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Achieving healthy weight loss is dependent on a number of factors, but above all it’s necessary to create a diet which caters to your nutritional needs while allowing you to fall into a sustainable calorie deficit. While breakfast has been debunked as the most important meal of the day, it is still important to make smart choices for your first meal as this sets the tone for your eating habits in the coming hours.
Eating the wrong type of breakfast could potentially stand in the way of success in your weight loss journey, and there’s one mistake above all that could be making it more difficult for you to maintain the calorie deficit you need to see real results in your body. In building a healthy and well rounded breakfast, there’s one common mistake you should avoid if you want to lose weight and keep it off.
First and foremost, breakfast is not the end all be all of your weight loss journey, and while starting off your morning with a less than nutritious meal may make it more difficult to see results, it’s unlikely you’ll exceed your allotted daily calories with just one meal. With that being said, the foods you include in your breakfast can determine your cravings in the coming hours, and having a carb and sugar heavy meal right off the bat with little protein may make you more inclined to overeating later in the day.
“Processed carbs/sugars will cause a quick rise in blood sugar which is met by a spike in insulin which then drops the blood sugar precipitously. That sugar crash will promote hunger and cravings,” notes Dr. Adrienne Youdim, MD.
While carbs are not the enemy, it is important to balance your meals with protein to provide more slow releasing energy throughout the morning. Particularly if you’re eating a heavily processed carb such as sugary cereal or waffles, this meal may be satisfying but it is unlikely to keep you full until lunch, leaving you more likely to overeat throughout the day and snack on other sweet or processed items to satisfy the cravings this breakfast will promote.
“Many of our breakfast options are low protein highly processed carbs which will not only not satiate or suppress hunger but will actually promote greater hunger and cravings,” explains Youdim. Your body will naturally crave more of the foods you regularly feed it, so playing into unhealthy habits with your breakfast will only further stand in the way of successful weight loss and will merely act as empty calories that your body quickly burns through, leading to a crash of energy.
If you want to get the most out of your breakfast, creating a meal which includes a balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fat will be your best bet for staying full throughout the morning and into lunchtime so that you’re able to sustain a calorie deficit while also eating foods that you enjoy. “Higher protein breakfast i.e. 20-30 grams will suppress hunger hormones all day,” suggests Youdim.
A good example of this would be eggs with whole grain toast and avocado. Your body will receive ample protein from the eggs which will help to fuel your metabolism and muscle growth. Carbs from the whole grain toast will help to provide slow releasing energy, and healthy fat from avocado is also great for offering a boost of energy as well as regulating blood pressure. If you’re partial to sugary breakfast cereal instead, consider switching to rolled oats or Greek yogurt with fruit so you’re able to pack more nutrients into your meal than empty calories and artificial sweetener.
Breakfast may not actually be the most important meal of the day, but what is important, however, is creating dishes that will keep you full and satisfied while tempering cravings that may crop up throughout your day. Eating a meal first thing in the morning packed with processed carbs and sugar may be delicious, but it’s also unlikely to keep you full and will instead make it more difficult to continue to eat healthy for lunch and dinner.
Balancing your carbs in the morning with the other two primary macronutrients will help to create a sustainable eating plan that fuels your body with the nutrients it needs so you can enjoy sustained energy and weight loss without depriving yourself. Remember, processed foods are often higher in calories but provide less satiety, so eating more nutrient dense foods will keep you full and make less of a dent on your calorie intake so that you can actually eat more while reaching your weight loss goals.
