This is the fourth post in my Weight Watching tip series, and today we will cover, Breakfast!
There used to be a saying ‘Eat Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper’, remember that? If no I just dated myself ? oh well!
There was quite a bit of truth in that saying, especially the breakfast part and here is why.
Most people finish their evening food intake somewhere between 8-10pm and then go to bed. The next morning, they awaken between 6-8am to start their day, so they have not eaten for approximately 10-12 hours. As the day starts we expect to be busy with work, our children, other activities etc. requiring our brain and body to start performing. With no food the body has no fuel to perform its tasks, the same way a car will not operate without gas we cannot function effectively without breakfast, so breakfast is a must!
Another important reason for eating breakfast is that it manages the blood sugar crashes, headaches, irritability and cravings that can occur later in the day if we start on an empty stomach. Eating breakfast helps with Weight Loss because it doesn’t let us get to the point where we feel super hungry and grab whatever we can get our hands on and stuff our mouths. I know that in the past for me this scenario would include grabbing a high starch junk food along with some sweet treat and eating double what I would normally eat. This would be followed by guilt and a HUGE energy crash! Does this ring a bell?
I don’t want that for you, instead like me I want you to learn how to eat breakfast, so you lose your weight and maintain your energy throughout the day. So here are some tips:
- Eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up– this will help balance blood sugar and keep you away from unnecessary indulgence.
- Avoid heavy starches at breakfast, e.g. cereal, bread, bagel, croissants etc. as they will not stick in your stomach very long and to be honest the nutrient profile is low. Instead opt for high fat and protein options like, egg and avocado, smoothie with protein powder and nut butter, chia pudding, apples with almond butter, vegetable omelet cooked in butter etc. they will not only satiate you but also keep you full longer. Also, don’t be shy of good quality fats they will not make you fat it is sugar and breads that raise Insulin levels and cause fat storage.
- If like me you too enjoy a cup of morning coffee/tea add 1tsp of coconut oil to it, but no sugar! Fat will keep you full longer and its great brain fuel, sugar will do nothing for your body except add on the pounds!
This is how I have been eating breakfast for the past 5 months and I Iove it, I feel lighter, my energy is more stable, and I do not need mid-morning snacks! This is also the breakfast plan in the Weight Loss program that my clients follow and even though at first, they are shocked to see that there is no bread in the plan and wonder if it will work for them they adapt very quickly and almost immediately report reduced cravings, feeling lighter, less hungry and more energized!
A win-win if you ask me!
