Breakfast----protien vs. Carbs

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kcnjason
kcnjason Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am struggling with find my balance between carbs and protien for breakfast. In the past I always had a mixture of cereals with 1/2 of an apple and occassionally 1/2 of a banana all mixed together. (yes I have a few strange eating habits!) I was finding after eating breakfast between 630-730 in the morning I was hungry by 9am. I decided to switch to all protien as I feel it is healthier as well. I have been finding that I struggle with blood sugar in the mornings now. Instead of finding myself hungry by 9am I am finding that I feel a bit shaky and foggy headed. I am wondering if I should go back to the carbs for breakfast and have a protien type of snack around 9 or if anybody has any recomendations for a protien breakfast. I usually eat 1 whole egg, 2 whites, veggies and a bit of cheese. No toast or other breads at breakfast. Any suggestions on how I can regulate those terrible feelings?

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  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    I am struggling with find my balance between carbs and protien for breakfast. In the past I always had a mixture of cereals with 1/2 of an apple and occassionally 1/2 of a banana all mixed together. (yes I have a few strange eating habits!) I was finding after eating breakfast between 630-730 in the morning I was hungry by 9am. I decided to switch to all protien as I feel it is healthier as well. I have been finding that I struggle with blood sugar in the mornings now. Instead of finding myself hungry by 9am I am finding that I feel a bit shaky and foggy headed. I am wondering if I should go back to the carbs for breakfast and have a protien type of snack around 9 or if anybody has any recomendations for a protien breakfast. I usually eat 1 whole egg, 2 whites, veggies and a bit of cheese. No toast or other breads at breakfast. Any suggestions on how I can regulate those terrible feelings?

    I'd actually add toast, honestly. You seem to need a bit of carbs to spike your insulin level a bit. You might even try having a 9am carb snack
  • mvandommelen
    mvandommelen Posts: 71
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    I eat Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Flax in the morning and feel full until lunch. I eat half a cup with skim milk or just munch on it dry. It has a ton of fiber and protein and it does have good carbs, no white sugars! I eat it around 7:30 and feel full until I eat lunch at 11:30. Kashi has a ton of great cereals that offer good carbs and proteins :)
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
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    You're protein breakfast is great, but you should definitely add a piece of toast. Just make sure it is whole wheat or whole grain. Remembers, carbs are not the enemy, if you choose the right ones.
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
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    Having complex carbs during the day is fine so eating it at breakfast is ideal since you have the whole day to burn it off and you need most of your energy at that time. I don;t see why you can't have a whole GRAIN bread with your breakfast..or even oatmeal. It's my go to carb in the mornings since it's low fat and filling. Hope this helps.
  • janc46
    janc46 Posts: 14
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    I also eat koshi go lean with some kind of fruit(peaches,straweberrys, blueberrys) and soy light milk. and then 3 hrs later I eat 150 calories of vegetables. I started this in aug and have lost 10lbs. i am a diabetic and have found my sugar is slowly getting better.
    I think the key is 3 meals a day and 2 snacks pluss a lot of water
  • janc46
    janc46 Posts: 14
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    I also eat koshi go lean with some kind of fruit(peaches,straweberrys, blueberrys) and soy light milk. and then 3 hrs later I eat 150 calories of vegetables. I started this in aug and have lost 10lbs. i am a diabetic and have found my sugar is slowly getting better.
    I think the key is 3 meals a day and 2 snacks pluss a lot of water
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
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    I've found that if I want to do a big protein breakfast I have to add a few carbs or get the same symptoms you are describing. I usually add a piece of whole wheat toast with fruit spread, half an apple, half a banana, or 4 ounces of berries. Or if I know I'm going to have a big cardio day I'll switch it up and do steel cut oats and a hard boiled egg for a larger hit of carbs pre-workout.

    Or if you want to stick to just the high protein breakfast, add a mid-morning snack of something like a piece of fruit or a piece of toast with peanut butter.

    Good luck on finding the balance that works best for your body.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    A combination of protein and complex carbs? Like an egg on whole wheat toast, or an apple and peanut butter, or oatmeal with some nuts?
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Ideally you should be eating all three macros with every meal.
  • jjs22
    jjs22 Posts: 156
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    Yeah, for breakfast, slow-burn carbs are the way to go. You've been burning up energy all night long and after 8-ish hours your tank is near empty. Dizziness, fatigue, listlessness means (usually) that your body needs fuel.

    Also, water ! Every breath you exhale carries away water, so the first thing in the morning is the perfect time to have a nice big glass. I drink a glass before I eat anything.

    Protein, broken down into amino acids, is what your body uses to maintain and repair itself. You need these in your diet, but the most critical time to eat them is after your body has been "damaged"; i.e., exercise. I'm no expert, but I don't *think* your body has a particular need for protein in the morning. And for all the other stuff your body needs (vitamins, minerals, fats,...), you have to eat them sometime, but I don't think there's any special need in the morning.

    As for which carbs are "long lasting", I'm still learning. But I think apples are much better than bananas or oranges. And even though "whole wheat" bread is better nutritionally than white, I think any time you grind wheat or other grains up into flour you make it too easy for the body to absorb the carbs. So whole (as in not ground up too much) grains are good. When I have time, I like oatmeal. If you find it appetizing at all, you can try having other whole grains (wheat berries, brown rice, quinoa,...) pre-cooked and sitting in the fridge. In the morning just heat up a bowl full. Maybe sprinkle some ground flax seed on top. If you have something small like an apple, you might add a small handful of nuts.

    A similar (the same ?) issue is fiber. I always thought it had to do with old people and bowel movements. Okay, it does, but its more than just that. Non-soluble fiber is the roughage than grandma always talked about; gives your insides a nice reliable scrubbing. But SOLUBLE fiber is something I never knew about before. "Fiber" is a bad word for it, since it isn't stringy at all. Basically its stuff that your stomach acids and bile only partially breaks down, leaving a gloopy goo that passes into your intestines. there, the (good) bacteria in your gut manage to break it down further, but it takes them a while. Eventually, it all gets processed and doesn't affect your BMs at all. So soluble fiber is something you definitely want in your diet. I started taking chewable fiber tablets in the morning.
  • nikkmarg2
    nikkmarg2 Posts: 4 Member
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    hs anyone tried the Adkins or zone diets? I'm new and just starting atkins any advice?:
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    Try yogurt. It's far better than cereal or bread and contains both carbohydrate AND protein.


    We need grains for breakfast?


    Hogwash.
  • kcnjason
    kcnjason Posts: 35 Member
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    Thanks for all of the responses. I'm taking this all in. I was doing whole wheat toast with some fruit spread and I thought maybe I needed all protien but I still seem to struggle. In the past when I ate cereal I would use a mixture like a bit of oatmeal, a few frosted mini wheats and some banana nut crunch with 1/2 of an apple added in. I'm pretty busy. Not saying I'm busier than any other working woman but I operate a home daycare so once I get my girls out the door I'm continually on the go with the kids from 4 and under. Maybe I am not eating a large enough portion at breakfast? I have tried to eat only yogurt but that means chaos for me. I am pretty good about knowing how my body will handle food in the morning but lately I have really struggled with finding the mix of carbs and protiens. Not that this has anything to do with eating but I am currently taking cymbalta for anxiety, mild case and now I am not 100% sure if it is the medication or the food or a combo of both. Has anybody experienced strange feelins as I descrebed in my first post???? It's a Terrible feeling! Especially when I am not feeling hungry, only shaky and foggy headed.
  • cheri0627
    cheri0627 Posts: 369 Member
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    I work with a dietitian, and she says that every meal should have carbs, protein and fat. Yes, I said it. Fat. You don't need too much, but it's really healthy and it will help you feel more full.

    Currently, I've been enjoying overnight no-cook oatmeal with steel-cut oats made with almond milk, low fat yogurt and pumpkin. (They're not really overnight -- with the steel-cut they need at least 18 hours, but are even better with more like 36+ hours. Or throw it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes after overnight.)
  • jjs22
    jjs22 Posts: 156
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    I just re-read the original post and saw that you said "all protein". You definitely, definitely need some carbs at the start of the day, whether they come from grains or some other source. If you find that the carbs you eat for breakfast are not long-lasting enough (you mentioned toast and fruit spread, which are absorbed by your body pretty quickly) you might add a mini snack with a few more carbs sometime in your mid-morning (when the kiddos aren't looking !) But see if you can find something that is absorbed slowly. Have you tried a whole apple ?

    One other thing to keep in mind, is that if you make a change to a low-carb diet, your body takes a while to adapt. I cut way back on carbs for my diet, and after about 4-5 days I started feeling dizzy and fatigued. This is pretty common. It passes in a day or two.

    Also, I've heard that on low-carb diets (maybe during that beginning stage) its even more important to drink plenty of water.

    And remember, the secret to losing weight is reducing your net calories. It's not true that "carbs make you gain weight" or "fat makes you gain weight". You only gain weight if you eat too many net calories. The calories you do eat should be a mix of carbs, fats, and protein. How you balance those is up to you; different people have different needs. But everybody needs *some* of each.
  • kcnjason
    kcnjason Posts: 35 Member
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    I am happy with the weight that I am at, but I really try to eat healthy. I know that carbs are good if you eat them in moderation and if we eat the "good" carbs. My trouble is finding the right breakfast. I am fine with lunch and dinner but struggle with finding the right breakfast like I had posted earlier. I think I will try a heavier whole grain with my eggs. Like I said, I eat 1 whole egg, 2 white, some veggies and some cheese on top. One morning I did have 1/2 of an apple and I still got blurry vision, shaky and light headed. Maybe I still wasn't eating enough carbs.
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    hs anyone tried the Adkins or zone diets? I'm new and just starting atkins any advice?:

    There's a thread for Atkins and other low carbers. You can find it here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/324624-atkins-support-group
  • dittiepe
    dittiepe Posts: 557 Member
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    I am happy with the weight that I am at, but I really try to eat healthy. I know that carbs are good if you eat them in moderation and if we eat the "good" carbs. My trouble is finding the right breakfast. I am fine with lunch and dinner but struggle with finding the right breakfast like I had posted earlier. I think I will try a heavier whole grain with my eggs. Like I said, I eat 1 whole egg, 2 white, some veggies and some cheese on top. One morning I did have 1/2 of an apple and I still got blurry vision, shaky and light headed. Maybe I still wasn't eating enough carbs.

    Oats might be good to add. I know I said toast earlier, but if you still had the problem with 1/2 an apple, I'd go for the heavier oats. Then have some sort of snack around 9-10am like almonds.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Some people say protein keeps them full but I need carbs in the morning too or I am starving 2 hours later and I don't always have time to snack at work in the mornings.

    Favorite breakfasts of mine that mix both protein and carbs:

    Plain Greek yogurt mixed with equal amount of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
    Wheat English muffin (or whole grain toast) with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter
    Egg(s) and a piece of whole grain toast
    Oatmeal with skim milk, raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar

    Sometimes I just want carbs and will have whole grain toast with butter but I will add a glass of skim milk for protein, or I will then snack on a Mini Babybell Light cheese round or have a handful of nuts later on in the morning.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    An egg white omelet with veggies and slice of cheese and 1 slice of low carb bread. Works for me and leaves me more calories for the rest of the day. :drinker:

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