No S breakfast

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

Post Reply
milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

No S breakfast

Post by milliem » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:11 pm

Hi all,

I've started the NoS diet this week, and so far so good!

One thing I'm struggling with is eating a regular, healthy and decent sized breakfast.

Usually I don't eat breakfast at all, or in the past I've gone for 'snack bar' type breakfasts (I made some Nigella breakfast bars but seeing as they are made with condensed milk I think they are too sweet for a regular No S day :?) Eating once at 12pm ish and once at 6pm ish doesn't feel like enough for me, and eating between those times feels like eating for the sake of it.... so I'm trying to figure out a breakfast routine.

Any tips or ideas would be helpful!

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:17 pm

I think I should add that any significant cooking in the mornings is out as I work generally pretty early and there's no way I'll be up in time! Also I tend to eat breakfast IN work (which can be one of 3 offices, no set routine) rather than at home. I like my sleep....

User avatar
amake616
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:48 pm
Location: MI

Post by amake616 » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:50 pm

I don't get too worked up about breakfast. I know a lot of people feel it's necessary to eat a good sized well rounded breakfast or else you're doomed to be fat and unhealthy and that might be true for some people. But I'm fine on a piece of toast or two in the morning or a little yogurt. If you feel deprived and like binging or overeating or something come lunchtime then smear the toast with peanut butter or eat oatmeal. You can make oatmeal in less than five minutes with nuts/dried fruit whatever and that has a lot of staying power. I also have a crunchy granola bar sometimes for breakfast (Nature Valley I think) they're sweet but so is peanut butter and jam and honey and fruit and a lot of other things that are fine in moderation on this diet. I think some people would call them an S but everybody draws their lines differently.

ThomsonsPier
Posts: 321
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 pm
Location: Reading, UK

Post by ThomsonsPier » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:52 pm

I have a similar attitude to breakfast, and have therefore taken to bringing a packed breakfast into work. Inspired by Graze, I bought a segmented clip-shut food storage box and fill it with assorted fruit and cereal things (effectively a breakfast bento box). It allows for variety in meals, and means I don't have to do anything in the morning except pick up the box.
ThomsonsPier

It's a trick. Get an axe.

User avatar
NoSRocks
Posts: 1137
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:51 am

Post by NoSRocks » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:07 pm

On N Days, I usually always have a granola bar, some type of fruit and a small fat free yogurt. Occasionally, I might have a piece of toast instead of the granola bar. This is quite a portable breakfast i.e. the granola bar version - one that you could take to work with you.

On S Days, I have whatever is on hand, cornbread, scones, baked goods along with the yogurt and fruit. However, personally, now that I've been on No s for sometime, I'm thinking on weaning myself off the baked goods for breakfast. Not saying you should do that, just do what's comfortable and what works best for yourself. Those breakfast bars by Nigella Lawson sound awesome btw. Would you care to share the recipe with us?

Good luck and well done on your No S Journey!!
No S-er since December 2009
Streamlined S Days: 6/25/12
SW: 170 /CW: 127
Weight loss to date: 43 lbs

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:19 pm

I have a long commute, and eat breakfast at my desk after I get to work I do drink cafe-au-lait - coffee with a LOT of hot milk - on the way to work. The drive is from 6:00-7:00, then I go to the gym. By the time I get to my desk and eat, it's 8:30. So, I've been up a while before I breakfast, and it's close enough to lunch that I don't want a tremendous amount.

Standard breakfasts include one of the following, plus a piece of fruit:
- Oatmeal (I put it in the fridge the night before - 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, 1/2 cup milk, cinnamon, maybe dried fruit. It soaks overnight, and doesn't need to really cook further. I eat it cold or microwave just until warm.)
- Greek yogurt (I get plain and add a teaspoon of honey) <-- current fave
- 1/2 multigrain bagel (they're big, so only 1/2) with PB or cheese
- 1/2 PBJ on homemade bread (I like it. So what if it's not normally considered breakfast food?)

I pack both my breakfast and my lunch the night before, as I'm putting away dinner food.

Not inspired stuff, but easy. :)

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:40 pm

My breakfasts often look like KCCC's. Especially the Greek yogurt thing.

Though, when I'm in a REAL rush, I make a smoothie -- yogurt, a raw egg (with a salmonella contamination rate of 1 in 10,000 eggs, I took a bigger risk driving to the store to BUY the damn things), some berries, a little milk and some vanilla. Tasty, quick and filling.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:26 pm

Thanks guys, loads of good ideas!

I think I can try and get in the habit of organising and packing a breakfast food the night before. I also found some recipes for savoury muffins that might work well for breakfast!

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

more breakfast ideas

Post by r.jean » Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:14 pm

I eat a similar breakfast almost every day. I try to eat before I leave home but I take it to eat during my commute if necessary.

2 pieces of wheat toast or 2 Whole Wheat Eggos with peanut butter
a piece of fruit; most often a banana
coffee

I also take my lunch which can get boring. I need new ideas for that!
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:30 pm

By the way this is the Breakfast Bar recipe:

* 1 x 397g can condensed milk
* 250g rolled oats (not instant)
* 75g shredded coconut
* 100g dried cranberries
* 125g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
* 125g natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C/gas mark 1/2, and oil a 23 x 33 x 4cm baking tin, or use a throwaway foil one.
2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.
3. Meanwhile, mix together all the other ingredients and then add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber or wooden spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the tin and press down with the spatula or, better still, your hands (wearing disposable vinyl gloves to stop you sticking), to even the surface.
5. Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and, after about 15 minutes, cut into four across, and four down to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.


Last time I made them I just chucked in anything I had to hand - ended up with lots of mixed dried fruit (apricot, fig, pineapple and pear), no coconut and just sunflower seeds. The condensed milk means they aren't exactly healthy though!


rjean, my lunches are always pretty boring! :) they almost always consist of a bagel with cream cheese or hummus, an apple and/or a yoghurt of some kind.

clarinetgal
Posts: 1709
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:16 am
Location: Western Washington State

Post by clarinetgal » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:19 am

My standard breakfast that works really well for me is a bowl of oatmeal (old fashioned oats, but I do microwave them because I'm pressed for time) with some sort of nuts and dried fruit and either a piece of fruit or some fruit juice. This breakfast easily keeps me full for several hours. I also like a whole wheat bagel thin with peanut butter and Trader Joe's Fruit Spread, a hard boiled egg, and a piece of fruit or some fruit juice.

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:14 am

I'm not a big breakfast eater. If I have breakfast it's usually two pieces of whole grain toast and a piece of fruit. If I'm really hungry, I'll add an egg. Occasionally, especially during the times of the year when no fresh fruit is really in season, I'll make a smoothie using frozen fruit.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

ruxpin55
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:38 am

Post by ruxpin55 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:18 pm

I have a question regarding breakfast foods too: does anyone think it's okay to eat a bowl of cold cereal? One cereal that I like it frosted mini-wheats, I know that there is sugar, but is this the "pb&j would be okay" part of the diet? And what about oatmeal? I like to add a touch of brown sugar, I have been trying to slowly wean myself from the sugar, buy kicking up the cinnamon and even trying to add vanilla and or maple flavoring (it's amazing to me that these flavors trick my mind into thinking it's "sweeter" than it is) but should my goal be to completely 86 these areas of sugar, or are they within the limits of what is acceptable?
another thing that I have a question about is, you who like to drink coffee, is that "part" of your meal, or do you drink it all through the day? and if it is through the day, do you add sugar/creamer? I got into the habit of adding a bit of Hot chocolate to my coffee, and I am scaling back significantly (have been before I started No S) but I only have a small mug at breakfast, and I try to make it a point to only drink what I have until my breakfast is done and then I lay off it...
does anyone have any suggestions on how to wean from these areas of sweets?

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:23 pm

What about your two meals doesn't seem like enough? Are you hungry in the morning but just in too much of a rush?

Is there a fridge at work for milk? You can keep a box of cereal (I'm partial to Fiber One mixed with the Trader Joe's high fiber cereal) and some nuts at work all the time so that you don't have to pack every day. I recommend bringing in a quart of milk each week. I also like protein at meals, so I have some protein powder there. Truth be told I keep whole dried milk at work. For some reason, Mexicans can get whole dried milk so I can buy it in a nearby market here in San Diego. Not cheap, but doesn't spoil. Gosh, how I hate skim milk.

However, if you are eating your moderate lunch and dinner and not getting legitimately hungry for breakfast, why bother? Twenty-five percent of long term maintainers registered on the National Weight Control Registry don't eat breakfast. I've gone some mornings with heavy on the lait cafe au lait and been very content until about an hour from lunchtime, the same as when I've had breakfast.

Or have your cereal instead of a coffee break.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:29 pm

I consider frosted cereals sweets. There is no way in HELL you'll ever put as much sugar ON cereal as you get on pre-frosted stuff. If I LIKED cold cereal (I don't), I'd eat a bowl of Cheerios and milk or a bowl of Grape Nuts or corn flakes with no problem -- anything that didn't have Frosted, Honey or some such in the cereal name. Might add some fruit, 'cause I'm fond of fruit.

Yes, you can put a bit of brown sugar in your oatmeal. I don't, 'cause I like oatmeal with butter and salt, or with dried fruit and nuts, so it doesn't need much else in my mind.

I drink coffee all day long and put in a dollop of half-n-half, though I do use artificial sweetener myself, a couple of teaspoons of sugar is okay. For ME adding hot chocolate and stuff like that pushes it over the edge to drinkable dessert. Other people have other views.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:48 pm

Cereal is iffy. Read the nutrition labels and look at the sugar content. If it's got more than a teaspoon equivalent or so, I would consider it a "sweet". (I'm hard-nosed on breakfast cereal, though - I consider most of it junk-with-a-vitamin-sprinkled-on-top. Whenever my child asks for a particular brand of cereal, I read the labels. If it's high-sugar, my answer is "we can get it if you really want it, but it has so much sugar that you'd have to eat it as a dessert." He usually skips it because he'd rather have a real dessert.)

On coffee...I sort of do a "soft glass ceiling" on that. I have cafe-au-lait with one tsp of real sugar. I drink 2 per day in the morning, before breakfast (during my commute) but that I kind of consider "with" breakfast. Then I allow one optional one later....SOMETIMES (If I need a pick-me-up, if I'm starving, if it's a drizzly icky day and I really want it...). I try to make that third one an exception, not a regular event. And that's it - no more.

However, I will give up almost ANYTHING else before I'd cut out those two cafe-au-laits in the morning...or drink black coffee, or put fake sugar in it. So, part of the decision is "what matters to you." :)

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:27 pm

Long ago I read that it was best not to eat a cold cereal product unless sugar was not in the first three ingredients. That cuts out a lot of them and definitely anything frosted. Health food stores have no-added sugar puffed cereals. I don't like that the Fiber One has fake sugar but I like the crunch and the fiber, plus I use it about 1/3 to 2/3 of no sugar hi- fiber TJ. It beats most toasts and breads in fiber and ease of preparation for me, though I do eat high-quality bread sometimes at other meals.

Just for future reference, as you adjust to No S over the long run, I also tend to cook up big batches of whole grains such as rye or barley. I'll heat a bowl of them in the morning made up more like a savory than a sweet as often as I have the cold cereal. I often eat it slowly in the car while I drive to work. I do think weaning yourself away from chewing sweet things is a good idea. I still have my mocha 1-3 times a day. I might give that up, too.

But you are in the beginning stages. I'm afraid you do have to nix the frosted cereals, but don't try to have to many other limits to start. Having too many rules can drive you crazy. Aim for the the No S's to start and adjust the meal contents as you go.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:33 pm

oolala53 wrote:But you are in the beginning stages. I'm afraid you do have to nix the frosted cereals, but don't try to have to many other limits to start. Having too many rules can drive you crazy. Aim for the the No S's to start and adjust the meal contents as you go.
Oh very yes. This.

oolala53 is wise.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:41 pm

ruxpin55 wrote:I have a question regarding breakfast foods too: does anyone think it's okay to eat a bowl of cold cereal? One cereal that I like it frosted mini-wheats, I know that there is sugar, but is this the "pb&j would be okay" part of the diet? And what about oatmeal? I like to add a touch of brown sugar, I have been trying to slowly wean myself from the sugar, buy kicking up the cinnamon and even trying to add vanilla and or maple flavoring (it's amazing to me that these flavors trick my mind into thinking it's "sweeter" than it is) but should my goal be to completely 86 these areas of sugar, or are they within the limits of what is acceptable?
another thing that I have a question about is, you who like to drink coffee, is that "part" of your meal, or do you drink it all through the day? and if it is through the day, do you add sugar/creamer? I got into the habit of adding a bit of Hot chocolate to my coffee, and I am scaling back significantly (have been before I started No S) but I only have a small mug at breakfast, and I try to make it a point to only drink what I have until my breakfast is done and then I lay off it...
does anyone have any suggestions on how to wean from these areas of sweets?
It's not no sugar, it's no sweets -- something you would consider a sweet treat or dessert -- except on S days. Using sugar on your cereal or in your coffee or tea is okay. Frosted mini-wheats might be a stretch, but there are no diet police here. Coffee, tea, (either can be sweetened with a reasonable amount of sugar) and water can be consumed as desired throughout the day. I happen to drink my coffee black, but it's okay to add sugar and cream.

Don't worry about the sugar yet, or possibly not at all. Get the habits under your belt before you make other changes.

For myself, I worry more about the sugar hidden in other foods, in places where I don't expect it, than I do what I add to to foods or what I expect to be present (sugar in jam or jelly, for instance).
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

ruxpin55
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:38 am

Post by ruxpin55 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:10 pm

thank you all for your responses! I don't make it a huge habit to eat the cold cereals, but when I am on the run, and don't have the time to fix hot cereal/grits/oatmeal/7-grain, I tend to eat it as a quick-get-it-on-the-table-fast kind of meal. I appreciate your insight.

On the coffee, I also appreciate your insight. I have been slowly weaning the coffee altogether (just for overall "better-for-me reasons" and because I find I drink less water when I start the day off with coffee, which then causes me to think I'm hungry.... it's a vicious cycle), but I am still getting some headaches, but I am slowly adding decaf to wean off of the caffeine and I am close to not even wanting it, so this is good.

I guess I have one last question for you lovely folks; do you drink juices (I only drink 100% if any) but if you do, should it be limited to meal time? I guess what I am a little fuzzy on is, through the No S diet are you trying to refrain from any calorie intake outside of mealtime? or is it just trying to train yourself into better habits? You read so much about other "diets" that tell you not to take in any calories at certain times etc. and I really don't know if drinking something would throw off the metabolism.. just curious. I am not being hard and fast about anything, but working inside the parameters, and was curious about this point.

Thanks
Jamie
--------------------
God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him.
"Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
(Isaiah 55:2)

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:25 pm

Juices between meals are okay according to the plan. I see it as chewing between meals that is recommended against, or drinking anything that has been blended to make it liquid enough to drink. so no smoothies.

Personally, I don't drink juices. I think they encourage consumption that wouldn't happen if the food was in the whole form. I'd just as soon chew the fruit at a meal. but not all agree.

Milk comes as a liquid. It also has protein in it, which I find helps me not to crave sweets. That's why I choose it if I snack. My experience.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:25 pm

Yes, 100% juice is okay to drink. It's pretty hard to go overboard with 100% juice.

That said, I just HAVE to encourage you to read Reinhard's No-S book because he explains the place of caloric drinks in No-S so succinctly. Basically you CAN drink caloric drinks as long as they're not a sweet (meaning sugar-laden like many a latte), but that ideally drink water and other non-caloric drinks like unsweetened tea or coffee, but a bit of sugar is okay. Reinhard is not a fan of artificial sweeteners and explains why clearly.

Really, REALLY do get the book if it's possible for you. It's a clear, succinct, short, but an entertaining as well as informative read. It explains the principles behind the diet and why it works so very well.

You can get a dead tree copy of the book, but if you read electronic books, Amazon.com sells a Kindle version, so you can read it on your computer, the Kindle device or many mobile devices that run Kindle software. Click here to buy it, and Reinhard also gets some extra credit for you ordering from his site, as well as royalties.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

Sienna
Posts: 262
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:00 pm

Post by Sienna » Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:35 pm

I guess I have one last question for you lovely folks; do you drink juices (I only drink 100% if any) but if you do, should it be limited to meal time? I guess what I am a little fuzzy on is, through the No S diet are you trying to refrain from any calorie intake outside of mealtime? or is it just trying to train yourself into better habits? You read so much about other "diets" that tell you not to take in any calories at certain times etc. and I really don't know if drinking something would throw off the metabolism.. just curious. I am not being hard and fast about anything, but working inside the parameters, and was curious about this point.
The rule is technically no eating between meals, so as oolala and Noel said juice is okay to drink. However, one of the most important principles of NoS is the "Don't Be An Idiot" principle. While it may be hard for some people, others of us have absolutely no problem going waaaaay overboard with juice. I can EASILY drink an entire 64 oz bottle of juice over the course of an afternoon. For those of you keeping score at home, thats somewhere between 900 and 1400 calories depending on the type of juice. Switching to low calorie or light juice can help lower that a bit, but its still incredibly easy for me to go nuts. So I tend to minimize my juice drinking, because its easier for me to just not have it in the house than to try to moderate my intake once I've started drinking it.

On the other hand I do drink wine, which is more calorically dense than juice, on N days without worry. Why? Because I naturally just won't drink more than 1 or 2 servings of wine in a day. Unlike juice it doesn't trigger the "must have more!" feeling that leads to binging. I suppose we all have our vices. I'm just a little bit weirder than most in that mine is juice instead of alcohol.

So what does it all mean for you? If you can enjoy the occasional caloric beverage between meals without "being an idiot" then go right ahead. If you know (or find) that certain caloric beverages set off an Idiot Alarm for you, THEN its time to address those specific issues (either with specific rules, guidelines, or a self-kick in the butt).
Finally a diet that I can make a lifestyle!

Started June 2010
6/27/2010 - 226 lbs
10/17/2010 - 203 lbs - 10% weight loss goal!
1/29/2011 - 182 lbs - 2nd 10% weight loss goal!
5/29/2011 - 165 lbs - 3rd 10% weight loss goal! (one more to go)

ruxpin55
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:38 am

Post by ruxpin55 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:26 pm

awesome. You guys are great. Thanks for the support and helping this newbie out!

I will look into getting that book, thanks for the link NoelFigart!

thanks all for taking to time. I hope I haven't been too much of a bother!
Jamie
--------------------
God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him.
"Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
(Isaiah 55:2)

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:59 pm

I first read the book from a library. I've read many diet and eating control books out of libraries, but I own two copies of No S. One for me and one I keep around to give away when appropriate.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

dmarie710
Posts: 249
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:48 am
Location: Temecula

Post by dmarie710 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:43 am

ruspin55, I love your signature line. That verse is awsome. I know this isn't the subject of the matter, but just had to comment :)
Denise
restart No S on 4/1 at 132#
goal is 120-123# doing vanilla NoS with Eat Stop Eat on Monday.

User avatar
DaveMc
Posts: 394
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:28 pm

Post by DaveMc » Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:25 pm

amake616 wrote:I don't get too worked up about breakfast. I know a lot of people feel it's necessary to eat a good sized well rounded breakfast or else you're doomed to be fat and unhealthy and that might be true for some people.
My theory is that the "eat breakfast or you'll be fat" line is a classic example of people confusing correlation with causation. People who eat a reasonably big breakfast tend not to snack all morning, whereas people who don't eat much breakfast often overcompensate with snacking, leading them to eat more calories in total than if they'd just had breakfast in the first place. But it's the *extra eating* that does it, not some magical effect of not eating breakfast! If you don't eat a big breakfast and then go on to *not* eat a bunch of extra food instead, there's no reason that should cause any trouble. (If you were, let's say, following a set of rules whereby you simply don't eat between meals on normal days, then you should be fine.)

It drives me a bit nuts. (A short drive, in my case.) The complete description is only two clauses long: "Eating a reasonable breakfast may help with weight loss, *because it can help you not snack so much*". But whenever this is reported, it's like that second part is too much effort, and it gets cut down to: "Eat breakfast to lose weight". Grr. If you snack just as much as before, and add a big breakfast on top of that, you're not going to gain anything! Foolishness.

Having said all that, I actually eat a big breakfast and a smaller lunch, just because I prefer it that way. I also eat stuff that most people would probably consider "dinner" foods, for breakfast, because hey, the clock doesn't know everything about what I'm allowed to eat. I had some nice curry, this morning.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:03 pm

"If you snack just as much as before, and add a big breakfast on top of that, you're not going to gain anything!"

I think you meant you're not going to lose anything. And I agree with you.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

User avatar
amake616
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:48 pm
Location: MI

Post by amake616 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:16 pm

DaveMc wrote: The complete description is only two clauses long: "Eating a reasonable breakfast may help with weight loss, *because it can help you not snack so much*". But whenever this is reported, it's like that second part is too much effort, and it gets cut down to: "Eat breakfast to lose weight".
Like it's too much effort or they're afraid of making the issue even slightly complex for fear people are so dumb they'll get confused. Personally I was a lot thinner when I was having a single granola bar for breakfast the way I wanted to then when I was trying to eat more "healthy" and making myself eat a more "well rounded" breakfast on top of everything else.

Curry for breakfast :shock: My sister will eat canned soup for breakfast and I thought *she* was odd.

User avatar
gratefuldeb67
Posts: 6256
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
Location: Great Neck, NY

Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:33 pm

amake616 wrote: Curry for breakfast :shock: My sister will eat canned soup for breakfast and I thought *she* was odd.
curry for breakfast sounds good to me :)
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:43 pm

Ever since I read Shogun, just about anything goes, though mine are relatively traditional. but yeast powder and Parmesan cheese are more likely in my oatmeal than brown sugar and cinnamon. Miso soup with veggies can be on the menu, too. or anything left over.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

User avatar
DaveMc
Posts: 394
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:28 pm

Post by DaveMc » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:35 pm

oolala53 wrote:"If you snack just as much as before, and add a big breakfast on top of that, you're not going to gain anything!"

I think you meant you're not going to lose anything. And I agree with you.
Well, not gain anything in terms of health benefits, which would include not losing anything in terms of weight. So yeah. :)

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:25 pm

Ooh lots of interesting breakfast discussion:)

Personally I'd see sugary cereals as a bit to 'sweet' for the NoS diet, but I would eat plain oatmeal with a small spoonful of honey or brown sugar. I don't take sugar in hot drinks, and tend to stick to sugar free squash for drinks throughout the day. I don't see fruit juice as 'cheating' although I am wary of drinking too much of it as it can be quite calorific and full of sugars.

A practical problem with breakfast for me is the fact that I can be in one of 3 offices each day and this can change drastically from one week to the next. Trying to keep track of where I will be to make sure I take food to the right places can be tricky! That's why I was looking for ideas for portable breakfasts, maybe ones I can take in daily from home rather than taking in a 'stock' of food.

My main worry is that if I don't eat in the morning I'll be really hungry later on. And I DO tend to get pretty hungry in the evenings. I'm not sure if breakfast will change that though, seeing as I'd eat breakfast at around 8-9am, lunch at around 12.30pm and then tea as late as I can hold off :lol: Usually around 6pm.

I've often found that my appetite for meals isn't very big (I'll get full quickly and stop eating) but I can become hungry again pretty quickly! But I'm wondering whether this is actually true or whether I TELL myself this to make it ok to snack ;) We'll see as NoS progresses!

ruxpin55
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:38 am

Post by ruxpin55 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 5:18 pm

dmarie710: thanks ;-)

Milliem: I often make my husband's breakfasts, so kind of on the go. the list is simply this: I will make him a bagel/egg sandwich and wrap in wax paper, so he can eat actually on the go, I make baked oatmeal the night before and he take a cereal-type bowl and a small jar of milk so he can reheat it when he gets to work (baked oatmeal: oatmeal, applesauce, milk, eggs and some sugar fresh blueberries or apples etc) I tend to make grits and in that cereal-type bowl, I just pop the lid on and he's off(no need to reheat) (corelle has cereal bowls that come with flexible lids-- makes this easy to do). I also can send him with yogurt (usually homemade) with some granola (also homemade) and a banana, fresh fruit also works. there are a lot options, sometimes you just have to look outside the "norm". One of our favorite meals for breakfast is actually a really uncommon food here, but it's egyptian, called Ful Medames which is a bean-based mix that can be eaten cold or hot and it is really tasty, I serve it with homemade pita bread (you can google for recipes, because they are a-plenty) but this is good because this food is actually meant to be eaten before the day of fasting in egyptian and arabian cultures, and If I remember correctly it means rock in stomach (or something to that affect) and it surely does keep one full for a long time... I can't think of anything else right now, but do any of those sound like doable options?
Jamie
--------------------
God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him.
"Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
(Isaiah 55:2)

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:05 pm

Thanks for the suggestions Jamie, I admire you for home making so much! Realistically I am just too lazy for that :lol:

I think getting a portable container and making my own porridge to take will be a good idea - it'll have MUCH less sugar and crap if I make it myself with some dried fruit and a bit of honey rather than buying the instant varieties. And cheaper I'd imagine.

I'm also thinking about putting together a peanut butter sandwich or bagel the night before to take with me.

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:54 pm

milliem wrote:I'm also thinking about putting together a peanut butter sandwich or bagel the night before to take with me.
I had a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast this morning. Came home from my swim STARVING and didn't want to take the time to prepare anything else, or even wait for water to boil for oatmeal.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:41 pm

I'm jealous of people with the motivation to get up and exercise BEFORE breakfast! I'm rolling out of bed and out the door to work in half an hour if I'm lucky :lol:

I'm trying soaking oats in milk overnight with some dried fruit tonight, i'll nuke it in the microwave with a bit of honey tomorrow morning, see how that works :)

User avatar
NoelFigart
Posts: 1639
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
Location: Lebanon, NH
Contact:

Post by NoelFigart » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:56 pm

Well, I'm also a boring old lady who is in bed by nine and up before five, too.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:39 pm

NoelFigart wrote:Well, I'm also a boring old lady who is in bed by nine and up before five, too.
Hey, just because you have different waking hours to me doesn't mean you're boring ;) I am just NOT a morning person, never have been.

I actually found a cool looking recipe for Ful Medamas
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009 ... ecipe.html
I wonder if a batch of the bean-mixture could be made up on one day and portioned out and heated up throughout the week... a quickly warmed pita bread would go very nicely with this in work I think.

ruxpin55
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:38 am

Post by ruxpin55 » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:26 am

Milliem: The Ful Mudamas recipe you posted is very similar to the recipe I have, but instead of the chopped tomato I use a 6 oz can of tomato sauce (my husband is not a huge fan of warm-ish tomatoes, or mushy ones, when eaten cold) and I toast the spices right after I saute the onions to soft, so sprinkle the seasonings on the onions and move around the pan a few minutes, it really intensifies the flavor. another thing I do differently is use different beans, fava beans tend to be similar to black beans in that they have abit of a snappy-bite to them (does that make sense?) anyway, they don't seem very tender, and if you would like to mash the beans up a bit, white beans (like cannelini beans) or even kidney beans work in a pinch... so don't be limited by the ability to find a certain bean! and yes, this can be made ahead of time and rewarmed, or even eaten cold (it actually gets better after 12 hours in the fridge-- if it lasts that long ;-) ) it is such a big hit! and SO easy to make. I hope you like it and you come back and say how you well you like it!
Jamie
--------------------
God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him.
"Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
(Isaiah 55:2)

Post Reply