Breakfast like a pauper

August 9th, 2006

You may have heard this saying:

“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper”

It’s always made sense to me as it generally follows the changes in your daily metabolic rates. It delivers energy when you need it during the day and reduces the calories as your metabolism slows in the evening and whilst you are asleep.

I have followed this pretty well, apart from one thing - I thought I was a king at either end of the day and had a big breakfast as well as a big dinner!

Well that was until about a week ago. It wasn’t a sudden desire to lose weight or become more healthy, it was that I changed my trip to the gym from the afternoon to first thing in the morning - basically to free up the rest of the day for work.

Before you imagine me as some huge rotund beast feasting on plates of bacon, eggs and sausages for breakfast every day, actually my “king sized” breakfast had consisted of a large bowl of cereal or muesli, a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea.

One day last week, I had this breakfast and went to the gym to do my usual stint on the treadmill. Disaster!

I could hardly run and felt pretty ill. All that cereal wasn’t doing me any good at all as I tried to jog along.

The next day all I had was a cup of tea for breakfast and then I went to the gym again. What a difference! I felt really fit and light on my feet.

When I got back home I started work and at around 11am suddenly remembered that I hadn’t had breakfast at all that day so I had a banana and a pot of yoghurt. I wasn’t really hungary.

Ever since, my breakfasts have only consisted of a banana, a pot of yoghurt and a cup of tea and I’ve been feeling great. I’ve not missed all that cereal for breakfast and I’ve not been keeling over with hunger. I feel fitter and more alert, probably because my body hasn’t got to digest all that cereal or meusli.

So breakfasting like a pauper seems better - but I still dine like a king!

Entry Filed under: Healthy Foods