Breakfasts - Big or small?

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During the weekday, do you eat a big breakfast or a small breakfast?

Poll ended at Sun Dec 10, 2017 3:27 pm

I eat a big breakfast.
3
17%
I eat a small breakfast.
15
83%
 
Total votes: 18

levictoria
Posts: 64
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Breakfasts - Big or small?

Post by levictoria » Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:27 pm

So, I was talking to my husband last night, as he has also been eating very close to NoS the past month but managed to lose 12 pounds (!!!). I was asking him how exactly he's been doing it, and one of the things he said was that most of the time he only eats a banana for breakfast. :shock:

This guy is 6'2'' and 235lbs right now.

Me, on the other hand, eat a big bowl of oatmeal with almond butter, flaxseed milk and a banana. If we are counting calories, I'm having about 500 more than him at breakfast, and I weigh much less than him. That said, my weight seems to have stalled a bit regarding weight loss, so I'm looking at my habits again.

I've been eating like this because all the latest information regarding breakfast points at eating a big breakfast. "Start your day right." I've met with dieticians before who have told me the same thing. I've also heard that your biggest meal of the day should be at breakfast, and your lightest at dinner. Do people actually do this?

That said, I'm curious with what works for people here. Do you make a big breakfast for yourself, or do something relatively small and quick, and have a bigger lunch or dinner? I remember when I was in college I found I could manage my weight quite well with skipping breakfast and just eating lunch and dinner. As of today, I started my day with two hardboiled eggs and a banana (with 1 yolk. I don't like yolks very much). I'm going to try eating a bit less for breakfast and see how I do.

Interested to see what others have found helpful regarding breakfast.
Victoria
Starting Weight 204.6
Starting Date Aug 24, 2017
Current 200.4
Total: -4.2

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Gracie
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Post by Gracie » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:32 pm

As someone whose family hails from outside of the US (India and Jamaica for both sides, respectively), I can say that breakfast was never really emphasized as my primary meal. It was always lunch where we were encouraged to eat heartily. I'm sure this varied from household to household, but I recall in school that we had ample time to eat the large packed lunches we were all sent.

The point of me saying this is that I've always found it peculiar since arriving in the US that people here eat such HUGE breakfasts (at least from what I saw when I was living in Arkansas, which is where my husband and his entire family is from). I understand that you're technically "breaking a fast", but you just woke up and haven't really done too much yet--why start off with something so heavy? It would make me feel sluggish/groggy. I think if a person will be working a manual job (i.e. construction, farming), it makes sense to have a high-calorie meal to kickstart your day so that you can make it to lunch without feeling weary. But, for many of us, I think the concept of a gigantic breakfast is unnecessary. Of course, it depends on the individual, but in general I think the ideology of "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is not universally regarded as true, although it is heralded as such here.

Personally, breakfast is my smallest meal and has always been so. As a child, we'd either have a small bowl of porridge or a piece of fruit with a cracker (plus a glass of juice or milk for those who weren't lactose intolerant). As an adult, I usually opt for some sort of grain (either an English muffin or toast) with a bit of peanut butter (or regular butter) on top. My beverage choice is almost always coffee, but very rarely I will have a glass of buttermilk instead.

Those are just my thoughts and my vote. I'd never recommend that someone completely skip breakfast, but I do not think a calorie-dense breakfast is necessary (minus the exceptions I've already stated). I'm interested in seeing what others think!

xx
28 year old who believes that true growth comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Fun-sized (4'10"), fun-loving, and on a journey to embrace a healthy and practical approach to food.
SW (10/9): 118#
CW (11/6): 113#
GW: 105#

SpiritSong
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Post by SpiritSong » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:50 pm

I find it impossible to eat much breakfast at 5 am, so I voted small breakfast. But I added a No S Mod wherein I can have one snack in the morning so I can last until my lunch at 1 pm. (Yes, I realize I wouldn't starve to death in 8 hours, but I also don't want to be distracted by hunger all morning. Also, yawning, whether or not due to low blood sugar, is frowned on at work.)

UPDATE: Now I am 16/8 fasting, so my breakfast is generally somewhere between 10 and 11 in the morning. It is still small because (1) I am at my desk at work, and (2) I don't want to spoil my appetite for lunch at 1 pm.
Last edited by SpiritSong on Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ladybird30
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Post by ladybird30 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 11:28 pm

I break my fast when I feel hungry, whenever that is, which is mostly not until mid morning or later. I see no point in eating if I am not hungry enough to enjoy it, and my body isn't telling me it needs food.

Big breakfasts weigh me down, so usually I have a smaller first meal.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

navi
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:55 am

Post by navi » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:08 am

I'm in the light breakfast crowd - I just don't feel like eating much in the morning, so I start with coffee and an hour later have toast and cream cheese or butter, or maybe a small bowl of museli and some fruit. If I eat a larger breakfast I feel hungrier during the day, and end up eating more overall.

jenji
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Post by jenji » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:51 am

I think mine would fall into the large category. E.g., I might have a piece of grilled bread, a piece of bacon, some wilted greens, an apple, and coffee (always).

I guess that as I get the habits under control, these might get smaller. Honestly my lunch and dinner have been big, too, but with larger meals, I have mostly avoided the dreaded S pitfalls.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

ironchef
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Post by ironchef » Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:31 am

I eat a small bowl of oat porridge once I get to work, made with boiling water and a dash of milk. I usually add some nuts or seeds, or a teaspoon of sour cream.

Breakfast is my smallest meal, also my most routine (I almost never vary it, even on weekends).

The only meal I consistently eat with my family around our dinner table is dinner, so it makes sense for us that this is our largest and most varied meal of the day.

I'd been told the "eat a hearty breakfast" stuff for years, and then went to Italy and found that plenty of people just had a small coffee (or, to be honest, a coffee and a cigarette). I think a lot of this is just cultural.

As I have 3 days a week at a desk job where I just sit around, I just don't think I need a whole lot of early morning calories to "power my day". My oats at 8 or 9am carry me nicely to a 12:30 / 1pm lunch, so that's all I need.

Bluebell
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Post by Bluebell » Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:52 am

I guess my breakfast is in the big category, I have a bowl of muesli or granola followed by a piece of wholemeal toast. In the early days of NoS the bowl would be very full and the toast would be two slices. Over time the bowl is less full and the toast one slice. This has just happened gradually as I now feel fuller with less food. But, I would not like to go until lunchtime with, say, just a piece of fruit or a yoghurt.
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:01 am

No matter what is said about eating like a king at breakfast and a pauper at dinner, I just think in our culture, it doesn't work because savoring and enjoying the food, especially with others, is part of the charm, as it is in traditional,slim cultures. I have to be at work at 7. There's no way I'm going to sit down and slowly eat a big breakfast. Besides, the French and Italians, traditionally 3-mealers, both eat simple, small breakfasts, coffee with milk and something bread-y, usually, and not even high fiber!

From years of calorie counting, I'd guess my breakfasts are around 200-300 calories, probably more often on the lower end, a good 50 of that in my coffee. I drink only one big cup so I want it to taste how I want! More than your husband, but less than you. I'm 5'5", hover around 138 lbs.

I've reported before that when I was in Nepal in the late70's (it could be different now), the Nepalis got up and did a few hours of hard work just on hot water or tea before they ate anything. I guess no one told them they needed eggs, toast, hash browns, and bacon to get through the morning.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
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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
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gingerpie
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Post by gingerpie » Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:50 pm

Maybe I'm a bit in the middle? 5 days a week, I have savory oatmeal (smallish bowl) mixed with a full serving of vegetables and a bit of feta cheese. If I'm short on vegetables, I'll substitute a serving of walnuts and 1/2 an apple. All with a cup of black coffee.

On the weekends, I'll often have the same but if someone makes pancakes or some other breakfast treat I'll have that instead.

I've heard the idea of making breakfast the biggest meal of the day but it wouldn't work in terms of my family life. The only meal of the day that we can all gather together and spend a fair whack of time talking is in the evening so I wouldn't want to disrupt what we have going.

noni
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Post by noni » Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:50 pm

Except for coffee, I normally skip breakfast M-F. It helps keep my weight down. I was not a big breakfast eater anyway, so it's not a hardship.
"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Fri Oct 13, 2017 5:09 am

I eat a fruit-yogurt smoothie, usually around 250 calories, and sometimes coffee with cream and sugar. I'd rather dinner be the larger meal since that's the one my family can usually eat together. But if not, sometimes lunch is my bigger meal with a lighter supper.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:57 pm

I'm just not hungry in the mornings, but I do love my cup of coffee, reg or decaf depending on how I am doing it at the time. I often eat a handful of peanuts. I love a bowl of cereal and milk but often can't be bothered. Lunch is often my largest meal of the day, and I like to be hungry for it.
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

vmsurbat
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Post by vmsurbat » Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:37 pm

My breakfast is really more middle of the road. Working out of my home, I start my morning with coffee, but don't actually eat breakfast until 9-9:30 am or so.

Typically, one of three breakfasts which I tend to rotate:
1 egg, veggies, toast, half-piece fruit
Hot cereal with dried fruits, milk, sprinkling of nuts
Toast with PB and banana, glass of drinking yogurt

I feel satisfied but not heavy after these breakfasts. Our main meal is lunch, which is usually between 1:30-2:00. Dinner is our lightest meal.

I think the real trick is to find what works for you, your schedule, your family. There is NO magic power in eating a big meal for breakfast, especially if you want to have a more substantial meal later anyway.

The discipline and habit of 3 NoS Meals a day is the best place to start. When you start to lack the bite of appetite for your next meals, you know you can start to trim them!
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

jenji
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Post by jenji » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:59 pm

vmsurbat wrote:My breakfast is really more middle of the road. Working out of my home, I start my morning with coffee, but don't actually eat breakfast until 9-9:30 am or so.

Typically, one of three breakfasts which I tend to rotate:
1 egg, veggies, toast, half-piece fruit
Hot cereal with dried fruits, milk, sprinkling of nuts
Toast with PB and banana, glass of drinking yogurt

I feel satisfied but not heavy after these breakfasts. Our main meal is lunch, which is usually between 1:30-2:00. Dinner is our lightest meal.

I think the real trick is to find what works for you, your schedule, your family. There is NO magic power in eating a big meal for breakfast, especially if you want to have a more substantial meal later anyway.

The discipline and habit of 3 NoS Meals a day is the best place to start. When you start to lack the bite of appetite for your next meals, you know you can start to trim them!
For some reason I thought you had all of these, in 3 courses. I was picturing these old adverts that said some crap was part of "this complete breakfast". LOL
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

vmsurbat
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Post by vmsurbat » Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:31 pm

jenji wrote:
vmsurbat wrote:My breakfast is really more middle of the road. Working out of my home, I start my morning with coffee, but don't actually eat breakfast until 9-9:30 am or so.

Typically, one of three breakfasts which I tend to rotate:
1 egg, veggies, toast, half-piece fruit
Hot cereal with dried fruits, milk, sprinkling of nuts
Toast with PB and banana, glass of drinking yogurt

I feel satisfied but not heavy after these breakfasts. Our main meal is lunch, which is usually between 1:30-2:00. Dinner is our lightest meal.
For some reason I thought you had all of these, in 3 courses. I was picturing these old adverts that said some crap was part of "this complete breakfast". LOL
Ha, ha! That would be a recipe for gaining pounds over the years!

Although, you know, I have a very old cookbook--from the 30's where the beginning of the book educates the modern young housewife on cooking from coal, wood, and even new-fangled electric stoves! :shock: It is set up in the form of a daily menu.

I kid you not, but breakfast for hubby DID include eggs, bacon or ham, oatmeal and fruit. Kids got oatmeal and milk. And cake and other desserts made a daily appearance at both lunch and dinner... yes, EVERY day.

However, the portions suggested in general were MUCH smaller than today's typical plate, and the average energy expenditure was greater due to more walking and daily activities.
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

Larkspur
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Post by Larkspur » Wed Oct 18, 2017 12:48 pm

I've been having a fruit smoothie (3-4 servings fruit) and a bowl of cereal or piece of toast.

My lunches are usually my biggest meal.

I read somewhere that if you're used to eating breakfast, you do better metabolically when you keep having it, but if you don't usually eat it, that's okay too (based on some sort of metabolic measure I forget.) I had a naturally trim friend comment that she feels hungrier during the morning when she eats breakfast versus skipping it.

Elizabeth 7
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Post by Elizabeth 7 » Thu Oct 19, 2017 2:37 am

I like a small breakfast. Usually greek yogurt OR a granola bar OR maybe a small bowl of cereal. I don't feel that this is required or anything, but it is what I *usually* do.

I remember I used to read a healthy living blog where the author had oatmeal every morning.

I tried a recipe, made HALF the amount of oatmeal she reported eating for breakfast, and couldn't even finish it! This person was a normal weight, but also ran quite a bit. At the time I was pretty active, and actually training for a 10K.

I think it just depends. Some people just *really* like breakfast, and CAN eat a fair amount of it. I have always been a breakfast eater, but the amounts have always been small to moderate.

I do think that people who eat that way (prefer a larger breakfast) and want to either lose weight or stay at a lower weight have to acknowledge that that is just fine.... however, it may very well mean eating less than someone else at dinner or lunch. ie, I think most people's caloric requirements probably don't allow for a big breakfast AND a big lunch AND a big dinner. YMMV, of course... It's all up to personal experience and preference.
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Merry
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Post by Merry » Thu Oct 19, 2017 3:20 am

vmsurbat wrote:
Although, you know, I have a very old cookbook--from the 30's where the beginning of the book educates the modern young housewife on cooking from coal, wood, and even new-fangled electric stoves! :shock: It is set up in the form of a daily menu.

I kid you not, but breakfast for hubby DID include eggs, bacon or ham, oatmeal and fruit. Kids got oatmeal and milk. And cake and other desserts made a daily appearance at both lunch and dinner... yes, EVERY day.

However, the portions suggested in general were MUCH smaller than today's typical plate, and the average energy expenditure was greater due to more walking and daily activities.
Sounds like a fun cookbook!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

VictoriaMurphy
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Post by VictoriaMurphy » Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:31 am

For my breakfast, I eat a fruit followed by a simple and nutritious recipe. I have found about many easy to cook recipes from the livre régime. After checking more information about this diet guide, I am planning to learn more recipes that are healthy for my body. I never skip breakfast as it is an important part of my diet plan.
Victoria Murphy

Imogen Morley
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Post by Imogen Morley » Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:41 pm

Wow, am I really in the minority here? My breakfast is always the biggest meal of the day, and always protein-based. Give me oatmeal and I'm starving two hours later. Take away one piece of bread or one egg from my breakfast and I'm gobbling up sweets and fried food throughout the day, never really satisfied with anything.
It's really baffling to me how many people prefer late and/or small meals in the morning. Or non-existent, like my husband. Breakfast is the reason I wake up!

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Jan 26, 2018 11:50 pm

I guess you are in the minority! If you don't miss having bigger meals later in the day, no problem.
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)

flyingpig
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Post by flyingpig » Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:48 pm

I don't know if this counts as small or big but I normally have one of these three options:
1) Bowl of porridge made with 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup mik and 1/3 cup water. Topped with fruit of some kind (apple, banana or blueberries) and occasionally nuts
2) two slices of granary toast made into a peanut butter and banana sandwich
3) a slice of toast with two eggs

It doesn't seem to make any difference to how hungry I am at lunchtime, and as I have neither the time or opportunity to snack between lunch and breakfast anyway (I'm a teacher so cant eat while working ), the decision is purely based on what I fancy when I wake up and what food I actually have in.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Jan 28, 2018 3:51 pm

Those are small. (I am the official arbiter. :wink: I thought I eat small!

levictoria, try not to get too influenced by other people's breakfasts at this point. Honestly, that sounds like a diet head question. Behind it is Should I (big I) be eating less? Will this get me where I want in the time I want to get there? Can I go FASTER?

No one can answer that. Just like weight loss, appetite adjustment is not predictable. If anything is predictable, it's probably going to take more than a few weeks just to establish a baseline for most people. It makes sense if someone's dream is to be an astronaut or ballerina to go for the dream, but they don't get to apply for the job tomorrow. Good news, huh? Your training will take a fraction of the time theirs does! And your odds will be even better for success.
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)

friscobob
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Just Eat 1200-1500 Calories Daily

Post by friscobob » Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:59 am

Eat 1200-1500 calories daily, be active during the day, do a lot of walking, drink a lot of water, and do some calisthenics such as pushups and squats, and you will lose weight and maintain it. A commitment is needed, not just a temporary commitment, it has to be maintained as a lifestyle for life. If food is always on your mind, try intermittent fasting, eating all your meals in an 8 hour window and fasting for 16 hours. You can choose your window, such as eating between 7AM and 3PM, fasting until next morning at 700AM, or between 9-5, 10-6, 11-7, whatever suits you, just as long as you fast for 16 hours. We have to find something that we can do consistently. The No S program works great, and once you get used to it is easy to follow, but one shoe does not fit all. Good luck in your quest for weight loss, health, and happiness.
Health Is The Greatest Wealth!

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