Breakfast question
 

So I've figured out one of my downfalls lately. I eat breakfast about 1/2 hour after I get up in the morning - around 6:30. But as soon as I get to work (8-8:30) I want to eat again, and its usually a Fiber One bar or something similar. Should I just push my normal breakfast time and eat breakfast at work (i.e. wake up at 6 but not eat until 8 or 8:30)? I am a Weight Watcher, and lately before lunch I've been getting in close to a third of my day and don't feel like I have enough left over for a big lunch (which I prefer to be my biggest meal of the day) and an afternoon snack and dinner.

I had this problem, too ... I was famished by the time I got to work. I solved this problem by having a small breakfast with my coffee at 6:00am, then a big snack shortly after I start work (9:00am). Usually breakfast is something like a piece of peanut-butter toast with fruit, then my snack is yogurt and fruit or something. Maybe you could have a smallish snack/breakfast at home, and make your snack at work a little bigger?

I think a lot depends on you and your daily routine. I know it's said that a big breakfast is the best thing but I'm not sure something can be the best for everyone.

Are you hungry at 6:30? If you didn't eat then would you be even hungrier at 8:00 or later in the day? When do you exercise? I try to have something quite soon after but I prefer to exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Are you 'saving' too much for the rest of the day? (that's my downfall)

I think trying different things and seeing how you feel is the best way. ;)

I'd say, make your first-thing "breakfast" smaller--more like a snack--so you can eat more when you're hungry later at 8 or so--if that's feasible. Do you eat at your desk at work?

Jay

I usually eat about 3 hours after I wake up. Sometimes even 4 hours. I'm a very early riser, it's still breakfast time. I'm not hungry when I first get up and I just don't want to start eating so early. Cause once I start, then I need to eat every 2 - 2 1/2 hours afterwards. Not eating right away upon waking has not affected my weight loss one little itty bit.

Are you hungry when you currently eat your breakfast? If not, I see no harm in waiting til you get to work. As long as you don't overeat at that point. You can test it out, see how it goes.

Hmmmm...thats a similiar time to when I'd eat breakfast

On boot camp mornings I get up at 5:45 - dont eat - and get home about 7:10 when I make a nice ommlette with a slice of toast and grilled tomato which keeps me happy until about 11 or 12 or so.

On other mornings I get up at about 6:30 and go for a 40-45 minute run and then eat breakfast when I get back...usually cereal with yoghurt or fruit with yoghurt, toast etc or more eggs heh.

This morning I didn't do anything - got up at 7:00am and made scrambled eggs with a slice of toast and sauted mushrooms...it's about 10:15am now and I'm not the slightest bit peckish

I find if I have a higher protein breakfast I am full for a lot longer than when I have toast or plain cereal...yoghurt will keep me full as well.

i think it also depends on what you are eating for breakfast...i find that if i don't have some protien with breakfast..i'm starved an hour later. so it really just depends

I'd just wait until you get to work. I know for me - if I DO eat something earlier it seems to get my stomach going so I need more within a couple of hours. One thing that has worked for me is to eat one of those Light string cheese things - decent protein - some calcium - fun to eat and if you peel it you can eat it slowly.

Like GATORGAL I was going to mention "protein"....Angie is a teacher and has planned breaks...she has to have some peanut butter on toast or her apple with whatever else she is having or she gets HUNGRY way before her break!

To answer most questions...

I'm usually a little hungry when I first eat, but I think something like a banana or just drinking coffee or tea would make me feel better. This is why I think it might be better to wait until later and then have a normal sized breakfast.

For breakfast, I eat a mix of protein (yogurt, milk, or eggs), fiber, and fruit every day.

And yes, I do eat at my desk at work. There's no where else. They don't have a "cafeteria" area :(

I exercise at different times during the day, but never before lunch.

Hey Modk, so you'd need breakfast foods that are transportable. I'm sure you can do that! Yeah, eat more at work than early on, and see how it goes.

Jay

Yeah I guess that means packing the yogurt (easy) and buying something to bring the milk in. Thanks for the help everyone, I'm going to be switching it up and eating more a little later on in the morning and less right after I get up. Thanks!

My grocery sells 12 oz plastic bottles of 1% milk. You could get one of those and re-use it, filling it only as much as you need for your breakfast.

My job recently moved me to another building where I notice that everyone seems to eat breakfast at work. That makes me want to eat, too.

I wait until i get to work before i have breakfast. I get up at 6am and get to work at 8:30am. I have no problem waiting until I get to work to eat. But if i eat at home...i get hungry WAY before lunchtime. Besides, i am so busy at home getting ready that i am not even hungry until i get to work...so that works out very well for me. I have protein for breakfast every morning. Usually egg whites of some sort. Then a banana or yogurt for mid-morning snack. That works out great for me.

I can't even think about eating until I've been up for at least 2 hours and have had a couple cups of coffee. I usually scramble a couple egg whites just before I head out the door (even though I'm not hungry--but I know I should eat). I always pack some fresh fruit for a morning snack. I get up at 5 AM, eat a little at 7:30 and have my fruit at 10 and lunch (salad with protein usually) at noon.

I used to be like you--the moment I walked into work I was famished! Several co-workers felt the same. We decided that it was the work that made us hungry! Sometimes I do think it is a mental thing! Mind over matter.

Hello.
I get up around 4:30 and get to work around 7:45, so I'm starving around 5 am, so I have a couple of crackerbreads w/a little nut butter or jam with my coffee then when I'm at my desk I have something a little more substantial. It works out fine for me!

I deal with the early breakfast thing too. I eat breakfast between 5.00 and 5.30. I try to stick to healthy and filling things ( wheat toast with peanut butter, oatmeal with raisons, yogurt with 'nanas) but by my first break at 9.30 I'm ravenous enough to eat the paint off the walls. I eat a big snack (about 250 cals) then instead. I've tried spliting
my brekkie into two portions but then I feel deprived because the servings are skimpy. I've tried saving my breakfast until my first break but then I'm so hungry I'm so nauseous and draggy I can barely function.

On the other hand I've stopped eating big dinners (finally made DH realize that I needed the calories before work, not after) so my average intake is going down.

Marlu, have you tried having a GIANT breakfast at 5am? I've taken to making the world's biggest, fillingest omelets. Some days it's egg whites scrambled with black beans, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and topped with pic de gallo and sour cream (291 cals), other days it's a monster veggie omelet with cheese and a slice of toast. Today I made an omelet with purple potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, romano cheese and fresh tomato. It was *delicious* and came in at 268 calories, so I added a slice of toast. Perfection!

I've found that eating bigger meals that really fill you up can be better than these scrappy diet-not-quite-enough meals. The key, of course, is veggies. Oh, and doing all the prep and sauteing the night before. :)

Wow... I wish I had time to do all that for breakfast. The most I have time for is putting oatmeal in the microwave and setting it for 1 minute :) If I used pots or pans, I would HAVE to clean them before I left, and to me that is just too much time since I have to be at work by a certain time and I refuse to wake up earlier :lol:

Ah. Well I have no problem with dirty dishes, so perhaps that's my secret. :) Really though, I do all the sauteing and salsa making the night before, so in the morning it takes less than 10 minutes for me put the omelet together when I get back from the gym. Waiting for the toast to toast is actually longest part.

I used to never, ever eat breakfast of any kind. Habitually I wouldn't eat until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Now I'm addicted to breakfast. I think I'd starve if I tried to not eat until lunch time.

When I used to get up early (5:30am) back in the day, I would have a cup of tea and something small to eat then workout (6-8) and eat a second breakfast later.

Now that I get up later, I only eat once and that is usually around 9am. I make sure to have 16-20 oz of water with breakfast since it's my smallest meal of the day, but that is just me. I like to work up to dinner :)