Can I ask a monumentally stupid question about breakfast?

[IWantToGoDancing]

I've never eaten breakfast. My mum gave up about 14 and since then I've not eaten until about midday.

Anyway, I'm trying to change my habits because I'm a bit underweight.

I just can't fathom the logistics of actually making something to eat and cleaning it all up.

I get up at 6.30 and leave at 7.30. How long does it all take you? What do you have?

Ideally something low in calories because I couldn't be doing with toast.

Yes I'm going to try yoghurt. Quite excited about it actually!

I come in and out of restricting. I do have the measure of myself pretty well and I'm ready to be healthier now.

OP, I get what you're saying. I have to eat eevery couple of hours, otherwise I lose weight quickly, but I rarely actually feel hungry.

Plain yoghurt, with toppings of mixed seeds and fruit, like banana and blueberries. Takes 30 seconds to make, but really easy to eat (easier than cereal I think).

I them have a coffee and a cereal bar mid morning.

Seriously? It takes two minutes to microwave a bowl of porridge, put some other cereal in a bowl or make some toast, and less than a minute to wash the dish.

Just to add, dietician told me that people who want to lose weight are told to have a breakfast, so no reason you'll put on weight unless you load with calories, you don't need to have low cal particularly.

If you've always struggled with eating, one approach is to read up on nutrition and focus on eating more "good fats" (as someone else explained above). Focus on nutrition and not on calories (think, "is this good for my body?" rather than "how many cals is it?" or anything else). Foods like avocados, oily fish, nuts and seeds are great for you in all kinds of ways (skin, hair, etc...). There's actually a book called "nutrition for dummies", which I found incredibly useful. I was an alcoholic for decades and basically ate any old shit (Monster Munch for breakfast) so only started to learn about nutrition later in life when I'd recovered and started to give a crap about myself.

It's never a stupid question if you don't know something.

Scrambled eggs take ages! And having to scrub the pan. Is that not half an hour?!

I can scramble two eggs in the time it takes for a slice of bread to toast. Use a non stick pan and it washes as quickly as anything else.

Eggs can also be poached in a bowl in the microwave. Add 1/2 inch water, heat for 30 seconds. Crack your egg and heat for 30 seconds - 1 minute (start low while you work out the right length of time, as they explode if overcooked. Perfect poached egg to your liking.

Sacrilege I know some might say but so quick!

Scrambled egg in a jar is a brilliant work breakfast (or lunch) if you have access to a microwave at work.

Just clean out an old jam jar, or use a Tupperware tub.

Chop spring onion, peppers, ham, cheese or whatever else you like into the tub and break 2 eggs in, add salt & pepper and a little knob of butter, then pop the lid on and take to work. Store in the fridge if you're having it for lunch.

When you're ready to eat, give it all a mix with a fork and microwave for 45 seconds, stir then another 45 seconds.

Bobs your uncle, tasty scrambled eggs.

@vizlsapup

Eggs can also be poached in a bowl in the microwave. Add 1/2 inch water, heat for 30 seconds. Crack your egg and heat for 30 seconds - 1 minute (start low while you work out the right length of time, as they explode if overcooked. Perfect poached egg to your liking.

Sacrilege I know some might say but so quick!

Make sure you pierce the yolk with a fork.

Porridge in the microwave - five mins. . Use full fat milk and top with fruit (blueberries, raspberries or grated apple and a little honey

mixed dried fruit & coconut flakes I like dried apricots or dates (which goes well with yogurt)

oatmeal cakes/biscuits with a lump of cheese (sweet cheese with fruit in like mango or ginger) oatmeal biscuits/cakes come in packs of 5 - you can get them with black pepper if you want savoury - & do hard boiled egg the night before - you can eat that by its self if you like. (annoy everybody on the tube or the train!)
or you could have milky tea (chai) or coffee

Greek yoghurt, cinnamon and Apple or another fruit. Takes seconds to prepare and is tasty. Or crumpets.

I don't really eat breakfast. If I feel hungry I tend to have some ham, seafood sticks or a boiled egg mid morning. Would this be better for you op? I can rarely stomach something sweet like fruit first thing. Occasionally I have the Quaker porridge in a mug if I do fancy something sweet. You could take those sachets with you if you have a mug and hot water at work.

I think people are way off mark with this thread. It sounds like a very young poster who has an eating disorder.

OP, have you had any help from a doctor about your eating?

So you do have an eating disorder then? But you don't specifically say this so I'm wondering if you are ready to take control.

One slice of brown toast is same as a banana really.

@HollowTalk

I think people are way off mark with this thread. It sounds like a very young poster who has an eating disorder.

OP, have you had any help from a doctor about your eating?

I totally agree with this.

Full fat Greek yogurt could be perfect , I like mine from Aldi as it's cheap and huge pots. Topped with a sprinkle of Lizzies granola and honey. I get the struggling with breakfast and I can manage this.

Cappuccino in full fat milk and a handful of nuts. I'm not a big breakfast person either, this was my go to option when commuting by train.

@IWantToGoDancing yoghurt and berries, and porridge pots or museli.

@IWantToGoDancing

I think it would be very good for me to get into the habit of eating three meals and three snacks a day. If I eat later on at night I know that I'll go into a junk food slide, which I don't want to do, so a healthy breakfast seems the way to go.

Eating frequently is not good for you. It causes inflammation in the body. We eat far too often so don't increase the number of times you eat. Certainly not to six. And eating within a 8 hour window is also good for you. So increasing the time over which you are eating is also not a great idea.

I'd just add more to the meals you are already eating.

OP, I have a history of eating disorders. I have been severely underweight. I now have a BMI of 19, which I consider to be bothersome.

I have no idea whether you are in the same place, but if you are, I can see why you might baulk at bread, oats, etc. Yoghurt is my compromise. It's not crappy food, and has calcium in it - but it's not going to worry me.

At the moment, we are all on our own. Given that Covid is all that matters (is it bollocks), everything else will be ignored. But if you can just eat a bit of the things that won't make you too anxious, that would be a start.

I can't eat first thing in the morning, don't like to get up too early and have to leave before 6.30am to get to work with no guarntee for getting to eat again during my 13hr shift. I eat on the way to work or when I get there. I don't like milk, so, before covid-times, I ate dry cereal on the bus (I had to choose cereal carefully so it was something with big enough pieces for this to work). Then I went through a phase where I couldn't bring myself to eat cereal and could only eat brioche rolls that I bought in the city centre Tescos between the bus stop and work, so I eat either brioche roll or cereal while walking to work or in the staff room when I get there.

If you can make/wash up a cup of tea or coffee at work you can have Oatso Simple there. I make it in a bowl with boiling water. Put a bit too much water in, let it steam for 5 minutes and it will be the perfect consistency and temperature. Golden Syrup flavour is nicest! And only about 140 calories a bowl when made this way.

@IWantToGoDancing, Why do you want to have an extra meal, at your inconvenience, rather than increasing the calorie intake at the meals you are used to eating?

The latter is the healthier option.