I really do love breakfast.  In a perfect world, I would have an omelet, fresh fruit and an English muffin with apricot jam.  Unfortunately, like most people, I don’t live in that world.  I do, however, know the benefits of having something for breakfast.  My day gets a kick-start, my system gets its wake up call and my metabolism is ready to work for the day.

Yet despite all my good intentions, sometimes the morning slips away from me and I know I’ve set myself up for failure for the rest of the day.  Around 10:00 or so, I need a nap and I’m kind of grumpy.  So (since I think I’ve waited too long for breakfast) I just wait for lunchtime to roll around and then make poor choices for my meal.  At that point, I want fat and carbohydrates to feed my food cravings and then again…I’m lethargic in the afternoon.  My evening meal gets pushed back since I’m still stuffed from lunch and, as a result, I’m not very hungry the next morning.  So it’s a catch 22.

I’ve learned that I have a narrow window of opportunity for my first meal of the day (and it’s really true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day).  When I first walk into the kitchen, I need to have my meal already planned out.  Yogurt, cereal, eggs and whole grain toast, etc.  I find I’m hungry the rest of the day but I want smaller meals and make healthier food choices than I would otherwise have made from skipping breakfast.

I’m working to rid myself of the excuses everyone uses to skip breakfast:  I can’t eat early in the morning, I don’t have time or that I’m limiting calories by skipping a meal (possibly the worst excuse of all).  First of all, I can always have a little something early and then a snack mid-morning.  As far as time, seriously, how long does it take to scramble an egg and make toast?  And limiting calories…no one ever loses weight by skipping meals unless they’re on a hunger strike!

Breakfast should be at the top of everyone’s to-do list for the day.  It’s all about the planning!

Kim