I used to never eat breakfast before I started trying to lose weight (and wasn't all that hungry when I woke up), but I realized how important it is for me to eat breakfast or otherwise I'll fill up on junk at lunch. I've always been told that you should eat something within an hour or two of waking up to jump start your metabolism for the day. So I started eating breakfast early in the morning.

But lately, I have been waking up starving and I'm wondering if I'm getting too few calories or is it because my body/metabolism is adjusting to eating breakfast now? It seems to happen a lot the day after I workout the night before.

I put myself on a 1500 calorie/day allowance and I do get some late night cravings that I either curb with green tea & water or end up snacking on a light string cheese stick if I absolutely have to have something.

When I was on Jenny Craig a few years ago, they started me out on a 1700 calorie allowance and then gradually dropped it to 1500 and then 1200 and I seemed to do fine with that, so when I started trying to lose weight back in November I started with 1700 and only recently dropped it down to 1500 after a big binge during the holidays.

I'm 5'9" & currently 287.6 pounds (last I checked). My BMR is about 2120 from what I know and I try to burn at least 300-400 calories when I do cardio a couple times a week, but will burn about 500-600 on a good day with a one hour workout.

I'm not sure you need to be in any rush to drop to 1500 cals just yet. 1700 is probably just fine. Especially if it includes that cheese at bedtime. I'm a big fan of using protein to prevent hunger.

You should be hungry in the morning before breakfast, it is perfectly normal.
It has been several hours since you had your last meal.

I think that our bodies just go through changes sometimes that can affect our normal hunger levels. I have been like you for most of my life--i.e., not really hungry for breakfast. I usually get hungry later in morning, say 10:00-10:30. However, during the past few days, I, too, have been hungry early in the morning. As I type this, I just finished my breakfast 15 minutes ago. That would have been unheard of a few weeks back.

I'm just going to go with it, making sure that I eat something satisfying for breakfast, something that will stick to my ribs. Knowing my history, though, I know I'll still get hungry around 11:00 or so (whether I eat breakfast or not, I seem to get hungry between 10 - 11). However, I'm going to try to ride out that hunger until at least Noon. I keep telling myself, "Hunger is not an emergency."

What do you eat for breakfast? Maybe try to eat more protein and fiber. If you can drink black coffee it can help suppress hunger for a bit too. My favorite breakfast is to eat 2 sunny side up eggs, with the high fiber 50 cal per slice bread with spray on butter. About 240 calories! For a snack before lunch, eat a low fat yogurt or maybe some cottage cheese. Keep the snack under 200 or 100 if possible!

I'm almost always famished in the mornings (and I've always been this way) I still find that a 200-250cal breakfast fills me right up though and I can usually last until my mid-morning snack or right until lunch just fine.

Pick something high in protein and you'll probably get full off very little. When I'm famished the following breakfast fills me up and I actually can't really stomach anything until around lunch!

1/4 cup egg beaters
1 (or 2, depending on size of tomato) slice of tomato, diced
approx 1oz of ham, diced
1 slice of American cheese

It makes a really yummy and filling omelet, and it's low in calories

It is a myth that one needs to eat in the morning to kickstart your metabolism. For an adult there is no reason you must eat breakfast.

Our bodies become entrained to whatever routine we establish.

You're hungry in the morning when you didn't used to be because you're regularly eating breakfast and your body has adjusted to expect it. Also you're eating less in the evening and throughout the day than you used to be. Add exercise the night before and it is no surprise you're quite hungry for breakfast.

Its an adjustment inside of your stomach.

This is making me hungry thinking about it lol.

I think eating breakfast is good overall, keeps you from over-eating later. Those Fiber One Eggo waffles are good too, with a few tablespoons sugar free Aunt Jamima mmmm...not bad 170 calories with syrup (mas or menos)

Thank you all for your replies/suggestions! Lately, I've been eating a whole grain waffle with a serving of light maple syrup, a glass of low-fat milk and a piece of fruit. I'm going to try working in some more protein throughout the day to curb the hunger, even though it's gotten significantly better in the last couple of days and I'm losing weight, instead of gaining (just lost 9.2 pounds in 14 days!).

booyeah!

A breakfast like that would just make me hungrier. Carbs in the morning are a big no-no for me. I can have a piece of fruit (not a banana, but a grapefruit or a apple), but then I must have a protein rich item too. Otherwise all I'm doing is raising my blood sugar which will come crashing down 1-2 hours later.

Your body is probably craving the sugar.

Ditto what Melissa said. That stuff is starchy frankenfood and not good fuel for the morning at all. Veggies sautéed and thrown in an omelet would likely be far more satisfying, as would something like a hash or even a protein shake. You need fat and protein to cue satiety, mitigate cravings, and keep your blood sugar more stable than less. While the occasional grain product might not cause these issues in everyone, it's a cruddy way to start the morning - empty calories devoid of nutrition, keeping your body wanting the taste of sweet when what it is likely asking for is more substance.

I can't stress enough that for me, anyway, a breakfast like that is a recipe for hunger, cravings, and a complete waste of the calories. Junk food, disquieted as healthy.