Break the Fast and Lose Weight
Too often, people think that starting the day off by skipping breakfast is a good way to start a diet. Wrong! Think of your body as an engine that needs fuel to run. How well does your car run on empty? Why should your body function well without fuel? By morning, you haven’t eaten in several hours so that’s the best time to fuel up and have energy for the coming day.
Research shows so much evidence to support the importance of eating breakfast.
- Children do better in math and reading, have a longer attention span and improve their overall behavior when they’ve eaten a wellbalanced breakfast.
- The elderly have better memory function when they’ve had breakfast.
- Some people demonstrate better moods and less fatigue.
The United States National Weight Control Registry gathers data about factors that contribute to successful weight loss. They are currently following about 5,000 people who have lost weight (on
average about 66 pounds) and have kept the weight off for long periods of time (on average about 5.5 years). The organization sends out surveys each year to examine behavioral and psychological characteristics of weight maintainers and what strategies commonly work best.
They have found the following:
- 78% eat breakfast daily
- 75% weigh themselves at least once per week
- 62% watch fewer than 10 hours of TV each week
- 90% exercise about one hour per day
Take a tip from success.
Start by making small changes like whipping up the one-minute breakfast smoothie for a quick, healthy breakfast.
When you’re ready to step up to a full, well-balanced breakfast, try some of the following suggestions:
- bran muffin and low-fat yogurt
- peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich
- low-fat yogurt on granola and an orange
- whole grain cereal, topped with fruit and skim milk
- a pita stuffed with low-fat cheese and sliced apple
- oatmeal made with skim milk and topped with cinnamon and raisins, bananas or apples
