How to Build The Habit of Eating Breakfast
Feb 13th, 2008 by Mehdi
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Breakfast Granola. Image credit: speedM
You wake up. Kick off the day with a coffee. Then don’t eat until lunch time. For some of you this will sound familiar. Which is a shame because breakfast remains the king of meals.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. – Adelle Davis
Why Do You Need Breakfast? Skipping breakfast is one reason you’re skinny. You need calories from the first hour. Other benefits:
- Maintain Muscle. You’re in a catabolic state when sleeping. Eating breakfast stops muscle breakdown.
- Boost Metabolism. Eating breakfast increases the amount of calories you burn, helping fat & weight loss.
- Avoid Hunger. You’ll be less hungry the rest of the day. Also helpful if you need to lose fat and/or weight.
- Increase Health. The food you buy at the cafeteria at work/school or in McDonald’s is processed, which is usually unhealthy.
- Save Money. Preparing breakfast is cheaper than buying breakfast on the road to work/school.
This post will help you build the habit of eating breakfast.
1. Make it Tasty. It’s easier to build the habit of eating breakfast if you eat foods you like. Check out these 7 breakfast recipes that build muscle. Go low carb if eating breakfast makes you sleepy: eggs & veggies.
2. Start Small. If you can force yourself to eat breakfast, do it. However slow progress works better to build habits. Start with a small breakfast, like 2 eggs instead of 6. Increase the meal size every 2 weeks.
3. Eat Less Before Bed. Big meals before bed time will mess with your sleep and make you less hungry on waking up. Avoid snacking in the middle of the night & eat light prior bed time. Example if you go to bed at 11pm:
- 7pm. Meat, veggies & brown rice.
- 10pm. Cottage cheese, berries, flax seeds & fish oil.
- 11pm. Sleep.
- 7am. Scrambled eggs.
4. Plan. Have the foods ready you need for breakfast. Rearrange your life so you don’t skip breakfast. Cut preparation time in the morning.
- Groceries. Buy what you need for 7 or 14 days breakfast. Don’t end up skipping breakfast because your fridge is empty.
- Wake up Earlier. 15mins earlier so you have time to eat breakfast & avoid morning stress. Go to bed earlier so you wake up on time.
- Prepare. Breakfast, stuff for work/school, clothes, etc. Prepare as much as possible the night before so you can sleep longer.
5. Persist. The best way to build the habit of eating breakfast, is to do it daily. Decide you want to build this habit. Whatever happens you’ll eat breakfast. Stick to your decision. Plan everything so you don’t miss breakfast.
Nausea happen. Drink water, take a shower, come back & try again. Still not hungry: eat it on the road to work/school. Eating healthy & going to sleep on time will take care of persistent nausea’s.
Bonus: The Lazy Man Muscle Building Breakfast. Prepare a protein shake the night before if you have problems waking up early. Keep it in the fridge & drink on waking up. Ingredients:
- Whey
- Water
- Milk
- Instant Oats
I want to hear your tips on how to build the habit of eating breakfast. Share them in the comments.
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Knowing that not eating breakfast every day does more harm than good to you is motivation enough for me. On rare occasions I really don’t feel like eating breakfast (even though I know I’m hungry), but I’ll force myself knowing that if I don’t I will be either a) too weak for my morning training schedule or b) will have reduced my metabolism for most of the day by somewhere around 3-5%.
Also, the emphasis really is on habit. It’s only habit not to eat breakfast (along with not being hungry at that time of day) because your body has adapted to your routine and it’s fully aware it’s not getting food until lunch or whenever and goes into survival mode aka catabolism for the most part, I believe.
If you unlearn that habit, your body will come to want breakfast in the mornings in no time.
My blender regrets the day I was born! Breakfast is often protein powder or cottage cheese, a veggie like spinach or kale, flax meal, wheat germ, sometimes a frozen orange, splenda, and water. Into the blender! Many people go “bleh!” but I like it. Fast and to the point.
Here’s my breakfast every day.
Into the Blender:
1 Banana
3/4 cup soy milk (no lactose for this jerk)
8-10 Frozen strawberries
3-4 spoonfuls of plain yogurt (buy’em in those big vats)
2 tablespoons of flax seeds (omega 3!)
2 tablespoons of rolled oats
2 tablespoons of wheat germ when I can
Blend until smooth.
It’s easy, it’s fast, it tastes good, and it doesn’t have any goofy chemicals in it. The flax and rolled oats also give it a nice texture that lets you sorta chew it on the way down.
My breakfast:
2-3 cups 100% Organic Oatmeal (No Sodium)
2-4 fl. oz. Skim Milk
3-5 fl. oz. Water
in Microwave for 2 mins
then
add 1-3 tbsp. Barleans 100% fresh pressed Flax Oil
1-3 tbps. Barleans 100% Forti-Flax
1 cut up banana (sometime apple if I run out)
1-3 tbsp. cinnamon
every other week about a handful of raisins
Sound advice Mehdi. I’m currently working long hours as a builders labourer. If i skipped breakfast i would be dead on my feet. My breakfast:
glass of 100% apple juice
bowl of all bran cereal topped with raisins and apricots
2 slices of wholegrain toast
cup of tea
This sets me up until 10.30 when i need to eat again.
Also, preparing food the night before is vital. If you fail to do this then you run the risk of sleeping in too late, skipping breakfast, running out of the front door with no healthy option food, getting stuck in traffic with an empty stomach, turning up at work in a foul mood, and stopping at the nearest fast food outlet for a quick fix breakfast, 11’s and lunch all in one combination - bad times!
Keep up the good work.
I agree with all of you…if it is important, you’ll make the time. I personally like to pre-cook chicken breast one night a week and divide it into servings which I store in zip-lock bags in the refrigerator. In the morning, I take one of these out, and heat it while I’m cooking up a cup of Egg Beaters (about 4 whole eggs). I top this off with about 3 teaspoons of Apple or Pumpkin Butter, a banana, and 8 ounces of Cran-Rasberry Juice. This is low-calorie, yet high in nutrition (485 calories, 3.5g Fat, 66.5g of Carbs, 47g of Protein).
I use to skip breakfast all the time up until 6 months ago and I must say I feel much better after eating breakfast. More energy, more awake, all around better. I usually go with 3 scrambled eggs, and mixed veggies or omlettes with spinach, mushroom , etc. I wash it down with a cup of green tea and im good to go.
I’ve gotten in the habit of one whey scoop before my commute, then a whole grain bagel with peanut butter when I get to work (I usually have a multivitamin and a fish oil pill as well). Seems to work pretty well and is satisfying, but I wonder if I might need more calories– I peg the whole routine at about 650.
No breakfast - no gains. That’s what it says on one of the posters at the gym I go to.
I agree with all that you’re saying here, it truly is important to ‘eat breakfast like a king’…
Great post Mehdi, and a great reminder for those who have forgotten
I do my workouts in the morning to save time in the evenings, that means getting to bed at a descent time so that I have the energy to get up and workout. I start by drinking a whey/milk shake and eating a banana, workout for an hour, then drink another whey/milk shake, 2 eggs over easy and organic 9-grain wheat toast with grape jam…MMmmMMMmm. I also take my vitamins and fish oil with breakfast. I finish eating by 7:30am and by 10:00am I’m starving again, so I have a stash of protein bars, almonds, yogurt in my office. the weekend i go with rolled oats with honey since i have more time to prepare it.
To Daniel:
Instead of Apple Juice, try Green Tea or just water, not only are both negative calorie, but ALL fruit juices just give you unnecessary sugar. Your better off eating the real fruit because not only are most of them negative calorie but they also leave you feeling more full.
I never thought about preparing my protein shake the night before. I figured it would settle overnight. Instead I make a bowl of cereal in advance. My current favorite is a mixture of: Fiber One, Kashi GoLean Crunch, sliced Almonds, and dried cranberries. I combine them, pour some out as needed, and add milk. It’s a little light on protein, but had some good fiber and can get you through a couple of hours.
Breakfast was a tough habit to develop for me. Coffee and go to work was my routine for a decade, my 30s, during which time i lost 15 pounds of muscle and replaced it with 20 pounds of fat, even while maintaining nearly the same weightlifting discipline. Pretty sad to admit.
I got into the breakfast habit along with the five-meal-a-day habit by gulping down a whey protein drink first thing in the morning, along with extra water and tea/coffee. It’s about all i can stomach so early (6am). But it cranks up my metabolism and gets me going for a workout. Then post-workout I scarf down some eggs and toast, plus multi and fish oil tablets. It’s so simple, and has turned around the whole muscle-wasting cycle I was in for so many years.
Breakfast in two stages has done wonders for my energy and fitness.
I’ve always hated missing breakfast, and wake up with a real hunger since my body is expecting it. If you’re a believer that carbs at night make you fat, then the morning is a great time to get in your grains and fruit along with your protein.
You force yourself to lift heavy weights.
Why dont you force yourself to eat breakfast?
-A.J
im having a problem with all this eating that you’re suggesting. i am fit and somewhat muscular, but i have man boobs and girl thighs. wont eating more and not skipping breakfast make me fatter? i am doing your stonglifts program btw, and i put on 10lbs in 2 weeks, but i think i most of it was fat
can you help me out in losing the man boobs and putting on clean muscle? can i diet and lift simultaneously?
[...] of a strong breakfast for me lately, and that protein helps get me through the day. Mehdi’s How to Build The Habit of Eating Breakfast is a great post outlining the importance of starting the day off [...]
Actually I stopped doing breakfast recently. I’m doing this intermittent fasting thing now.: http://leangains.com/
So I break my fast at noon now (still with yoghurt and muesli though… it gets even better when it has been soaking for a couple of hours).)
@Jake: In fact, you HAVE TO diet and lift simultaneously if you want to loose those moobs. 70% of weight loss is dietary related. What you should do, Jake, is start by adjusting to eating 5-6 meals per day. So you would be eating every 2-3 hours. So for instance:
8AM - Oats and honey or fruit with that.
10:30AM - Protein Shake
1PM - Bacon and eggs on Rye bread (A bit of a late breakfast for me)
3:30PM - Protein Shake
6PM - Wild Rice with Chicken in a cream pepper sauce
9PM - Sames as 6PM.
This’ll ensure that your metabolism is constantly on fire. Since I started this particular habit I’ve been eating much more than usually but loosing weight in combination with the 5×5 training.
And once you’ve gotten into that habit, shape the habit of eating clean foods. Drop the white sugar for honey and fruit instead. Wild rice instead of white rice, rye or brown bread instead of white toast and so on.
These are two steps that I’ve changed to that have dramatically altered my body composition and energy levels.
Good luck to you.
i know the post is about breakfast but some advice concerning last meal of the day also appeared in the comments. I’d like to add one small thing to that - during losing fat/weight, one should avoid carbs in one’s last evening meal, and eat just proteins and lipids - cottage cheese with flax oil is ok, tuna with olive oil is ok, but no sugar, no oats, no other source of carbohydrates, especially no fruits or fructose sweeteners (because fructose - fruit sugar - cannot be used as a source of energy neither for the muscles nor the brain, it is metabolized in the liver, where it can be transformed to fatty acids - these acids can, but may not, be used as a source of energy for your muscles. if they’re not immediately used they’ll be stored as body fat).
of course you should only avoid carbs if your last meal in a day is not immediately after your workout. if it is you should do just the opposite
i.e. eat a lot of carbs (even with high glycemic index like cooked rice) and protein and avoid fat. rice with grilled chicken and some veggies (not too much) is ok. maybe some grapes would be ok 
@mehdi - an idea - what about post with supper/after workout/some last meal recipies?
@Wazzup
I tried intermittent fasting for a while (warrior diet too). The fasting state makes you more alert, and lifting on an empty stomach worked. But I couldn’t build a lifestyle around it. Need to try it again once.
@Yemu
Here’s one about post workout. Got more ideas for upcoming post, but it all takes time. Thanks.
Mehdi, how long do you reckon protein shakes last in a fridge? I’ve had a few micellar casein/whey protein shakes that I’ve left in the fridge overnight, or over 24 hours, and when I realized I’ve forgotten about them, I just poured them away since I figured protein goes bad real quick…
use a crock-pot to slowly cook a porridge or a stew overnight for you. Wake up at 6am and eat some piping hot nutritious hearty breakfast… Do your workout and then eat again at 9am - some gently poached free range eggs over rye toast with chopped chives and cracked pepper. Slip in protein shakes with BCAA’s into the routine and prepare to grow.
@Galapogos
I never let a protein shaker longer than 24h in the fridge. Goes bad real quick indeed. If you don’t clean your shakers well, it smells bad 2 days later.
Well, that post came a few minutes too late. I’ve done it again! Made a protein shake yesterday night, put it in the fridge to keep it cool while waiting for my eggs to boil, ate the eggs…and went to bed forgetting all about that shake!
24 hours later(and a few minutes later), I discovered it was still in the fridge…and I’ve already made my shake for the night. Decided the bite the bullet this time. I smelt/tasted it a little bit and it didn’t taste funky so I downed yesterday’s shake. Will leave tonight’s shake for breakfast tomorrow. I hope I don’t get diarrhea tomorrow. Wish me luck!
I’m siding with Wazzup although I think we’re in a minority here. I eat a paleo/stone-age/caveman etc diet with moderate intermittent fasting, that is to say I typically eat once a day. I train around 1pm, and eat some time between 3 and 7pm. I’ve followed this eating pattern for years. Since I started lifting about 10 months ago, I’ve put on 1kg of lean mass a month pretty reliably, so it is not hindering my progress.
I hate breakfast. I’m not hungry in the morning unless I start eating then! After that, breakfast makes me want food all day. When I am fasting, I am much more alert.
Breakfast is a marketing scam. The only people that benefit are in the business of selling breakfast cereals.
I am a fiber person in the morning. For 6 years I have been eating shredded wheat in the morning. Fiber is an important muscle food too… I am not the best at this but I also try to add eggs too… keep that protein high!
Good post though about an important topic.
Great post. I’m with Tenacious eggs and tea to go along with the anabolic diet. Carb day I enjoy oatmeal with fresh fruit along with a fruit smoothie concoction.
i m a very skinny guy. my age is 20yrs height 5`8 inchs. and my weight is 55. a very skinny body. pls help me out in gaining weight
I’m always at the point now when eating I always so cautious about what im eating because just this past year I went from 206 lbs. to now 140 lbs, I’m 18 and about 5′9” apprx. I lost 66 lbs. by myself which is awesome but im always afraid of ever getting like that again so I feel like everything that I eat is gonna take me back to that point. I check the Nutrition Facts on everything now. Im hesitant about eating things that I know probably will good for me (example: eggs) I notice there is a good amount of fats in one egg and cholesterol. I want to know are things like eggs better or for worse (considering the fact im focused on losing extra weight i have yet on my stomach and hips and my legs but im focused on gaining muscle at the same time) I just never know what I should eat in the morning and through out the day without gaining weights from “fatty” foods, can anybody help me figure out what to eat and what things to not worry about in my diet, more of what I should be eating in my diet more and what to avoid because im never sure. Any suggestions I would appreciate alot.
A doctor once told me that most people (Americans, at least) are used to eating a small breakfast in the morning, a moderate lunch, and a large dinner at the end of the day, which is exactly the opposite of what’s healthy: More calories in the morning, few in the evening.
He gave me a tip: Prepare your dinner, but immediately put it in the fridge and eat it the next morning for breakfast. Eat a small meal (what you would normally eat for breakfast) for dinner instead.
Don’t know if it works, but it seems to make sense hypothetically.
Multi-vitamin
Omega-3
‘
Banana
Hard-boiled Egg
Kiwi or Orange
‘
1/3 cup Cream of Wheat
1/3 cup Red River Cereal
1/3 Organic Oats
3 cups water
On cereal: 1 Tbsp brown sugar. 3 Tbsp applesauce. dash cinnamon. 1/2 cup 1% milk
‘
One scoop 100% whey and 250ml milk.
Green Tea.
Hardcore baby.
6′7″ @ 225lbs. 24 y/o
I eat alot, but I always eat healthy, no cheating, ever. Wouldn’t want to anyways, does me no good.
BF takes me about 15minutes from start to finish.
Add this to the list “Why Do You Need Breakfast?”
Keeps your stomach in good shape. Prevents acidity. Prevents gas.
My story: On changing jobs a year ago I found that I no longer had the time nor the interest to have my breakfast (my new office did not have a canteen/cafeteria). So I gave up breakfast.
About a month or two later I found that I was being very gassy in office; especially in the mornings. It would start with a low rumbling in the stomach and in a couple of hours I could not remain in my seat for more than 10 minutes at a time. At that time I did not make the connection. But then when I decided to go back to having my breakfast regularly, it subsided. But it took nearly a month.
This is one of those things I would like to shout from the rooftops. Suffered physically, mentally and socially. That’s the reason I am posting this comment here. Its not something folks figure out easily.
great reminder as far as the EAT LESS THE NIGHT BEFORE.
I struggle to get women to eat breakfast as they always think the later in the day they can wait to eat—-the fewer calories they will consume.
(yada yada yada we know even if that ends up TRUE it’s not the goal)
MizFit