It is believed that a morning routine can set one up for a productive day. As a single working mom to 2 getting my day started right is imperative. Also, for many of you who follow me know I am a fan of intermittent fasting* (IF) and I also like to have fasted workouts(I am not an exercise professional, so I can’t talk about this but look it up and their is a lot of good data on it.)
I am a Registered Dietitian by day and I get a lot of questions about how I do this and one of the best ways for me to share is to start you off with my morning routine. Before I jump into that I want to quickly explain what is IF and the benefits. With IF you only eat during a specific window of time. The standard culture has become one of abundance and a sedentary lifestyle. Majority of bodies are being overfed and lacking in movement. This excess can increase risk for obesity, DM, cancers, heart disease, inflammatory disorders, and many other health conditions. Intermittent fasting keeps the body in a maintenance caloric intake or deficit (depending on how you do it) to allow the body to function as it should. Also, without food for a duration of time the body will exhaust sugar stores and start burning fat, which is often the goal for many Americans. There are many different fasting window options. I personally aim for 16-18hrs 5 days a week. I am not a fan of 24hr fast. I do know some professionals stand by them, but I want something that is a bit more achievable. I start my fast after dinner and usually break it at lunch the next day. Here is how I start my day to give you a better idea of what I do.
Weekdays I set my alarm for 5:30am. I am usually at work by 730am. Fortunately my work doesn’t require a lot of dressing up because my mornings are packed. I am personally not a morning person. I am a chronic insomniac/night owl by nature, so waking up at 5:30am is not easy for me. I have found a trick that does help me get out of bed. I tell myself once my alarm goes off to keep my eyes open for 10 minutes. This seems to stop the melatonin from kicking in and I will notice I start to wake up and am usually out of bed within minutes. I brush my teeth, pull my hair back, and get in my exercise clothes.
Next up is my fasted workout. I find fasted workouts are so much easier in the am. If you are the type that needs a little caffeine in your system prior to a workout this would be a great time to have a mug of Camerons Coffee before working out. Stick to black coffee (it can be a flavored coffee). Luckily Cameron’s carries so many delicious flavored coffees that are all sugar free and taste amazing to drink black on their own. Everything from Vanilla Hazelnut, to Chocolate Caramel Brownie, to Sea Salt Caramel, you name it. Just make sure you don’t add anything to it or you will break your intermittent fast. I don’t personally drink a lot of caffeine so I skip this step and just get to my workout.
Then comes my workout. I usually try to get a 45 min workout in. Lately it has been a lot of workout videos. I really enjoy Lilly Sabri’s workouts because she mixes it up with HIIT, pilates, boxing, and more. Plus she is full of energy which motivates me in the early hours.
After my workout I brew Cameron’s decaf coffee https://www.cameronscoffee.com/coffee/filters/family/flavored/ , you can easily have caffeine, I just tend to drink a lot of coffee during my fasting period and therefore I don’t want the caffeine load myself. Lately I have been living the vanilla hazelnut flavor. I have always been pretty sensitive to caffeine, but again if you are one who could use the extra energy by all means use a caffeinated brew.
Then I hit the shower and get ready for work. Again I am fortunate with masks and my uniform that it doesn’t take me long to get ready for work.
I then head downstairs and make my lunch to bring to work. I aim for a 16-18hr fast daily as I mentioned before. My first meal of the day is usually around 1130/12 and I stop eating after dinner. I like to break my fast with a high fiber, high protein meal.
Finally before I head out the door to work I grab my Cameron’s thermos and fill it with my choice of Cameron’s blend that day. I love that Camerons carries so many flavored decaf blends without adding in the calories from a syrup or having to use an artificial sugar syrup (I will save my thoughts on those for another day). I haven’t found any other coffee brand to carry so many flavored decaf blends and don’t even get me started on trying to find it with a coffee company outside the home. I have literally never seen it. I love having the flavored when I am fasting because it leaves my brain thinking I am eating something when I am not and its nice to mix it up with plain black coffee. It feels like a treat. When fasting you can have black coffee, tea, and water. I suggest having water and coffee by your side to get keep hunger at bay.
Then I head out the door and begin my workday with my Cameron’s at my side and water until lunchtime. I will then eat as I wish until after dinner and I begin my fast again. I love intermittent fasting because it truly takes no thinking and I can still eat things that I like without restricting certain food groups(again I will share my professional opinion on those diets for another diet.) I hope this inspires some of you to join me. I always feel my best when I am consistent with fasting.
*Check with a medical professional before starting intermittent fasting to make sure it is a safe option for you
