Commitment-Phobe I Am - When It Comes To Eating.

I have a very bad habit. 

Whenever I am working (which is most days), my habitual practice is to wake up... Try to recall where I put my glasses... Turn on my iPad and start reading news and emails... Then, eventually, stumble into the kitchen and turn on the Nespresso machine. 

I love this damn machine. So much, I have two. One here in Boston and one in Toronto.

I then take two gummy vitamins, a B6 & B12 pill that dissolves in my mouth, and two coconut oil chews. (I'm 35 and still can't swallow pills.)

So, breakfast typically consists of  vitamins, two or three shots of espresso and a glass of sparkling water. 

It's the "power breakfast" of winners!!

Except that it wreaks havoc on your metabolism. Especially when you are consistently doing this five days a week, and only eating real breakfasts on the weekend.  But my bad habit goes much further than that... I often won't really eat anything till late in the evening at supper time.

Now that is bad. And I got lectured by two different people this week about this bad habit of mine: my trainer and my acupuncturist.

My trainer requested that I write down everything I eat for a few days so that he can analyze it. And as the words came out of his mouth, I immediately thought, "Oh yeah, buddy. I am totally going to lie about what I eat and when." 

My acupuncturist, who I just started seeing this week, explained to me that no matter how much yoga and gym work I do each week... My body is operating off of adrenaline. And that is not a good thing. Because now my body is used to doing things that way. Which slows your metabolism the hell down.

"If you just eat breakfast each morning," they both pointed out to me, "you'll see a dramatic shift in your energy and metabolism."

So I need to reacquaint myself with the habits I had as a 10-year old. 

When I was 10, I was living in Phoenix. I would wake up each morning at 6am. I would get dressed. Then I'd go in the kitchen and set a place at the table for me. I'd set up a place mat... Plate... Cup... Knife... Fork... I'd make two pieces of toast and pour a glass of water. I'd sit down and eat it. I'd put my dishes in the sink and then go brush my teeth. I'd then settle in by 6:30am and watch the Transformers cartoon on TV while the rest of the household woke up. By 7:30 we'd be out the door to catch the bus to school.

I don't know why I was so committed each morning to having breakfast back then. But I was apparently far more together back then than I am now.

So with the two lectures this week, I decided to try to start a new habit this morning. I made breakfast.

Poached eggs! Fancy!

Another thing to note: I rarely keep food in my house. I shop as I need food. And I only get the specific things that I need. But with this new commitment to eating breakfast,yesterday I went out and bought actual groceries.

The first step, according to my acupuncturist, is to get used to eating breakfast everyday. Then I need to start adding in smaller meals throughout the day. 

"I'm just so used to only eating when I am hungry," I told her. "And I am just not hungry till 7pm or 8pm at night on work days."

She was horrified.

But I am looking to change things up in my life, and no longer looking to just make it through each day... Which is how I have been living the past three years specifically. So I will commit to breakfast each morning.

Screw everything else.

Except the Nespresso. I will never give that up.