After several months of success on my What IF Diet Plan, I cringed at the phrase: “Breakfast is the most important meal the day.” Bull Crap! I’d lost more weight, gained more energy, and felt less hungry by skipping breakfast, (and eventually lunch,) so that statement had to be a bold-faced dirty lie. Surely cereal and orange juice companies made it up to boost sales.
Yet, countless studies have shown that the type of food you eat for breakfast affects hunger and satiety throughout the day. Although, for some reason I didn’t think this pertained to me since I “skipped” breakfast every day. Although, after a few experiences of breaking my fast with donuts, pizza, or a bag of chips, I soon realized that the meal that I break-my-fast with, (i.e. breakfast), is still the most important meal of my day. Why? Well, honestly, breaking my fast with something sweet or carb-laden, like junk food, just makes me feel “bleh.”
While I don’t restrict myself from eating any type of food, I now know that if I choose to break my fast with sweets or junk food, I will be in a food coma within half-an-hour or so. I also find that I eat more when I break my fast with junk, versus when I break my fast with something wholesome or rich in protein. I don’t view either option as good or bad, I’m just more cognizant of the effects that various foods have on my mind and body now. And I believe that fasting makes it much easier to feel those effects.
Now, if decide to eat sweets or junk food for my first “meal,” I do a quick mental run-through of the consequences of this decision. Am I willing eat something sweet or indulgent for the instant pleasure that food will provide me, knowing that I will be sluggish the rest of the day? Sometimes the answer is “yes,” and sometimes it’s “no.” For example, I’ve learned that eating free snacks and desserts at a conference is almost never worth feeling like crap the rest of the day. But if I’m at work at 3pm on a Friday and I have a craving for a Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich or a bag of Miss Vickie’s Jalapeño chips, it’s totally worth it since I’m pretty much checked out at that point anyway!
So whatever I decide to eat for “breakfast,” I’ve come to realize that it actually is the most important meal of my day. What I choose to break-my-fast with sets the stage for how the remainder of my day will go.
