Do you eat breakfast?
Most women nowadays I work with as a dietitian don’t prioritize eating healthy at breakfast. In fact, I’m finding that many women who want to lose weight skip eating breakfast altogether either because they “don’t have time” to prepare something or they skip to save calories to help them lose weight.
If you can relate, I can understand why it may seem like a good idea to skip breakfast, especially if you find yourself eating too many calories for your goals and unable to lose weight!
But the thing is, skipping breakfast may be actually be holding you back from losing weight.
When you skip breakfast, do you get extra hungry and have an uncontrollable appetite? If you’re anything like me, I get so ravenous at 3pm if I don’t eat a balanced breakfast in the morning. And as a result my appetite is a monster! I want to eat everything in sight.. especially all the “unhealthy” chips and crackers in sight! Sound familiar?
Not only is eating breakfast important for losing weight, but choosing the right type of breakfast can actually help increase your metabolism to jump-start this process!
Here’s why eating breakfast is an important habit for you to lose weight!
Why You Should Eat Breakfast:
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for some time, you know step #1 of my 3 step weight loss formula is all about eating the right amount of calories so your body can shed fat.
Calories are the energy we get from food. To lose weight, we have to eat less than what our body burns… and then the fat comes off! BUT with this in mind, many women think that cutting out calories at breakfast will help them reduce how many calories they eat so they can lose weight.
This is definitely true, cutting out calories at breakfast can help you reduce how many total calories you eat and may potentially result in weight loss.
BUT this ain’t the case for most women I work with!
That’s because after years of working with women just like you, I’ve realized that women who don’t eat breakfast tend to overeat in the afternoon and “make up” for all the calories they “saved” by skipping breakfast in the first place! Especially if you’re active in the morning and naturally get hungry!
Eating breakfast (and the right type of breakfasts) literally help you curb cravings and feel satisfied for hours, which means less snacking, grazing and unnecessary calories throughout the day! This is why so many of my clients are able to lose 10-20 pounds by following my weight loss formula, and never feel the need to overeat at 3pm again.
But while breakfast is important… there is something you must keep in mind to get these benefits!
What You Should Eat For Breakfast:
Now that you know why breakfast is important (especially if you struggle with overeating foods in the afternoon)… it’s time to dive into WHAT you should be eating to get the benefits of having breakfast!
Part of my weight loss method includes following my simple, balanced plate method formula that I discuss here in this blog post!
When it comes to breakfast, this same balanced plate method applies. Here is what you need on your plate!
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Carbohydrates
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Proteins
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Veggies
BUT if there is one thing that is the 100% most important you need to eat in the morning it is… PROTEIN!
Protein is found in breakfast foods like eggs, turkey sausage, Greek yogurt and nuts. However when it comes to most breakfast foods (especially grab & go ones like granola bars, bagels and muffins) they typically don’t have enough of it!
By having a good serving of protein at breakfast alongside following my balanced plate method, you will feel full for hours and boost your metabolism. As a result, you will:
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Not feel the need to overeat in the afternoon
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Feel satisfied for hours, or even until lunch time!
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Boost your metabolism and burn more energy at rest because protein takes more energy to break down
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Prevent yourself from having a sugar high and feeling like crap!
Here are some of my favorite high protein breakfast ideas to help you lose weight.
Balanced Egg Bites
Preheat oven 350F. Whisk a dozen eggs in a bowl. Cook 3 slices of turkey bacon the stove top, then chop into small pieces. Into the egg mixture, mix in the cooked turkey bacon, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 cup diced tomatoes, 1 small chopped yellow onion 3 tbsp non fat milk, ½ cup shredded mozzarella. Pour mixture into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy all week!
Macros for 1 egg bite (recipes makes 12 total)
102 calories, 2 g carbs, 9 g protein, 6 g fat
Low Calorie Protein Oatmeal
To make you’ll need 1 packet (½ cup) plain quick oatmeal, 1 cup of your favorite milk (I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk), 1 tsp peanut butter (you can pack a to-go packet) with 1 banana and 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder. Mix the oats and almond milk, then microwave for 1 minute. Mix the protein powder in thoroughly, then top with peanut butter and banana!
Optional: Add cinnamon for extra flavor!
High Protein Egg Breakfast
Toast 1 mini bagel then top with 2 tbsp tzatziki. Pair with 6 cherry tomatoes washed & sliced 2 eggs cooked any way you like! I prefer scrambling eggs in the morning (or meal prepping hard-boiled eggs for on-the-go days) then topping with salt and pepper or my favorite… Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning!
Low Calorie Lox Waffles
Toast 2 multigrain waffles. Spread 1 tbsp low-fat cream cheese evenly between waffles, then top each side with 1.5 slices smoked salmon (3 total). I used Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel salmon available in the meat section of the store!
To complete, wash & cut 1 mini Persian cucumber, top with slices on each waffle.
