Hi all. I was wondering how many calories you eat for breakfast and whether or not you have a snack between breakfast and lunch. I'd love to be one of those people that doesn't eat between meals, but I'm not there yet. I try to get a good amount of protein at breakfast to keep me from getting too hungry, but low carb or high carb, my brain still thinks it needs a snack!
Do you find it more useful to eat, say, 300 cals for breakfast + a 100 calorie snack or is a 400 cal breakfast with no snack best (for you)? I'm just curious. I'd love to hear your thoughts on snacking vs not snacking, too.
I did morning and afternoon snacks for over a year, and about 10 days ago switched to combining my morning snack with breakfast, ad my afternoon snack with lunch. I was spending the 3 hours after meals counting down the hours until I could have my snack.
This way has been working out great. I have breakfast (350 cal) at 5:45 and don't think about lunch till 11:30 (I eat at 12).
Breakfast is bran cereal w/milk, cheese stick and yogurt or cottage cheese, sometimes with fruit. I used to have the yogurt as my morning snack but I am very happy with how this is working out. Give it a try!
Not many. Usually around 200, give or take. But I eat more during my later meals - I'm just not hungry in the mornings. I tried eating more, but it didn't help, so I save my calories for later when I want them.
I eat about 250 calories for breakfast, usually cereal and milk and then about 350 calories for lunch. No Snacks. I found the gap between breakfast and lunch tough at the beginning but I got used to it after awhile. I like to keep most of my calories for the evening.
Breakfast is my pre-workout meal so I don't eat a ton of calories or a particularly large volume of food (that way it doesn't make me nauseated).
I usually do about 190-230 calories 45 minutes or so before I hit the gym and then I eat immediately after I finish working out... about another 200 calories.
After THAT, I usually have another 200-250 calorie small meal between then and lunch. Yes, I eat pretty frequently.
I just enjoy eating smaller portions of delicious things throughout the day, and I have found this works pretty well for me.
I started out eating a mid-morning snack, and having a lighter breakfast, but now just have a bigger breakfast (around 450 cals) & then lunch five hours later. I do often have an afternoon snack, but a mini-meal type one of around 200 cals. In general, I am trying to avoid mini-snacks as I just don't find them helpful for me - they make or perhaps allow me to think about food too often and one of my main goals is to make food a much less important part of my life. Some people find mini-snacks really useful though. It really is whatever works for you with the caveat that what works for you now might not work for you next month. It's your journey!
Last edited by Northernrose; 07-07-2012 at 08:36 AM.
Breakfast: Porridge made with 1% milk & a smidge of dark brown sugar (280 calories for the meal). If I'm low on time I drink a 350ml 'liquid breakfast' that is high in protein and is 268 calories.
Snack: Piece of fruit or a tub of yoghurt (100 - 180 calories)
Lunch: Leftovers from the previous nights dinner (300 - 400 calories)
or a Continental Cup-A-Soup with 1-2 slices of bread (~280 calories)
Dinner: Stir fry/poached chicken/other home cooked goodness that comes out to 400-500 calories per serving (all recipes calculated in MFP).
I find that the days I have the leftovers for lunch, and/or the porridge for breakfast, I don't need the snack. I always have it on hand, but only eat it if I'm genuinely hungry and my calories allow for it. When I have the soup for lunch, or the liquid breakfast, I really need my snack to keep me going.
My breakfasts usually range from 100-400 calories. I eat fruit, oatmeal, protein shake, cereal, bagels, toast, whatever I am in the mood for really.
I don't have a set schedule that I go by. I eat when I am hungry. I usually end up having 3 meals and 3 snacks-depending on how my day is going. My calorie goal for the day is 1600.
Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I found all of your comments very useful! I'm going to try and stick to three meals, no snacks, for the week and see how I do. This past year was very stressful and I found myself alternating between being obsessive about what I eat and feeling deprived. I'm still looking for that happy, moderate place.
Because I don't have to be at work til 9 - 10 am I find cereal with low fat milk / oatmeal / porridge will keep me going til lunch. But I do snack later in the day, at about 4pm and again when I get home from work.
I usually have oatmeal with a little bit of fruit and some almonds mixed in- 200 calories keeps me full until lunchtime. For me, it's all about fiber and protein if I want to feel fuller longer.
Breakfast calories
