How do you start your day?

[Wehttam]

Have you ever considered the way your day starts could be the key to feeling great? I was recently talking to a colleague who is constantly tired and has headaches all day long plus she hardly looks like she is thriving in life and has weight issues. She was saying she wakes up and will try and have a slice of toast and a coffee but sometimes skips this entirely and just leaves the house for work. It can be lunchtime before she even eats or drinks a thing.

The very idea of this just floored me, my first thought was her wee must be dark brown from being constantly dehydrated, but it seems it’s not uncommon, many people start their days in a similar way. Being the interfering control freak type that I am I wrote her a plan to try the next day to see if it made her feel better. The main change I said to make was adding water into her morning routine.

Drinking 1 glass before anything else really does massively affect how your body starts working. She’s been drinking water and making time for breakfast for the last few weeks and she’s like a different person. I made her promise me not to leave the house before she’s had at least 1 litre of water and to drink more throughout the day.

Anyway, how do you start your day off? I’ll go first and as someone who likes routine and has the time to do this it is probably quite long for a lot of people but it’s just my way... disclaimer I don’t have kids.

I wake up, go to the loo and then go to the kitchen. I take 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and chew until liquid and then swish it around my mouth for 20 minutes. As I do this I prepare breakfast and my celery juice (yes I’ve sworn by it since February it’s quite amazing but that’s for another post). After the oil pulling I then drink the celery juice. I wait another 20 minutes before then drinking around half a litre of water with half a lemon squeezed into it. Breakfast usually is muesli and a Coffee. I take a vitamin C pill and COD liver oil capsule. Before I leave the house I aim to drink another litre of water.

I tell everyone I meet, drink water like there’s no tomorrow, it will change your life. If you are struggling with weight loss then drinking a lot more water may be the answer. No judging here, I’m just curious to see what everyone does or did before making a change.

If your day starts off without structure or without the first step being positive then your whole day is going to be out of whack.

[iklboo]

To do your routine I'd have to get up at 5am. No way I'm doing that. I honestly can't face food for an hour or so after I get up, never mind chewing coconut oil for 20 minutes. But as soon as I get into work I do have a 'go' bottle of water and some fruit, followed by a coffee. Lots of water through the day.

If you'd have written me a plan I'd have smiled politely then binned it. What works for you won't work for everyone.

[Wehttam]

I said my routine was long I’m more curious than anything to see what everyone else does. If you don’t eat for an hour do you drink anything after getting up?

[iklboo]

Depends. If I'm working from home I'll have water & coffee. Otherwise I'm commuting. I can't drink on the move. And my wee is a beautiful pale straw colour

[LochJessMonster]

I have a bowl of cocopops with semi skinned milk and chopped up fruit in. I know cocopops isn't the healthiest of breakfasts but I reason that the grapes/strawberries/raspberries help even it out?
I really wish I liked porridge or oats as that would be healthier and fill me up more.
Perhaps I should try eggs but I don't have the time to cook them in the morning

[Wehttam]

I suppose I can get away with drinking a lot because I have a short walk to work so there’s no risk of being desperado and not being able to go. Pale straw is good pee.

[Wehttam]

What do you drink Lochjess?

[Lozz22]

My morning routine goes as follows. 1 Alarm goes off at 0545 the other at 0600 both get snoozed. Eventually decide to drag oneself out of bed around 0630 have a quick wash, clean teeth sort hair out and go to work at 7am. Will have my first coffee at my first call of the day and maybe a small glass of juice. Will then have a second coffee or cup of tea at my 3rd call. If I have a morning break I'll sometimes have a quick snack if not I don't eat anything until around 1430 I've never been a breakfast person. The only times I eat breakfast is when I go on holiday. I used to go to Rpm every morning at 06:30 and back again on a teatime but now I'm just too tired to even think about anything like that

[QforCucumber]

I am usually woken with a jump when DS shouts 'Mummy its time to go downstairs' at around 6am. Make him weetabix, If i can be pestered I'll have a scrambled egg with some spring onion and feta maybe.
Hoover, put a wash on, empty dishwasher, get dressed leave house at 8am. My morning routine is more cleaning than eating.

[LochJessMonster]

I only drink water. Nothing else. And I'm trying to drink 2 litres a day.
My main problem is I snack a lot. I crave chocolate.
Going to start buying more apples and carrots that I can snack on.

[olivo]

I Imagine that many people don't have the time you do in the mornings, just for themselves. An hour extra sleep is better for my health than getting up to do all that for myself before sorting the dcs and leaving at 7.30. Up at 630, shower, dress, teeth, hair, then down to get their breakfasts, do packed lunches, do their hair, supervise teeth, cup of tea as I'm doing it, crumpet or quick slice of toast if I'm lucky, and then all leave.

Each their own, but I agree about water. The problem is, I can't just pop to the loo when I fancy water had to be factored into the day's plan!

[Wehttam]

That’s good Loch, try and Up the 2 litres to 3. Do you like dates? Chopped dates are a good alternative to chocolate and can help with the snacking otherwise try raisins or dark chocolate (80% and above). Do you snack out of boredom or habit?

[Wehttam]

Olivo get it factored in! Honestly you won’t regret it! I’m lucky I don’t start work until 9.30 and have a short walk so my routine is indulgent I know, but the basic idea is hydration which adds a positive spin to the day.

[Nameusernameuser]

On a work day I get up at 6.30/7, make myself a coffee, make my son breakfast and a drink. Clean up whilst he eats that, pack the changing bag then get him dressed. My mum picks him up about 8.20. I jump in the shower and get dressed, whilst chugging more coffee. Get to work for 9am (it's a 3 minute walk).

Drink about a litre of water whilst at work in the morning, go home for lunch at 1ish, more water, light lunch. I drink about 4 litres of water a day, and about 4 cups of coffee.

On non work days I get up at the same time, 2 cups of coffee probably. Ds will eat, get dressed, and then when he naps I clean the house and shower and get dressed myself. Then we go out for the afternoon.

[Oysterbabe]

I drink gallons of water but I only eat in the evening the majority if the time. I always start the day with a black coffee then a glass of water. On sunday mornings I follow my black coffee with a long run. I've lost 3st this way and feel great.

[Oysterbabe]

I'd vomit myself inside out if I drank celery juice so I suspect that wouldn't be the best start to my day 😂

[Wehttam]

Oyster give it a try, it changed my life and well-being dramatically. The hype is real.

[Oysterbabe]

I seriously hate celery, I can't touch anything that has it in. The smell of it makes me retch, I won't have it in the house.

[Terkwoyse]

@Wehttam This is all so interesting.
You have reminded me about the benefits of drinking 3+ litres of water a day. I had a spell of doing this and felt great but slowly I dropped off and I realise how little I am now drinking. I am motivated to change my habits again.
Also the oil pulling is fascinating. Do you spit it out after 20 mins? What are the benefits?
And now to the celery drink, do you juice it or blend it? With any liquid?
I am about to start on my healthy routine!

[Siameasy]

I have to have about 3 cups of tea.
I tend to follow the 16:8 fasting thing but if I fancy breakfast (which I sometimes do if I’m off to the gym or ate early the night before) I have eggs normally

[fishonabicycle]

So what does celery juice do for you then?

[WoollyFoolly]

I do 16:8 so don't eat breakfast. I am usually up and out of the house within 30-40 minutes in the morning, couldn't be doing with all the faffing about.
Oil pulling, by the way, assuming you are doing it for dental care, has been shown to be no more effective than swishing with water. It's the swishing action that is effective not the oil.

[theneverendinglaundry]

I get up at 6ish, have a bowl of porridge with semi skimmed milk and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. Cup of tea.

I then fill up my water bottle and I find I drink more water if I use it, even at home.

There's no way I could stomach coconut oil swishing for 20 minutes! I'm not sure how I could talk to my children either. What are the health benefits to it?

[Bunnylady53]

I’m really rubbish at the mo! Used to drink at least 2 litres of water a day but now I hardly have any. More likely to drink wine ( not for breakfast obviously!) And I don’t always have a proper breakfast. I found I had more energy when I had bacon & egg for breakfast with whole meal toast or maybe beans on toast

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

My alarm goes off at 6.30 - DH gets out of bed, makes coffee, places it next to me and then retreats until I have made the transformation from Hell beast to semi human.

I then have breakfast, could be cereal, porridge or toast with 1 piece of fruit and a glass of water or weak squash, 1 multi vitamin with added iron and my contraceptive pill.

Then wash/dress/teeth/hair etc.

I drink sod all water during the day though and I have to change that.

[ppeatfruit]

I get up about 7ish (i;m retired so can please myself) I always have filtered water by my bed and I drink some before doing oil pulling with almond oil , which is better than coconut oil IME and O . I put 2 drops of T tree ess. oil in it too. it's very cleansing.Clean my teeth gently after it and drink more water.

Then I have my morning smoothie which generally changes with the seasons or what I fancied at the shop. This morning it was soaked linseeds, grapes, a whole lemon grated, 2 pears (this lasts for 2 mornings kept in the fridge) Then mix with half pure grape juice and water using a hand held blender. I drink water all through the day. Oh and I'm sugar and sweetener free atm and have lost quite a bit of weight , though obviously I eat fruit .