BUILD A BETTER BREAKFAST TO REACH YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

You’ve been hearing it for years: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The reason: It’s true. Make the first few minutes of the day your secret weight loss weapon, and watch hunger and cravings disappear along with those extra pounds!

If you’re trying to lose weight, skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do. You might think it’s an easy way to trim your overall calorie intake for the day, but going without food from night until noon works against your goals by triggering your body’s primitive starvation response.

Once this happens, your body will do everything it can to NOT lose weight. Your metabolism will slow, cravings and hunger will increase, and your body will hoard fat while burning muscle. While it may seem like a cruel joke, it’s just the body’s way of surviving.

Eating small meals throughout the day, starting with breakfast, is the best way to ensure you don’t trigger the starvation response.

So, what is the best type of breakfast to eat while trying to lose weight? You may be surprised to learn that most of the foods we traditionally associate with breakfast cereal, oatmeal, bagels, toast, fruit, pancakes, waffles, potatoes, and juice are not good picks for weight loss.

Why? Many of these “breakfast foods” are high in sugar and carbohydrates, which lead to a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash. By mid-morning you’re hungry, and by noon you’re ravenous, making sticking to your weight loss goals tough.

Instead, think low-carb or no-carb. Your goal should be to have a meal that weighs in at 300 calories or less and has a low glycemic index, which will prevent a mid-morning crash.

My favorite breakfast picks:

1. Oatmeal is rich in filling fiber and protein and benefits heart health and weight loss. A review of studies by the University of Kentucky suggests that eating oatmeal may reduce the risk of elevated blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and weight gain.

2. Low-fat yogurt is high in protein, and studies show those who eat yogurt for breakfast are more likely to keep weight off long term. Just watch out for brands that contain a lot of sugar. Try to keep it to 4 grams of sugar or less.

3. An omelet made with two eggs, and low-carb veggies, such as zucchini, mushroom, spinach, or broccoli, and sprinkled with light cheese.

4.  Two eggs paired with a slice of turkey bacon or sausage, complete with a glass of skim milk.

Eating two eggs a day is perfectly healthy for most people. However, if you have high cholesterol, swap the eggs for scrambled egg whites.