So during each session at Live Well, our trainers ask each client to describe their food eaten so far for the day (or for morning clients, food for the day ahead). It’s second nature to us. Exercise, nutrition, lifestyle. We’ll always talk about these topics in sessions with you.
What’s been a repeated pattern lately is the amount of morning goer’s that haven’t been eating their breakfast. Shockingly to know, that they regularly don’t eat breakfast! This has to change immediately if you’re seeking further results.
It’s all about mindset and how you see food. Do you see food as something tasty and enjoyable that you sit down and eat whenever it’s convenient? Or are you a person that sees food primarily as a fuel source and a repair tool? Understanding where you are right now is crucial before you make any changes. Understand why you eat the way you do.
Let’s take the latter approach – food as a fuel source and a repair tool.
The average person is recommended to sleep for around 8 hours each night. During deep sleep, the body is heavily in repair phases. Upon waking, the body is yearning for new nutrients to help it set up the day ahead. Upon waking, your body is known to be in a catabolic state. In layman’s terms, your body requires more food to continue the repairing process otherwise it’ll slowly but surely chip away at using your current muscle mass in return for a source of energy.
Break your fast as soon as you can. There’s a simple way to think about waking up and morning’s before work: (in this order!)
* do your #1’s or #2’s… we won’t go into much detail here
* brush your teeth (before or after your breakfast, your choice on that one, personal preference)
* find a protein source in your kitchen (eggs, salmon, kangaroo sausage, greek yoghurt… or even traditional lunch/dinner items like chicken, turkey or beef)
* find a complex carb source in your kitchen (oatmeal, low sugar muesli, wholemeal breads)
* find a healthy fat source (the yolk from your eggs above, the salmon is naturally abundant in healthy fat as it is, low sugar peanut butter spreads, avocados, almonds, flaxseed meal/oil)
* combine a few and presto! breakfast is done
A few tips for time management in mornings:
* set your alarm 15-20mins earlier than normal, give yourself that extra cooking time
* think ahead, have certain ingredients already stored in tupperware containers in your fridge/pantry
* cook in bulk, instead of just 1 piece of chicken thrown onto a pan, throw on 2 or 3
The mindset should moreso be about muscle preservation and growth, as opposed to starving our bodies and muscle loss. The higher your lean body mass = a higher basal metabolic rate. Meaning your body’s burning more calories as opposed to someone who has a lesser lean body mass percentage.
So break the pattern and break your bad habits. No matter if you’re physically hungry or not, having a good breakfast is crucial for your long-term results and overall health and well-being.
Simon Jeremy
Studio Manager
Live Well Health & Fitness Studio
