When we talk about weight loss, the first thought most people have on how to do it is to eat less. While that is true insofar as it goes, what you eat and when you eat also matter. Studies have found that people who eat breakfast instead of skipping the “most important meal of the day” tend to have lower body weight than those who do not.
Why breakfast matters
This is because your metabolism goes into a conservative (slow) mode while you sleep, and your first meal of the day gets it back up to its normal waking speed. If that first meal comes after you’ve been awake for six hours, you have been burning fewer calories than you could have been during those six hours. By eating a low calorie breakfast, you make a tradeoff that results in your burning more calories during those six hours than you have actually taken in. Your “breakfast” does not need to be a traditional country spread designed to pack lots of calories into a body that will be working hard all day.
Other benefits
Eating breakfast and getting your metabolism started also helps your brain get the energy it needs to be alert and focused. This helps you tackle your day without feeling overwhelmed, which in turn reduces stress and the stress hormones that can contribute to weight gain.
What’s a nutritious breakfast?
I mentioned earlier you don’t need a five hundred calorie country spread to get a nutritious breakfast that will get your day going. Breakfast is the one time of day you can get away with a big serving of carbohydrates (because you’ll work it off over the course of your day). Ideally, you should eat a balanced meal with carbs, proteins and some fats, but if you want to eat light, you can enjoy a serving of oatmeal or toast (whole grain with no “enriched wheat flour”). Other good choices for morning include eggs, milk, apples, bananas, peanut butter (on toast is awesome), cheese or yogurt. Combine your favorites or, if you’re short on time, just enjoy one item.
Filed in Weight Loss
Updated: September 6, 2011
Copyright: October 11, 2010
