When I was growing up, breakfast consisted of arguing with Mom and telling her I wasn’t hungry. I was told to sit there and eat every Shreddie until the bowl was empty. Her family lived hand to mouth and many times their family had very little to eat. To this day, I feel nauseated at the thought of breakfast cereals.
Two weeks into my new eating plan and I’m eating 3 eggs with coconut oil, tea, Bob’s Red Mill Hot Cereal and my Sunrider foods. For those non breakfast eaters like me, that is a LOT of food!
The result? I’ve dropped 5 pounds of fat!
Overcoming a lifetime of eating habits and thinking differently
The wheels began turning and I was already in the process of convincing myself that there was no way I could do it. Thoughts of “I don’t have time”, “Not hungry” and “I’ll feel nauseated” came to my mind. Isn’t it amazing that our minds can convince us of something even before we attempt or plan what we are going to do to succeed?!
Not only was I going to have to overcome a lifetime of eating habits but also think differently
Food quickly connected me to memories of my childhood. I had a happy childhood but like any childhood there were times of being nervous, excited, confused, and all could be put under the “growing pains” category. Our family was a traditional household of the times where Dad was the provider and Mom was the housewife. Mom would make breakfast which usually consisted of cereal, toast, eggs and Dad’s Cream of Wheat. She asked us what we’d like and I’d receive my prepared bowls of Shreddies. Nerves overcame me and I’d sit there until every Shreddie had absorbed the milk making it a soggy mush. I told her that I couldn’t eat it and was reminded that it was wasteful to thrown it out, there were children in the world that had no food, when I was your age… My parents, both loving , wanted us to start our day off right and the media was in frenzy with their slogan, “Breakfast, the most important meal of the day”.
Breakfast was something that I hadn’t eaten since childhood. Sure, when I was hungry I’d grab a breakfast sandwich or a muffin with my coffee. Usually, I didn’t eat any food until lunchtime which was around 1 PM. By that time, I was starving and chose the heaviest of meals and tried to make up for what I hadn’t had for breakfast. Since I’ve started on the plan, I have more energy in the morning and I’m not just hanging on until lunchtime. By the time, lunchtime rolls around, I’m finding that I’m not eating a heavy lunch. I choose to eat lighter and am not as hungry.
What’s your excuse?
One of my obstacles or I will now say, excuses, was I had no time in the morning. I have chosen to go to bed earlier so that I can get up earlier in the morning. My body has an internal alarm clock at everyday at five my body tells me its time to get up. Should that fail, I always have an alarm set! I’ll be the first to admit that I love to sleep in on my days off and that’s my treat. This isn’t happening these days. There’s something charming about an afternoon ‘catnap’ I have to say.
Choosing Health Over Convenience
Planning is another important key to successful eating and that’s why people ask me what ‘diet’ I’m on. I’m not on a diet. For example, in the morning when I’m preparing my breakfast I will pack my lunch or start cutting up some vegetables for snacks ready to go in the fridge for snacking on when I come home from work. Quite often the time I wasn’t mindful in my eating was when I was choosing convenience over my health.
I’m happy to say that with this new habit of eating breakfast each morning and preparing my meals for the day while it’s cooking has helped me achieve a 5 pound weight loss. I’m not on a diet – I’m eating breakfast is all!
Christina – Congratulations on the 5 pound weight loss! Well done.
What i do when i am tired of cereal is have only fruit for breakfast. fruit iis the perfect supply of natural sugar.I usually have a couple of bananas, kiwi and apples.Just fruit , nothing else.No need for artificial boosters,the natural sugar provides enough of a high.In fact anytime i crave something bad i grab a fruit instead. try it , it works!
Maxx, I do the same thing. In fact, I have a day each week (Sundays) where I eat only fruit in the morning until at least noon and sometimes a few hours after that even.
I stick to apples, oranges, kiwi and pineapple mostly.
It’s a great way to give the digestive tract a rest as well. Great comment, thanks Maxx
well done Christina!
My mom – I love her dearly! – used to feed us things like zucchini chocolate cake and pumpkin pie for breakfast. Or – get this – cinnamon buns cut in half lengthwise, fried in butter on the cut side and slathered with strawberry jam. THAT was breakfast! Or french toast or pancakes on weekends.
My dad ate cream O’ wheat too! That and grape nuts on everything and prunes to make him go!
Too funny. I also got into the habit of not eating breakfast and only in the last two years got back to it as a healthier version.