Breakfast

For many years I avoided breakfast like the plague.  I don’t know how I got it in my head that breakfast was bad for me, but I did, and it stuck.

When I was little my mom would always have a hearty breakfast ready for me and my brother before we went off to school.  We would sit at our kitchen table and eat cereal or eggs or toast….something good to nourish our minds and our bodies and to keep us warm and alert and raring to go for the day.  And it kept us from being hungry until lunchtime.

Then in middle school I started skipping breakfast.  I think it started mostly because I was now a little older, didn’t have to rely on my mom to help me get ready and primping my 13-year-old self usually had me running behind on the clock and I just didn’t have the time to eat.  Once I reached high school and developed eating disorders I gave up on eating nearly altogether.  And then in college and work, again, I just didn’t have time and of course, after all those years my body just became accustomed to not eating in the mornings.  Here and there I’d grab a bagel or a muffin but most of the time I’d go without.

Then a couple of years ago I started eating breakfast (I’ve told you all about my egg addiction) and something happened….I felt good, I had more energy, I wasn’t sluggish, and most of all, I wasn’t starving the whole day.  It was sort of life changing.

Here is the main reason why breakfast really is the meal of champions:

People who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be obese than those who don’t.  The word literally refers to breaking the fasting period of the prior night.  If you don’t “break the fast” after going without food all night, your body goes into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism.  That means the next meal you eat will burn off more slowly.  Also, plenty of dieters forgo the first meal of the day, figuring they’ll end up eating fewer calories that way—when in fact, it works the other way around.  People who skip breakfast usually end up consuming more calories during the day, whereas those who start their day with a healthy meal end up consuming fewer calories overall.

Start the day with protein.  Protein makes you feel full longer so eating a high protein meal for breakfast will help to curb your hunger so you will make better nutrition choices throughout the day.  Eggs or egg whites are the best choice.  Other good choices are quinoa, turkey bacon, Greek yogurt. And don’t forego carbs – especially if you’re heading into your workout. All exercise relies on carbohydrate as carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions.

Other reasons to eat breakfast:

1) Stay on Track – Studies show that if you start the day the right way, by choosing a healthy breakfast, you will be more likely to make healthy high fiber, and low glycemic choices throughout the day! This, of course, will help you lose weight more efficiently.

2) Boost Your Immune System – Eating a healthy breakfast will boost your immune system and as a result you will be sick less often, if at all. And when you are healthy you can get your workouts in to reach your weight loss goals.  So make sure to choose your healthy breakfast wisely!

3) Have More Energy – Having an omelet or another protein-filled breakfast will give you more energy to exercise and this will help you lose weight.

4) Curb Your Hunger – As mentioned above, a healthy, hearty breakfast will prevent you from snacking and overeating at other times in your day.

4) Insulin Health – Studies show that people who eat breakfast have more stable insulin levels, and this will put them in a better mood. Happy people usually make better nutrition choices and this will aid in your weight loss journey (kinda like what Elle said in Legally Blonde – “Exercise gives you endorphins.  Endorphins make you happy.  Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.  They just don’t.”)

~Fit Bitch