If I eat breakfast, I’m going to be eating all day!

Several people have told me they don’t eat breakfast, they feel better if they don’t eat breakfast, they uncontrollably eat all day if they eat breakfast, and they only need coffee for breakfast.

 

There is so much to unpack here!

 

First, you’ve most likely learned to adapt your breakfast habits to how you feel, but is that optimal for you or is it working with underlying issues?

 

Quickly, when told these things I hear:

• “I don’t eat breakfast” >> “I don’t have the time to eat, I hit the floor running and don’t stop”
• “I feel better if I don’t eat breakfast” >> “I am unable to digest my food properly and what I ate last night is still sitting there”
• “I uncontrollably eat all day if I eat breakfast” >> “I don’t know how to build a macro nutrient balanced plate to keep me full before my next meal”
• “I only need coffee for breakfast” >> “I thrive off cortisol pumping through my body”

 

Continuing from last week’s discussion, breakfast really is the most important meal!

 

What you choose to eat to start your day, will dictate your energy, hunger, and mood for the remainder of the day.

 

Issue with our society, we have made high carb breakfast the socially acceptable breakfast that we can quickly grab and eat in the car on our way to our destination.

 

Whether it is donuts, bagels, pop tarts, cereal, oatmeal, muffins, waffles, or pancakes these are the preferred breakfast foods of America.

 

And you wonder why “America runs on Dunkin” because you are there all damn day ordering coffee and donuts to fuel the rollercoaster your blood sugar is on.

 

Flip the switch and eat the foods the “experts” deem bad for your heart but instead will actually keep you fueled until lunch!

 

Eat the eggs, sausage, bacon, butter (real butter not the fake/vegan shit)! These are full of protein and fat that will keep you full and satisfied!

 

Remember from last week:

Carbs are the kindling. You need to constantly stoke the fire to keep it going by consuming carbs.

While fats are the logs. You can eat some fat and leave to go do something and the fire will continue to burn.

 

Now I’m not saying eat no carbs!

 

No, no, no – I want you to include a solid amount of protein and fat with the carb of your choice.

 

Obviously, I’d prefer you had veggies or fruit for your carb – yogurt parfaits, omelets are fantastic options.

 

But the key here is to eat enough protein and fat along with the carbs in a balance to not spike your blood sugar leading to that crash and needing to reach for coffee again at 10am or another donut that was left in the office kitchen.

 

Tips on how to build a breakfast:

• Identify protein – eggs, sausage, smoked salmon, ham, cottage cheese, any leftover meats from dinner
• Identify fat – eggs, sausage, bacon, smoked salmon, avocado, butter
• Identify carb – any veggie or fruit, but also your breads (donuts, bagels, toast, waffles, pancakes)
• Protein should at a minimum be the size of your palm, I really push clients for at least 2 palms. Consider both the full diameter of the palm and thickness.
• Fat will most likely be what you use to cook your meal or added in for flavor vs an individual source so I wouldn’t sweat this as much.
• Carbs may be the challenge for most of you. I’d love to see 1/2 the plate in veggies, that fiber is going to slow the glucose (sugar) absorption down and keep you fuller longer. Realistically, I know some of you aren’t going to do that. So my suggestion is eat the protein and fat first and the carb last whether it is fruit or a pancake. Listen to your body, are you full? Then stop eating, don’t force the full pancake if you don’t need to.

 

If you are having coffee, highly encourage you to wait to drink it with your meal or shortly after finishing it. I do not recommend consuming coffee on an empty stomach. Ever.

 

That is the basics of how to build a plate.

 

If you are a newsletter subscriber, you got two breakfast ideas – one egg and one egg-free – that are macro nutrient balanced.

 

But you eat really well, have balanced meals, and still feel tired within an hour or eat all the time!

 

Time to schedule your free connection call to dive deeper to uncover your exact needs.