Breakfast: Still the Most Important Meal

Every nutritionist will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but it’s even more important if you’re trying to lose weight.

In the morning, your metabolism is sluggish because it has been in sleep mode and hasn’t had any food to burn since the night before. The only way to rev your metabolism back up again is to eat something.

This is such an important step that many serious bodybuilders will tell you they actually get up in the middle of the night to eat something because they fear a sluggish metabolism.

I probably won’t go that far, but I never skip breakfast and I’m not alone. In a recent survey of members of the National Weight Control Registry (a group of more than 5,000 people who have lost a minimum of 30 pounds and kept them off for at least a year), 78% reported eating breakfast every day, and nearly 90% eat breakfast at least 4 times a week.

As good as breakfast is, you can make it even better by eating the right things. Aim to get 20-25% of your day’s calories from breakfast because this will actually help reduce cravings and overeating later in the day.

Also, eat a mixture of healthy protein and complex carbohydrates (it’s the carbs that will awaken your metabolism). A study from the Journal of the American Dietic Association found that women who ate cereal were 30% less likely to be overweight than those who ate other breakfast foods. High-fiber, low-fat cereals are best because they will fill you up faster.

And what better way to start the day than with a full belly and a guilt-free conscience!