Note: since writing this article FIVE years ago, my thoughts on breakfast have changed, which you can read about here.
I’m leaving this article up to show the growth and change in my philosophy over the past five years.
“Growing up, your mom told you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. She also told you that those sweat pants you wore in 7th grade were cool too, so you don’t know WHAT do believe anymore. That’s where Nerd Fitness comes in. I’m going to give you the low-down on breakfast, and find out if it’s the real deal or if Count Chocula and Tony the Tiger are full of crap.
Nearly everybody I know who is in shape eats breakfast. Nearly everybody I know who is out of shape and overweight doesn’t eat breakfast. Seems counter-intuitive, I know – if somebody is overweight, then skipping one of the three meals a day should help them, right? Wrong, and here’s five reasons why:
1) When you skip breakfast, you end up getting so hungry by the time lunch rolls around that you could overeat and often eat unhealthily. If you wake up, and eat a good breakfast, you won’t be so starved by noon and you can think with a clear head, “hmmm, maybe four Big Macs is a bad idea.” People that eat breakfasts are more likely to make more healthy choices throughout the day, because they’re not completely preoccupied all morning with thoughts of food. You’ll also be less likely to reach for the donuts your cubicle neighbor brought to work. Stay away from the bearclaw!
2) Breakfast gives you energy for the morning. You know when you get to your desk in the morning, you’re all Grumpelstilskin and Crankenstein, and by 9:15 you already need to run to Chachski’s for a coffee break? Well, when you eat breakfast, you’ll have more energy, a better attention span, and you won’t “space out” nearly as much. Still feel free to use the side door, however, when you come in 15 minutes late.
3) You’ll be less likely to do something stupid for dinner and late at night. When you skip breakfast, you tend to overeat for lunch and dinner and all that extra food gets stored as fat on your body. You know that old saying, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?” Yeah, me neither. But still, I’m pretty sure that is a saying, and there is truth behind it. People who stuff their face right before bed are pretty much sending every one of those calories straight to their asses while sleeping. If you eat a big healthy breakfast, your appetite will be curbed throughout the day and you’ll be far less likely to eat that pint of Chunky Monkey before bed.
4) Because Timer said so:
Timer the Creep tells you to eat breakfast.
Later on this month I’ll be posting an interview with my friend Saint, my first official client for Nerd Fitness, who has already lost 23 lbs in the past 9 weeks. One of his biggest changes? He now eats breakfast EVERY DAY. So children, what are you going to do tomorrow? That’s right: wake your ass up 10 minutes earlier and eat breakfast. Check back Wednesday to see what’s the best stuff to eat and the stuff to avoid.
Looks like your mom was right about breakfast after all…she was definitely way off on the sweatpants though. Come on man.
-Steve
