Breakfast is such an important, if not the most important, meal of the day and often times it's skipped because we're too busy, we don't like breakfast foods or skipped in attempt to lose weight. Excuses, excuses. Let's take a look at why these excuses can cause you problems throughout the day, physically and mentally.
I totally understand that people are busy, heck I'm busy. But if we wake up, shower and head to work without nourishing our body, it will suffer and your work may even suffer as well. Skipping breakfast makes it easier to lose focus and concentration; however, eating a healthy breakfast fuels your body and gives you that mental advantage you need in the office. So take a little extra time to sit down for a whole grain waffle or a bowl of oatmeal; or take breakfast with you such as a fruit and nut bar, a cup of yogurt or a piece of fruit.
As a fitness professional, I love asking people what they had for breakfast, where they went for lunch and what they'll have for dinner. When I first started dating my boyfriend, he would call me mid-morning just to say hi and because of habit I would ask what he had for breakfast. "Nothing, I'm not a big breakfast eater." WHAT?! I about freaked. Since that conversation, it's been my goal to suggest breakfast foods that Matt would enjoy. I stocked his fridge with plain and blueberry whole grain waffles, eggs and bacon, yogurt, fruit and put cereal and oatmeal in his pantry. He was bound to find something he would like in the morning, right?! As he sits on my couch I ask him if he's eating his breakfast and he claims to "always eat breakfast now, thanks to you". Aw! See, there's plenty of options for breakfast, and I'm positive you can find something you'll look forward to in the morning, something that will nourish your body and fuel you for your day.
Skipping breakfast to lose weight will actually do the exact opposite. Prolonged fasting increases your body's insulin response which will increase fat storage and weight gain. Not eating breakfast pretty much sets you up for failure, making you more vulnerable to cravings and less likely to make healthy decisions throughout the day. By mid-morning and lunchtime, someone who skipped breakfast is going to be starving and is likely to overeat at lunch and dinner. Mindless munching (grabbing a bag of M&M's from the vending machine) is also common among non-breakfast goers. Eating breakfast jumps starts your metabolism, reduces hunger throughout the day and may give you more energy which will increase physical activity! Yay!
A few of my favorites in the morning:
Waffle (gluten free for me) with frozen blueberries on top and a glass of skim milk
Oatmeal with fresh berries
Banana or an apple with cashew butter
Eggs, bacon and whole grain toast
Egg whites or ham and part skim mozzarella cheese on an English muffin
Yogurt with fruit and granola
Fruit smoothies...Hint: Low fat or skim milk, frozen berries, banana; add peanut butter for extra protein
Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day!
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