Thought for the day.....Will skipping breakfast help me lose weight?

The answer to this is most definitely NO (in my eyes anyway).

There has been such a lot of controversy on the subject of why we should or should not eat breakfast over the years, and no doubt it will probably continue for many years to come. One thing we do know about breakfast is that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than people who skip breakfast.  Data collected by the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) tells us that over 90% of successful dieters usually eat breakfast. These people had lost a significant amount of weight and had also kept it off for a long period of time.  The NWCR also revealed that those successful dieters, the ones who always ate breakfast also exercised regularly. Maybe eating breakfast every day is simply a common trait among people who are disciplined about their health and eating habits all day long.

So why eat breakfast?

One theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day and help people make better food choices at other meals. While it might seem you could save calories by missing breakfast, this is not an effective strategy. Typically, hunger gets the best of breakfast skippers, and they'll more than likely give in to rumbling tummy's around 11 o'clock and reach for the biscuit tin!

Breakfast has long been said to be the most important meal of the day, it fuels the body and brain for the rest of the day. During sleep or your fasting period which ideally should be 7 - 9 hours your blood sugar levels drop to their lowest levels.  It is a breakfast that kick starts your metabolism and stabilises blood sugar levels.

So what constitutes a healthy breakfast?

My good morning shake (see 31/01/12 blog)
2 x poached (or boiled) eggs with slice of wholegrain toast and baked beefsteak tomato
bowl of porridge oats made with coconut, soya or almond milk (failing that semi skimmed milk), serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon and or seeds.
Low fat, low sugar yogurt such as 'Yeo Valley' or natural Greek yogurt served with a sprinkling of cinnamon, nuts and or seeds and a piece of fruit such as banana, pear, kiwi etc.  Use your imagination when it comes to fruit and think out of the box.
Natural wholegrain breakfast cereal such as Weetabix, Shredded Wheat or Bran Flakes that have little or no added sugar or muesli topped with yogurt and or fruit.
Goes without saying, but add a glass of pure fruit juice (ideally) or a glass of water, milk or tea (preferably green) to your breakfast to.

You'll have your favourite breakfast ideas to add to the list, just try and make sure that your breakfast consists of some healthy fat, carbohydrates and protein which all the above examples do.  Together these macro-nutrients will kick start your day, stabilise blood sugars, and give you an energy boost to tackle what your day brings.