When you consume too many calories for breakfast......

One of my main weaknesses is that if I start my day off 'being bad' then that seems to set the tone for the rest of the day.   When you consume a lot of calories for breakfast (say 600 based on a 1500 calorie daily goal) how would you recover from that so that you end up still within your limits and don't blow the diet?  Normally I would just say the heck with it - "I've already blown it so I might as well eat whatever I want for the day then start back tomorrow."   I'm trying to get over that - so I would like feedback on how everyone else handles it. 

Sometimes you just have to take each day and break it into minute by minute until you create a healthy habit.  So you have had 600 for breakfast...that still leaves you with 900 for the rest of the day.  Make your snacks veggies and eat a good lunch and supper. 

You havent blown it, but perhaps a little more planning may be in order.  Dont blow off the day....simply reign yourself in and readjust....moment by moment.

I actually allocate up to 600 calories for breakfast on a pretty routine basis (although I am aiming for 1600-1800 calories for the day).  I find that if I eat a substantial breakfast I am happy with a smallish (3-400 calorie lunch), maybe a small snack late afternoon (<150 calories) and the balance for dinner.  So, I wouldn't consider 600 calories blowing it.

But, I think it is important to avoid the kind of all-or-nothing thinking that you seem to be implying.  I try to make good choices at each "eating event", and to balance my intake according to a plan, but if I do eat more than I planned at any given time I don't beat myself up over it.  The next meal is another chance to make good choices, no need to punish myself over previous less than ideal choices.  I feel that if I make good choices most of the time, I will gradually get thinner, and stay healthy, and be in a good mindset to maintain the loss once I get to goal weight.

Of course the most obvious answer is to not do it in the first place.  That takes some planning ahead.  Actually write down what you are going to have for breakfast, or even log it in advance.  Make sure you have everything for that meal on hand. 

I like a 300 to 400 calorie breakfast and a 150 calorie mid morning snack.  I make sure that all of it is nutritious and not junk.  I actually plan my entire day's meals in advance.  It's helped me take off weight and keep it off.

I usually try for a 200-300 calorie breakfast. IF that doesnt happen, (like the first day of CC I ate a 990 cal breakfast) then I see how hungry I am come lunch. In this particular case I had breakfast at about noon and come supper time i was only a little bit hungry so I had a 300 cal supper. Worked out fine. Those calories should hold you over longer because there is more energy in bigger breakfasts.. but if it doesnt, eat something you normally would, for me it would be a 500 cal supper and then start fresh the next day.

Theres no point in messing up your day just because you ate more than you should, the faster you get back into your schedule the faster your body will benefit. Think about it, if you start everyday off with a large breakfast and decide that your whole day is ruined then you would always be eating more calories than you expend! = weight gain

Take it with a grain of salt, it happens, to all of us, just move on and forget about it.

Its funny, lots of people say breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, but that doesn't work for me. I start with a big breakfast, I worry the rest of the day. You just have to be careful to eat lighter in the morning.

Original Post by alexandrathelily:

Its funny, lots of people say breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, but that doesn't work for me. I start with a big breakfast, I worry the rest of the day. You just have to be careful to eat lighter in the morning.

Breakfast is the smallest meal for me and then lunch is average and dinner is big. If it was the opposite way I'd be starving by 7pm.

I guess it all depends on the attitude.  If you are going to "blow" your calories, then breakfast is the best time to do it.  You've got the rest of the day to recover (provided you really want to).  Mmm, 600 calories for breakfast. I can't wait!  You've still go 900 calories to play with, based on a 1500 calorie diet.  Get an attitude adjustment.  600 calories does not kill the rest of your day, unless you let it.  

Hey, 600 calories for breakfast is not so bad. You can fit a lot of food into 900 calories, if need be. Examples are veggie stir-fry with 1 cup of rice for lunch (about 300 calories - I use wild rice), and then a low-cal snack of some sort (100 calories-ish) and a nice bowl of home made chili (less than or equal to 500 cals, depending on what's in it) for dinner. I mean, obviously you can switch the numbers about - but you have a lot of wiggle room. Don't fret!

The key is calorie density. A lot of foods have really low calorie density, and you can just fill up on those. I've had days where I've gone to lunch and had like, an 800 calorie lunch. What did I do? I ate a whole lot of egg whites + steamed vegetables for the rest of the day, haha.

i used to have this attitude, but i have done a pretty good job fixing it (still working on it a little haha). the main thing that helped me was to realize that its ok that you were really hungry and had a big breakfast (or the social situation called for it, whatever the reason was). you are human, you do not need to eat the exact same amount of calories each day at certain times of the day. some days you are going to be hungrier in the morning. the next day maybe you aren't. i think its important to work with your body instead of against it. i am normally a light breakfast person. but sometimes i wake up hungry and eat a 500-600 calorie breakfast. you can do a few things. if you want to continue to eat as you would if you hadn't eaten a big breakfast, you can workout a little extra. or if you don't mind cutting back a little for the rest of the day, do that. at the end of the day, it doesn't matter when you ate the calories, its just how many. practice balancing it. after a week or two it gets much easier

Buy a tub of quick-cook oats and a bag of whole ground flax meal. I have four reasons for you.

1. It makes it easy to eat a healthy breakfast when you're pressed for time.

2. Whole grains will fill you up nicely

3. There are only 150 cals in each serving.

4. It's cheap!

I usually throw two tablespoons of ground flax seeds (60 cals) on top AFTER cooking. Flax meal has a nutty flavor, and it is ridiculously good for you. Plus, it is supposed to be helpful in shedding the fat that sits on top of the abdomen. You can probably find Bob's Red Mill brand in the natural foods section of your local grocery store.

That's a filling meal at only 210 cals! Add a little fruit on the side if it's not enough for you. That leaves room to add a few more calories to your other meals when you're more likely to be around more people and not paying such close attention to your calorie intake.

OATS AND FLAX MEAL! Ok, I kind of love oats. Good luck :)

Original Post by soupcanx:

Original Post by alexandrathelily:

Its funny, lots of people say breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, but that doesn't work for me. I start with a big breakfast, I worry the rest of the day. You just have to be careful to eat lighter in the morning.

Breakfast is the smallest meal for me and then lunch is average and dinner is big. If it was the opposite way I'd be starving by 7pm.

 ditto AND most of the time I have to eat a little something before bed

aragingsea, you have convinced me! haha that sounds like a great idea! i have been really trying to get my stomach flatter, i am at a good weight and work out plenty but i still have like a little fat there that i can't seem to get rid of. and i eat oatmeal for breakfast all the time anyway and i love it! i like nuts too so the flax sounds good. thanks for the idea!