Make ELFF work for you Monday!

Don't worry - I'm not going to put on any of my weight.  I'm not.  I'M NOT, darn it.  It's just the stress talking. Stress and more stress.  School starts tomorrow, I start work tomorrow, and I have LOTS of things to think about.   Thank you so much for all of the reassurance.   

Sunday I did everything I could to prepare for the upcoming week.  I cooked several things ahead for the week, I did all the laundry, cleaned up the entire house, and organized the kids school stuff. All the workbooks I could get my hands on are covered, every pencil is labeled, lunches are packed and I have to let the rest of it GO.

One thing I did that was helpful was decide on a few breakfasts, make as much of them ahead as I could, and put them in the fridge.  That's what your Mission is for this week, the way that you can make the ELFF diet work for you.

Eat breakfast.

Before I started to live in a more healthy manner, and before my weight loss efforts were successful, I had lousy breakfast habits.  LOUSY.  I never ate it.  Studies have shown that those dieters who eat breakfast every day lose more weight.  Searching around the Internet found this list of breakfast benefits, from Sparks People:

• a revved up metabolism started early so that it burns the maximum number of calories to fuel your activities
• fewer total calories consumed throughout the day
• an increased leptin output

What’s leptin, you ask? Leptin is a hormone that suppresses appetite. Eating a significant meal early in the day ensures our body’s leptin production, says Meg Jordan, Ph.D., R.N. – as reported to First, September 2003. The book "Fit Not Fat at 40-Plus: The Shape-Up Plan That Balances Your Hormones, Boosts Your Metabolism, and Fights Female Fat in Your Forties-And Beyond", published by Prevention

Since leptin suppresses appetite, it follows that those of us who eat breakfast would take in fewer calories throughout the day. In fact, researchers at the University of Texas, El Paso, studied the food diaries of 586 men and women and determined that the more food people ate in the morning, the fewer calories they consumed in an entire day. So eat up early – though what we eat for breakfast may affect what we eat later on.

Today I made a new recipe, Chai Oatmeal.  It smells really good - I found the recipe in an old issue of Prevention magazine.  I'll have to let you know how it turns out.  I also made light gingerbread loaf, to eat with fruit.  What is your favorite low fat and filling breakfast?  And who likes Fage yogurt - I have yet to try it, but have read lots about it on various diet sites this week. 

It's the EASIEST Mission EVER - eat a good, balanced and healthy breakfast every day this week. 

Comments

[Kendra]

Love to you on this busy week!

Breakfast-It's essential!! I proved it to my self today-got busy getting the kids ready for church and forgot, literally. My body didn't like it! I won't tomorrow though-AND I'm going on a 2+ mile walk when the youngest starts Kindergarden. *sigh*

[Lissa]

Care to share the recipes for the Chi Oatmeal and light Gingerbread loaf? Thanks!

[Heather]

Good luck this week!
I haven't tried Fage specifically, but I am having Trader Joes fat free greek style yogurt with my blackberries this morning. It's only 100 Cals per cup, and has 20 grams of protein. Even the fat free is incredibly rich.

[Emily]

Uh-oh. I already failed. I had a glass of water and pop tarts. Although not the HFCS kind, the organic fruit and whole wheat flour kind.

And now my morning snack is homemade pasta primavera (delish!). Reckon, I'm nursing a 22-lb child who refuses to eat solid foods. Meaning I need lots of nutrient-dense food these days.