Well, I can’t skip breakfast - if I do, my blood sugar rises all morning (until I eat something). Weird…
However, my normal breakfast of yogurt and fruit doesn’t have NEAR the calories/carbs of Frosted Flakes or instant oatmeal!
I’m usually up between 4 and 5 am, so I can’t skip breakfast - as a morning exerciser, I couldn’t make it to a traditional lunch hour without something in my stomach. Lunch is usually my most substantial meal of the day - dinner is fairly light. My breakfast is not carb heavy as a general rule.
EVeryone keeps equating instant oatmeal with sugar-sweetened, flavored stuff. But my H eats a bowl of instant oatmeal every morning, that’s just 100% oatmeal. He generally adds nothing to it, but has been known to spice it up with garlic powder, tabasco, or whatever else takes his fancy (nothing ever sweet.)
garland, I think it is safe to say that the majority of folks who eat instant oatmeal just grab a pouch of whatever Quaker flavored stuff they find in their cupboard… You DH is definitely an outlier! 
Well, one could argue that a huge or substantial ANY meal is not a great idea. When some of you talk about “if I eat a substantial breakfast” - in a negative manner, what equates “substantial”.
To those who talk about I prefer to eat a “huge lunch or dinner” - what does huge mean? Because a huge meal anytime of the day - especially if it is upwards of 1500 calories or more is likely to become a problem if you are eating at all other times of the day!
I also think in terms of breakfast you have to think about what is the appropriate breakfast for you - so TO ME most everyone can benefit from breakfast but that may mean different things - maybe just a banana, maybe those steel cut oats, maybe a KIND bar. Again, depending on your activity level, I think a little food in the morning is pretty important.
I ride my bike for an hour or more most mornings. On the way to the trail, I have a cup of coffee and sometimes manage to drink half of an Atkins shake, about 70 calories. When I get home, I have some scrambled eggs most mornings. Eat a decent lunch and usually a very light dinner. I have lost a fair amount of weight since April, but still have more to go. Hopefully, it will continue to come off. Otherwise, I don’t know what else I can give up and I am not interested in spending half the day in the gym.
I’m doing a little better and have managed to get slightly under the weight that I consider absolutely unacceptable. I know it shouldn’t be a about a number, but it is with me. Hopefully I can continue in his direction but it is definitely a struggle. I still need to lose more to feel comfortable, but I’m working at it.
As I am paying more attention to my habits, I’m realizing that what happens during my work days is a problem. In addition to sitting at a desk for 8 hours, I don’t make the best food choices during the day. I’ve done better on my work snacks, but what about lunch?? I need suggestions. I work in the suburbs so the lunch options are limited. I hate packing but I think I need to start. Please don’t suggest any of those frozen meals or anything involving lunch meat. Also, I love salads, but for some reason the prepackaged lettuce tastes funny to me.
Thanks
Healthy lunches and snacks thread of course! Thanks to FallGirl, lots of great ideas here:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1793160-healthy-lunches-and-snacks-p1.html
For lunch, almond butter and banana sandwich on Ezekiel bread has been a fantastic choice for me.
@tiredalready, have you looked at bento boxes? Maybe it’s a trick I play on myself, but packing a cute looking lunch and limiting portions while I do it works for me. It’s all about the adorable boxes. There are many companies that make modern bento boxes.
I’m right with you on work days. Less exercise, more food. One thing I have learned while getting fit and losing weight this year is that a lot of it has to do with having the luxury of time, which therefore means it’s partly a class/socioeconomic issue. I can be an affluent suburban mom who works very part time and devote time and money to exercise. I see how that is a privilege.
tired - I eat a big salad for lunch everyday. On Sunday evenings, I prepare 5 of them for the week using lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, carrots, red peppers, cucumber, & onions. Then each day I just doctor each one up with a little cheese, chicken or tuna, some sort of beans & dressing. According to My Fitness Pal, these are ridiculously nutritious (and very filling) and add up to only about 250-300 calories, depending on what I’ve added that day. The prep is a bit of a pain, but I’m used to it now & I sure enjoy them each day! I also make a homemade dressing each week, so that adds to the variety.
Posting this here:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/your-commute-could-help-you-lose-weight-1439315593
It might be hidden by the paywall, but the idea is simple: walking commute helps shed weight.
Added: it is a shame that such articles are hidden by paywalls! More people need to see this kind of stuff.
Doing my fair share of commutercise today!! 
Gertrude’s approach is perfect. Making a salad in the morning is not a huge pain if you have a bunch of ingredients ready to be mixed! I keep a tub of baby lettuce, some pre-chopped onions, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and shredded carrots in the fridge. I only have to slice cukes and avocados (don’t like pre-sliced cukes because they lose crunch), then throw in some protein, and the salad is good to go! Protein = usually leftover steak or chicken from prior night’s dinner.
Packing lunch from home is your best bet. No temptations when it’s lunchtime and you are hungry. What you have is already in that lunch sack and you aren’t standing in line thinking that MAYBE a cupcake would really taste good with your salad or sandwich you are buying. Think of all the $$ you save as well!
How about dinner leftovers for lunch?
Or “grab” items - Grab 4 things: a protein (so, some cheese chunks or leftover meat or hummus), a fruit or vegetable (or both - an apple/banana/cherries or a handful of baby carrots or red pepper slices), a whole grain item (slice of Ekeziel bread, a few whole grain crackers, 1/2 c. brown rice) and if you can control it, ONE PIECE OF CHOCOLATE SIZE SMALL!!! Pair it with a water bottle and done!
I have been stressed for 2 days now because many of you take the time to cook steel cut oats and I just open my canister of quick oats and microwave my way to breakfast. I have found multiple web links basically all saying the same thing…steel cut and quick oats are extremely similar in nutritional value. I think steel are 20 calories less per serving and have 0 grams of sugar versus 1 gram, but the fiber is the same. I shall continue with my lazy habits!
Example of what I found:
“Nutritionally, steel-cut oats and quick oats are the same, with the exception of instant oatmeal packets, which often contain added sugar. The main differences between the two lie in taste and texture as well as cooking time. Keep both on hand in the kitchen for various uses, including breakfast cereals and baking needs
Oats Explained
All oats, including steel-cut and quick oats, start as oat groats, with only the outer husk removed. The main difference between steel-cut oats and quick oats lies in the processing. Steel-cut oats are oat groats that have been cut into two or three pieces, for a relatively unprocessed product. Rolled or old-fashioned oats are made by steaming and rolling oat groats for faster cooking. Quick oats are rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces for even faster cooking.
Nutritional Value
Steel-cut oats and quick oats have the same nutritional profile because they’re both made from whole oat groats. In general, both contain 74 calories, 3 grams of protein and 2 of grams fiber per 1/2-cup serving, according to registered dietitian Leslie Beck, author of “Foods That Fight Disease.” The nutritional value may vary greatly, depending on the brand, however. Steel-cut oats and quick oats are high in vitamins E, B-1 and B-2. Eating three servings of whole grains, including steel-cut oats or quick oats, reduced the risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease by 30 percent, according to Harvard University’s Nurses’ Health Study. A 2007 study found that women who ate two to three servings of whole grains daily were 30 percent less likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains. Although steel-cut oats and quick oats are nutritionally identical, watch out for instant oatmeal cereals, which usually contain large amounts of sugar and sodium.”
To me, taste and texture do matter!
Yes, I also like the taste and texture much better !
Steel cut oats with butter are almost like a rice dish to me. A kind of nutty flavor, too. Imo SOOO much better than quick cooked oats. But obviously this is a subjective matter.
While it might be simple as reducing calories like a lot of people have said it could also be hypothyroidism
I mentioned it upthread, but Trader Joe’s sells quick cook Steel-Cut oats: http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/2013/03/trader-joes-quick-cook-steel-cut-oats.html
By the way, I disagree with the link - I make it in the microwave and like it - I just put it on a minute and a half (with half a cup of whole milk), take it out, stir, let it sit, and put it in for another 30 seconds.