The Importance of Breakfast
Why Eating in the Morning is So Important

The importance of breakfast to your weight loss efforts and overall health cannot be overstated.

I’m Not Hungry in the Morning…
You may not be waking up hungry because your body has gotten used to getting the bulk of its calories later in the day. To break this pattern, try trimming a few hundred calories from your evening meal. You can easily do this by making healthy substitutions, like having carrot sticks instead of fries, or water instead of soda. If you do this for a few days, your appetite should increase within an hour of waking up in the morning.

This change will be worth it. Research shows that skipping breakfast may cause you to eat more food later in the day, even if you’re not truly hungry first thing in the morning. In fact, a recent study indicates that just 27 percent of normal-weight people reported skipping breakfast, compared to 40 percent of overweight women and 48 percent of obese women.

Other evidence suggests that calories consumed early in the day are more satisfying than those you take in during the evening. As a result, breakfast eaters have an easier time controlling mindless snacking and staying at a healthy weight!

Eat More to Lose Weight?
That’s right; not eating enough can actually hinder your weight loss, especially when you exercise regularly. According to the American Dietetic Association, if you are not giving your body the fuel it needs to sustain such vital functions as digestion, breathing, and blood circulation, your metabolism will slow down so your body can conserve energy. Add exercise to the equation and your body has to fight even harder to hang on to calories.

If you’re exercising 30 to 60 minutes several days per week, a good rule of thumb is to eat 15 calories per pound of your goal weight. So, if your goal weight is 135 pounds, aim for about 2,025 calories per day. Keeping track of your food intake using a food diary is a great way to develop a clear picture of your eating habits. Also, tracking other aspects of your daily routine in addition to your food consumption, such as your exercise and moods, using a weight loss journal, is a great way to identify and avoid potential obstacles to your weight loss efforts.

If you find you are short on calories, reach for an extra serving of nutrient-rich foods, such as nuts, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and lean protein, to help you power through your workouts without putting on the pounds.

As you can see, the key to healthy eating and a stable metabolism throughout the day is rooted in the importance of breakfast and getting your day started off right by eating healthy in the morning!

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