Skipping breakfast has long been one of the methods people turn to in an effort to help slash their daily calorie count and shed pounds. The supposition here is that if you miss your morning meal, you're going to save enough calories throughout your day to ensure weight loss. But does that really work?
The myth is that missing breakfast is good for weight loss because it reduces the net intake of total calories consumed during the day.
If you're skipping your breakfast to lose weight, then don't skip it, as that may not be the case, according to many recent studies. In fact, sometimes such an idea can have a reverse effect. As one of the leading nutrition experts, Dr. Emma Rogers says, "Missing breakfast can make you much hungrier later in the day, where you overeat or reach for less healthy food choices."
Several research studies looked into the influence of breakfast on weight management and health in general. In the Journal of Nutrition, such a large review has been produced, which has come to the conclusion that people who regularly have a balanced breakfast are known to maintain healthier body weights than those who do not eat this meal. This study indicates that breakfast consumption is associated with better overall nutrient intake, which is conducive to good health in the long run.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri showed that subjects who had eaten some breakfast indicated better control on appetites, which in most cases resulted in lesser tendencies to overeat later in the day. This study shows a healthy breakfast may help control appetites and ultimately prevent excess calorie intake later in the day. Another study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed these data, demonstrating that those who skip breakfast were shown to experience higher feelings of hunger and thus make less healthy food choices later in the day.
Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism and provides the energy to see you through a busy day. If you don't eat it, your metabolism will run more slowly, and you will have less energy. That makes it even harder to diet. On top of that, including protein, whole grains, and fruit in your morning meal helps blood sugar levels stay stable so you feel fuller for longer. This quashes the need to reach for high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks later in the day.
A healthy and nutritious breakfast is one of the most important meals during the day for maintaining weight and being healthy. It should be filled with a balance of protein, whole grains, and fruits. These can include Greek yoghurt topped with berries and a sprinkle of granola or oatmeal with nuts and sliced bananas to fuel the body with energy through to lunchtime by burning it slowly.
While the aim of this would be to miss breakfast, waking up to a well-balanced and nutrient-dense morning meal is way more beneficial for weight management and health. Having a healthy breakfast will help control appetite, provide fuel to your metabolism, and even set the path toward healthier eating during the day.
