What do you have for breakfast when trying to lose weight?

[PinkPurpleOrangeBrownBlue]

I’m trying to lose some residual post-pregnancy weight and I’m a bit stuck on what to have for breakfast. I want to move away from cereals (convenient to eat with a baby around but not great) but I can’t have eggs (intolerance to yokes), I find porridge really blah and toast doesn’t really fill me up.

Any suggestions would be welcome as I’m really struggling. I’m currently at home on mat leave so I can do cooked breakfasts so they don’t need to be necessarily convenient/cold breakfasts.

I have vanilla protein shake with frozen berries or vanilla with banana and small bit of peanut butter

@Iwouldbecomplex

I have a big slice of sourdough with about 100g of smashed avo (smashed with lime, salt and chilli flakes), a fried egg, 2 slices of bacon baked in the oven and 2 chopped cherry tomatoes. You could do egg white instead of full egg or fried mushrooms or extra bacon. Keep it filling. I have that with a big pot of tea that gives me about 3 cups that I have with semi skimmed milk. I love that meal so have that every single day and it really fills me up. I don't eat breakfast until around 11.30 though and only have hot water before that. I then have around 100cal of something sweet like a KitKat at around 3pm and then about 500cals worth of whatever I want for dinner. No other snacks. On one weekend day I have whatever I fancy for my dinner - a takeaway and any pudding and as much of it as I feel like, no guilt. I find the 2 meals a day approach means my meals are more satisfying, and I don't eat any diet food like low fat versions or cooking spray. I used to do 3 low calorie meals and found it hard to stick to because they always felt a bit sad.

I've lost 3 stone in the last 9 months doing this. I have occasional lapses (usually consisting of a drunk night followed by about a week of hangover style eating 😂, plus Christmas and birthday week eating what I want), run about 10k a week on average, go for a 2 hour ish walk once a week and do one zumba class a week, so no mega exercising. I'm 38, I work full time in a desk job, I'm 5ft 8 and my starting weight was 13.5st. I also track everything except my weekend blow out in my fitness pal.

I know you didn't ask for all that info but just wanted to share because it's the first time I've found a way of eating that I've been able to stick to, where I've lost all the weight I wanted and where it's stayed off. Good luck!

Congratulations on your weight loss Iwouldbecomplex I'm really glad you shared because I think your timings are genius and I am going to adopt your eating schedule because I think it would really suit me and extract me from dh's obsessive wish to feed me all of the time (we are both WFH ATM). I don't care much for avocado, except in a chicken salad, but I do swear by eggs for breakfast to stop you feeling hungry throughout the day. Do you mind me asking what time you eat dinner, around seven?

Hi @Shamefulcorners. Thanks :) I'm glad this might help you. I eat dinner around 6.00 on average. I just start making it whenever I get home from work which can be any time from 5.30 to 6.30. Most of the time it's just heating something up though because I tend to batch cook things at the weekend like chilli, curry or stew for the week - I calorie count the whole thing I've batch cooked then split it in to 500cal size portions. If I don't have something pre-cooked then I'll just have something like scrambled eggs on a couple of slices of toast again. I find if I start making it as soon as I'm home there's no temptation to snack before dinner. I don't eat at the same time as anyone else in the house - I just do me. Trying to work with anyone else's schedule makes me hungry!

When I first stopped eating breakfast I did get hungry in the morning for a week or so, but then just kind of lost my morning appetite. I find now if I do eat anything early in the morning it sets my appetite off and I'm suddenly ravenous.

Thank you again Iwouldbecomplex that's really helpful. You sound really organised with the batch cooking. I am going to try and rep!icate that. I don't like eating separately from the rest of the family but needs must! Also, if I walk the dogs first thing in the morning, I usually don't get hungry until later, so fingers crossed this will work. As you say, I'd much rather eat one decent meal a day, and one light meal made up of good, proper ingredients rather than endless "reduced calorie food" which can be soulless, also this seems a more practical way of skipping one meal/fasting without getting too hungry/feeling too deprived. Really excited about starting tomorrow!

Thanks for all the replies, lots to think about here. For those suggesting a high fiber, low sugar cereal what do you recommend?

@Iwouldbecomplex thanks for sharing your routine. That does sound an enjoyable meal and I’m currently at 13.4 stone which is similar to your start weight. I wonder if I should try to eat later in the morning and if that would work for me.

If I'm being very strict and trying to lose I'll have some fat free yoghurt with a little bit of agave syrup. I like something sweet in the morning and this fits the bill.

Good luck @Shamefulcorners and @PinkPurpleOrangeBrownBlue

Good luck with whatever route you choose PinkPurpleOrangeBrownBlue

Are you able to exercise in the morning or at least go out for a power walk? I imagine that's not too easy if you are on maternity leave but I find going out and moving first thing, really dampens my hunger and kind of sets me up for the day diet-wise. It's hard to do though if you are having lots of broken nights. Sleep deprivation really messes with your willpower.

Thank you Iwouldbecomplex

I do overnight oats! Make it before bed/after dinner then it's easy to grab in the morning. I do oats in a little round Tupperware, cover with apple juice, layer of frozen fruit (I keep a few in my freezer, usually raspberries and apples), Greek yogurt and sunflower seeds on top. It's so good, it's easy in the morning, and it's really filling.

Cornflakes
Buckwheat muesli
Sunflower seeds
Raisins
Skimmed milk

I've started having a large banana and glass of whole milk and it tides me over until I have lunch filling enough but not heavy on my stomach.

Beans on toast,
Mushrooms on toast,
Avocado on toast,
Banana pancakes,
Or a big smoothie - (you can blend things in like spinach and not even taste it - if It doesn’t fill you up you can add a scoop of protein powder, or Greek yogurt etc)

I like a hash. So potatoes, spinach, peppers, mushrooms and a sausage, removed from the skin and cooked in a pan (brown off meat and then add everything else). I add an egg on top but if I couldn't do that, would look at adding avocado or making an omlette with the whites and adding the rest as a topping/omlette breakfast burrito.

I have crumpets or English muffins. More filling than toast but easy to do.

I skip breakfast too. I find I get more hungry once I've eaten, so I avoid eating for as long as possible. Have done this for years before I knew fasting was a thing.

Veggie sausage & beans or tinned tomatoes.
Fat free yogurt & fruit

Nothing - it is the easiest meal to skip.

Egg & banana pancakes with blueberries, love them!

I have some eggs and bananas here @Cerealkillers, do you need only those 2 ingredients to make those pancakes?

Super boring but works for me. 40 grams untoasted muesli (diabetic ones are great for low sugar), 1/2 cup full fat milk, 70 grams strawberries or blueberries, 2 tablespoons high protein greek yoghurt. I weight it out everyday, and I'm full until lunch - I cut out snacking when losing kilos, only eat breakfast, lunch, dinner.

@LaBellina I use 2 bananas, 2 eggs and a dessert spoon of plain flour. Makes around 6 small pancakes, the flour just holds them together. You do need to leave them to cook until the top bubbles and it took me ages to get them the right consistency so they can be flipped trial and error with the quantity of flour.

One slice of toast with avocado and an egg

English muffin with ricotta, slices of pear and honey

Cottage cheese mixed with grated carrot, chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice, spread on toast with slices of tomato and cracked black pepper

The above are some of my favourite breakfasts. They're easy, nutritious and filling.

Thanks a lot @Cerealkillers! I'm going to try out your receipe.

I fast from 8pm to midday and have lunch then.

Snack at 12:30, dinner at 19:00/1930