Thought for the Day--March 11, 2011: Importance of Breakfast

If you are hungry at breakfast time, that is a good sign. This suggests that you have not overeaten the previous night.

One should be hungry in the morning (or whenever your morning begins).

Have you noticed that most overweight people will tell you, "I don't eat breakfast because I'm not hungry then"?

I was one of them. For about the first two months on my program, I disliked eating breakfast right after getting up and would often wait for hours. I was afraid that eating would kick in my hunger response (something that my grandmother always told me--as if you could avoid hunger by not eating at all).

LOL
Now I love breakfast, and often eat it within an hour of rising (I still need my coffee first).

I eat a good breakfast, my standard fare:

Egg white omelet (1/2 cup egg whites, 1 slice of non-fat cheese, and 1 ounce of lean deli ham), which = 3 PointsPlus

1 Deli flat bread, = 2 PointsPlus

1 fruit (usually an hour or two after breakfast), = 0 PointsPlus

I may vary that menu somewhat, for example, instead of a flat bread, I might have cereal ( = 3 PointsPlus) or Morningstar Farms (vegetarian) sausage ( = 2 PointsPlus). Occasionally, I treat myself to bacon! (3 slices = 4 PointsPlus. I will often have just 1.5 slices, for 2 PointsPlus, a great way to enjoy tasty, high fat foods without blowing a lot of PointsPlus).

Basically, I subscribe to the KISS approach to breakfast: "Keep it Stupid and Simple."

Also, I feel fuller for longer when I eat higher protein foods at breakfast and lunch (with 0 PointsPlus vegetables). Then for afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack, I eat good carbs, such as nuts, seeds, popcorn and cooked barley.

Of course, this is what works best for me; your protein-carb needs may differ, which is what is great about Weight Watchers--a very flexible program, which includes options for diabetic and vegetarian members. Also, if you consult with your WW leader (or doctor), you can even work out a program for insulin resistance.

However, this seems to be a commonality among everyone: eating a decent breakfast, whatever it is, works well for losing and maintaining weight.

My advice to anyone who hates eating breakfast: try eating less at night (instead, drink water or hot decaf tea) and stop eating two to three hours before your bedtime. Eventually, your body will adjust, but it will take time. You just have to decide if the payoff is worth the effort, which can last a few months.

Deciding to lose weight and/or adopting a healthy eating plan requires a serious commitment, but your plan doesn't have to involve extreme deprivation, which, in the long run is likely to fail. I don't know about you, but extreme will power goes only so far.

Of course, Weight Watchers requires some will power, but does so in a way that doesn't undermine your basic human need for nutritious and even yummy comfort foods.

This is why I personally recommend the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program.

But whatever program you choose, it's all up to you to develop a program that will work for the long term.

*****
An anniversary to celebrate:

Six months ago today, I made the major decision to change my lifestyle and the way I eat. I spent four months on my own and two months on Weight Watchers. So far, I have lost 35-40 pounds, about 6 pounds a month and 12 pounds with Weight Watchers. I am totally happy with my slow but steady weight loss.

Why?

Because I'm not constantly hungry or feeling deprived, important aspects to a successful lifetime plan. If need be, I can stick to 29 PointsPlus per day--forever.

This is a marathon, not a sprint.

I have about 45 pounds to lose yet; I have not set a deadline--in my opinion, deadlines are counterproductive. Besides, our bodies determine how much we lose and how long it takes. One, two, three years--it doesn't matter. It just matters that the number goes steadily downward and does not trend upward.

The first four months on my own were okay, but I was too focused on keeping my calories to 1,200 per day.

I must say that the last two months have been the easiest--counting points is much easier to manage than calories and having fruits and most vegetables as freebie foods has helped me to manage any hunger issues.

Weight Watchers is the best program I have ever done (and I'm not being paid to say this).

Have a satisfying and successful day!