Eat Breakfast and weight loss will follow
March 3rd, 2008
So how many of you eat breakfast? According to statistics, 95% of overweight people don’t eat breakfast.
Given the fast pace we all seem to live, it is no surprise that skipping breakfast has become the norm for many. Most are so short on time in the morning that coffee is about the only thing that we consume. Many will try and go without food until lunch and some may stop by a fast food outlet and buy one of those breakfast specials. You can already guess that I am going to suggest that you stop this right now!
When you think about it, if you ate dinner at 7.00 pm the night before and get up to start your day at 6.00 am the next morning, you have gone 11 hours without food. Your body needs to recover from this period of starvation and fuel itself for the day ahead. The science behind the need to eat is this, our bodies fuel is glucose, it keeps our motors running.
Glucose is needed by our brains and nervous system. Everyday activities including walking, stretching, talking and thinking need glucose to work. If you don’t give your body what it needs, your system will be forced to try and turn fat into glucose or find stored carbohydrates.
Essentially, keeping your body is this hibernation state burns only minimal calories. So if you go 11 hours without eating after a nights sleep, your body is burning minimal calories. Hopefully you will see that you are doing yourself no favors here.
To top it off, most people are so starving by 10.00 with low sugar levels that they start to crave sugary foods. Some give in to temptation and will consume everything but a healthy snack. Speaking from experience, you also feel pretty drained, no energy and sometimes even ill.
One thing I often hear is that people feel really hungry after eating breakfast so figure it’s better to go without.
If you are hungry after eating breakfast, you may need to introduce protein in the mix. Eggs are a great source of protein and one thing I eat regularly. In-fact, I often take a boiled egg to work and have that along with tuna and salad for lunch. I find an egg really helps with my hunger.
Eggs get a bit of a bad wrap but pack a nutrient punch with vitamins like B and K as well as folic acid and quite low in calories.
So here’s a list of breakfast items you can try that don’t take much time to prepare and will really get you going and help with your weight loss or maintenance program:
Cereals – there are so many these days that we are spoilt for choice. You want low-calorie options with no sugar or salt added and stick to high fibre options. If you happen to have some fresh fruit like banana’s, throw some on your cereal for natural sweetness. Don’t forget the skim milk, no full fat milks!
Eggs and toast – one of my favorites. As mentioned earlier, eggs are full of nutrients and help me get through the morning. Make sure you go with wholemeal bread and try to resist the urge to put butter or margarine on them.
Fruit salad - fresh fruit salad is not only refreshing but will also provide a slow release of energy that will help get you through to lunch. Top with some low-fat yoghurt and you have a yummy start to your day.
Smoothies – one of my all time favorites. You can really mix it up so to speak with different combinations of ingredients. Make sure you use low-fat yoghurt and I always like to throw a handful of oats along with mixed berries and banana.
It’s also a nice idea to try and include some juice. Again, you want to drink a juice with no added sugar, all natural is the best way to go. You can have a glass of juice with your breakfast or if you can’t stomach breakfast first thing, try and have your juice first and then breakfast a bit later. You don’t want to be eating breakfast too late though as it defeats the purpose.
I hope this helps those of you out there who have gotten into a bad habit of skipping the most important meal of the day. You have to break the habit, start your day off right and you will reap the rewards.
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