Have you ever decided to just skip breakfast in order to cut some calories? At first glance, this can seem like a good idea, but in reality, it’s not a good strategy at all — your body will find a way to outsmart you!
One of the well-known benefits of eating breakfast is that it kick-starts your metabolism for the day, so if you’re trying to lose weight, skipping it may actually cause you to get the opposite of the desired results. Eating breakfast will also make you less prone to cravings during the day — if you start your day with a healthy meal, there’s a smaller chance you’ll end up having ice cream for dinner.
We could go on and on about all the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast, but instead, we’ll share a few breakfast tricks that will make you look forward to starting your day the right way!
Here are some breakfast rules that are good to know if you’re trying to lose weight:
Eat as soon as possible
Eating breakfast helps keep your metabolism active, and if you want to make the most of your body’s fat-burning potential, be sure to eat between 30 and 60 minutes of waking up. Eating the first thing in the morning will ensure you don’t feel starved later in the day — and it’s when we feel starved that we end up making bad food choices, snapping at people, and generally feel more susceptible to stress or stressful situations.
The added value of an early breakfast is the extra boost of energy you’ll have to start your day. Your body will be grateful and you’ll find yourself thinking (and believing!) you can conquer anything today.
But what if you’re not a breakfast person and the very thought of eating in the morning makes your stomach turn?
In this case, a good idea is to have a nutritious and refreshing smoothie. It will keep you full and reduce your cravings later in the day. All you need is a blender and a selection of your favorite fruits — you can even use frozen fruits! Throw them into a blender add some water, or oat/almond/rice milk (depends on your preference!), and just blend, blend, blend. After that enjoy your delicious breakfast smoothie.
If you’re not a smoothie person, why not try eating an apple or another fruit you enjoy?
Don’t skip the protein
Eggs, greek yogurt, oats… all of these protein-packed foods can help keep hunger away! Foods that are high in protein will help prevent hunger pangs and binge-eating, ultimately helping you lose weight. Oatmeal or a muesli bowl is always delicious to eat, and you can always include some of your favorite fruit, whether fresh or dried.
A recent study has shown that women who ate eggs for breakfast lost twice as much weight as women who started their day with bagels. The proteins you have in the morning will also give you an energy boost, so it’s a win-win.
Add a banana
Bananas are high in resistant starch, which helps you feel full for longer. Another way bananas benefit your body is by prompting your body to use fat for energy, which then causes you to burn more calories. Resistant starch is also found in oats, so having a banana-oatmeal breakfast is a combo that will get you the most benefits to kick-start your day! It’s also a perfect quick meal to grab if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to sit down and eat — grab a banana and off you go! Just don’t forget to actually eat it.
We hope you liked these 3 simple tips to making your breakfast habits work for you, instead of against you! Give these a try and let us know if you can feel the benefits.