Have you ever been in the middle of that amazing dream where you just won the lottery and you're about to go on a shopping spree, and then you wake up suddenly to the annoying sound of BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP? Oh yeah, you know what that sound is, it's the sound of death, the alarm clock! Of course, you hit the snooze button enough times that by the time you actually get out of bed, your rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off just to get to work, school, appointment, etc. on time. I'm pretty sure we have all experienced this at least once in our life unless you've been in the military since you were about five years old. When you are rushing around to get ready, most of the time you will not eat breakfast because you simply "do not have enough time to." You dart out the door with a coffee, snacks, hit up the drive-thru, Starbucks, gas station food, or even worse, NOTHING. By the time afternoon hits, your body crashes and you feel exhausted. Why does this happen?
As a personal trainer, I get asked often about nutrition advice. I have been working out and eating healthy for years now so I have lots of knowledge in this area. I used to just go to the gym and eat whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to and I wondered why I wasn't losing weight or getting results. Now, genetics play a role and there will always be those lucky individuals that can eat whatever they want and look great. I personally hate those people. Just kidding. Seriously though, food is a serious part, if not the most important part of your fitness results. Diet alone makes up around roughly 90% of your fitness results. Have you ever heard the saying, "you are what you eat?" This is actually a very true statement. So, back to the question, why do you crash by afternoon if you did not eat breakfast or you ate garbage for breakfast?
There are many reasons why this happens, but I am going to name a few that I find to be very important:
Not eating all three macronutrients at breakfast (protein, natural dietary fat, and slow burning, low starch carbohydrates)
Waiting too long in between meals to eat (for example: not eating breakfast)
Not eating enough or too much
Eating too much sugar
Changing even these four bad habits from above at breakfast time can significantly change how you feel by noon, on top of helping you lose weight and maintain it.
I want to talk a little more about "how eating breakfast can help you lose weight." Breakfast should reign over your day like a King in a palace. Seriously, it's that important! When someone comes to me and says they have been doing EVERYTHING, and still cannot lose weight but admits to not eating breakfast, I literally want to walk away and cry for them. Losing weight and skipping breakfast is like oil and water, they do not mix. Have you ever been told by a parent or grandparent that you need to eat breakfast so you can focus at school? Well, this is very true and it plays an important role in weight as well. So, exactly how does eating breakfast help you to lose weight?
BOOSTS METABOLISM
Your body uses energy for everything you do, including eating. You need the energy to store the food in your stomach and to move it along to your small intestine, absorb it into the bloodstream, and digest it. Technically speaking, this is called "diet-induced thermogenesis." This will determine your daily calorie intake. When you're burning more calories than your consuming, you lose weight. Try researching "diet-induced thermogenesis," you will learn much more about this process. By eating breakfast, you activate the thermogenesis process which in turn, stimulates your metabolism. Studies have shown that eating a meal in the morning boosts your metabolism more than eating the exact meal at night.
KEEPS TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE LOWER
without a wholesome breakfast, you will more than likely go after higher calorie foods during the day. People tend to eat more for lunch because they are hungrier. Basically, by eating a well-balanced breakfast, you won't feel near as hungry by lunch, which will make it easier to make healthy choices and consume less.
These are the top two ways that eating breakfast helps one lose or maintain their weight, but one must remember that the breakfast MUST be a well-balanced and nutritious one or you're defeating the purpose of this entire article. You cannot eat doughnuts and drink coffee every day for breakfast and expect to lose weight. Remember, you want to consume all three macronutrients, stay away from sugar, not eat too much or too little, and don't wait too long in between meals. Doing these steps together will lead to weight loss or maintenance. I am going to end this with a few examples of some good quality breakfast foods that would be perfect to eat daily.
Eggs
Greek Yogurt
Oatmeal (steel cut oats are best)
Chia seeds, nuts, almonds
Berries
Green Tea
Protein Shake
Water
Fruit
Whole wheat toast
Veggies
Lean meats
There's no magic potion to losing weight but there are good habits you can form that can certainly help assist you in meeting your fitness and health goals. If your just getting started on your weight loss journey and feel overwhelmed by all the information that is being thrown at you all at once, then just start by changing your breakfast habits. Take baby steps and do it one day at a time. Remember, never give up no matter what. Anything can be done, where there is a will, there is a way.
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