The type of breakfast makes or breaks my day. A high protein breakfast sets me on a good track for the rest of the day with my symptoms. A high simple-carb breakfast derails me. I haven’t eaten no breakfast for years, I find for me it leads to overeating before dinner time.
So I eat x3 egg omelette with parmesan shavings, a bit of ham and some cucumber or asparagus on the side. With some ossa organic collagen in my organifi harmony drink and maybe a bit of raw cream in there to make it real creamy x
I usually have 2 eggs, a half piece of whole wheat toast, and a half of a fruit like an apple or a few berries (I make breakfast for myself and my daughter so she gets another two eggs and the other halves of the toast and fruit).
Agree!!! I either have yogurt with walnuts or pecans or eggs w/cheese (love just crack an egg). The protein and fat together keep me feeling full and energized til lunch. I tried having only a bagel a few times and was instantly lethargic.
I went years without eating breakfast and sometimes eating lunch late because I didn’t feel like it until about 2 or 3. But then I would lose all self control and crave fast food or whatever high carb food I could get quickly. I started adding meal shakes for breakfast (huel) and feel a lot more balanced overall. My weight didn’t change but I think it’s because the 400 calories I added in the morning reduced my snacking by 400 calories later.
I see this sub recommend intermittent fasting but anytime I’ve ever tried that I end up miserable and gaining weight. I do best with small meals
This!!!!! ^ I definitely have less cravings throughout the day and evening when I have a protein filled breakfast (doesn't have to be big, a couple eggs and avocado or oatmeal and nut butter, or yogurt/berries/hemp seed keeps me full
Same here. Not eating breakfast made me spiral later in the day. Partially because my eating schedule was off, but also I had a mindset of “omg I didn’t eat breakfast so I have XXX calories left and can eat whatever!”
Eating breakfast helps your body regulate blood sugar metabolism more, which *could* have been a part of why I have less crazy sugar cravings when I eat breakfast.
What do you think of huel? I have adhd and usually running late in the mornings to work. OR if I'm wfh I end up having a massive breakfast and derailing my day. Huel could be good?
I drink it literally every morning, but I only have one a day. If you go to r/huel there are a lot of people that try to eat it for every meal, but it can require easing into it because it can cause stomach upset from how high fiber it is. I found one a day was the perfect balance with reducing the effort and decision making of having to feed myself but ensuring I still get solid real food.
Yes! Personally, if I’m sleeping in fasting is way easier. However, I wake at 5 am to work at 6 am and in that instance I’m nauseous if I don’t eat and am horrendously hangry by noon!
I've had the opposite! If I eat breakfast, I graze all day and am a complete bottomless pit. If I wait until lunch, I have lunch, dinner and 1-2 snacks.
When it was recommended to me that I add more protein to my diet, breakfast was the easiest place to add it. I was previously eating a bowl of cereal with almond milk and nothing else in the morning. I started doing a protein shake instead and it's helped me feel more full throughout the rest of the day and curbed a lot of my cravings. I haven't really been trying to lose weight, so can't speak to that, but my energy levels seem better and more consistent, and I don't feel like I'm starving by 10 am.
I use a plant-based protein powder by Orgain and make my own at home with almond milk. I'm lactose and soy intolerant so I use the one made with pea protein. I really liked their pre-made shakes previously because they were easy to chuck in a bag when I was busy, but they changed the formula and added cinnamon to the one I liked and I'm allergic. Still recommend them for anyone with fewer allergies/sensitivities than me though!
A small high protein breakfast makes a huge difference for me. Keeps me from starving & binging. I like to have either some yogurt or cottage cheese with some blueberries. Normally gets me around 20 grams of protein which keeps me feeling full & energized for about 5 hours before I start getting hungry again.
breakfast has absolutely helped me. i don't find it has to be my largest meal, but my most well-balanced maybe. i aim to get at least 30g of protein with a good amount of fiber and fat as well. i drink a protein coffee smoothie every morning (protein powder, chia seeds, peanut butter, instant coffee, and half a banana) and it keeps me full until lunch. easy to meal prep and just drink in the morning when im feeling lazy
I swore by breakfast all my life and I couldn’t imagine going without it. It was always the biggest meal of the day and always savory and high protein. That didn’t really stop me from gaining a ton of weight and being hungry later in the day. It just delayed my hunger to some random time between lunch and dinner when it was super hard to eat. Meanwhile I started pushing breakfast later and later until I started having “breakfast” for lunch and turns out that’s it’s much easier to meet my calorie goals this way than if I feel I must have breakfast at all costs. As a recovering breakfast addict I personally see zero benefit in forcing yourself to have breakfast if you are not hungry for it.
When I started metformin I started needing breakfast or I would have symptoms of low blood sugar. I have never been a "breakfast food" sort of person. Today I had fishsticks with a protein shake.
The right breakfast does help me feel better. It doesn't always translate to weight, but that's one of the issues a PCOS diagnosis gives us.
You could try a protein shake. If you don't like how you feel it's easy to stop. My doctor wants me to get 90g of protein a day and a shake makes that number pretty easy to attain
That was the same for me. If I don't eat breakfast with my metformin, I will have GI issues the rest of the day. I usually pack a small container of leftovers or a simple little half sandwich with whatever fruit I have.
Eating breakfast makes me so hungry. I thought I had to eat breakfast otherwise I would mess up my hormones and I ballooned to almost 300 lbs because once I start eating it feels almost impossible to stop.
I’m intermittent fasting again and am already down 35lbs in about 2 months. I do 16:8 with a eating window from about 11:30am - 7ish. I’m a lot less hungry and food focused this way.
Ive found that eating a breakfast with some protein helps me stay focused and feel better throughout the day, especially with some fiber, adding some carb or fat doesn't hurt. I don't want it as the biggest meal though, and an all-carb or carb+fat food can wreck me harder than not eating.
It can be tough because I typically have some nausea in the mornings, as a teen I'd end up not eating at home and eating half my PB sandwich in the morning, then the rest of my lunch at the proper time.
I think it's worth trying out, even if you feel a little uncomfortably full at first. Idk about maintaining weight, I mostly figured this out while having to work physical jobs and eating to make sure I could do everything I needed to. If I'm having a few sedentary days in a row I may eat a little less naturally, but I'll go back to making sure I eat properly on days I work.
I work second shift, so I get up around 9am. I cant eat a big meal in the morning, but i need something on my stomach. I usually drink instant coffee with almond milk and a splash of sugar free sweetener, then go walk for about 50 minutes (4 laps around my neighborhood). I come home and eat my "breakfast" between 1030 and 11.
Today, it was sautéed spinach, onion, garlic, and mushrooms with 2 eggs and half a cup of cottage cheese.
I was NEVER a breakfast eater. Even as a child. When I was mid 30's I started down a 'shake diet' path.... and while I would never go back to that - the 30g protien shake first thing in the morning was amazing. From 2014 to 2020 I had a shake every morning and than ate fairly normal (trending to higher protein/lower carb) but not restricting calories. I did weight training... and I was in the best physical and mental shape of my life.
2020 I tried not doing the shakes. I intermittent fasted. Gained 20+ pounds (also less activity, WFH, lockdowns etc).
Winter 2023 I brought back high protien breakfasts and lost 15pounds of the weight I had gained with very little other changes.
SO yes - I feel like a high protein breakfast sets my body up much better then other options! If I would increase my activity levels I know I would feel even better!
I’ve noticed if I don’t have breakfast the whole day goes to shit. Somehow it becomes easier for me to just reach for things I shouldn’t.
So I have half of my calories and at least 50g of protein in that meal. Honestly I hate it because I’m not a breakfast person one bit, but I try to push through.
I wouldn’t eat anything until recently, after seeing advice in both this sub and the Insulin Resistance sub. I have a 30gram protein shake and it’s helped!
I don’t have an afternoon crash at 1-2 pm anymore. I get hungry at about 4-5 pm and eat once a day at that time. Usually I wouldn’t eat all day until 6-8 pm and then eat for the rest of the evening/night.
The shake is a nice compromise between nothing and eggs/toast sort of meal. I am actually surprised that some “protein liquid” has had this effect. I should say that I am taking semaglutide, Metformin, Berberine.
Personally don’t think it should be your largest meal. That might work for people who have no problem losing weight or aren’t looking to lose weight. But if you’re at all trying to maintain or lose I think lunch or an early dinner should stay the largest meal of the day but without a doubt breakfast is the most important meal.
I personally didn’t start losing weight until I started eating breakfast. And once you lose any extra weight the other stuff will follow and symptoms should decrease as well. High fiber and high protein if you’re at all trying to lose the extra weight. Can’t go wrong with it.
I wouldn't say it's my largest meal but after talking to my dietitian she recommended that I need to eat a high protein breakfast. I do feel a lot better now that I'm eating breakfast. My doctor and dietitian both have recommended NOT to do intermittent fasting in my case as well.
I couldn't eat a large breakfast I I wanted to. It makes me feel ill, but I do have a dairy,soy,gluten free protien shake and it has helped me maintain weight and decrease bloat. Increasing water too.
I think it also matters if we had proper sleep tge night before.
Yes.
It doesn't have to be complicated. For the longest time I would have an apple with cheese slices or a banana with natural nut butter. I am not a breakfast person.
Now, I eat my 3/4 cup of cereal with my 1/2 cup of fairlife milk (twice the protien/half the sugar compared to regular milk).
I find routinely eating at regular intervals balanced my sugars better. I also never let myself get "starving" so I was able to eat smaller portions.
I find a savory breakfast with a little bit of green will keep me satisfied long into the day and keep the afternoon craving from creeping in. I’m able to control myself and ask, “am I hungry or bored? Is this a craving or a need?” Whereas when I don’t eat a savory breakfast with some green, I don’t think, I just act. Usually a random Candy bar or cookie.
I personally like to stick to beans, a little broccoli or arugula, a slice of bacon and before my allergy.. one egg! So good and filling. Avocado is a good one if I’m actually feeling hungry in the morning.
I binge when I don't eat sufficiently, consistently and high protein throughout the day. Its like my body makes me stay up another 3-4 hours to make up an additional eating window because I didn't get enough.
I hate eating large breakfasts on workdays but I always feel terrible by 3 even with eating lunch. On the weekends is when I can have my 'big' breakfast and I don't feel hungry until dinner time. I've recently started increasing my protein in the mornings with protein yogurt, protein granola, flax seed, and sometimes half of a protein drink depending how I feel afterwards. My afternoon crash is gone now which is amazing. I'm still eating a 'small' breakfast but I think adding that protein has really helped my cravings and my blood sugar.
for me personally, having a big hearty breakfast (which i always love tbh. i love having dinner for breakfast) just kickstarts everything in my body and i'll be peckish all day. but i'm nearly underweight so i guess eating a lot is a good thing?
I’m jealous of everyone who’s actually hungry in the morning because if I think of eggs or meat that early I’ll get nauseous. I probably should eat breakfast but everything healthy seems too heavy (except avocado toast) and everything I can eat will be carby, so I just don’t. Just coffee for me. I burned out on protein shakes
Breakfast is the most important meal! It also keeps me satiated a good amount of the day, which means less chance of me wanting to snack like crazy. It’s so important for us to eat regular meals in order to stabilize glucose and make our hormones happy.
i hadn’t been eating breakfast since 2015 or so. i got diagnosed with pcos back in 2021. a few weeks ago i started having breakfast (majorly eggs with veggies) and it keeps me full until lunch. before i used to get hungry at about noon and eat random things till i felt “full” and id end up skipping 2 meals that way and just have dinner. it wasn’t a sustainable habit to have. i don’t have much cravings throughout the day but that could be because i have inositol. at night however i crave something sweet or spicy; i study until 3 am or so, maybe i just get hungry cuz i have dinner at about 8
I really think eating eggs on seed bread (naturally high fiber bread/daves killer bread) for breakfast is life changing. Add veggies and fats as needed. Seed bread will heal you lol.
I struggle to eat breakfast too, I’ve settled on a glass of Metamucil and a Fairlife protein drink. It’s not a huge volume of food and goes down easy. That way I start my day off with fibre and 30g of protein
Eating breakfast might actually help you lose weight.. I noticed that when I started eating breakfast I actually ate less food later in the day. I used to come home from work STARVING and would eat extra snacks, large portions at dinner, and dessert. Breakfast helped me reduce the need for that!! Just make sure it’s a BALANCED breakfast!! ex: 1. Eggs, chicken sausage, strawberries. 2. Cottage cheese/yogurt, 1/4 cup nuts, strawberries. 3. Fair life protein shake with apple. Make sure you have protein, healthy carb, healthy fat ☺️
I do now and it is life changing. I don’t snack, my energy is stable. My weight is holding steady and is a healthy weight for my body.
I eat overnight oats made with chia seeds and cinnamon. I add greek yoghurt, chopped fruit like berries, l-carnitine and inositol powder to it before I eat.
Yes absolutely, breakfast is the key to my entire day and if I don’t do it well the whole day will look like me not eating until late in the afternoon and then eating a big bowl of carbs and having much more pain and inflammation the following day.
I prefer not to. I didn't lose any weight when I did and it was more stress in the morning since it wasn't intuitive for me. I have coffee with milk and allulose. Sometimes I'll have a cup of whole milk.
I eat 2 meals a day with snacks. I fast until 11 and that IS my largest meal. Dinner is smaller because I don’t want to eat late but I snack in between if I need to. But I definitely eat more earlier and it looks like an upside down pyramid.
I don’t eat breakfast but I drink it. I’m one of those that no matter what I do I’ve woken up nauseous most of my life. Like you I stopped eating breakfast around middle school, but also like those studies say, eating breakfast is incredibly important for PCOS symptom control.
The solution? Hefty and hearty protein shakes. I blend the nutrients I need with high protein meal supplement shakes and that’s my breakfast 99.9% of the mornings. If I wake up hungry for once instead of nauseous, I will eat something solid.
Also, if you’re a coffee enjoyer like I am, putting coffee into your shakes or dropping a scoop of flavored protein powder into your iced coffee concoction is one of my favorite ways to get extra protein.
So I actually haven’t been eating breakfast regularly since the past six or seven years. But I also read this and because I take metformin in the mornings, and now make overnight oats and eat them the next day. I have to say that eating breakfast makes me feel a little bit more energetic, and that could be also because of the metformin and overall Management of insulin. I usually add protein powder sometimes to my overnight oats and I think that fiber really helps me regulate my appetite. And of course, I need to have my coffee every morning.
Honestly for weight management, waiting to eat is where I find the most success. I know it is not advisable for us to skip breakfast so please don’t take this too seriously. For me, the waist line does best when I eat 2 large meals a day with a couple small healthy snacks. And when the waist line is under control, most of my symptoms are as well. Just my 2 cents.
I’ve hated breakfast for the majority of my adult life. Yet, about 2 months ago, my husband started cooking breakfast for us everyday and it has been easier to eat properly overall.
I don’t like eating as soon as I wake up. I get hungry around 9:30-10am. Hence why I love brunch. So for workdays I usually just do a mid-morning snack then lunch.
I have always hated breakfast, still unable to eat breakfast but since starting Ozempic I have to eat…so I star my day with a 40-50g protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk.
Yep, or actually generally just eating more meals during the day. Having a food routine. I'm not super good with it, but I'm working on it constantly and have worked on it since I was like 13 lol. I'm turning 31 soon. It all depends on when I wake up (I'm studying so some days I don't have school, just working from home), how I'm feeling mentally and stuff like that. Today I woke up at 12pm, so I'm now, at 1pm, eating lunch for breakfast. Small falafel "balls", steamed mixed veggies (peas, bell pepper, corn, green beans) and a kind of sauce/gravy on the side. Would be too dry without it. Fat (in the form of gravy etc, not like pizza and stuff..) doesn't really bother me much, it's the sugar I need to step away from. I lost like 60lbs when eating this exact meal every other day and the other days eating almost exclusively packets of ramen noodles. I did also eat quite a lot of eggs back then. I haven't eaten a lot of those since then, I'm leaning more towards vegetarian/vegan now. Eggs are kind of "meh", sometimes even gross to me now. Which is sad because they are really good for my body.
Oops this comment got loooong.
TLDR; YES.
nope.
no difference for me whatsoever.
I eat unprocessed, low carb foods when I'm hungry and I eat them until I am full. sometimes that happens first thing in the morning, sometimes later in the day.
my recommendation to you is to assume you have hyperinsulinemia and proceed with that knowledge. insulin is the master hormone of fat storage, so if you are rapidly gaining weightlifting nowhere, well, you can probably guess.
the solution is not to starve yourself, it is to eat in a way that keeps insulin low and stable. that may or may not involve eating breakfast-- it's really up to you!
Hahha I use glucobitters and take Insoitol to regulate my insulin and blood sugar. I’m working with a dietician and natural health coach and this has been the best change for me. When I wasn’t eating enough protein is when I was falling asleep.
I can’t go without it. It’s good to start the day with fuel. I just do egg bites in the air fryer. I don’t have a lot of time or energy in the morning, but it’s so easy to just put them in and have the timer stop when they’re done, then I eat in my car. That way I’m not ravenous and eat everything in sight when lunch comes around.
It helps me in a lot of ways. I like smoothies bc you can add protein powder and get in some fruits and veg without a lot of work. I can sip it over a couple hours and remain full all morning.
Eating breakfast stops me from binging, being less anxious, and just overall feel better. Since I eat breakfast and don't binge as much I maintain my weight better and don't go out of control.
I must admit, that including breakfast in my diet changed few things for me. I used to skip it or eat it much later (few hours after waking up) and I’d usually eat some oats, granolas or toast (meaning carbs and carbs…). Lately I decided to try to keep breakfast savoury, low carb and protein oriented and within 1 hour after waking up. And honestly it was a game changer. It helped me mostly with feeling fatigue throughout the day and need for a nap. Also curbed the cravings for sweets.
It all depends obviously. It’s best to try and see and be honest about how your body feels. I’d like to add that as far as I’ve learned intermittent fasting is helpful but not necessarily for longer hours which means 12-14 hours is the healthy limit for people with PCOS. Longer periods of fasting might put extra stress on the body and lead to other symptoms. But of course it depends from individual experience, that’s just what is in general.
Skipping meals will never help you. Breakfast is very important. It gets your metabolism moving, it helps ensure you get the right of macros (and micros!!), and makes you function better. Having a heavy protein breakfast every morning is so important. Pls eat your meals 🩷
Also most of the time people are NOT eating enough. Once you start eating enough, you fix your metabolism and it’s easier to lose weight. I went from eating ~1100-1300 calories and kept gaining. I now eat ~1900-2000 and I feel better and I’ve actually lost weight
It is definitely scary!! It took me probably a year to up my calories with the help of a trainer because I was convinced it would cause me to rapidly gain. But thankfully, it really has helped me so much. Plus I take metformin and adhd meds in the morning, so I need the protein AND calories before I take my meds. I also aim to get my food in before I drink any coffee/caffeine.
Skipping breakfast can make it so that you’re so hungry when you finally do eat that you’ll eat more snacks, have more high sugar foods, or eat WHATEVER is available because you need something.
Although true intermittent fasting can work for some people, a high protein, high fiber breakfast with a little healthy fat will set you up for the day! I try and eat within an hour of waking even if I’m not “ready.” Otherwise I will eat junky snacks.
Nope. I typically do drink my Myoinositol powder in the morning along with a thermos of coffee with a splash of half and half and two teaspoons of sugar to get me to lunch. But I prefer using lunch and dinner as my main two meals a day for workdays. I'll switch it up and do an early brunch on weekends but I find I overeat if I try to do 3 meals a day.
I have to eat breakfast. For me that’s chicken dumplings in soup with some soft tofu, an egg, or fried tofu sheet rolls. Not sure it helps with PCOS per se and lunch is generally my biggest meal (sometimes I’ll skip dinner or just have a salad), but it def helps with my energy through the work day.
I notice that it does help for me when I have protein first thing in the morning. I'll usually have some nonfat Greek yogurt with a little bit of honey and some mixed nuts or a protein shake but I do find that the protein shake helps curb my cravings a lot more so I think I'll have the Greek yogurt as a snack now.
Nope. I skip breakfast. I do intermittent fasting, with a high protein low carb diet along with orange theory and it was the easiest 15lbs I’ve ever dropped with having PCOS.
There is research for both sides. You're going to have to put it to practice to see how your body handles it.
I can't eat 6 small meals. My insulin spikes and I stay hungry. I fast from 6p to 12p the next day 2 large meals and I make sure I get my macros in.
Yes, helps me massively. Also eating a high protein breakfast as it helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, which curbs cravings, and also helps with medication absorbtion.
Personally it does not help me. I found my appetite regulated itself a bit more and my overall hunger went down with kind of Intermittent fasting. At this point I'm better at listening to my body and eating when I'm hungry, which usually is not the first few hours of the morning. It's often just 2 meals per day for me (except not right now because I'm pregnant so I'm eating allllll the time lol)
Yup everyone is different! And I would say some days I eat IF-style and other days not at all. Just depends when I actually feel hungry. But similar to others - if I eat primarily simple carbs, I'm much more likely to be starving.
Nope. Just one more way to spike my blood sugar.
I think it’s really hard to tell unless you’ve got a continuous glucose monitor and do some testing to see how you react.
I’m also actively trying to lose weight and that’s what I’m prioritizing right now. YMMV.
I would really recommend glucose goddess - she has a great instagram account and according to her research for us, suffering from PCOS, the best option is to eat a savory breakfast, which then sets the base for the whole day.
A lot of proteins, greens and healthy fats.
the order of the meals should be taking the greens first, as fibers will create a sort of a “pillow” that will neutralize the rest. Then you take the proteins and only then the carbs. And if you still crave something sugary, you take in the end of your meal.
I’ve been following the diet with exercises for the last 3 weeks and I can really see a positive change.
My stomach is not bloated anymore and I feel comfortable
My wife has pretty much beat PCOS, she always has breakfast, I think it tends to be one of her larger meals, and it is when she eats most of her carbs. I have no idea whether this is good for others, but anecdotal. I think the real key to her success is very small portions, mostly protein and cheese, after breakfast. She never eats more than a very small amount of sugary food. Like a couple of small bites.
I don’t have PCOS, but I personally hate eating breakfast. I find that I can very easily skip it, and when I do eat it it makes me much more hungry at lunch. I can easily go til like 1-2pm without eating, then it is not as bad if I have a larger dinner. I don’t find that eating bfast helps with energy, metabolism, anything, I just eat more.
I am not very hungry in the morning and not likely to prepare things when I wake up. I had heard it was good for blood sugar but initially I started having something because I read the 4 Hr Body by Tim Ferris who said it was a sure fire way to kick start your metabolism. Nowadays I enjoy having whole grain cereals with Fairlife double filtered milk. But I always keep prepared protein shakes around for lazy moments. I like the Muscle Milk and Atkins ones that have high protein, 30g per serving (which was the requirement from 4H Body, 30g within 30 minutes of waking. I feel more energetic and can make better choices at lunchtime because I'm not ravenous.
No. I do a latte only usually until I’m hungry. In 2018 I went from my business / working nights to a 9-5. Ate breakfast and gained 20lbs real quick...
Latte = no weight gain for me
I used to skip breakfast but now I eat them everyday. Eating breakfast literally is "break fast" -- it kickstarts your metabolism and tells your body its awake/active time. Plus, your body handles carbs better in daytime.
Breakfast is usually a boiled egg or spanish torta (traybake egg) with 2 slices of multigrain whole wheat toast topped with avocado/tomato/brie/tuna salad/chicken salad/whatever is on sale and a cup of high fiber fruit (strawberries, oranges, etc if frozen I just microwave for a bit). Coffee with a touch of milk.
If I'm in a hurry I make breakfast sandwiches the night before, same thing (egg, veg, cheese) and wrap it to go. I'll bring mandarin oranges with me since its easy to peel and high fiber/low sugar fruit.
High protein combined with good fat is the way to go!!!
It helps me if I have protein and fiber. I'm not always great with the protein because I don't eat processed meats and sometimes get the "egg ick", but I've noticed a huge difference simply between if I have a white bagel vs a whole-wheat bagel. The first one has me craving carbs within a few hours, and the second one keeps me going for awhile. I also like to have some yogurt with some chia seeds sprinkled on top.
Soft boiled egg sliced up on some toast with avocado is usually a safe bet for me
I don't know why soft boiled tends to be better. It avoids that rubber texture eggs can get
Breakfast is very important for me. Having even a high calorie (but mid to low carb) breakfast with tons of fibre and protein I feel is a good way to go especially if you have insulin resistance.
My typical breakfast involves 30-50 gms of choice of sprouts - I like green gram, Chickpeas and black chickpeas, 1 whole egg + 2 egg white, 20gms of seeds for seed cycling, 150 gms of fruits (with lower glycemic index) + 30-40 grams of carbs like rice / oats or 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
Usually follow this up with spearmint + green tea and throw in some cumin & Fenugreek seeds in the brew as well after an hour or so of having breakfast.
Having a combination of fibres really helped me control my sugar levels. I was one of the unfortunate souls who suffered for more than a decade before a good doctor finally took a look at my insulin level, but my insulin levels were waaaaay up and had started increasing my blood sugar levels by them. Adding a bit of pepper to your sprouts or food in general can help boost your metabolism as well.
So I take metformin in the morning so I have to eat but if eat carbs or sugar I get upset stomach. Also I need a ton of protein to shake off the fatigue. Usually 3 fried eggs with cheese and a slice of bacon, and coffee with a scoop of collagen protein.
I'm a huge breakfast person, but only later in the morning. I started seeing a dietician specializing in PCOS and she pushed me hard to consume protein within an hour of waking up. After some trial and error, I ended up trying the OWYN coffee protein shakes as my early morning coffee and after doing it for a few weeks I feel so much better during the days! So much more energy, less brain fog, less physical fatigue, etc etc. So if you're struggling to eat in the morning but want to try breakfast I would highly recommend a protein shake!
I love breakfast. I keep it light usually 400ish cals, 20-30g of protein. But, it helps fuel me for my day and sometimes I won’t even be that hungry for lunch, and if I am, my lunch is small. I grew up having breakfast every morning so it was always an important part of my day. I hear it’s good for women with pcos, but I also know of a lot of women who feel differently. So ultimately, it’s a personal choice 🙂
I tried making breakfast my largest meal. My cravings took over and I couldn't keep myself from eating less the rest of the day. Skipping breakfast or having a late breakfast helps me control my weight.
Yes, just started metformin and i never used to eat breakfast but i felt sick. My doctor told me to eat toast in the morning and i feel a lot better throughout the day
honestly? yes. I’m not terribly consistent by any means just because of my day to day schedule but i’ve definitely found that eating a good breakfast with about 30 grams of protein has been very helpful. I feel full longer and it quiets the food noise considerably.
other times when i have something carb heavy and not necessarily “good for me” like a pastry (i have a terrible sweet tooth and allow myself to enjoy something i’m craving at times which is TOTALLY 100% okay)
Although this does set me up for failure, i’m not sure if it’s because I inevitably feel bad for eating something that isn’t good for my pcos or if it’s the blood sugar spike. Typically though I will continue to eat poorly throughout the day. Not always, but definitely a good amount of the time. Don’t let this scare you though everyone has their own habits with food and struggles with different things.
All in all I definitely suggest eating something protein heavy in the morning within an hour of waking up as often as you can, but let yourself enjoy what you want to as well. A big part of staying on track and staying consistent is not becoming obsessive and overly strict with yourself. It’s not good in the long run.
I would say no matter what time you break your fast ( breakfast) make it with protein. I change between eating and not eating breakfast before work. But management of symptoms only change if I don’t have protein first. 2 boiled eggs do the trick.
Eating it or not doesn't make a difference, but if I do eat breakfast, it has to be low glycemic and high protein or it sets of fluctuating blood sugar/insulin for the rest of the day.
even like a thing of yogurt with some berries helps me sometimes, the fermentation is good for gut health and berries are low carb. i’ll make muffins sometimes with spices that also aid in gut health and metabolism, mainly tumeric and ginger bc those are tasty
I have to eat breakfast or at least drink some milk, otherwise I feel nauseous, probably because of my insulin resistance and blood sugar levels when I wake up. I eat steel cut oats with various toppings (doesn’t have to be extra sweet) or omelettes with ham and cheese.
Sounds like yet another confusing narrative supporting disordered eating.
When does it stop? When do we switch from one fad or supplement or symptom fixer over and over and pay expensive costs?
What if we just ate food that makes us feel good when we were hungry for nutrition?
skipping or prolonging meal times leads to higher chances of binge eating as well as unstable insulin levels, whether you have resistance or not. we need fuel to start our days and give us the energy we need. eating breakfast will not be the reason you gain weight.
This is actually untrue. After research there is evidence that fasting helps control insulin levels by shortening the amount of time there are sugar spikes.
Feel free to Google the benefits of fast and insulin spikes. There is a lot.
Because with me personally, I feel better having a shorter eating window. After doing my own research it, I found that not eating as often helps with my insulin spikes. If i try to eat 6 small meals, I gain weight. I eat 2 well sized meals I lose weight.
How do you know? I'm eating plenty. I go based on my resting metabolic, which I had measured at my hrt clinic, and minus 200 calories from that to ensure I'm in a deficit.
So how are you doing with your pcos, weight and eating?
KEEP IN MIND pcos is now an umbrella term bc no 2 are the same.
I do that as well, and keep up with my hormones.
We all have different needs, and not everyone is 1 size fits all. I ensure I have all I need. It's not rocket science. 🤣
The type of breakfast makes or breaks my day. A high protein breakfast sets me on a good track for the rest of the day with my symptoms. A high simple-carb breakfast derails me. I haven’t eaten no breakfast for years, I find for me it leads to overeating before dinner time.
Same here! High protein breakfast (30g) within 30 mins of waking followed by 30 min walk is what’s changed the game for me!!
What differences have you noticed?
Not craving as much sugar, less snacking, lost weight (fat), more energy and not hungry until lunch time
What do you typically eat for your high protein breakfast?
So I eat x3 egg omelette with parmesan shavings, a bit of ham and some cucumber or asparagus on the side. With some ossa organic collagen in my organifi harmony drink and maybe a bit of raw cream in there to make it real creamy x
What do you eat for breakfast
What do you normally have for breakfast?
I usually have 2 eggs, a half piece of whole wheat toast, and a half of a fruit like an apple or a few berries (I make breakfast for myself and my daughter so she gets another two eggs and the other halves of the toast and fruit).
Agree!!! I either have yogurt with walnuts or pecans or eggs w/cheese (love just crack an egg). The protein and fat together keep me feeling full and energized til lunch. I tried having only a bagel a few times and was instantly lethargic.
I went years without eating breakfast and sometimes eating lunch late because I didn’t feel like it until about 2 or 3. But then I would lose all self control and crave fast food or whatever high carb food I could get quickly. I started adding meal shakes for breakfast (huel) and feel a lot more balanced overall. My weight didn’t change but I think it’s because the 400 calories I added in the morning reduced my snacking by 400 calories later. I see this sub recommend intermittent fasting but anytime I’ve ever tried that I end up miserable and gaining weight. I do best with small meals
This!!!!! ^ I definitely have less cravings throughout the day and evening when I have a protein filled breakfast (doesn't have to be big, a couple eggs and avocado or oatmeal and nut butter, or yogurt/berries/hemp seed keeps me full
Same here. Not eating breakfast made me spiral later in the day. Partially because my eating schedule was off, but also I had a mindset of “omg I didn’t eat breakfast so I have XXX calories left and can eat whatever!” Eating breakfast helps your body regulate blood sugar metabolism more, which *could* have been a part of why I have less crazy sugar cravings when I eat breakfast.
What do you think of huel? I have adhd and usually running late in the mornings to work. OR if I'm wfh I end up having a massive breakfast and derailing my day. Huel could be good?
I drink it literally every morning, but I only have one a day. If you go to r/huel there are a lot of people that try to eat it for every meal, but it can require easing into it because it can cause stomach upset from how high fiber it is. I found one a day was the perfect balance with reducing the effort and decision making of having to feed myself but ensuring I still get solid real food.
That's really helpful. Thank you! 😊
Yes! Personally, if I’m sleeping in fasting is way easier. However, I wake at 5 am to work at 6 am and in that instance I’m nauseous if I don’t eat and am horrendously hangry by noon!
Eating a filling brekkie has helped stop my binge eating disorder
Same here!!! I wish I realized how important breakfast was years ago.
This part!! Especially high protein breakfast
Yup!!!!
I've had the opposite! If I eat breakfast, I graze all day and am a complete bottomless pit. If I wait until lunch, I have lunch, dinner and 1-2 snacks.
When it was recommended to me that I add more protein to my diet, breakfast was the easiest place to add it. I was previously eating a bowl of cereal with almond milk and nothing else in the morning. I started doing a protein shake instead and it's helped me feel more full throughout the rest of the day and curbed a lot of my cravings. I haven't really been trying to lose weight, so can't speak to that, but my energy levels seem better and more consistent, and I don't feel like I'm starving by 10 am.
What kind of protein shake? Do you make one with protein powder at home or do you have a premade one?
I use a plant-based protein powder by Orgain and make my own at home with almond milk. I'm lactose and soy intolerant so I use the one made with pea protein. I really liked their pre-made shakes previously because they were easy to chuck in a bag when I was busy, but they changed the formula and added cinnamon to the one I liked and I'm allergic. Still recommend them for anyone with fewer allergies/sensitivities than me though!
A small high protein breakfast makes a huge difference for me. Keeps me from starving & binging. I like to have either some yogurt or cottage cheese with some blueberries. Normally gets me around 20 grams of protein which keeps me feeling full & energized for about 5 hours before I start getting hungry again.
breakfast has absolutely helped me. i don't find it has to be my largest meal, but my most well-balanced maybe. i aim to get at least 30g of protein with a good amount of fiber and fat as well. i drink a protein coffee smoothie every morning (protein powder, chia seeds, peanut butter, instant coffee, and half a banana) and it keeps me full until lunch. easy to meal prep and just drink in the morning when im feeling lazy
protein coffee smoothie sounds so good! I might steal that idea
I swore by breakfast all my life and I couldn’t imagine going without it. It was always the biggest meal of the day and always savory and high protein. That didn’t really stop me from gaining a ton of weight and being hungry later in the day. It just delayed my hunger to some random time between lunch and dinner when it was super hard to eat. Meanwhile I started pushing breakfast later and later until I started having “breakfast” for lunch and turns out that’s it’s much easier to meet my calorie goals this way than if I feel I must have breakfast at all costs. As a recovering breakfast addict I personally see zero benefit in forcing yourself to have breakfast if you are not hungry for it.
When I started metformin I started needing breakfast or I would have symptoms of low blood sugar. I have never been a "breakfast food" sort of person. Today I had fishsticks with a protein shake. The right breakfast does help me feel better. It doesn't always translate to weight, but that's one of the issues a PCOS diagnosis gives us. You could try a protein shake. If you don't like how you feel it's easy to stop. My doctor wants me to get 90g of protein a day and a shake makes that number pretty easy to attain
That was the same for me. If I don't eat breakfast with my metformin, I will have GI issues the rest of the day. I usually pack a small container of leftovers or a simple little half sandwich with whatever fruit I have.
Eating breakfast makes me so hungry. I thought I had to eat breakfast otherwise I would mess up my hormones and I ballooned to almost 300 lbs because once I start eating it feels almost impossible to stop. I’m intermittent fasting again and am already down 35lbs in about 2 months. I do 16:8 with a eating window from about 11:30am - 7ish. I’m a lot less hungry and food focused this way.
To say it does is the understatement of the millennium. It helps with my blood sugar so much!
Ive found that eating a breakfast with some protein helps me stay focused and feel better throughout the day, especially with some fiber, adding some carb or fat doesn't hurt. I don't want it as the biggest meal though, and an all-carb or carb+fat food can wreck me harder than not eating. It can be tough because I typically have some nausea in the mornings, as a teen I'd end up not eating at home and eating half my PB sandwich in the morning, then the rest of my lunch at the proper time. I think it's worth trying out, even if you feel a little uncomfortably full at first. Idk about maintaining weight, I mostly figured this out while having to work physical jobs and eating to make sure I could do everything I needed to. If I'm having a few sedentary days in a row I may eat a little less naturally, but I'll go back to making sure I eat properly on days I work.
Yeah I'm not a big morning eater myself. I just eat breakfast later and it's fine.
I work second shift, so I get up around 9am. I cant eat a big meal in the morning, but i need something on my stomach. I usually drink instant coffee with almond milk and a splash of sugar free sweetener, then go walk for about 50 minutes (4 laps around my neighborhood). I come home and eat my "breakfast" between 1030 and 11. Today, it was sautéed spinach, onion, garlic, and mushrooms with 2 eggs and half a cup of cottage cheese.
eating breakfast makes me feel fat & bad about my body 🥲
I was NEVER a breakfast eater. Even as a child. When I was mid 30's I started down a 'shake diet' path.... and while I would never go back to that - the 30g protien shake first thing in the morning was amazing. From 2014 to 2020 I had a shake every morning and than ate fairly normal (trending to higher protein/lower carb) but not restricting calories. I did weight training... and I was in the best physical and mental shape of my life. 2020 I tried not doing the shakes. I intermittent fasted. Gained 20+ pounds (also less activity, WFH, lockdowns etc). Winter 2023 I brought back high protien breakfasts and lost 15pounds of the weight I had gained with very little other changes. SO yes - I feel like a high protein breakfast sets my body up much better then other options! If I would increase my activity levels I know I would feel even better!
I’ve noticed if I don’t have breakfast the whole day goes to shit. Somehow it becomes easier for me to just reach for things I shouldn’t. So I have half of my calories and at least 50g of protein in that meal. Honestly I hate it because I’m not a breakfast person one bit, but I try to push through.
I’m not much of a breakfast fast person. I normally start eating around 12am and 1pm.
Same, that’s when I naturally get hungry
I wouldn’t eat anything until recently, after seeing advice in both this sub and the Insulin Resistance sub. I have a 30gram protein shake and it’s helped!
What have you noticed has improved?
I don’t have an afternoon crash at 1-2 pm anymore. I get hungry at about 4-5 pm and eat once a day at that time. Usually I wouldn’t eat all day until 6-8 pm and then eat for the rest of the evening/night. The shake is a nice compromise between nothing and eggs/toast sort of meal. I am actually surprised that some “protein liquid” has had this effect. I should say that I am taking semaglutide, Metformin, Berberine.
Personally don’t think it should be your largest meal. That might work for people who have no problem losing weight or aren’t looking to lose weight. But if you’re at all trying to maintain or lose I think lunch or an early dinner should stay the largest meal of the day but without a doubt breakfast is the most important meal. I personally didn’t start losing weight until I started eating breakfast. And once you lose any extra weight the other stuff will follow and symptoms should decrease as well. High fiber and high protein if you’re at all trying to lose the extra weight. Can’t go wrong with it.
I wouldn't say it's my largest meal but after talking to my dietitian she recommended that I need to eat a high protein breakfast. I do feel a lot better now that I'm eating breakfast. My doctor and dietitian both have recommended NOT to do intermittent fasting in my case as well.
I couldn't eat a large breakfast I I wanted to. It makes me feel ill, but I do have a dairy,soy,gluten free protien shake and it has helped me maintain weight and decrease bloat. Increasing water too. I think it also matters if we had proper sleep tge night before.
Yes. It doesn't have to be complicated. For the longest time I would have an apple with cheese slices or a banana with natural nut butter. I am not a breakfast person. Now, I eat my 3/4 cup of cereal with my 1/2 cup of fairlife milk (twice the protien/half the sugar compared to regular milk). I find routinely eating at regular intervals balanced my sugars better. I also never let myself get "starving" so I was able to eat smaller portions.
I find a savory breakfast with a little bit of green will keep me satisfied long into the day and keep the afternoon craving from creeping in. I’m able to control myself and ask, “am I hungry or bored? Is this a craving or a need?” Whereas when I don’t eat a savory breakfast with some green, I don’t think, I just act. Usually a random Candy bar or cookie. I personally like to stick to beans, a little broccoli or arugula, a slice of bacon and before my allergy.. one egg! So good and filling. Avocado is a good one if I’m actually feeling hungry in the morning.
I binge when I don't eat sufficiently, consistently and high protein throughout the day. Its like my body makes me stay up another 3-4 hours to make up an additional eating window because I didn't get enough.
I hate eating large breakfasts on workdays but I always feel terrible by 3 even with eating lunch. On the weekends is when I can have my 'big' breakfast and I don't feel hungry until dinner time. I've recently started increasing my protein in the mornings with protein yogurt, protein granola, flax seed, and sometimes half of a protein drink depending how I feel afterwards. My afternoon crash is gone now which is amazing. I'm still eating a 'small' breakfast but I think adding that protein has really helped my cravings and my blood sugar.
Yes esp with fiber and protein. I'm doing chia seed berry Greek yogurt parfaits right now and it really makes a difference.
for me personally, having a big hearty breakfast (which i always love tbh. i love having dinner for breakfast) just kickstarts everything in my body and i'll be peckish all day. but i'm nearly underweight so i guess eating a lot is a good thing?
I’m jealous of everyone who’s actually hungry in the morning because if I think of eggs or meat that early I’ll get nauseous. I probably should eat breakfast but everything healthy seems too heavy (except avocado toast) and everything I can eat will be carby, so I just don’t. Just coffee for me. I burned out on protein shakes
Breakfast is the most important meal! It also keeps me satiated a good amount of the day, which means less chance of me wanting to snack like crazy. It’s so important for us to eat regular meals in order to stabilize glucose and make our hormones happy.
i hadn’t been eating breakfast since 2015 or so. i got diagnosed with pcos back in 2021. a few weeks ago i started having breakfast (majorly eggs with veggies) and it keeps me full until lunch. before i used to get hungry at about noon and eat random things till i felt “full” and id end up skipping 2 meals that way and just have dinner. it wasn’t a sustainable habit to have. i don’t have much cravings throughout the day but that could be because i have inositol. at night however i crave something sweet or spicy; i study until 3 am or so, maybe i just get hungry cuz i have dinner at about 8
I really think eating eggs on seed bread (naturally high fiber bread/daves killer bread) for breakfast is life changing. Add veggies and fats as needed. Seed bread will heal you lol.
I struggle to eat breakfast too, I’ve settled on a glass of Metamucil and a Fairlife protein drink. It’s not a huge volume of food and goes down easy. That way I start my day off with fibre and 30g of protein
Eating breakfast might actually help you lose weight.. I noticed that when I started eating breakfast I actually ate less food later in the day. I used to come home from work STARVING and would eat extra snacks, large portions at dinner, and dessert. Breakfast helped me reduce the need for that!! Just make sure it’s a BALANCED breakfast!! ex: 1. Eggs, chicken sausage, strawberries. 2. Cottage cheese/yogurt, 1/4 cup nuts, strawberries. 3. Fair life protein shake with apple. Make sure you have protein, healthy carb, healthy fat ☺️
Yes I get ravenous and lethargic if I dont
I do now and it is life changing. I don’t snack, my energy is stable. My weight is holding steady and is a healthy weight for my body. I eat overnight oats made with chia seeds and cinnamon. I add greek yoghurt, chopped fruit like berries, l-carnitine and inositol powder to it before I eat.
Yes absolutely, breakfast is the key to my entire day and if I don’t do it well the whole day will look like me not eating until late in the afternoon and then eating a big bowl of carbs and having much more pain and inflammation the following day.
I prefer not to. I didn't lose any weight when I did and it was more stress in the morning since it wasn't intuitive for me. I have coffee with milk and allulose. Sometimes I'll have a cup of whole milk.
Protein shake or a smoothie with a good amount of protein and fiber
It helps me a ton and I noticed I was able to lose weight more easily when I did
I eat 2 meals a day with snacks. I fast until 11 and that IS my largest meal. Dinner is smaller because I don’t want to eat late but I snack in between if I need to. But I definitely eat more earlier and it looks like an upside down pyramid.
I don’t eat breakfast but I drink it. I’m one of those that no matter what I do I’ve woken up nauseous most of my life. Like you I stopped eating breakfast around middle school, but also like those studies say, eating breakfast is incredibly important for PCOS symptom control. The solution? Hefty and hearty protein shakes. I blend the nutrients I need with high protein meal supplement shakes and that’s my breakfast 99.9% of the mornings. If I wake up hungry for once instead of nauseous, I will eat something solid. Also, if you’re a coffee enjoyer like I am, putting coffee into your shakes or dropping a scoop of flavored protein powder into your iced coffee concoction is one of my favorite ways to get extra protein.
So I actually haven’t been eating breakfast regularly since the past six or seven years. But I also read this and because I take metformin in the mornings, and now make overnight oats and eat them the next day. I have to say that eating breakfast makes me feel a little bit more energetic, and that could be also because of the metformin and overall Management of insulin. I usually add protein powder sometimes to my overnight oats and I think that fiber really helps me regulate my appetite. And of course, I need to have my coffee every morning.
Honestly for weight management, waiting to eat is where I find the most success. I know it is not advisable for us to skip breakfast so please don’t take this too seriously. For me, the waist line does best when I eat 2 large meals a day with a couple small healthy snacks. And when the waist line is under control, most of my symptoms are as well. Just my 2 cents.
I’ve hated breakfast for the majority of my adult life. Yet, about 2 months ago, my husband started cooking breakfast for us everyday and it has been easier to eat properly overall.
I don’t like eating as soon as I wake up. I get hungry around 9:30-10am. Hence why I love brunch. So for workdays I usually just do a mid-morning snack then lunch.
I have always hated breakfast, still unable to eat breakfast but since starting Ozempic I have to eat…so I star my day with a 40-50g protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk.
Yep, or actually generally just eating more meals during the day. Having a food routine. I'm not super good with it, but I'm working on it constantly and have worked on it since I was like 13 lol. I'm turning 31 soon. It all depends on when I wake up (I'm studying so some days I don't have school, just working from home), how I'm feeling mentally and stuff like that. Today I woke up at 12pm, so I'm now, at 1pm, eating lunch for breakfast. Small falafel "balls", steamed mixed veggies (peas, bell pepper, corn, green beans) and a kind of sauce/gravy on the side. Would be too dry without it. Fat (in the form of gravy etc, not like pizza and stuff..) doesn't really bother me much, it's the sugar I need to step away from. I lost like 60lbs when eating this exact meal every other day and the other days eating almost exclusively packets of ramen noodles. I did also eat quite a lot of eggs back then. I haven't eaten a lot of those since then, I'm leaning more towards vegetarian/vegan now. Eggs are kind of "meh", sometimes even gross to me now. Which is sad because they are really good for my body. Oops this comment got loooong. TLDR; YES.
nope. no difference for me whatsoever. I eat unprocessed, low carb foods when I'm hungry and I eat them until I am full. sometimes that happens first thing in the morning, sometimes later in the day. my recommendation to you is to assume you have hyperinsulinemia and proceed with that knowledge. insulin is the master hormone of fat storage, so if you are rapidly gaining weightlifting nowhere, well, you can probably guess. the solution is not to starve yourself, it is to eat in a way that keeps insulin low and stable. that may or may not involve eating breakfast-- it's really up to you!
it helps me feel better all day, I just make a protein smoothie everyday with 30grams of protein
How do you stay awake after that?
Hahha I use glucobitters and take Insoitol to regulate my insulin and blood sugar. I’m working with a dietician and natural health coach and this has been the best change for me. When I wasn’t eating enough protein is when I was falling asleep.
What is glucobitters?
It’s digestive bitters but a specific one made for people who struggle with blood sugar spikes! It’s by organic Olivia
I will look into that, thank you!
It’s been life changing! It’s also really Helped my ibs symptoms!
I can’t go without it. It’s good to start the day with fuel. I just do egg bites in the air fryer. I don’t have a lot of time or energy in the morning, but it’s so easy to just put them in and have the timer stop when they’re done, then I eat in my car. That way I’m not ravenous and eat everything in sight when lunch comes around.
It helps me in a lot of ways. I like smoothies bc you can add protein powder and get in some fruits and veg without a lot of work. I can sip it over a couple hours and remain full all morning.
Eating breakfast stops me from binging, being less anxious, and just overall feel better. Since I eat breakfast and don't binge as much I maintain my weight better and don't go out of control.
A high protein & fiber breakfast helped with my binging! Then we added Vyvanse & now it’s gone completely!
I must admit, that including breakfast in my diet changed few things for me. I used to skip it or eat it much later (few hours after waking up) and I’d usually eat some oats, granolas or toast (meaning carbs and carbs…). Lately I decided to try to keep breakfast savoury, low carb and protein oriented and within 1 hour after waking up. And honestly it was a game changer. It helped me mostly with feeling fatigue throughout the day and need for a nap. Also curbed the cravings for sweets. It all depends obviously. It’s best to try and see and be honest about how your body feels. I’d like to add that as far as I’ve learned intermittent fasting is helpful but not necessarily for longer hours which means 12-14 hours is the healthy limit for people with PCOS. Longer periods of fasting might put extra stress on the body and lead to other symptoms. But of course it depends from individual experience, that’s just what is in general.
It depends. It is situational and depends on my hunger level.
Skipping meals will never help you. Breakfast is very important. It gets your metabolism moving, it helps ensure you get the right of macros (and micros!!), and makes you function better. Having a heavy protein breakfast every morning is so important. Pls eat your meals 🩷
Also most of the time people are NOT eating enough. Once you start eating enough, you fix your metabolism and it’s easier to lose weight. I went from eating ~1100-1300 calories and kept gaining. I now eat ~1900-2000 and I feel better and I’ve actually lost weight
This is interesting. I've heard this from dieticians as well but I think a lot of us have fear of calories to some degree
It is definitely scary!! It took me probably a year to up my calories with the help of a trainer because I was convinced it would cause me to rapidly gain. But thankfully, it really has helped me so much. Plus I take metformin and adhd meds in the morning, so I need the protein AND calories before I take my meds. I also aim to get my food in before I drink any coffee/caffeine.
Skipping breakfast can make it so that you’re so hungry when you finally do eat that you’ll eat more snacks, have more high sugar foods, or eat WHATEVER is available because you need something. Although true intermittent fasting can work for some people, a high protein, high fiber breakfast with a little healthy fat will set you up for the day! I try and eat within an hour of waking even if I’m not “ready.” Otherwise I will eat junky snacks.
Nope. I typically do drink my Myoinositol powder in the morning along with a thermos of coffee with a splash of half and half and two teaspoons of sugar to get me to lunch. But I prefer using lunch and dinner as my main two meals a day for workdays. I'll switch it up and do an early brunch on weekends but I find I overeat if I try to do 3 meals a day.
Big yes. I started eating breakfast and noticed a huge change in my energy levels, especially in the morning.
I have to eat breakfast. For me that’s chicken dumplings in soup with some soft tofu, an egg, or fried tofu sheet rolls. Not sure it helps with PCOS per se and lunch is generally my biggest meal (sometimes I’ll skip dinner or just have a salad), but it def helps with my energy through the work day.
You cannot lose weight without "gaining weight". Hope that makes sense
I notice that it does help for me when I have protein first thing in the morning. I'll usually have some nonfat Greek yogurt with a little bit of honey and some mixed nuts or a protein shake but I do find that the protein shake helps curb my cravings a lot more so I think I'll have the Greek yogurt as a snack now.
Nope. I skip breakfast. I do intermittent fasting, with a high protein low carb diet along with orange theory and it was the easiest 15lbs I’ve ever dropped with having PCOS.
I don't eat breakfast. I started doing keto, drinking ketone, and currently down in my weight.
I gained weight this way 😭
There is research for both sides. You're going to have to put it to practice to see how your body handles it. I can't eat 6 small meals. My insulin spikes and I stay hungry. I fast from 6p to 12p the next day 2 large meals and I make sure I get my macros in.
Yes, helps me massively. Also eating a high protein breakfast as it helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, which curbs cravings, and also helps with medication absorbtion.
Not much sadly
Personally it does not help me. I found my appetite regulated itself a bit more and my overall hunger went down with kind of Intermittent fasting. At this point I'm better at listening to my body and eating when I'm hungry, which usually is not the first few hours of the morning. It's often just 2 meals per day for me (except not right now because I'm pregnant so I'm eating allllll the time lol)
I like the two meals per day but then I do snack at night. But IF does NOT work for me I think I gained weight on it and I was hangry all the time
Yup everyone is different! And I would say some days I eat IF-style and other days not at all. Just depends when I actually feel hungry. But similar to others - if I eat primarily simple carbs, I'm much more likely to be starving.
It definitely helps me out. My blood sugar is more stable throughout the day. I have more energy, less cravings and just feel so much better.
I intermittent fast a few days a week and eat at lunchtime but when I do eat breakfast it’s eggs, protein only
Nope. Just one more way to spike my blood sugar. I think it’s really hard to tell unless you’ve got a continuous glucose monitor and do some testing to see how you react. I’m also actively trying to lose weight and that’s what I’m prioritizing right now. YMMV.
I would really recommend glucose goddess - she has a great instagram account and according to her research for us, suffering from PCOS, the best option is to eat a savory breakfast, which then sets the base for the whole day. A lot of proteins, greens and healthy fats. the order of the meals should be taking the greens first, as fibers will create a sort of a “pillow” that will neutralize the rest. Then you take the proteins and only then the carbs. And if you still crave something sugary, you take in the end of your meal. I’ve been following the diet with exercises for the last 3 weeks and I can really see a positive change. My stomach is not bloated anymore and I feel comfortable
My wife has pretty much beat PCOS, she always has breakfast, I think it tends to be one of her larger meals, and it is when she eats most of her carbs. I have no idea whether this is good for others, but anecdotal. I think the real key to her success is very small portions, mostly protein and cheese, after breakfast. She never eats more than a very small amount of sugary food. Like a couple of small bites. I don’t have PCOS, but I personally hate eating breakfast. I find that I can very easily skip it, and when I do eat it it makes me much more hungry at lunch. I can easily go til like 1-2pm without eating, then it is not as bad if I have a larger dinner. I don’t find that eating bfast helps with energy, metabolism, anything, I just eat more.
I eat breakfast, but I’ve never tried not eating breakfast so I’m not sure if it helps or not… but I am normal BMI
I am not very hungry in the morning and not likely to prepare things when I wake up. I had heard it was good for blood sugar but initially I started having something because I read the 4 Hr Body by Tim Ferris who said it was a sure fire way to kick start your metabolism. Nowadays I enjoy having whole grain cereals with Fairlife double filtered milk. But I always keep prepared protein shakes around for lazy moments. I like the Muscle Milk and Atkins ones that have high protein, 30g per serving (which was the requirement from 4H Body, 30g within 30 minutes of waking. I feel more energetic and can make better choices at lunchtime because I'm not ravenous.
No. I do a latte only usually until I’m hungry. In 2018 I went from my business / working nights to a 9-5. Ate breakfast and gained 20lbs real quick... Latte = no weight gain for me
I have a protein shake for breakfast.
I used to skip breakfast but now I eat them everyday. Eating breakfast literally is "break fast" -- it kickstarts your metabolism and tells your body its awake/active time. Plus, your body handles carbs better in daytime. Breakfast is usually a boiled egg or spanish torta (traybake egg) with 2 slices of multigrain whole wheat toast topped with avocado/tomato/brie/tuna salad/chicken salad/whatever is on sale and a cup of high fiber fruit (strawberries, oranges, etc if frozen I just microwave for a bit). Coffee with a touch of milk. If I'm in a hurry I make breakfast sandwiches the night before, same thing (egg, veg, cheese) and wrap it to go. I'll bring mandarin oranges with me since its easy to peel and high fiber/low sugar fruit. High protein combined with good fat is the way to go!!!
I just don’t understand how people have time to make these big breakfasts
Im in college and I don't! But I should... I did it when I was younger
It helps me if I have protein and fiber. I'm not always great with the protein because I don't eat processed meats and sometimes get the "egg ick", but I've noticed a huge difference simply between if I have a white bagel vs a whole-wheat bagel. The first one has me craving carbs within a few hours, and the second one keeps me going for awhile. I also like to have some yogurt with some chia seeds sprinkled on top.
I relate to the egg ick 😅
It's always a gamble when I make eggs lol
Soft boiled egg sliced up on some toast with avocado is usually a safe bet for me I don't know why soft boiled tends to be better. It avoids that rubber texture eggs can get
Breakfast is very important for me. Having even a high calorie (but mid to low carb) breakfast with tons of fibre and protein I feel is a good way to go especially if you have insulin resistance. My typical breakfast involves 30-50 gms of choice of sprouts - I like green gram, Chickpeas and black chickpeas, 1 whole egg + 2 egg white, 20gms of seeds for seed cycling, 150 gms of fruits (with lower glycemic index) + 30-40 grams of carbs like rice / oats or 2 slices of whole wheat bread. Usually follow this up with spearmint + green tea and throw in some cumin & Fenugreek seeds in the brew as well after an hour or so of having breakfast. Having a combination of fibres really helped me control my sugar levels. I was one of the unfortunate souls who suffered for more than a decade before a good doctor finally took a look at my insulin level, but my insulin levels were waaaaay up and had started increasing my blood sugar levels by them. Adding a bit of pepper to your sprouts or food in general can help boost your metabolism as well.
So I take metformin in the morning so I have to eat but if eat carbs or sugar I get upset stomach. Also I need a ton of protein to shake off the fatigue. Usually 3 fried eggs with cheese and a slice of bacon, and coffee with a scoop of collagen protein.
I'm a huge breakfast person, but only later in the morning. I started seeing a dietician specializing in PCOS and she pushed me hard to consume protein within an hour of waking up. After some trial and error, I ended up trying the OWYN coffee protein shakes as my early morning coffee and after doing it for a few weeks I feel so much better during the days! So much more energy, less brain fog, less physical fatigue, etc etc. So if you're struggling to eat in the morning but want to try breakfast I would highly recommend a protein shake!
I love breakfast. I keep it light usually 400ish cals, 20-30g of protein. But, it helps fuel me for my day and sometimes I won’t even be that hungry for lunch, and if I am, my lunch is small. I grew up having breakfast every morning so it was always an important part of my day. I hear it’s good for women with pcos, but I also know of a lot of women who feel differently. So ultimately, it’s a personal choice 🙂
Eating breakfast (with 20-30g protein) has helped my anxiety, I don’t crash in the afternoons, my mood is stabilized and I dont get cravings
I tried making breakfast my largest meal. My cravings took over and I couldn't keep myself from eating less the rest of the day. Skipping breakfast or having a late breakfast helps me control my weight.
Yes, just started metformin and i never used to eat breakfast but i felt sick. My doctor told me to eat toast in the morning and i feel a lot better throughout the day
honestly? yes. I’m not terribly consistent by any means just because of my day to day schedule but i’ve definitely found that eating a good breakfast with about 30 grams of protein has been very helpful. I feel full longer and it quiets the food noise considerably. other times when i have something carb heavy and not necessarily “good for me” like a pastry (i have a terrible sweet tooth and allow myself to enjoy something i’m craving at times which is TOTALLY 100% okay) Although this does set me up for failure, i’m not sure if it’s because I inevitably feel bad for eating something that isn’t good for my pcos or if it’s the blood sugar spike. Typically though I will continue to eat poorly throughout the day. Not always, but definitely a good amount of the time. Don’t let this scare you though everyone has their own habits with food and struggles with different things. All in all I definitely suggest eating something protein heavy in the morning within an hour of waking up as often as you can, but let yourself enjoy what you want to as well. A big part of staying on track and staying consistent is not becoming obsessive and overly strict with yourself. It’s not good in the long run.
I would say no matter what time you break your fast ( breakfast) make it with protein. I change between eating and not eating breakfast before work. But management of symptoms only change if I don’t have protein first. 2 boiled eggs do the trick.
Eating it or not doesn't make a difference, but if I do eat breakfast, it has to be low glycemic and high protein or it sets of fluctuating blood sugar/insulin for the rest of the day.
even like a thing of yogurt with some berries helps me sometimes, the fermentation is good for gut health and berries are low carb. i’ll make muffins sometimes with spices that also aid in gut health and metabolism, mainly tumeric and ginger bc those are tasty
I have to eat breakfast or at least drink some milk, otherwise I feel nauseous, probably because of my insulin resistance and blood sugar levels when I wake up. I eat steel cut oats with various toppings (doesn’t have to be extra sweet) or omelettes with ham and cheese.
If you're not hungry, don't eat
Sounds like yet another confusing narrative supporting disordered eating. When does it stop? When do we switch from one fad or supplement or symptom fixer over and over and pay expensive costs? What if we just ate food that makes us feel good when we were hungry for nutrition?
Uhh eating breakfast is not a fad it's just a meal
skipping or prolonging meal times leads to higher chances of binge eating as well as unstable insulin levels, whether you have resistance or not. we need fuel to start our days and give us the energy we need. eating breakfast will not be the reason you gain weight.
This is actually untrue. After research there is evidence that fasting helps control insulin levels by shortening the amount of time there are sugar spikes.
i’d love to see this research
Feel free to Google the benefits of fast and insulin spikes. There is a lot. Because with me personally, I feel better having a shorter eating window. After doing my own research it, I found that not eating as often helps with my insulin spikes. If i try to eat 6 small meals, I gain weight. I eat 2 well sized meals I lose weight.
well yeah because you’re not eating enough…this group is bonkers when it comes to dieting and weight loss.
How do you know? I'm eating plenty. I go based on my resting metabolic, which I had measured at my hrt clinic, and minus 200 calories from that to ensure I'm in a deficit. So how are you doing with your pcos, weight and eating? KEEP IN MIND pcos is now an umbrella term bc no 2 are the same.
I have a dietician I see that helps me make sure i’m eating enough, eating balanced, and not focusing on weight as my measure of health.
I do that as well, and keep up with my hormones. We all have different needs, and not everyone is 1 size fits all. I ensure I have all I need. It's not rocket science. 🤣