Breakfast

[CaptTom]

I think it has less to do with how different we are and more with conditioning our body to accept changes, it doesn't happen in one day.

Well said!

A huge revelation, for me, was when I read about how our digestive system really works.

We condition our bodies to know when it's "time" to eat. Our bodies dutifully prepare before each meal, generating the juices needed to digest it and making room for the coming food.

This is what we perceive as "hunger." Our bodies don't NEED the food, they are just getting ready for what they know is coming.

This changed my whole outlook on eating, and dieting in particular.

It's also the source of my contention that the whole "most important meal" saying is pure BS.

I've read accounts of people who have experienced real hunger, and I hope never to have to find out first-hand how that feels. But apparently, it's a totally different thing from when we skip a meal.

 

[Amethyst]

On gym days, I make breakfast after we return home. The base is oatmeal. I add walnuts, nonfat Greek yogurt, several kinds of fruit cut-up, and granola (for Mr. A.) or raisin bran (for me). He also gets butter and brown sugar mixed in with his oatmeal. He's bigger, needs more calories.

Neither one of us likes cured meats, but at vacation resorts I have seen him devour a plate of steak and eggs for breakfast.

On my 2 work days a week, I eat 2 thick PBJ sandwiches and a couple of pieces of fruit the moment I get to my desk. That holds me for 8 hours.

Mr. A. eats lunch; I don't (or, a snack).

We each eat about the same amount for supper, but he eats dessert every day, and I'm spotty about dessert. The parameters for supper food are: Nutritious, we like it, and I'm willing to prepare it. That allows lots of variety.

 

[Amethyst]

If I had a very big meal, I'll just skip the next one until I'm really hungry again.

Well said!

This is what we perceive as "hunger." Our bodies don't NEED the food, they are just getting ready for what they know is coming.

.

 

[Tadpole]

Typically, a toasted Eggo blueberry waffle with chunky peanut butter spread on the top or leftovers from the night before.

 

[Chuckanut]

I like a good breakfast. Eating the way I do has brought my weight down to were it was 20+ years ago.

It works for me.

 

[Sunset]

I find breakfast the most boring meal of the day.
Probably because I limit myself with my definition of breakfast food (cereal, toast, eggs, pancakes, bagel, etc) .
I do try to vary it a lot every day, but I can't get too crazy as having spaghetti for breakfast would be so weird to me.

It is my limitation.

 

[homestead]

My breakfast if you can call it that is two brazil nuts and a glass of diluted pomegranate juice. Only eat two meals a day lunch & dinner and two days a week skip dinner.

 

[HFWR]

Coffee...
More coffee...
Even more coffee...
A banana, one other piece of fruit (cantaloupe, orange), bowl of oatmeal, one hard-baked egg, though at times I’ll do two over-medium or scrambled with a slice of ww toast.
Milk...

 

[Bir48die]

Coffee for 90 minutes. Usually cereal or granola with or without yogurt. Twice a week eggs and bacon before workouts with toast. Once or twice a month we go out. Today a bacon and cheese omelet. Too much goo. I promise to be better

 

[meleana]

Mon- Fri it is a combo quarter cup oatmeal and oat bran, a teaspoon of wheat germ, a tablespoon of ground flax seed (I grind fresh every morning), cinnamon, craisins, blueberries, unsweetened almond milk. Black tea. Grapefruit juice. Vitamins.


Saturday- Swiss Cheese Omelette, has brown patty, turkey bacon or a fake sausage, English muffin or toast with jelly.



Sunday- might be a waffle or pancakes with maple syrup and light butter OR cereal with a banana.

 

[Ronstar]

Banana as soon as I get up.
Then eggs scrambled with cheese and salsa. And bacon. With water.

 

[Tallman4123]

No breakfast here other than black coffee. I'm one of those 8 hours on/16 hours off Intermittent Fasting folks as well. Have lost 10% of body weight in about a year. Another 10 pounds and I'll be in the normal range according to the NIH. I think I'll look like a neglected scarecrow, but who am I to argue with the NIH? May try the 5 days on/ 2 days off IF after the holidays.

 

[ls99]

On mornings when I work out, no food at all untill afterwards, usually 2 eggs and sausage patties, coffe. Other days no breakfast most of the time.

My weight has been in the 165 to 172lbrange for the last ten years or so give or take a few extra lb on the high side.


I think the slogan: breakfast is the most important meal of the day, was invented by the sugar/cereal industry.

 

[kcowan]

During ROMEO walk today, I indulged in an American breakfast at an oceanfront restaurant during our 10000 steps. OJ, coffees, 3 egg omelette, bacon, fried potatoes, stewed fresh tomatoes, 2 pancakes, baked frijoles, toast and jam. My tab with tax and tip was 200 pesos (about $10).

I had been to a wine and hors d'oevres event the night before so was hungry!

 

[REWahoo]

During ROMEO walk today, I indulged in an American breakfast at an oceanfront restaurant during our 10000 steps. OJ, coffees, 3 egg omelette, bacon, fried potatoes, stewed fresh tomatoes, 2 pancakes, baked frijoles, toast and jam. My tab with tax and tip was 200 pesos (about $10).

Need more steps.

 

[HFWR]

During ROMEO walk today, I indulged in an American breakfast at an oceanfront restaurant during our 10000 steps. OJ, coffees, 3 egg omelette, bacon, fried potatoes, stewed fresh tomatoes, 2 pancakes, baked frijoles, toast and jam. My tab with tax and tip was 200 pesos (about $10).

I had been to a wine and hors d'oevres event the night before so was hungry!

Need more steps.

Heh...

On the occasional trip to Cracker Barrel, I marvel at breakfasts that feature grits, hash browns, biscuits, and gravy. Talk about carbo loading...

 

[michelek]

Breakfast at our house is either very casual/ grab a yogurt or grits and Keurig. Or if we know we won’t have time for lunch a bigger cooked meal with scrambled eggs, ham, tomatoes, fruit, bagel. That can last until dinner or a mid afternoon snack. Weekends we go all out with bacon, omelets, maybe potatoes/hash browns. BMI 22. All good here!

 

[FreeBear]

Surprised how many folks still eat a traditional bacon/sausage and egg breakfast. I love this stuff, esp. with hash browns and/or pancakes/waffles. I gave this up, along with huge buffet lunches, years ago to get back to a health weight and avoid Type 2 diabetes and serious cardiovascular consequences

Getting back to reality, at least my reality, I have oatmeal spike with fruit and nuts every day except when traveling. Yes, every day... Hard to believe as I write this, but I still haven't died of boredom. I guess I really like oat meal. It's funny, because I crave variety in most other areas of life, and one of the reasons I FIRED is that w*rk grew too boring.

My real treat at breakfast is now really great pour over coffee (drip without the Mr Coffee machine). I have a coffee subscription with a farmers' cooperative. They send me a couple of different beans every month. The beans range, to my taste at least, from OK to downright amazing.

Oh, just learned how to make greek/turkish coffee at home. Mindblowing, especially with a little sugar! Life is great, can't wait to get up tomorrow for coffee!

Oh, I just realized that I rarely drank black coffee before retirement. A few years in retirement, I visited a boutique coffee roaster and tasted the good stuff. Now I've seen the light!

 

[LOL!]

I used to eat a light breakfast, but now my breakfast is similar to what many have posted: oatmeal, walnuts, flax, blueberries/craisins. Plus I add protein powder. It has become a 700+ calorie breakfast when I have a small glass of milk with it.

If I make it myself and don't eat out, then it is cheap since the oatmeal costs about 10 cents a serving. Walnuts and blueberries are a bit more expensive, but not too bad. I calculate each breakfast costs between 50 cents and dollar.

I like it so much, that if I travel, I bring breakfasts pre-mixed in zip-loc freezer bags. Just add boiling water, close, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. This works for hotels, friends' homes, AirBNB, and backpacking/camping. But one time at an AirBNB, the owners said "No nuts in the house. We respect allergies of our guests and future guests." No walnuts diminished the joy of this breakfast.

Is it healthy? The meal is healthy enough. I weigh 145 lbs and I am almost 6 ft tall. If I didn't eat 700 calories for breakfast, I would lose weight. Blood pressure and other numbers are fine. Uh-oh, now that I've written that, I'll probably have a heart attack today or tomorrow.

 

[O2Bfree]

I used to eat a light breakfast, but now my breakfast is similar to what many have posted: oatmeal, walnuts, flax, blueberries/craisins. Plus I add protein powder. It has become a 700+ calorie breakfast when I have a small glass of milk with it.

I do about the same thing on the mornings I don't go to the gym, though with plain yogurt instead of milk. And I'll add some cinnamon and sometimes raisins for sweetness. So easy! Except sometimes the soy protein powder gets out of control. It tends to have a static charge and likes to cling to the scoop and the container lid. Then a little will drop off, usually onto my clothes, and it seems to have a preference for black pants. The stuff is hard to brush off!

On gym mornings it's a few dried plums and almonds that have been soaked overnight (why do I feel old writing that? ), then a couple hard boiled eggs post-workout.

Oh, and coffee for sure.

 

[LOL!]

I should add that I cook the breakfast in a large oversize glass bowl in the microwave (1 min, stir, 1 min, stir, whatever to finish, stir). I eat from the bowl and rinse the empty bowl with the milk and slurp it down.

The bowl goes in the sink, gets filled with hot water from the tap, and a bit of liquid dish soap. The oatmeal has no time to stick to the bowl. In an hour or so, the bowl is rinsed and ready for use in making lunch.

That is, ease of clean-up and not making any mess is a big key to the whole morning. In particular, no pot or pan to clean.