Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
1
Your fat British co-contributor needs some help.
Breakfast at Casa Harters pretty much alternates between toast and muesli, with the very occasional bacon sandwich as well. OK, maybe not “very occasional” but no more than weekly.
It can’t go on. The fat man needs to become the cuddly but overweight man. Yes, I know that is still not necessarily an endearing concept but it is the best we get here. So any thoughts for what is said to be the most important meal of the day? Nothing difficult to prep, of course - I am not cooking at that time of day.
Since I discovered that I get equally hungry at lunchtime whether I eat breakfast or not I have mostly skipped breakfast as I rarely wake up actually hungry. Just putting that out there. It has not, I hasten to note, caused me to lose weight but presumably prevented me from adding any as the aging metabolism slows. If I do get too hungry to wait for lunch I have been amazed how satisfying one of the little wax-covered Babybels can be if not fridge-cold and if nibbled slowly (70 calories). Ditto a hard-boiled egg.
Lately breakfast is either a bran muffin or a yogurt/fruit drink.
Been making the Nebraska bran muffin recipe on and off for many decades. No jam or butter needed! I use maple syrup in place of honey and add some raisins and sometimes nuts.
Cheese toast, 1/2 bagel w/cream cheese or hummus, an egg cooked in an avocado half, multi whole grain hot cereal, poached egg on toast, healthy smoothie - my fav combination is lacinato kale, 1/2 Granny Smith Apple, with skin and a few red grapes. Oh and a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt for protein. Blend it up with ice, and about half cup liquid of your choice. Milk, nut milks, coconut water or regular water. It holds me like a regular meal. Melon slices wrapped with prosciutto, scrambled eggs with toast, cottage cheese with fruit. Peanut butter toast with low sugar jam or marmalade. Hummus on toast with thinly sliced cucumbers on top. (Really good)!
I just micrwave oatmeal (flakes, not steel cut). A half cup of oatmeal in a soup-plate, add milk (your choice of fat%) to cover, stir with clean finger. I like a sprinkle of salt. Microwave to preferred consistency.
Alternative, use water and then douse with cream as your conscience allows.
No sugar, since I hate sweet cereal.
Very close to instant, one bowl, no pan.
Soup. A big vegetable soup. In hot weather, use an immersion blender to make a velvety, drinkable cold soup. As the weather cools, just nuke a bowl. Low fat, lots of fiber, protein if you start with chicken stock. And you only have to cook once a week.
John,
As my elder and I do respect your ability to frame verbiage so well and with your prowess plus the fact you have 4 years on me…
My baby sister passed in 2017 with my brother and I caring for her since 2016, I gained 35 lbs because of the stress…
My diet to loose some…SHUT YOUR MOUTH.so since January I have eaten half of every portion…the results in 8 months 17 pounds, so in another 8 or so months, I will be where I want to be…
I will not give up a glass of chard with some pec/romano…but only half of each…and it works…
True, people around me that tries to lose weight, the main method that works is by eating smaller portion. Less salty food also seems to help, but only get rid of water retention if that is a problem, not fat.
I was slightly more slim when travelling in Asia for a month, I wander if savoury breakfast maybe healthier than sweet ones. Of course with the humidity and the heat, I ate less in certain meals with lesser appetites.
Spinach with fried egg(s): sunny side up egg tossed on giant handful of baby spinach that’s been wilted for ~1 minute in microwave, everything sprinkled with spice mix of choice
When I was disciplined about eating breakfast and also losing weight, I cut carbs at breakfast and ate roughly the same thing every day - 1-2 eggs, scrambled, fried, omelette, whatever. I love toast with my eggs, but I cut it out. An hour or two later (the metabolism does rev up quickly once one eats), plain yogurt or a handful of nuts.
Earlier this summer, I tried a different tack - skipping breakfast. I’d been reading about intermittent fasting, and had noticed I really wasn’t hungry in the morning bec I stay up late and usually have a snack before bed. A 12-14h gap after the snack placed me at lunch, not breakfast - so I tried skipping breakfast, and surprise surprise, I was just fine. Actually no, my appetite shrank noticeably.
I might try to combine the ideas - bring back eggs for breakfast, keep the overnight “fast” duration by losing the nighttime snack (and hopefully some weight).
Breakfast is but one of many meals in a day. Toast and meusli don’t seem out of line, what are you eating and drinking for second breakfast, lunch, tea, supper, and bedtime snack?
Poached or boiled eggs don’t require fat for cooking, also watch the milk and sugar in your tea or coffee.
It can be enlightening to track food intake with a program such as My Fitness Pal. Even if you only track a few days, it can help you see how quickly things add up. For me, tasting things at work (shards of chocolate, cake trimming, quality control of buttercream, etc) and after-dinner snacking are what I’m trying to cut back on.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
15
No 2nd breakfast. Lunch - sandwich or reheated leftovers . Dinner - varies but I know what I need to do here and with lunch. Bedtime snack - only when dinner has been relatively modest, usually a bowl of cereal. I know this has to stop.
I am not just a fat man. I am a greedy fat man and that’s the downfall.
3 Likes
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
16
Love this approach
1 Like
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
17
It definitely works. Also ramping up exercise really helps with metabolism!
1 Like
ChristinaM
(Hungry in Asheville, NC (still plenty to offer tourists post Hurricane))
18
When I want to drop pounds (er, kilos for you), I focus on eggs and other protein for breakfast. I really like a big egg white omelet with cheese and spinach, or simply scrambled whole eggs. For egg whites I get them ready-to-use in a carton (plain, not the gross egg replacer). I also enjoy seasoned fried “scrambled” tofu.
With fried eggs I like a piece of buttered toast, which is fine as long as I am regularly exercising. Same goes for peanut or almond butter toast. I’ve never been able to get into oatmeal, and I often feel bloated and quickly hungry again after eating breakfast cereal. So protein works best for me.
Sounds like a lot of carbs. Switch out some bread and grains for extra veg and lean protein. Eggs for breakfast, salad at lunch, a handful of nuts and berries after dinner.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
20
It does - although not quite bad as it seems, as I’m fairly moderate with my carb quantities (I’m Type 2 diabetic)
