I won't say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it is really equally as important as all other meals. Leaving out any meal is a bad idea; it's just that we hear a lot about breakfast because so many people gloss over it. So, don't leave out any meals, but today we'll focus on breakfast.
Breakfast is very important because it "wakes-up" your metabolism, if you will. After a night's rest, when caloric needs were low, eating breakfast gets your metabolism back to work for the day. Eating breakfast also helps you to perform better at whatever your task may be. I also like to think of breakfast as a way to set the tone for my day. I always start off with a healthy breakfast because it gives me energy and just makes me feel ready to tackle a day's work. Even on a special occasion (i.e. Christmas) when I may plan to have a treat, I still make sure to eat something wholesome first.
The National Weight Loss Control Registry, a research study that examines the habits of people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a minimum of a year, reported that 78 percent of the people in their study eat breakfast daily!
So you say you're not a "breakfast person"? Well, that is because you trained yourself to skip breakfast. Retrain yourself! Start by having a very small amount of food such as half of a banana, a piece of bread, half of a whole grain granola bar, dry Cheerios, or whatever you feel comfortable with. As you start to get used to that, increase the amount you are eating. Remember that breakfast does not have to be traditional breakfast foods! You could eat leftovers from last night's dinner if that suits you. Half of a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread with a banana and a glass of milk is another nice option.
If you feel that you don't have time for breakfast, consider how long it would actually take you to eat something. Do you think ten minutes is enough to eat a small breakfast? Do you think you could jump out of bed ten minutes early? Or, consider deciding what you will eat the night before and "grab and go" in the morning.
Make less excuses, make more solutions!
Thanks for this post. Any comments on content of breakfast, specifically carbs versus protein, since a common breakfast is cereal, milk, and fruit?
ReplyDeleteGood tips. The tips for getting back to eating breakfast for those non-breakfast eaters are what I tell the people I teach. I was glad to see this and feel some validation that my advice is accurate.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...I am DEFINITELY a breakfast eater. It's always a challenge for me when we are overnight guests at someone's house that isn't a breakfast eater. I end up hypoglycemic wondering when they will offer food! It is a very important part of the day! I also wonder about Busy-Dad-E's question about the best combination of carbs, protein, etc. That could even be presented for regular days and race days. I'm sure the recommendations change on race days. Just curious!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Thanks for your questions and comments! That is a great question about how to build your breakfast with carbs and protein. It is hard to give specific amounts just because everyone requires a different amount of calories overall. However, there are a few things you can count on. You should definitely have carbs and protein in your breakfast! Also, about 50% of your daily calories should come from carbs while about 20-30% should come from protein. This ratio should be reflected in meals and snacks as well. So let's say that you're going to have a 400 calorie breakfast. A nice way to distribute your calories would be to have 50 grams of carbohydrate, 25 grams of protein, and about 11 grams of fat. I could get more detailed with this answer, so let me know if you need more info! Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteEating breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating. So never skip Breakfast in Morning.
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