Everyday Systems

As I move along NoSing, I've noticed my breakfasts becoming more and more substantial, and feeling less hunger between meals as the day goes on. Believe it or not, there's been a study about this:

http://healthletter.tufts.edu/issues/20 ... kfast.html

Now, I've always preferred a big breakfast -- tanking up for the day. But in my attempts to control my weight or in dealing with crazy schedules, I've often skipped it or had a scanty one.

I think for me, the big breakfast does help for the rest of the day.

I know breakfast is crucial for me. I feel best (and eat least overall) when I have a pretty substantial breakfast. I don't get hungry in the evening, either. It's a bit of a pain to get all that food together early in the morning, but I'm a morning person so it's not too, too painful.

Mine may be a little smaller than other meals - but only a little.

I usually just eat the same old thing for breakfast, until I get sick of one food and start something new. Current fave:

Whole wheat bread, toasted, spread with PB
Cut-up banana (I make an open-face sandwich on the PB)
Cafe au lait - 1or 2 cups, each with 1/2 cup milk (This is a constant.)

The general "pattern" is one fruit, some whole carbs, some protein. Prior meals include oatmeal with milk and raisins; Egg sandwich with fruit on the side (1 egg, 1 slice bread); Bagel with hummus and fruit juice; etc. Weekends might get waffles, and if I have some left I'll have them during the week with all-fruit spread on top (no syrup on N-days).

(The lunch/dinner patterns include at least 2 fruits/veg...)

Thank you for posting the link, Noel.

Having a bigger breakfast works for me. I get through the day more easily, and feel less hungry later, if I eat more breakfast than I actually want.

My breakfasts are substantial -- but so are all my meals. I never skip breakfast (or any other meal for that matter, but the idea of skipping breakfast seems especially horrific).

No more than 3 meals but no less! Let the maximum be the minimum.

reinhard wrote:No more than 3 meals but no less! Let the maximum be the minimum.

You do have a way with a catchy phrase, Reinhard

KCCC wrote: Cut-up banana (I make an open-face sandwich on the PB)

Does that mean you cut the ends off and use them for eyes, then use the curvy bit left over for a smiley mouth? Oh, I've misunderstood again.

I'm currently trying to retrain myself to eat breakfast earlier so I can have something decent instead of portable.

Let the maximum be the minimum.

Now if only you could get the highway departments sold on that idea...

ThomsonsPier wrote:

KCCC wrote: Cut-up banana (I make an open-face sandwich on the PB)

Does that mean you cut the ends off and use them for eyes, then use the curvy bit left over for a smiley mouth? Oh, I've misunderstood again.

I'm currently trying to retrain myself to eat breakfast earlier so I can have something decent instead of portable.

No, I just don't have a top slice of bread... but I like your interpretation better. Then I'd start mornings with a smile.

For me, it's generally a small bowl of oatmeal, a hardboiled egg, some fruit and a little veggies (yes, veggies!) like a few celery or carrot sticks.

My aim with including even vegetables at breakfast is to have a '4 corner meal'---- At each meal, I put a small amt of protein (from the size of an egg to the size of a deck of cards for meat), and about a 1/2 c of something carby, (like brown rice or whole grain bread, or 1/2 potato), then a 1/2 c of vegetable, and a small-medium fruit or sometimes canned fruit that's not in a ton of syrup. 4 corners.

Some folks would need bigger portions, of course, but I am a 5'2" middle aged woman who has trouble losing, so this works for me. I am plenty satieted till the next meal, when I am pleasantly hungry.

I never, ever miss breakfast - I cannot function or face the day with out it.

My breakfasts of choice are:

- Oats with a topping of some sort, cocoa / pb / grated apple / sunflower seeds
- Weetbix plus muesli
- Kids Cereal (for when I feel indulgent)
- Boiled eggs & toast

My breakfast is a little bigger than I ate pre-No S but not huge.

I almost always have breakfast, and usually its an egg taco of some sort or maybe homemade high fiber/fruit muffins; I like eggs with my muffins for protein. Or I'll have a shake made with plain yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit. Very filling and I get my fruit in!

Today I actually wasn't hungry at breakfast-very unusual for me, usually I am STARVED so I generally eat a good breakfast. Maybe because its Monday and I ate a snack last night, which I wouldn't if it had been an n-day.

My b'fasts are about the same size as my other meals.
Generally I like to have a carb, protein and a fruit, and a calcium source.

Here are some typical examples:

Egg burrito (scrambled egg with potato or rice)
A banana and a soy milk

PBJ on wheat with a hard boiled egg and yogurt.

Bowl of Meusli with chopped dates and a banana and a soy milk.

Almost all mornings I have decaf coffee with creamer.

Today's b'fast was a bit weird... 2 small homemade carrot-apple muffins (made with a multigrain cereal) a banana and a hard boiled egg and a soy milk.

You get the idea.

This gets me to lunch and I'm juuuust getting hungry.