Last week I began an awesome tele-class with the dynamic duo of MizFitOnline and Dinneen of EatWithoutGuilt. What an amazing team they are! They’re teaching a pilot class called Jumpstart 2010, and I feel fortunate to be part of it. MizFit is a unique expert on all things fitness, and Dinneen is the queen of intuitive healthy eating. Together, they are just fantastic. (for you Twitter folks, look for the hashtag #JS2010 to see Tweets on this class)
For me, I feel it is necessary to always continue learning, finding ways of fine-tuning my understanding of both fitness and nutrition. I can’t afford to sit back and say, “I’m done now.” So it was a great opportunity for me to be able to participate in this class and see/experience things in a different way. Already I am so glad for what I absorbed in the first session.
One of the “homework” assignments of the first week was the Breakfast Experiment. Which consists of eating something new for breakfast every day, and logging how we feel right after, and also 2 hours after each meal.
Here’s what I’ve noted so far.
Day 1: 10am (after heavy workout) mini whole wheat bagels (“bagelettes”) with peanut butter. Pretty good. But since I ate SO late, I was ready for lunch around noon.
Day 2: 8am – caramelized onion scramble (one egg + one eggwhite) with one small slice ham, sprinkling of goat cheese. Plus blueberries on the side. This was VERY filling (Weight Watcher folks will recognize this as a classic “filling food” breakfast!!) and I was happy/satisfied until 12:30pm lunch. Thumbs-up breakfast, but I don’t always have time for this.
Day 3: 10am (again after heavy workout) – 0% Fage yogurt with blueberries, a couple pecans and a drizzle of agave syrup. Very refreshing and yummy after hot workout, but a slight tummyache half an hour later. Was it because it was cold? Because it was dairy? Because it was cold dairy? Hmm.
My trainer yelled at me this morning bc I admitted I had not eaten anything before the workout, only a cup of coffee. I KNOW this is not good. But I am rushing around like a bat out of hell in the AM, driving daughter to school, then rushing to the gym, and it’s all I can do to get a cup of coffee in me to fling myself behind the wheel. No, it’s not ALL I can do, but…
I resist eating before workouts because:
1. It’s early.
2. I don’t like eating the second I wake up.
3. I reallllllly don’t like working out with stuff in my stomach. Because I work out so hard there is often the danger of puking. Today I felt pukey enough on on empty stomach.
I guess the only solution to this is to (nooooooooo!!!) get up earlier. Which means (noooooooo!) going to bed earlier. And maybe I will have one of those mini-bagels, or a slice of turkey? or cheese? on the way to the gym. I’m going to have to experiment with this. Miz? Dinneen? Any thoughts on this?
Edited to add:
Day 4: Double fiber English muffin with cheddar cheese. I didn’t think this was going to last very long, but it was amaaazingly filling and staying! Four hours, easy.
Day 5: Bear mush hot cereal with blueberries & cream. DELICIOUS. Also very long-lasting. Yum.
foodfoodbodybody 
January 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Interesting observations on the breakfast exercise. I have the same issue in that the most satisfying breakfast takes the most time.
I CAN’T not eat before a workout – I’m likely to pass out. Maybe a small protein bar or something? Or a yoghurt? Something small but nutritious and then you have a proper breakfast afterwards?
January 22, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Gemfit, what have you had for breakfast(s) this week? I’m very curious to see what others are eating. And I’m wondering what I’m going to eat on days 6 and 7 — I’m such a creature of habit I am wondering how to change it up.
YES, I would do well with a small protein bar. I will do this for sure next time I have those early workouts!
January 22, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I saw your tweet on this experiment and am going to try it next week 🙂 Thanks!
January 22, 2010 at 4:51 pm
I’m with you on the earlier wake up time (noooo!) & going to bed earlier (noooo!). I rarely eat as soon as I get up in the morning. Bottle of water & then my cup of coffee. Once the kids are dressed/fed *then* I make my breakfast.
On mornings when I get up early to walk/jog outside I just have water. I can’t do anything intense on a tummy full of breakfast or I’m afraid I’d lose it. Will be intersted in seeing what ends up working for you.
Have a great weekend!
Lynn
January 22, 2010 at 4:57 pm
How about a banana in the car for a pre-workout snack? Lots of potassium and carbs and it takes no time, is not too filling.
January 22, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am the world’s most banana phobic person and I would not touch a banana if it were the last nutrient on earth. I swear.
(sorry to go off, but I am THAT banana-phobic! I won’t even eat banana bread! or banana muffins! Aghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!)
January 22, 2010 at 5:02 pm
However, I do love me some fried plantains. 🙂 Which could very well turn out to be my breakfast #6 or 7! LOL
January 23, 2010 at 10:50 pm
omigosh, I can’t stand bananas either! the smell, gaaah. the taste, barf. I won’t touch banana bread and the like either. I do wish I could eat bananas b/c they have a lot of good to them but ::shudder::
January 22, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Speaking of which, I just saw this blog and almost died of ecstasy. http://bit.ly/8aagJD
January 22, 2010 at 5:22 pm
What an awesome idea! I love this. Genius!
January 22, 2010 at 9:22 pm
First off, so glad you’re enjoying the class!! And you’ve already made some progress.
And you have a smart approach to your weight-loss and maintaining: always learning, fine tuning, and NOT saying “I’m done now.” This is the best approach!
Yes, sad to say getting up a bit earlier would help. Or just have something small — like 1/2 an english muffin or 1 piece of toast w/peanut butter for example. One you START eating when you first get up, you will slowly get used to it. Especially if you’re working out in the morning it is important to eat something.
Like everything, and like Carla and I talked about in the teleclass….it’s about taking small steps.
I’m so happy you’re in the class and getting lots out of it. And for your oh-so-kind words 🙂
January 22, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I’m like you – can’t eat too early in the morning, so I have half a protein bar in the car on my way to workout. Just enough to give me some energy but not enough to make me feel pukey.
January 23, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Im entirely with dinneen.
it took me time to get used to both the EARLY and the eating before I worked out.
I tended to do smoothies and then CARDIO and the eat a bigbig breakfast before I lifted.
I CAN (and actually like) doing my cardio on an empty stomach—-but I do it at 5a.
if I even did it at 7a (or if it were longer than 30 min) Id totally need breakfast before.
now my first meal is usually around 545a and the biggest of my entire day.
TMI?
🙂
January 23, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Interesting idea, this breakfast experiment. Breakfast happens to be my most favorite meal 🙂 I usually have no problems with eating first thing b/c I am usually quite hungry when I wake up. It helps me to go to bed kind of hungry-ish.
A bagelette is probably what size a bagel should be lol.
I think half a turkey sandwich would be good for breakfast.
January 24, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I’m not an early morning eater either. My favorite pre-gym snack is a dollop of peanut butter (2 tsp or so) on a piece of dried fruit (Trader Joe’s Dried White Peach for ex.) and a glass of milk. Tastes good and it keeps me from getting the barfy feeling.
One of my favorite breakfasts is 2 points of cottage cheese (Knudsen or Clover preferred) and 1 point of crushed pineapple.
Loved your banana freak out. Very funny!
January 28, 2010 at 11:17 pm
I don’t like to eat before a workout either but I also know that I have a better workout if I eat a little something, so I usually have a babybel light cheese on my way to the gym. It’s just enough so I don’t feel hungry-nauseous and light enough that it doesn’t upset my stomach while working out. If I’m headed out for a longer run or a really hard workout, I add some apple slices too.
One of my favorite filling breakfasts is a multi-grain high-fiber english muffin with two egg whites, one slice of ultra-thin ham and one slice of weight watchers cheese. A healthy egg McMuffin. Very filling and the protein keeps me full for quite some time. Thanks for this post! I’ll be trying other stuff too. I love breakfast!
January 30, 2010 at 12:29 am
I worked my way up to eating breakfast too. And now I eat it first thing. I have to have stuff that is pre-prepared especially on the days I leave for work at 5:15. I even have plastic spoons to take with me. Yogurt and muesli (esp. greek yogurt) is fast and nutritious. I made a quinoa recipe that I love this week. Its over on my blog if you want to check it out. It keeps really good for a couple of days, and needs less than a minute in the microwave to warm up.