My Journey With Weight Loss – Why Breakfast Is Important

Today was my long run, 16k however, my coach decided to kick it up a notch. I did about 1/2 the run and then added 5 high intensity intervals – 1 minute of hard running followed by a 1 minute jog. I then had to do the same thing during the last 20 minutes of my run. Ok, the 1st set was hard, the 2nd set I thought would kill me but obviously it hasn’t. I can’t believe how hard I am starting to train but I admit, all I can think of while I do it is that I am soon going to run a 1/2 marathon.

Before I started on this journey I usually only ate once a day, at lunch. Little did I know what a disservice I was doing to my body. By skipping meals all you are doing is making your body get used to using less fuel so that it can protect itself. It also tries to store ‘reserves’ of fuel (aka fat) because it thinks it will need it for later. 3 healthy meals a day is so much better for you and I can say I haven’t skipped a meal in years now.

But why is breakfast so important? Well think about it, when you eat breakfast you haven’t eaten in hours, the body needs fuel to do things like energize and bring up glucose levels. It also helps boost your immune system which fights illness. Studies have shown eating breakfast boosts your level of serotonin in your blood which can help balance your mood, appetite and sleep thus making you happier. Other studies have shown that those who eat a healthy, balanced breakfast have a longer life span. For me, the number one reason is those who have lost weight and continue to eat a healthy breakfast each day are more likely to maintain their weight loss as compared to those who skip breakfast (this is a big motivator for me).

I do admit Sundays may be the only day of the week that breakfast might not be quite as healthy but its not like I eat a bunch of donuts that day though there may be bacon involved. Most days I balance my breakfast with the amount of training I will do that day. Take today for instance, I knew it would be a tough workout so a large bowl of oatmeal, not the instant flavored stuff that tends to be full of sugar but rather home cooked with lots of cinnamon and some raisins. The other day when I ran the 8k it was a home made whole wheat cinnamon waffle (you may notice that I like cinnamon). On days where I do lighter training it might be a healthy grain cereal with blueberries or perhaps some fruit with plain Greek yogurt. I’m always cognizant of the amount of fuel that I am going to need to get through the morning and if a snack is required after a hard workout then a handful of almonds will do.

I know that mornings are often rushed and it is hard to find time to prepare a healthy breakfast. But let me assure you, finding a few minutes each day to get a healthy start for the hours ahead is so worth it. So, eat a healthy breakfast everyday and trust me you will notice the differenct.