Don’t Skip Breakfast If You Want to Lose Weight

In the morning, you may find that you are playing a continual
game of “catch up.” You’re rushing to the shower, rushing
through traffic, rushing to work. You may feel as if you don’t
have time for breakfast, let alone a nutritious breakfast. You
may find that you’re just not hungry at that time of day, or you
believe that you need to lose weight, so you skip breakfast
altogether. What you may not realize is that, by eliminating
breakfast from your morning routine, you’re jeopardizing your
health–and your waistline.

There are a number of good reasons to eat breakfast,
particularly if you are a dieter. To begin with, the very act of
eating breakfast can speed up your metabolism, which is critical
to weight loss. Think about it. You may eat dinner around 6 p.m.
If you wait until lunch to eat again, as many as 18 hours might
have passed. Breakfast is therefore critical to your overall
health and well-being.

Another problem with skipping breakfast is that it tends to
make you overeat at lunch. Studies have shown that the vast
majority of successful dieters do eat breakfast. This may seem
counter-intuitive, the idea that you must eat food in order to
lose weight. But the research shows clearly that that in fact is
the case. Breakfast can also aid your concentration. A number of
studies demonstrate that breakfast improves one’s focus, helping
him or her at work or at school.

The type of breakfast you eat depends upon the diet you are
pursuing. You might choose a high fiber meal, such as cereal, or
a high protein meal, such as scrambled eggs and ham. Your
breakfast should contain plenty of vitamins and minerals to help
your body remain healthy throughout the day.

Another interesting aspect about breakfast is that it is a
proven mood elevator. This is quite important, since it is
critical to remain positive when trying to lose weight. Anything
that you can do to lift your spirits–provided that it does not
cause you to pack on the pounds–should be considered
beneficial. Also, breakfast sets the pattern for the day. If you
make healthy decisions at breakfast, you’re more likely to make
the right decisions regarding the other meals of the day.

One thing you should avoid at breakfast is eating something
high in sugar, such as a sugary breakfast cereal. While such a
meal can lift your energy level temporarily, after a few hours,
your energy level will drop again. While it is always better to
eat something than nothing, you should be careful in the food
choices you make at breakfast. Breakfast can enhance the
efficiency of the body, making it easier for you to burn fat.
This is true for both young and old, so make sure your children
eat breakfast as well. A smoothly-running body is a healthy body
and one that is more likely to become lean over time.

At first glance, there appears to be no downside to eating
breakfast. However, it is important to issue a cautionary note.
Some people use breakfast as an opportunity to binge. They
figure that they can eat breakfast and then skip the rest of
their meals. However, this is not a healthy approach. In order
to work effectively, your body needs to eat regular meals. Some
diets call for three meals a day; others rely on five or six
smaller meals eaten more frequently. In any event, while
breakfast may be your most important meal of the day it should
not be your only meal of the day.

Eating breakfast is a habit. However, if you haven’t eaten
breakfast in a while, it may be a difficult habit to get into.
The key to starting a healthy habit is persistence. Try to eat
something every morning, even if it’s only a little something.
Make sure that you have time to actually sit at the table and
eat, rather than trying to eat breakfast on the run. Scheduling
time for breakfast means that you have made it a priority in
your life. If you follow this formula, you should be in a better
position to lose weight over the long term.

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