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Do you have a breakfast ritual? Do you have a designated place to eat breakfast? Do you bother with breakfast at all?
Diet experts say that eating breakfast is important for a number of reasons. It keeps you from snacking during the day, since you feel fuller. The breakfast habit gives you energy and helps you concentrate. Having some food in your tummy actually raises your metabolism and helps get you going in the morning. You mom was right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And if Mom saying so isn't enough to convince you, how about this: breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than breakfast skippers.
I love the concept of getting up to a tidy kitchen, a cozy breakfast table with fresh flowers and quilted place mats. Coffee perking away, croissants warming in the oven, fresh fruit sliced on a plate. It is all good, and provides a tranquil peaceful start to the day. It gives a person a gentle nudge into the day, rather than the typical rushed launch into it one gets by tearing around trying exit the house and arrive at work on time.
But do I treat myself to this relaxed and healthy start to my morning? No. This is what my breakfast table looks like:
I sit at the computer and sip my coffee and read email. Then I tear around trying to get dressed and out the door to work. It isn't calm, it isn't healthy and it is far far from Zen. Around 10:30 I start thinking maybe I should eat the sandwich I brought for my lunch. I eat that sandwich, then around 2:00 I start thinking maybe I need a snack. And so it goes.
So here's my plan. The kitchen will be completely tidied before bedtime, and the table in the kitchen appealingly set for breakfast. The coffee will be ready to go in the coffee maker. There will be fresh fruit, yogurt and granola available. No need to *cook* anything for goodness sake. I am not going over board here.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Think I can do it?
48 responses to “Breakfast”
Are you kidding? You can do anything!
Are you kidding? You can do anything!
It will certainly help, being ready before you get up.
My breakfast tends to be whatever I grab as I’m waiting for something/someone in the morning, dishwasher/washer to finish etc.
I keep unsalted whole almonds in a container on the counter so I’ll normally have a handful of those. And bits of whatever I fix my husband for breakfast/lunch.
It will certainly help, being ready before you get up.
My breakfast tends to be whatever I grab as I’m waiting for something/someone in the morning, dishwasher/washer to finish etc.
I keep unsalted whole almonds in a container on the counter so I’ll normally have a handful of those. And bits of whatever I fix my husband for breakfast/lunch.
I know you can do it! Don’t skip breakfast! My morning ritual is paper, muffin and first cup of coffee. Then computer, emails, blogs with a second cup of coffee. Then hopefully I’m not distracted by a quilting project – because I’ll be in my pajamas until noon!
I know you can do it! Don’t skip breakfast! My morning ritual is paper, muffin and first cup of coffee. Then computer, emails, blogs with a second cup of coffee. Then hopefully I’m not distracted by a quilting project – because I’ll be in my pajamas until noon!
You can do it – I started two new healthy routines four weeks ago and now they are definitely a habit.
You can do it – I started two new healthy routines four weeks ago and now they are definitely a habit.
Breakfast for me is muesli and tea with the morning newspaper before everyone else gets up. I love a quite, calm start to the day. Once I’m “fortified” I am ready to have a busy day.
Of course you can do it. You have a great plan there!
Breakfast for me is muesli and tea with the morning newspaper before everyone else gets up. I love a quite, calm start to the day. Once I’m “fortified” I am ready to have a busy day.
Of course you can do it. You have a great plan there!
you’ve inspired me to do breakfast, too. we can do this!
you’ve inspired me to do breakfast, too. we can do this!
Nicole, You will do fine! A friend introduced me to something she does and I was amazed. Yes, I am simple. She mixes different brands of cereal and has wonderful breakfast cereal. I started doing it as well and wow, great. Fiber 1 (should be called fiber 2) cereal is great and when mixed with granola and rasin bran you get all the goodies to keep you going. Topped with fresh fruit, well, yummmmm. Have a great day!
Nicole, You will do fine! A friend introduced me to something she does and I was amazed. Yes, I am simple. She mixes different brands of cereal and has wonderful breakfast cereal. I started doing it as well and wow, great. Fiber 1 (should be called fiber 2) cereal is great and when mixed with granola and rasin bran you get all the goodies to keep you going. Topped with fresh fruit, well, yummmmm. Have a great day!
Does coffee (with lots of sugar & cream) plus a delicious pastry (scone/doughnut/muffin/cheese danish) count as breakfast? If so, count me in !!!
Does coffee (with lots of sugar & cream) plus a delicious pastry (scone/doughnut/muffin/cheese danish) count as breakfast? If so, count me in !!!
I always eat breakfast (usually oatmeal with fruit) but it was the exercise habit that I needed to develop. Now I exercise every (well, almost every, morning as soon as I get up). It took a little longer than 21 days to make it a habit. It was more like 6 months! Hopefully eating breakfast is an easier habit to develop!
I always eat breakfast (usually oatmeal with fruit) but it was the exercise habit that I needed to develop. Now I exercise every (well, almost every, morning as soon as I get up). It took a little longer than 21 days to make it a habit. It was more like 6 months! Hopefully eating breakfast is an easier habit to develop!
You can do it! And you’ll be happier for it!
… she says from a position of non-compliance. Diet Dr. Pepper and a piece of cold pizza, that was my breakfast this morning. I try… I really do. But making breakfast is work and then you have dirty dishes to deal with first thing in the morning. Can you tell I’m not really with the program? One thing I do every few weeks is make “fresh” croissants… okay, sort of. Trader Joe’s has these terrific frozen mini croissants that bake up to pretty good size. The box of eight is about $4.00. You take them out the night before, put them on a baking sheet (I cover them with a cloth napkin) and let them thaw/rise overnight. If you have a Silpat or parchment paper, use it. In the morning, pop them in the oven and voila!… fresh croissants. They’re excellent. (Okay, they aren’t anywhere near as good as the croissants you can mail order from W-S but they also aren’t anywhere near the outrageous price of Jean-Yves W-S croissants. On a side note, Jean-Yves, the guy whose company makes those croissants and other desserts for W-S is gorgeous. Tall, dark, French and gorgeous. And, sadly, married.)
Good luck with your new habit ~ let me know if you want any pizza.
You can do it! And you’ll be happier for it!
… she says from a position of non-compliance. Diet Dr. Pepper and a piece of cold pizza, that was my breakfast this morning. I try… I really do. But making breakfast is work and then you have dirty dishes to deal with first thing in the morning. Can you tell I’m not really with the program? One thing I do every few weeks is make “fresh” croissants… okay, sort of. Trader Joe’s has these terrific frozen mini croissants that bake up to pretty good size. The box of eight is about $4.00. You take them out the night before, put them on a baking sheet (I cover them with a cloth napkin) and let them thaw/rise overnight. If you have a Silpat or parchment paper, use it. In the morning, pop them in the oven and voila!… fresh croissants. They’re excellent. (Okay, they aren’t anywhere near as good as the croissants you can mail order from W-S but they also aren’t anywhere near the outrageous price of Jean-Yves W-S croissants. On a side note, Jean-Yves, the guy whose company makes those croissants and other desserts for W-S is gorgeous. Tall, dark, French and gorgeous. And, sadly, married.)
Good luck with your new habit ~ let me know if you want any pizza.
I have to eat soon after I get up or I get sick feeling. But, I’m not a breakfast food kind of gal. Cereals and pastries aren’t real appealing though I do eat them from time to time. Eggs are better, and pancakes without syrup(just butter thanks) are ok but very rare around here because I hate cooking them!
My favorite thing to grab is an english muffin(there are a whole host of fiber-full, 100-calorie varieties out there now)! Toast it, spread with horseradish mustard or mayo, a few slices of deli ham and munster, a slice of tomato and few lettuce leaves and have a wonderful breakfast sandwich!! I’m never hungry at all until way after noon!
I almost always eat at the computer too, bad habits are hard to break!!
I have to eat soon after I get up or I get sick feeling. But, I’m not a breakfast food kind of gal. Cereals and pastries aren’t real appealing though I do eat them from time to time. Eggs are better, and pancakes without syrup(just butter thanks) are ok but very rare around here because I hate cooking them!
My favorite thing to grab is an english muffin(there are a whole host of fiber-full, 100-calorie varieties out there now)! Toast it, spread with horseradish mustard or mayo, a few slices of deli ham and munster, a slice of tomato and few lettuce leaves and have a wonderful breakfast sandwich!! I’m never hungry at all until way after noon!
I almost always eat at the computer too, bad habits are hard to break!!
I’m not a breakfast eater, either, unless we go out. My routine is to get up, make a cup of tea and read the paper. Gotta do the Jumble puzzle! I bought some protein drinks (Boost) thinking that would help but I don’t remember to drink them till lunch time. So much for healthy! I like your idea! Plan, plan, plan!
I’m not a breakfast eater, either, unless we go out. My routine is to get up, make a cup of tea and read the paper. Gotta do the Jumble puzzle! I bought some protein drinks (Boost) thinking that would help but I don’t remember to drink them till lunch time. So much for healthy! I like your idea! Plan, plan, plan!
I know you can do it Nicole, and once you get your routine down you’ll wonder why you never did! I am totally ritualistic about breakfast – I have a bowl of cereal and some fresh sliced fruit every day while watching the birds at our feeders! It’s a far cry (and much better) than the leftover chocolate that I used to eat at work every morning with my latte! I’ve even gotten my husband to partake – he does it an hour before me. We have everything set up and ready to go before bedtime – and we even make sure we can get our breakfast when we travel – not matter what!
Cheers!
I know you can do it Nicole, and once you get your routine down you’ll wonder why you never did! I am totally ritualistic about breakfast – I have a bowl of cereal and some fresh sliced fruit every day while watching the birds at our feeders! It’s a far cry (and much better) than the leftover chocolate that I used to eat at work every morning with my latte! I’ve even gotten my husband to partake – he does it an hour before me. We have everything set up and ready to go before bedtime – and we even make sure we can get our breakfast when we travel – not matter what!
Cheers!
Yes, you can do it! And I’m working on doing it, too! I always have breakfast because I can’t go without it but some mornings my breakfast ‘spot’ looks like yours. I love the idea of having the table set the night before. And having beautiful quilted placemats would call me to the table, I’m sure. Better get busy and clear my table and then start making those placemats! Thanks for the inspiration.
~Adrienne~
Yes, you can do it! And I’m working on doing it, too! I always have breakfast because I can’t go without it but some mornings my breakfast ‘spot’ looks like yours. I love the idea of having the table set the night before. And having beautiful quilted placemats would call me to the table, I’m sure. Better get busy and clear my table and then start making those placemats! Thanks for the inspiration.
~Adrienne~
Absolutely you can do it, and I have the best homemade granola recipe in the world if you want it. I only have to make it every 2 months and it is really filling with no preservatives—easy easy. That and a cup of coffee keep me going till lunchtime.
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Absolutely you can do it, and I have the best homemade granola recipe in the world if you want it. I only have to make it every 2 months and it is really filling with no preservatives—easy easy. That and a cup of coffee keep me going till lunchtime.
[email protected]
My breakfast is usually accompanied by my iPod (reading email, checking facebook and blogs) and the morning news, but it is a small part in the morning where I am (usually) all alone. I go for the breakfast bars and juice…may not be the healthiest, but it is easy, peasy! Good luck getting your new habit going.
My breakfast is usually accompanied by my iPod (reading email, checking facebook and blogs) and the morning news, but it is a small part in the morning where I am (usually) all alone. I go for the breakfast bars and juice…may not be the healthiest, but it is easy, peasy! Good luck getting your new habit going.
The breakfast part sounds good but how can you give up email in the morning!! Doesn’t a can of slimfast in the car on your drive to work sound relaxing, as you reminisce about all the informative, entertaining, and witty emails you read before you left?
I think a while back you were giving up TV for a week but I think I missed the follow-up, were you happy with that experiment?
If you can give up TV for a week you can do anything.
The breakfast part sounds good but how can you give up email in the morning!! Doesn’t a can of slimfast in the car on your drive to work sound relaxing, as you reminisce about all the informative, entertaining, and witty emails you read before you left?
I think a while back you were giving up TV for a week but I think I missed the follow-up, were you happy with that experiment?
If you can give up TV for a week you can do anything.
You can do it! What an inspiration… I think I’ll do it too!
You can do it! What an inspiration… I think I’ll do it too!
Yes, yes, yes! You can do it! I’m hosting a 28 day challenge on the GraceWorks blog next month to help establish just some of those kind of routines. I’m cheering for you!
Yes, yes, yes! You can do it! I’m hosting a 28 day challenge on the GraceWorks blog next month to help establish just some of those kind of routines. I’m cheering for you!
I have every confidence that you will do it! Cheering you on!!!!!!!
I have every confidence that you will do it! Cheering you on!!!!!!!
Your current morning routine sounds just like mine!
Your current morning routine sounds just like mine!
Nicole you can do it I have tea and toast or a plate of cereal.
Hugs Mary.
Nicole you can do it I have tea and toast or a plate of cereal.
Hugs Mary.
I’m a devoted breakfast eater. My day just goes so much smoother when I start out with breakfast. I really like the time it takes to eat breakfast, allowing a moment to breath before jumping into everything. I think it is too easy to get caught up in a rushed morning situation and then be all harried by the time you get to work. I’m glad you’re implementing this new habit and I’ll be rooting for you!
I’m a devoted breakfast eater. My day just goes so much smoother when I start out with breakfast. I really like the time it takes to eat breakfast, allowing a moment to breath before jumping into everything. I think it is too easy to get caught up in a rushed morning situation and then be all harried by the time you get to work. I’m glad you’re implementing this new habit and I’ll be rooting for you!
You’ll feel SO much better in the afternoon! i’m big on snagging a banana or yogurt before my workout (with coffee, of course). eggs are always good if i’m skipping the gym, with mom’s freezer jam & a slice of toast. i make lists just after breakfast while i finish cup number 2 of joe… all is good in the world.
You’ll feel SO much better in the afternoon! i’m big on snagging a banana or yogurt before my workout (with coffee, of course). eggs are always good if i’m skipping the gym, with mom’s freezer jam & a slice of toast. i make lists just after breakfast while i finish cup number 2 of joe… all is good in the world.