Traditional eating patterns in the US are 3 meals a day with the largest meal being the final one of the day. Many times, a busy schedule will have us skipping breakfast, despite all the times we’ve heard that it’s the most important meal. What happens next? At lunch we eat more than planned, and top the day off with a big dinner.

I think this is backwards. Our bodies need to get fueled early when we start our day, while tapering off fueling toward the evening. The more, and earlier we eat, the better our body uses that food for energy, instead of storing it as fat. An interesting thing that has happened to me on the 60 Minute Diet is how my body has shown me this to be true.

In the morning, I need protein to get a good start to the day, so I eat some crazy foods for the early hours. Many traditional breakfast foods, like bagels, cereals, breads, and muffins are higher in carbs than proteins. Whereas breakfast proteins like bacon, and sausage are full of fat - very tasty but not so healthy.

When following the 60 Minute Diet you know the benefit of small frequent meals, and the importance of using your Cool Pack every day. Well you can still eat eggs, they are packed with protein and qualify as a nutritious breakfast food. But you can’t eat eggs every morning, without running the risk of high cholesterol. That’s why I recommend a healthier alternative to traditional eggs like egg whites, and Egg Beaters, which also have lower calories.

So how do I get my protein? Here’s a sample of my morning foods:

• 8:00 AM 1/3 c Egg Beaters, with salsa and 1/3 of an avocado (100 calories)
• 9:00 AM 2 turkey meatballs in sauce (100 calories)
• 10:00 AM ¼ c low fat cottage cheese and 1 cup of fresh raspberries OR strawberries (100 calories)
• 11:00 AM ½ fresh grilled chicken sandwich (100 calories)
• 12:00 AM ½ fresh grilled chicken sandwich

This is a protein packed morning. Then something interesting happens, around 3:00 PM (after 3 more meals), I don’t want to eat anymore. I have given my body the fuel it needs to power me through my day. Now when I go home for the evening, I don’t need that big meal, I can taper down on calories while still feeling satisfied. Oh, and here’s another perk, I sleep better at night without a full stomach.

So the point of this is to rethink the way you eat. Develop a plan that gives your body the energy it needs to run efficiently, but do it early in the day. Breakfast, particularly on the 60 Minute Diet, truly is the most important meal of the day. A good start leads to a great end!

Photo credit Montage Man

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