EEK! I thought my breakfast was healthy?!

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Replies

  • sarahc001
    sarahc001 Posts: 477 Member
    You might want to think about adding some protein to your breakfast- egg whites are really filling and low cal. I know London is expensive, but I'll bet a place like Marks & Spencer has egg whites in a carton that you can just pour into a pan...add a slice of wheat toast and a piece of fruit and you're good to go. I can't imagine that this would cost any more than your current breakfast. Dates tend to be pretty expensive, and they seem to pack a punch in the sugar department while not being particularly filling. Have a look:

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/7348/2

    I also second, third and fourth the comments that say that 1000 cal is not enough, but even if you are going with a more reasonable 1200 (MFP's minimum recommendation) - 1500 calories/day, you don't want over 300 of those cals to be something that doesn't really fill you up or give you much in the way of nutrition...

    edit: It would be even less expensive to separate the egg whites on your own- a dozen eggs doesn't cost much and at 3 whites/breakfast, that would last four days. Whole wheat bread is not terribly expensive and you could add an apple/banana/orange on the cheap as well.
  • Louise1583
    Louise1583 Posts: 97 Member
    Stick with the breakfast, but burn more calories to compensate!

    I don't know how you can physically get through the day on 1000. I never go below 1400 but exercise a lot so I can eat a lot.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    I wish I could go low carb but with my income I'm having to buy bulk on pasta, rica and bread because its cheapest. It really sucks and I need to find a way to cut this out without starving myself but its very difficult. Me and my partner spend about 25-30 a week on food for both of us- London is a very expensive place to live.

    I totally sympathize :(

    I've recently moved back to more carbs for the same reason.

    Try legumes? They're not low carb, but they're higher in protein than rice, pasta, and bread. They are also way cheap and filling.

    And sorry to hear about the PCOS- work with your doctor. Make them help you :) PCOS doesn't doom you to no weight loss. It just makes it a bit tougher. And I'm still really surprised to hear that you're gaining on 1500 with PCOS. How long did you stick with the 1500 calories? Are you sure the gain was real? Could it have been water weight? I usually don't consider a gain real until it's stuck around for a couple of weeks.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    I know about being poor. Since I'm in the US it may not be the same for you. Eggs. This morning I had 2 hard boiled, complete with yolks. The fat makes me full. The protein makes me full. I'll be good until mid morning when I'll have 1/2 an apple and a bit of cheese.

    Other breakfasts, oatmeal with raisins, oatmeal without raisins, Muffin in a Minute made with an egg and ground flax seed. Pretty much all hot cereals are pretty cheap.

    I think I would reduce the fruit. While fruit is good for you, when you are trying to cut calories it is better to eat more veggies and less fruit.

    I believe PCOS makes you insulin resistant. You will not react as well to carbs as a normal person. I'm T2 diabetic and have some insulin resistance (at least we think, after 13 years they still don't know what to make of me). I have figured that I can spend a little more for food now or pay the consequences later.
  • kayleen_longworth
    kayleen_longworth Posts: 147 Member
    Hi I am using scales to measure my food, and my portions have been smaller since using scales. I had no idea how much i was piling on my plate before. I chose dates as I have a really sweet tooth. The yoghurt is extra low at greek style and high in protein.

    I dont have diabetes, but I do have polycystic ovaries so my metabolism is very low. I had blood work done a couple of years ago to show this.

    I may switch out granola for porridge and find another replacement for the dates. I though 5 dates would be okay, but I guess not. Maybe I can put in 2 dates and chop them up more finely.

    I will take another trip to the doctor and see what they think, as everyone at work is puzzled by my weight ( I work at a sportswear shop so my I have 2 colleagues that are fitness teachers.) being so static when I'm exercising everyday and watching what I eat.
    I've even cut out diet soda and replaced it with water.

    What are your net calories? (Food intake - exercise cals = NET cals.) You shoud aim for no less than 1200 cals net. If you are working out hard, you might need more cals than the 1500 that you were on. I do agree though, more protein, less sugars/carbs.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    It's the sugar... Start tracking that. Try to lower it. I was on a five month plateau. I was always under my calories and exercised like a mad woman. The scale just fluctuated back and forth over 3 pounds. Then I peeked at my sugar. OMG! It was crazy off the charts! I started tracking my sugar and the weight started coming off. I stopped tracking it for one week and the scale went up a tad, but I've been tracking again now and it keeps going down.

    A woman is supposed to have 24-30g's of added sugar a day. I guarantee your breakfast had more than your daily allowance. The easiest way is to go cold turkey. It'll suck and you'll be cranky for a few days, but I promise it goes away.

    No, just no.

    No skin off my back if the OP doesn't want to track sugar, but with her having PCOS she is most likely carb sensitive-- with sugar being the worst carb for her. The body naturally keeps sugar on hand as it's go to fuel. All calories are NOT created equal.
  • RachelT14
    RachelT14 Posts: 266 Member
    Hi, i cant really say much about the breakfast that hasnt been said but on the pasta, rice PCOS front, feel free to add me i also have PCOS and regularly eat both of those a couple of times a week, whiel my weight loss is slow it is happening. I have found the key for me is to add extra veggies to pasta and reduce the pasta a little which has helped and just make sure that i have less carbs at other meals during the day to compensate.

    I make porridge most days for breakfast, nice and cheap on a budget and find there are lots of things i can add to it for the sweet tooth. Also keeps me very full until lunchtime.
  • Ewillauer
    Ewillauer Posts: 1
    I would replace that yogurt wih Fiber One yogurt...Its only 50 calories with 3 g protein, 13 g carbs, and 5 grams fiber to keep you fuller till lunch time.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Well keep in mind, that PCOS is a carb intolerance not a calorie intolerance. You can and should still have large calories but limit the carbs. Eggs would be very good for you. They are cheap and a great source of protein and lower in calories. There are plenty of healthy cheaper options for those with PCOS where you don't need to starve yourself. VLCD will slow your metabolism. If you then add that and a carb intolerance, it's going to make it virtually impossible to lose weight long term. I understand the constraint of money, but it's about being smarter. You need to stay away from cereals and oatmeals as they are loaded with carbs. Go for eggs, it's cheaper and better for your situation. Also, weight training will be key to work on getting your metabolism to pick up.
  • Vegetablearian
    Vegetablearian Posts: 148 Member
    I am in the UK and high protein food doesnt need to be expensive ;-)

    I drink a protein shake , almost zero carbs but half of my daily protein and that is from holland and barret and it would last you forever if you had the for breakfast and its cheap. Its an odd taste that takes a while to get used to but its worth it.

    Eggs are cheap, frozen vegetables are insanely cheap, quorn can be cheap, you could make cauliflower rice or pizza bases cheaply that would remove tonnes of carbs and you can eat as much veg as you like! Fruit is the devil when it comes to sugar one apple can be 1/4 of your daily allowance... fruit is also insanely expensive. bags of nuts are not too expensive either and they are high protein, high mineral/vitamin and low carbs. Your budget is tight agrreed but stuffing nothing but white pasta and rice is not good for anyone
  • antlergirl
    antlergirl Posts: 55 Member
    I'm actually just getting a bit confused now. And its seems all a bit complicated.

    I cant food shop til the 29th of March anyways, but on my next food shop I'll see if I can spend a little more on myself to go higher protein. I'm also trying to fit an hour minimum of workout each day. Today I'm having chicken and spinach for lunch- so hopefully thats a nicer and rich in protein meal. With the whole calorie thing I think I'll pay super close attention to what I'm eating, eat when im hungry and aim to just cook what i think are well balanced meals- track it on here and decide whats working from there.


    I really loved the marks and spencers comment lol- I think it must be one of the most expensive supermarkets in England! But I have never seen cartoned egg whites- I'll have to buy regular eggs.
  • antlergirl
    antlergirl Posts: 55 Member
    I'm intrigued about the cauliflower rice/pizza bases can you expand on that?
  • pixlamarque
    pixlamarque Posts: 312 Member
    I eat yogurt every morning for breakfast, but I have laid off of the cereals. I have 150 gms of Fage 2% plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon of wheat germ (optional), 1 tablespoon of honey, and between 75-85 grams of blackberries (or strawberries if blackberries are out of season or too expensive). That comes out to 245 calories and the protein keeps me full.
  • Vegetablearian
    Vegetablearian Posts: 148 Member
    I'm intrigued about the cauliflower rice/pizza bases can you expand on that?

    http://www.damyhealth.com/2011/03/the-secret-life-of-cauliflower/ :-) - its based on american units and oven temps but with a few attempts you should be able to get it right ... I havent tried it yet though

    Youtube it as there are some videos on there but I cant get on youtube to link them for you
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    Bear in mind that most recommended portion sizes of breakfast cereals are 30g. I got the shock of my life the first time I weighed my Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and realised I was eating 3 portions of cereal for my breakfast.
  • antlergirl
    antlergirl Posts: 55 Member
    My box says 50g and thats what I weight- at least its lasting longer!
  • antlergirl
    antlergirl Posts: 55 Member
    Okay so today I really did my research on low GI foods and I'm going to give that a go. Hopefully this will help. I'm also upping my exercise and aiming to net 1200+ with exercise and everything. Today went pretty well, I think.

    Cant wait to go grocery shopping with my new low GI list- so many new recipes to try!
  • nutandbutter
    nutandbutter Posts: 447
    I wish I could go low carb but with my income I'm having to buy bulk on pasta, rica and bread because its cheapest. It really sucks and I need to find a way to cut this out without starving myself but its very difficult. Me and my partner spend about 25-30 a week on food for both of us- London is a very expensive place to live.

    I totally sympathize :(

    I've recently moved back to more carbs for the same reason.

    Try legumes? They're not low carb, but they're higher in protein than rice, pasta, and bread. They are also way cheap and filling.

    And sorry to hear about the PCOS- work with your doctor. Make them help you :) PCOS doesn't doom you to no weight loss. It just makes it a bit tougher. And I'm still really surprised to hear that you're gaining on 1500 with PCOS. How long did you stick with the 1500 calories? Are you sure the gain was real? Could it have been water weight? I usually don't consider a gain real until it's stuck around for a couple of weeks.

    Just wanted to echo this. Did you move to higher carb at the same time you raised your calories? That could have caused the weight gain.
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