.

    Here is another explanation from Fitness Magazine:

    "It will switch your metabolism from idle to high speed. That's because your level of cortisol, a hormone that helps you use calories to build muscle, is highest just before you get up in the morning. When you eat an a.m. meal, your body is primed to turn those calories into muscle pronto -- the only time during the day this happens. Take advantage of the natural torching process by having a healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs, low-fat turkey bacon, and a piece of whole-grain toast.”

    http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/tips/diet-tips/supercharge-your-metabolism/?page=3
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