I'm pretty new here, and thought I'd throw this question out and see what you think.
I'm trying to change what I eat: smaller portions, more veggies and fruit, and fewer carbs.
The only thing is, I eat breakfast around 8:00 or 8:30 (cereal with 1% milk) and then usually an apple or so around 10. Yet I can never seem to hold out until 12 for lunch - my stomach starts rumbling and I think about my lunch and just go for it around 11:30, 11:45. I'm usually fine for the rest of the day - don't get too hungry, and I'll be fine until dinner. But is that healthy? Does my body process the food differently when it's all in the morning instead of spread out throughout the day?
You didn't mention the kind of cereal that you are eating, you may want to find something high fiber. Kashi has quite a few cereals that are high fiber. That will probably help you feel full for longer.
You might try not eating cereal for breakfast and instead eat something more protein dense, like 2 eggs with some non-fat yogurt, only one piece of toast. (2 soft boiled eggs, 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt like Carb Control yogurt and 1 piece of toast is only around 360 calories, but is more likely not to trigger munchies.) A lot of the time, I eat a turkey burger on bun for 270 cals and a carb control yogurt for 60 calories.
You might switch your snack to some beef jerky (one ounce is usually less than 80 calories) or possibly some baby carrots and fresh peas.
Sometimes, its how our body reacts to processing the carb we eat that make us more hungry, not the total calories. You might try and see if that works.
If that's not it, you might need to eat a bigger breakfast. Add some fruit, perhaps, or an egg.
Each of us is different. I alternate days with big breakfasts with light breakfasts for some reason or other (not planned. Has to do with what I am hungry for.) I seldom eat between meal snacks, just the three a day (this works for me cause I have a tendency to graze), but if I need a snack, I do have one, but it's usually high protein because I am slightly insulin resistant - frequently it's cottage cheese.
Play around with your menus, and write down what is more satisfying and what leaves you hungry later on. This is the most successful way I have found of making the food work for you instead of driving you (although like a whole lot of people here (I am assuming!), I tend to obsess on food and think about what I am going to eat a lot.)
I go through the same thing. About 11 or 11:30, I get extremely hungry.
Is it just hunger, or do you get a little light-headed, too? I found out that my blood sugar runs low, but not to the point of hypoglycemia. I keep some roasted almonds at my desk, and when I feel I need it, I eat about 5 or 6. That usually satisfies me more than anything else.
If you ever get the opportunity to get your blood sugar tested, it might be helpful. Even if your sugar is normal, though, it's certainly not a bad thing to eat smaller meals more frequently. I usually eat breakfast around 7am, snack around 11am, lunch at 1pm, dinner around 5pm, and about 2 snacks in the evenings at no set times. As long as my meals aren't really big, I do good with that.
Thanks for the tips. I don't get lightheaded, although low blood sugar does run in the family. I think it must be the cereal, because I used to eat the Kashi High Protein cereal and I wouldn't be hungry, or wanting to nosh once I got into the office. I think I'll switch to having oatmeal and an egg in the morning, and that should take care of me. Thanks again!
Eating small meals 5-6 times a day is suggested for keeping your blood sugar up and your belly feeling perpetually full. By small meal I mean like 300 cals in a sitting.
This is what I usually do;
breakfast- 8 am (200-300 cals)
snack- 10 (200-250 cals) (variable- somedays I dont have time for the snack)
lunch- 12 (200-400 cals)
snack- 4ish (200-300 cals)
dinner- 6ish (300- 400 cals cals)
another problem is you arent eating any complex carbs, and very little fats and protein (the only source you have listed is the milk for your cereal) in the morning which is probably why you're hungry so quickly. carbs like those in your apple and cereal burn the fastest, and if not paired with a protein source usually just give you a big spike and then leave you hungry again quickly.
I think you're right, well everyone is, on the protein thing. My fiance now eats a piece of toast with some cheese on it, and he's said the same thing - match the carbs with protein and you won't feel so hungry afterwards. So I'm on the lookout for adding some protein - i may just start getting the Kashi cereal again since it's ingrained in me by now that cereal is all you need for breakfast - anything heavier and I start feeling slightly sluggish.
Btw, I started using FitDay.com and it's incredible! It makes it so easy for you to figure out how many calories you're eating and where your nutrients are (or aren't) coming from. I find it quite useful and was somewhat appalled at how much I was actually eating when I was thinking i wasn't eating much at all. So now I just need to get on an eating plan that I can stick to, and then start going to the gym. It's possible, right? Thanks again for everyone's help!
Fitday is awsome. Just wait till you've been using it for a while. It really opens your eyes to what you're putting in your mouth! It's really helped me with my portion control.
I used to have the same experience with cereal in the morning, and I notice it with my kids as well. If they've had cereal in the morning, they invariably get crabby and hungry in just an hour or two. That does not happen when I insist they have some sort of protein, or have them eat a cereal with a higher protein and fiber count, like Grape-Nuts, or Shredded Wheat and Bran. Same goes for me. I will feel hungry sooner if I eat something high in carbs, but not fiber and protein.
(I've actually been aware of this long before I was trying to lose weight, because I just noticed the trend for us! So, it's kind of neat to now read about it in several places, including this forum.)
I personally don't see anything wrong with maybe having 2 snacks in the morning, so long as they're healthy snacks. I usually do, so it sounds normal to me. In a typical day, I'll have a small breakfast, a couple of snacks, a small lunch, a couple of snacks, and a small dinner. I basically snack all day long. I don't do cereal at all, because it doesn't last long enough and I find it hard to control portion sizes. Could you try oatmeal instead of cereal? For me, a bowl of oatmeal is a lot more filling than a bowl of cereal. I know a lot of people don't like oatmeal (I had to teach myself to like it) but it really does seem a lot more filling to me than cereal. And I echo the protein suggestions. That will help you feel a lot fuller, a lot longer.
i agree, i usually eat oatmeal with a piece of toast and it fullfilled me or 1 egg, 1/2 cup of grits and 1 toast is good too. is grits like cooked cereal or not? ......lol i dunno..lol before i found out i had diabetes i use to skip breakfast and lunch and just eat one big dinner. I DON'T RECOMMEND THAT TO NOBODY......lol or if i was trying to lose weight i would eat a medium meal once a day and ill lose but ill be sooooooooo hungry thats why my diets never work...lol but not im getting use to watching what i eat, drinking more water, eating 3 medium size meals a day and watching my calories ill finna use this weight and keep it off. just keep working at it, you will find the right thing for you.
Yeah, I'm starting to drown my cereal in milk until I can find another alternative to breakfast. I'm not a big cheese fan, and can I get enough protein by adding milk to oatmeal (which I love by the way - yes, my mom gave us the flavored packaged stuff, but now i'm loving it plain or with some brown sugar). Think I can just munch on a piece of tofu instead? lol
I'll let you know what I come up with. It's frustrating, but you're right - I will eventually find what works best for me. And so the journey continues...
Timing in when you eat?
I'm usually fine for the rest of the day - don't get too hungry, and I'll be fine until dinner. But is that healthy? Does my body process the food differently when it's all in the morning instead of spread out throughout the day?
