A "Big Breakfast"?

How many cals is your breakfast normally? Will eating a "big breakfast" help with feeling really hungry later in the afternoon?Thanks!

Replies

  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I try to eat a smaller breakfast so I have more calories to spare later lol.
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    around 8:00 I eat 3-4 eggs, either scrambled or in an omelet, with vegetables (typically zucchini, onion, spinach, bell peppers...) sometimes I will throw in some almonds as well. Then about an hour later (around 9-9:30) I will have a protein shake with ground flax seed. I am usually relatively full till about 1:00-2:00. So I typically wind up making myself eat lunch around noon... It equals about 700 good, quality calories.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    My "usual" breakfast is 5-6 eggs (cooked in coconut oil, bacon grease, or both) with a cup of coffee (blended with 3T of kerrygold butter and ~28g MCT oil)...so a little under 1000 cal. (Today, I was terribly disappointed when I realized the last egg carton in the fridge was not half full like I thought it was, but had exactly ONE egg. =( So I made the obvious choice and heated up some steak and sweet potatoes to accompany my blended coffee.)

    As for your question, it depends. I know I've heard a lot of people say that they aren't hungry in mid-morning *unless* they've eaten breakfast. Others report the opposite. So my answer to your question is what my answer to these types of questions usually is: Try it yourself and see how *you* are affected by it. MFP is a wonderful tool for solving riddles like this. Try eating a "big breakfast" every day for a week or two...record your food, but also record how you feel at various times throughout the day. Within a few weeks, you should be able to determine the answer.

    Good luck.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,293 Member
    My breakfast depends on my plans for the day. usually just a coffee (50/50 coffee/milk) or two, that's between 100-200 calories, if i know i am going out or having a late lunch, i'll have a bowl of cereal, or an egg sandwich. I am the kind of person who doesn't get hungry until 10am or later anyways though, so whatever i eat before then is just to know I've eaten something. i usually eat late dinner, so i think that helps even things out.
    weekends i usually sleep in, have a 'big' breakfast, skip lunch and then have an early dinner. but i munch on things along the way.
    works for me, but I am no nutritionist ;-)
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    How many cals is your breakfast normally? Will eating a "big breakfast" help with feeling really hungry later in the afternoon?Thanks!

    I think you should actually experiment with this because this would fall under personal preference. Some people do very well by eating a large breakfast and eating less later on, and not feeling hungry.

    Some people do much better by eating little or even nothing for breakfast specifically so that they can eat more later in the evening. I am one of these people.

    The good news is, you can choose whichever method (or something in between, obviously) and stick with it. As long as it allows you to hit your daily intake goals, and it coincides with your lifestyle, then go with it.

    I'd really suggest trying a few different ways of doing it, from small or no breakfasts (again, allowing you more calories later on that day) to large breakfasts.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Below is what I ate today and is pretty typical. I am still hungry again by lunchtime.

    Breakfast - 648 Cal
    Molasses 1 Tbsp
    Whey 1 Scoop
    Milk - 2% milkfat, 1.5 cup
    Banana
    Fiber One Raisen Bran Clusters Cereal, 1 cup
    Green Tea

    Morning Snack - 340 Cal
    Banana
    Yoplait - Greek 2x Protein Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt,
    Egg Hard Boiled
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    My usual breakfast is a cup of coffee with creamer (all natural if I can find it) and a scoop of protein powder. If I wake up "starving to death" I add some bakery bread toast and butter (usually soy). For me, the key is getting enough protein throughout the day, not just at one meal. Not the easiest thing to do unless you keep focused... which is one reason why I keep on MFP.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I eat about 250-300 calories for breakfast: 2 cups coffee with soymilk as creamer, supplements (13 calories), and whatever I want to eat. Although, there are many days when I don't eat. It depends on my hunger level or if I am heading out to exercise (which I prefer to do on a full stomach).
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I don't usually eat breakfast during the week, but on weekends it's ~500 cals - 3 eggs, 2 pieces of toast w/ PB or jelly and milk.

    Will it help feeling hungry later in the morning? Probably, depending on what you eat. Will it help feeling hungry later in the afternoon? Probably not. Assuming you are eating breakfast at a reasonable breakfast hour, going 5-6 hours without food will generally leave you feeling hungry. Some people's bodies adjust to it and they are fine, some dont and need to eat more frequently.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    400ish. Basically 3 eggs wilth milk, butter, cheese. And eh. I find if I eat enough protein/fat I'm never really hungry at all.
  • ephemerata
    ephemerata Posts: 82 Member
    400ish. Basically 3 eggs wilth milk, butter, cheese. And eh. I find if I eat enough protein/fat I'm never really hungry at all.

    same, minus the cheese. my breakfasts usually clock in at about 200-300. if i'm not eating eggs, i'll eat a small tuna salad. i can't stand typical breakfast foods except for eggs, and even then i can only eat them scrambled, boiled, or poached. if i don't eat enough protein and fat, i'm hungry an hour or two later.
  • Excellent!! Thanks. My breakfast has been mostly carb and I see many of you do high protein meals earlier. I may try that too.
  • GSCPostBaby
    GSCPostBaby Posts: 111 Member
    Mine's about 400 . . . . Greek yogurt, fruit and granola, plus my vitamins and fish oil.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    You need to figure out what works best for you :) But I eat 300-400 calories from breakfast typically. If I eat at 7am it holds me until around 11:30.
  • bacamacho
    bacamacho Posts: 306 Member
    One of my biggest meals with the least amount of real food:

    Starbucks - Doubleshot (R) Energy + Mocha Drink, 15 oz 200
    Clif Bar - Chocolate Chip, 1 bar (68g) 240
    Total calories: 440

    Fewer calorie meal with more, healthier food and more satisfying:

    Mr. Brown Coffee - Iced Coffee, 8.12 Fl oz (240 ml) 103
    Eggs - Fried (whole egg), 1 large 92
    Spinach - Cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, 2 cup 83
    Ham - Sliced, regular (approx 11% fat), 0.5 serving 2 slices 46
    Pace - Chunky Salsa - Medium, 2 tbsp 10
    Total calories 334

    Having protein helps. I usually have a piece of meat with eggs in my breakfast to carry me to the next meal. When I'm not on the ball I usually eat a breakfast like the first one listed and it doesn't last long at all even with all those calories.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    My breakfast is very similar day to day:

    1 cup Eating Right High Protein & Fiber Multigrain cereal
    1 cup Silk Almond Milk
    3 egg whites (sometimes with a stick of Weight Watchers Smoked String Cheese melted in)
    1 or 2 cups of coffee with fat free half and half

    287 calories, 34g carbs, 4g fat, 25g protein, 10g fiber. It gets me a jump start on my daily protein needs and is satisfying enough to hold me until lunch. I don't believe in, or adhere to, "meal timing", nor do I believe in the theory that you need to eat breakfast to "jump start your metabolism" - it's just what works for me and helps keep me from making bad/junky food choices mid-morning if I get hungry before lunch.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I start every day with a coffee with cream and sugar. Then I usually go for my run. If I'm going for a long run and don't get going within an hour or so of waking, I'll eat an oz of almonds. But usually I save my real breakfast for after my morning run.

    I often have 1 egg scrambled with 3/4 cup liquid egg whites plus 2 pc toast with jam. If it's a rest day and I don't have as many calories to use, I'll pare back the egg whites to 1/2 cup and the toast to 1pc.

    Another fave is a single piece of bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and a sliced medium banana on top.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    my breakfasts are usually in the 400-700 calorie range, high protein.
    peanut or almond butter
    typical breakfast would be 2 eggs with ground turkey and grated cheese, a slice of gluten free bread with butter and jam, fresh berries, maybe a side salad and coffee with creamer or tea.

    if i dont have the bread then i'll use oatmeal with the berries with a teaspoon of peanut or almond butter

    the high protein definitely helps keep away hunger.