To eat or not to eat

Why delaying breakfast has helped me train better in the morning

For most of my adult life, I used to wake up every morning craving a big bowl of Cheerios with a banana. I’d wake up with my stomach howling. Right out of bed and straight to the kitchen like a drug fix.

When I was first got into triathlon, I didn’t change my diet much, including breakfast. As an athlete growing up, I’d always just ate what I wanted whenever I felt like. I didn’t need to think much about my eating habits because it all just worked—so I told myself.

But triathlon generally requires paying attention to the body and making smart decisions in response to what’s going on. Starting to strain? Ease off the intensity. Feeling strong? Maybe we can push the pace a little more. This includes what I’m eating. One day I realized, Wait, maybe it’s not such a good idea to stuff my gut with milk and cereal before a big workout.

After working with a nutritionist briefly last year, I learned that body has enough energy reserves from the previous night that I don’t need to fill my gut right away in the morning. Based on her recommendations, I replaced my cereal and fruit with just a big glass of water and a little bit of coffee to stave off the appetite and help flush out my digestive system. Sometimes I’ll have a Fig Newton, but often no food at all before my first workout.

The first few days were tough due to my stomach cravings, but I noticed my morning workouts got much better. Without all that stuff in my stomach, I’m not gassy or bloated. I’m light on my feet. Morning runs have gotten easier and even downright enjoyable.

When I’m done with the workout, I do eat right away to replace the calories and start the recovery process. My delayed morning breakfast tastes much better with the feeling of a completed workout and the knowledge I’ve gotten my day off to a good start.