Eat steady. Make time. Keep it up. Do it your way. That’s the executive summary. Alex Mayo posted a thing about eating breakfast and diet – and I couldn’t help but contribute. Rather than see the whole thing drift off into the Google+ sunset, I thought I’d gather the various thoughts together…
Then I lost the whole content of this blog, so that I’ve had to pull the original material out all over again. Sigh.
Most Important Meal
The thing with breakfast is that it doesn’t need to be horrible to be healthy. I mix my own muesli from a base rye flake up, and eat it with a mix of 1/3 soya and 2/3 water… though I’m pretty much weaned off the soya. You actually find milk/soya didn’t add much to the experience other than wetness…
Favourite alternative for hunger-busting is a couple of hard boiled eggs for breakfast.
Whatever it is – eat it slowly. Chew long and steady. Put the spoon down between mouthfuls. Don’t drink anything else until after you’ve finished – like coffee, juice or tea. Drag it out and you can eventually fool the old stomach into thinking it had a much bigger meal.
Just something from personal experience and weight loss. I couldn’t be doing with a ‘book diet’, so I pulled one together myself. I lost 3 stone in 6 months, so it must have worked in some measure, and three years later I’m 4 stone lighter and only a few pounds variance up and down. No sign of the dreaded bounce back…
Making Time
I forgot the bit about making the time – and the answer is, make the time. Genuinely, if you want to get fit, you’ll make the time. If you watch TV in the evening or spend time online, drop it – lose the 30 – 45 minutes and go exercise instead.
If you’re so busy you don’t have any leisure time activity, see if you can sleep a little less or change your working hours to free up some time. I work 7am – 4pm, instead of the 9am – 5.30pm most people do in my office. It means when I get home, the family isn’t ready for making dinner – so I duck out, exercise and eat with them afterwards.
Mind Your Mouth
I read a book or two on mindfulness, and while I wouldn’t go the whole hog on its value – I get the principles. Commit to doing things the moment you get the chance – and when you do it, commit to it fully. When you eat, commit your full attention to every mouthful (that’s why I suggest you lay the cutlery down and not wash each mouthful down with a drink). When you exercise, concentrate on your full 30 – 45 minutes – switch the phone off, tell people your going off to exercise… make time for it.
I went from exercising rarely – walking every other day at lunchtime, to stationery cycling, aerobic boxing or whatever for 30 – 45 minutes 5 or 6 times a week. It means commitment and perseverance. No two ways about it – and no shortcuts.
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