And The Secret To A Happy, Healthy Life Is...Breakfast?!

I like to eat. I love good food and I seek large portions. Unlike most girls who opt for a salad (minus the croutons), I'm all about the main meaty entree with all of the trimmings. In college, I prided myself in eating contests with the boys and surprised them with my belly-stretching abilities. I was a lightweight girl with a heavyweight appetite. Even now, I am usually the last one at the dinner table after David and Parker have finished eating.

Somehow throughout all of my years of food handling, I've missed out on one of the most basic rules of engorgement. Breakfast. I have not eaten breakfast consistently my entire life. What I mean is, when I have eaten breakfast, it's usually been in the form of next-day chocolate chip cookies or leftover muddy buddies. I have honestly skipped breakfast for as long as I can remember.

In Junior High I went to the school nurse about once a week because I felt sick (not realizing it was because my blood sugar was low). In high school I woke up at 5 am every morning for seminary and suffered through until lunch every day. In college I was so busy that the time to break the fast was lunch, if I was lucky. As a new wife, I survived grumpily until lunchtime and now, as a mom, I'm finally realizing what all of you have likely known your whole lives - breakfast is a necessity.

My basic reasons for not eating breakfast were:
1.) I am NOT a morning person and would much rather sleep-in than try to dig through the refrigerator for something to eat.
2.) David is broken-hearted whenever I say this, but I don't like cereal (his favorite thing) and nothing ever sounds good when I just wake up.
3.) I am too lazy and tired in the morning to cook anything that sounds remotely palatable.
4.) I'm usually running too late in the morning (see sleeping-in above) to make anything.
5.) Breakfast food is usually unhealthy and if it is healthy, it's usually unappetizing.

So there you have it. All this time I've been committing Nutrition 101 suicide and without any good reasons. Now that I'm a mom and recognize the need for extra energy throughout the day, I decided to change my ways. I've realized that skipping breakfast has caused me to eat huge portions for lunch and dinner, crave chocolate and sugar to no end and given me stomach aches at night (from eating too much, too late the night before and not having time to digest it) and a stomach ache/headache every morning (from lack of protein and low blood sugar). My metabolism is not what it used to be and eating these large portions are not helping the waistline.

Two weeks ago I made a plan to change things. I created a list of foods that I could handle eating in the morning, that didn't require too much work and wouldn't spoil quickly (like fruit). I then looked on Amazon.com Grocery and checked out breakfast foods. They have a lot of healthy breakfast options on amazon, so I took notes. I bought a large variety of foods online and at the store and have been trying them out ever since.

Out of all the foods that I've tried, I like the Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookie best. http://www.bbcookies.com/ They're all natural, they taste great and are packed with protein and complex carbs. I bought a variety pack, so I get to try a new one everyday. The surprise sadly makes me excited :). I've also been liking Carnation Instant Breakfasts. I know they're full of sugar, but I never drink milk (it forces me too) and they're refreshing and filling in the morning. I figure, at this point, it's better that I eat SOMETHING for breakfast, even if it's not the ideal.

What have I discovered in two weeks of breakfast eating? Much more than I thought I would.
1.) I have way more energy throughout the day.
2.) I don't feel sick in the mornings anymore.
3.) I am hardly craving chocolate or sugar!!! (This is a triumph for me.)
4.) I am only hungry enough for small portions at lunch and even less for dinner.
5.) My stomach doesn't hurt at night.
6.) I am losing weight. My metabolism is getting jump-started in the morning and I'm burning more calories. Plus, I'm not eating as much late at night, so my belly isn't full when I'm burning fewer calories during sleep.
7.) I'm actually looking forward to eating breakfast!
8.) My mood is elevated :).

I know that this epiphanic post makes the reader want to shout "Duh!" But for me, it is an epiphany. If you're a woman, imagine not conditioning your hair for your entire life and then suddenly applying it for the first time. No more gnarly, ratted hair that you have to forcefully pic out after showering. Your routine is now a lot easier and less painful. If you're a man, envision fertilizing your lawn for the first time. What a difference! The lawn that was brown and prickly is now alive, refreshed and inviting. Which is exactly how I feel. I am feeling great. And all of that from eating breakfast - a foe that has now become friend.

I still love food, but with a less temperamental love. I am no longer a respecter of mealtimes. All meals are created equal...but breakfast may actually deserve some preferential treatment :).

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."