Breakfast can be confusing.
For example, I used to tell all the people I coach for weight loss or fitness that for optimizing fat loss and human performance, eating a big breakfast as soon as you get out of bed in the morning is very important, since it can help sustain energy, mood and appetite.
But now, I’m a proponent of delaying breakfast for one to two hours after you wake up, and trying to squeeze in an easy, aerobic exercise session while you’re in that morning “fasted” state.
It can be confusing when nutritionists and dietitians “change” their recommendations – but over the course of learning more about breakfast and watching how people’s weight and energy responds to it, I simply haven’t found much evidence that prioritizing breakfast “first thing” assists with weight loss or energy levels, and delaying it actually causes weight loss benefits and better utilization of carbohydrates.
And that’s not all that can be confusing about breakfast.
Take granola, for example. Is granola healthy?
Depends.
If you’re gluten intolerant or prone to blood sugar fluctuations, the wheat, oats and sugar in granola may not be ideal. In addition, lots of granola is packed with vegetable oils and preservatives, which can be inflammatory.
But if you’re making the switch from eating Peanut Butter Captain Crunch for breakfast, a granola or muesli might be a pretty good choice.
So…what confuses you about nutrition?
Protein and fats, like eggs and sausage – are they OK?
What about cooking in butter vs. olive oil vs. coconut oil?
Or Wheaties vs. Special K vs. plain oatmeal?
Leave your comments, questions and confusions below, and stay tuned for a post next week that answers your questions about breakfast!
5 Responses
I just responded to all these questions in an audio release at https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/nutrition-podcasts/breakfastquestions/
I'm not a diet or exercise expert by any means. I'm just a gal trying to lose weight (alot) and do it in a healthy way. I have found "Get-Fit-Guy" podcasts etc to be extremely helpful.
Currently I am food journaling/calorie counting combined with exercising 3x week. What is a healthy percentage of calories to eat at breakfast if you're limited to a 1200-1400 daily calorie intake? Some days I eat 50, and other days I eat as much as 350.
Four days a week I work out early in the am. Three of these are swim sessions, one is a hard 2 hour endurance bike session. I usually save my fruit consumption for post workout, but I'll do a banana with almond butter and maybe 1/2 cup almond milk with some whey protein before these am sessions because I don't have time for much more. I don't have much energy if I don't eat at all, and not enough time before the session to eat and digest anything like oatmeal (or anything with a lot of fiber) or an egg or some other protein. On the long bike days I will usually have some calories half-way through the session as well. The bike shop is not very close and so my banana/almond butter/whey is usually a good hour before the class. My stomach is also fairly sensitive and bananas seem to sit will with me. I know bananas are a starchy fruit and are higher glycemic than some fruits. Any other suggestions? Sorry this is such a long question.
I’ve been telling my clients to get 20-30g of animal protein at breakfast. But I’m still not sure if I should recommend not eating before exercising and after exercising especially after reading art devanys new book. He says instead of refueling in the post ex window to wait since your body is burning fat. But when does it get catabolic not eating before and after? Is there a certain type of exercise that you should eat before or immediately after. I try to have the essential aminos before a workout since I’m lifting or teaching a spin class and then I eat soon after. I’m working on some variety for breakfast too which seems to be difficult
If you’re trying to lose weight should you wait until after a morning workout to eat? If so, how long?