How much do you eat for breakfast?

[Reesha]

My schedule changes throughout the year-- currently I'm on summer break from teaching so I've been eating larger breakfasts (but not huge). During the school year I wake up at 4:50 and get into the pool right away and tend to have smaller breakfasts (a yogurt or something) and eat lunch at 11 on the dot.

Still, do some of you swear by large 600 calorie breakfasts?

This morning mine was 300 calories and I'm thinking I should up the calories in the morning and decrease caloric intake at dinner. I had a slice of Feldkamp's wholemeal rye bread with muesli and a slice of aged provolone and two carrots to crunch on. Bam 335 calories.

Do you feel a larger breakfast makes a difference when trying to lose weight?

I'll be curious to know everyone's thoughts.

[OakLeaf]

I'm more about the fat and protein content and less about the calories. The one thing I have to do is have fat and protein for breakfast. Nuts or nut butters, usually; sometimes eggs. Just enough carbs to get me started. If I don't get fat and protein at breakfast, I get a blood sugar spike and crash within two hours.

That includes yogurt. Even though some of the lactose is converted by the bacteria, plain yogurt is still very high in sugars. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl Whole milk yogurt (from grass-fed cows) would be better than lower-fat, but still, I would avoid dairy products at breakfast just because of the sugar content.


ETA: I suppose it's more about glycemic index than it is total sugars. I really don't pay much attention to all this number-o-jumbo - IMO it's always better to listen to my body - but it's definitely true that dairy spikes my blood sugar much worse than, say, berries which are so high in soluble fiber even though they're also higher in total sugars.



ETA: IMO the most important thing you can do is feed your body sustaining foods when it's most depleted. That means breakfast and immediately after a workout. If you do that, then it won't be screaming for calories later on.

[Reesha]

This is going to seem awful, but for some reason my body doesn't even get hungry at all (during the school year) if I don't eat breakfast. I imagine this has something to do with my metabolism for the day, but this is even after swimming. Not wise, I know. I will have a cube fridge is my classroom this coming year so hopefully I will eat more.

My body tends to respond adversely to a higher fat diet... so I've been working to keep fat to 55g or less per day and mostly from nuts/avocado/coconut/olive oil and less from cheese/dairy/meat. It's probably the one macronutrient that really gets away from me if I'm not watching closely and adds up really fast.

[KnottedYet]

I have no idea how many calories I eat for breakfast.

Pork chop, onions, mashed potatoes, fried eggs.

Beef posole, avocado, corn tortilla.

Big hearty lumberjack breakfasts work best for me. "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."

[Veronica]

I also teach, but I try to stick to the same eating schedule year round. It's too easy to do a lot of extra snacking when I'm home.

Days I work out with my trainer I drink a recovery shake on my way back home.

First breakfast for me varies - right now I'm on a yogurt and cereal kick. Sometimes it's cereal, whole milk and blueberries, or oatmeal.

Second breakfast comes a couple of hours later and roughly corresponds to snack time at school. When I'm working I have a granola bar and trail mix. Since, I'm home I tend to eat more of the same stuff from first breakfast.

I can't eat a large amount first thing in the morning.


Veronica

[redrhodie]

I eat 2 breakfasts every day. Today I had a big bowl of cereal with blueberries pre-ride, and whole wheat toast with cream cheese post ride. Until I started eating the second breakfast, I'd be starving by lunch.

That probably adds up to around 500-600 calories total.

[azfiddle]

I have been focusing on weight loss/maintenance the last year, so I try to spread my calories out through the day. I'm also a teacher.

Typical breakfast is probably 250 calories or less, and I eat around 6:30. A cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal and half a banana, or half a bagel with cream cheese and lox, or toast and melted cheese- maybe with a piece of fruit

I usually have another 100 -150 calorie snack during a class break, 9:45 or 10:45. It varies- fruit, cereal bar, pretzels, 1/2 Luna bar, a handful of almonds ....

Lunch is at 11:25 and I am always hungry- usually try to keep it at 250-300 calories.

If it's a weekend and I'm going out for a ride in the morning, I don't change my breakfast much, if at all, but add more snacks on the ride or afterward, and/or a bigger lunch. If I go less than 20 miles, I don't really eat extra.

[moonfroggy]

i don't know how many calories i get i am really into nutrient density making stuff that tastes great and is super healthy. my breakfasts are usually green smoothies.

[shootingstar]

My normal routine at any time of year is to have a small breakfast that doesn't take much effort. I just think: speed, healthy, some drink and substance. I'm not even thinking about protein, particular vitamins. (Remember in my early-mid 30's, I used not have any breakfast except a glass of milk and then go for a humid, 16-30 kms. ride.)

So it tends to be: half c. of oatmeal with abit milk, tea with milk and maybe a small slice of bread or fresh fruit. Not sure how many calories that is. Then I'll bike somewhere. It could range from 10 - 42 kms.

Deviations from this small breakfast:

A long ride over 80 kms., I want to eat a bigger breakfast.
Or just to save cost of expensive lunches and suppers (This happened several times during our European trip), I ate a big buffet breakfast at hotels. Then TRIED to scale down to smaller lunch snack and supper. Sorta worked.


Reesha, if you can discipline yourself to regularily eat much smaller suppers and no evening snacking of unhealthy stuff, then maybe it will work to have a slightly bigger breakfast. But that might mean, slightly smaller lunches, too? Your body might take a few days/weeks to adjust. I can vouch it changed my regular washroom habits..:o when I was in Europe.

[ny biker]

I have 3 waffles for breakfast every day with Brummel and Brown margarine and reduced calorie syrup, plus a cup of tea with sugar. In the summer I put blueberries on top of the waffles.

Before a long ride I have 4 waffles.

If I don't eat breakfast, I can't function.

[GLC1968]

I eat breakfast every day. Sometimes twice. I am typically starving when I wake up, so it's a necessity for me.

On most days, my breakfast is about 350 - 450 calories. Occasionally it'll be higher, but it's pretty rare. I am best satisfied if my breakfast is equal portions of protien and complex carbs with some healthy fats. If my breakfast is mostly carby, I'm starving in an hour or two.

[Crankin]

I can't survive without a good breakfast, either. I get up early (all those years of teaching). If I am going to work, with no riding in the morning, it's egg white omelets, with a variety of veggies and low fat cheese and fruit. Sometimes a piece of whole wheat toast, with it. I eat turkey bacon, as a side with just about any kind of breakfast, sometimes, too. Some days I have non fat plain yogurt with fruit, walnuts, and cranberries, with a small slice of whole wheat bread and soy nut butter. About twice a week, I have real eggs. Some days I eat things like tuna over a tomato, with melted cheese or left overs.
I try to eat low carb breakfasts twice a week. If I ride really early, like 6 AM, I'll eat a Luna bar or have a small bowl or cereal and then have a more protein oriented breakfast when I get back.
Generally, if I have a longer ride (40+ miles), I eat eggs, a whole wheat bagel and low fat cream cheese, and fruit. I will still be hungry when I start a ride if breakfast was more than an hour ago, and I often have to eat part of a bar before I begin.
On the weekends, I generally have waffles (homemade) at least one day, but I have to have some protein with them, or I am hungry in about a minute!

[badger]

I've been eating toast for breakfast pretty much all my life. On weekends I'll usually throw in an egg into the mix, but 99.5% of the time it involves bread of some sort.

I find that if I have a greasy breakfast with eggs, sausages/bacon, and hashbrowns I would feel full and sometimes sick all day. Bread just suits my stomach so much better.

When I visit my relatives in Japan, they'll give me the usual fare of rice, miso soup, and anything else they have left over from dinner the night before. That sort of meal really doesn't sit well in my stomach first thing in the morning.

[OakLeaf]

I find that if I have a greasy breakfast with eggs, sausages/bacon, and hashbrowns I would feel full ... all day.

Nobody said greasy, but I think feeling full all day is kind of the point.

I had to train myself to eat breakfast, but I feel so much better now that I'm not so starved at dinnertime that I cram myself so full that I'm still not hungry 12 hours later.



too many clauses in that sentence, but you know what I mean. ;)

[JennK13]

Im also one who has to eat breakfast, and there has got to be some kind of protien. Usually i have an egg or two, and either a half a bagel or a waffle (winter would be oatmeal instead of the waffle), or i put the egg on top of the bagel half with a slice of cheese and some ham if I'm riding early in the day. If I'm doing a long or hard ride, like 3 plus hours in the saddle, I'll fuel up with more carbs.
If I forget to eat breakfast, and I really do forget occassionally, I also dont get "hungry" all day. I think it's because I'm so ravished, nothing sounds good and my stomach hurts because it's empty, so it makes me want to eat even less. I dont "skip" breakfasts, but i take medication right when i wake up and it has to be on an empty stomach - i usually jog right after, or commute into work via bike (only 7 miles so it's not a hard ride) and i eat after that. If I'm late or get sidetracked I just forget to eat. I keep microwave omlets and cereal at work so I make sure i get around to it eventually :)
Usually it's 300-400 calories. I have an incredibly high activity level, so i dont typically count calories - i keep good food around (fruits, lots of protiens, and complex carbs on a limited bases), eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.

[Owlie]

I need to eat breakfast, but I have to give myself a little time to wake up. I find if I have a BIG breakfast, I don't have to eat much the rest of the day. Normally, though, I just have a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ or milk, even if I'm riding.

[skhill]

Don't have any idea of the calorie count, but almost every day I have a bowl of (generic) spoon-size shredded wheat, with whole milk (organic) and fruit of some sort. Plus coffee. If I'm going for a long run, I'll generally have half a PBJ sandwich before the run, then the cereal afterwards. I'm in such a rut...

[Reesha]

Also, I am just crazy about this German/Baltic bread. I first had it when I was staying on a farm in Sweden in March, but I am able to get it at the local grocery store (we have a number of Baltic immigrants living in St. Louis).

http://helengraves.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/muesli-bread1.jpg
http://www.eurofoodmart.net/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=4069900175

This stuff with a slice of ham and cheese as an open faced sandwich is a really good part of breakfast. Mmm.

[mirliluck]

I am a big breakfast kind of girl, actually a 2x breakfast type :o , and I must have some protein in there! I will usually have something like sprouted grain bread or oatmeal pancakes + nut butter before I leave the house, then eggs/tofu scramble w/ veggies a few hours later. Lunch is usually salad and something like cottage cheese, snack on greek yogurt + berries/nuts, dinner is usually more veggies and some sort of fish. I like to keep fats on the higher side because I find that I stay full longer that way. Lots of olive and coconut oil, full fat dairy, and I eat avocado and nuts pretty much every day.

I have experimented more with 'nutrient timing' since I started a weight training program to get the most out of it, and it has really made a difference in how I feel. Carbs mostly in the morning, as well as and preworkout or ride, of course any ride that is about 1.5 hours + I take an energy bar with that is heavy on carbs (I've been loving Clif C bars lately, just fruit + nuts!), and a protein shake after any workout/ride.

[malkin]

Beans on toast!

[rubywagon]

Peanut butter toast and coffee with almond milk. Every. Single. Day.

[ny biker]

Beans on toast!

When my niece was a toddler, she liked "bean toast" for breakfast. But that's what she called toast made with raisin bread.

[spindizzy]

Cottage cheese, fresh fruit, a tablespoon of natural (no sugar/salt) PB and black coffee.

[Catrin]

Fat free cottage cheese, 3 egg whites, (or 2 egg whites + 1 real egg), skim milk and sometimes a piece of toast or 1/2 bagel). Pretty much most mornings - anything with less protein and I am starving within a few hours.

I need to get back to having a Myoplex drink for breakfast 3-4 days a week - that has pretty much the same calories and protein with other goodies. It is a meal replacement protein shake and uses whey protein. I can't have it too close to working out for some odd reason, but it works for breakfast.

If I am riding early then I cut back on the dairy and replace the rest with a banana/peanut butter sandwich on sprouted wheat bread. Or Myoplex made with water but I prefer to actually chew my breakfast on a riding morning.

[sgtiger]

My current favorite breakfast is an egg over medium, nuked broccoli, multi-grain toast, and cappuccino. Sometimes I have apple butter or peanut butter on the toast, but more times than not it's plain.

My morning cappa:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Yo_Ms_wipD4/TEdEaIkHkiI/AAAAAAAAB3I/q-Ds5KRbe24/s144/0622100911-01.jpg

[jenniferh]

I have to eat breakfast. Typically I only grab a couple slices of toast with nutella and a cupof coffee, but thenI'm starving again by 10am. When I have time to make 2 eggs on an english muffin or bagel and a cup of coffee I'm full until noon, easily and then don't eat nearly as much for lunch.

Not sure of the calorie differences, but the protien does it for me.

[Dannielle]

I'm not a big breakfast eater. Usually just coffee with cream and stevia/splenda. If I'm riding in the morning I might have a gel or a larabar just before I get going. I get nauseous if I ride with too much solid food on my stomach.

[marni]

I alternate between steel cut oatmeal made up in advance with raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon and then nuked with some skim or almond milk and a cup of espresso and a whole wheat english muffin, spread with jam and non fat cottage cheese and a piece of fresh fruit.

The oatmeal is good for 2 1/2-3 hours or 40-60 miles whichever comes first. The english muffin combo is good until lunch time usually.

marni

[marni]

I alternate between steel cut oatmeal made up in advance with raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon and then nuked with some skim or almond milk and a cup of espresso and a whole wheat english muffin, spread with jam and non fat cottage cheese and a piece of fresh fruit.

The oatmeal is good for 2 1/2-3 hours or 40-60 miles whichever comes first. The english muffin combo is good until lunch time usually.

marni

[warneral]

I did Weight Watchers a few years back and then Maintenance for over a year after. I got into some pretty unhealthy habits (hoarding points til the end of the day). Switched to CORE which helped and slowly started eating breakfasts.

Stopped the diet (by that point I had some binge/restrict issues going on). I had been following "real eating" food blogs. Katheatsrealfood, etc. Learned to love oatmeal (with bananas, milk, egg white, and always a spoonful of nut butter melted on top).

I also like greek yogurt + berries + granola

The other go-to breakfast for me is a whole wheat pita (100cal) + egg white + a little cheese and precooked bacon stuffed inside.

At work they have plain oatmeal cooked with water. I'll sometimes grab a bowl of that and squeeze a packed of nut butter all over it and sprinkle with some cinnamon/sugar. Or I'll bring in some greek yogurt thing or even my egg sandwich which I heat up and toast the pita and assemble.

I also drink french press coffe plus 2 TB of Half and Half...

[Susan]

I mix

1 Banana
3 tablespoons of mixed seeds (flaxseed, pumpkinseed, sunflowerseeds, sesame)
3 tablespoons of oat bran
1 cup of berries (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry...)
1 cup of soy milk
(+water)

for a breakfast-smoothie almost every day. I got my Chia-seeds today maybe I'll add them in. Sometimes when it's very cold I cook some oatmeal and add blueberries and soy milk :)