People forgo having breakfast thinking they're cutting calories, but then lunchtime hits, and you're starved! Breakfast skippers are known to replace calories during the day with mindless nibbling, bingeing at lunch and dinner -setting themselves up for failure.

Benefits

According to The National Weight Control Registry, people who eat in the am have maintained a 30+ pound weight loss for at least a year.

A government-funded study followed more than 2,000 young girls from ages 9 to 19. The regular cereal eaters had fewer weight problems than those who rarely ate cereal. The occasional cereal eaters had a 13% higher risk of being overweight compared to those who ate cereal on the regular.

Another research group analyzed 4,200 adults, and found that avid breakfast eaters were also more likely to exercise regularly. And women who ate breakfast regularly tended to eat fewer calories overall during the day. The men and women analyzed who ate breakfast cereal had lower overall fat intake compared to those who ate other breakfast foods.

Eating early keeps us from starving and grabbing whatever is quick and convenient later in the day. It also jump-starts your metabolism, because while you sleep, your body has actually been fasting for hours, which means you're not producing the enzymes that you need to metabolize fat -and lose weight.

Be smart

Breakfast is the most important part of the day –so make the best choices. fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are high-fiber foods that fill you up with the least amount of fat. Who doesn't want to eat more food with fewer calories? The below choices are about equal to your avg bagel-and-cream-cheese breakfast –yet more food, less fat!

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup of low-fat milk
1 cup strawberries
1 tablespoon of walnuts
307 calories total

2 multi-grain waffles
1 cup of blueberries
3 tablespoons of light syrup
1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt
450 calories total


Keep it simple!

Choose a high-fiber cereal (3- 5 grams of fiber/serving). Add lowfat milk -or soy or rice milk.

Eggs with a whole grain english muffin (lowfat cheese & turkey bacon optional)

Oatmeal with peanut butter or frozen fruit or cinnamon

Banana (small, because they are high in sugar) sliced into yogurt

Breakfast smoothies –with frozen berries, peanut butter, milk or yogurt


Please be advised

Your beloved bagel is equal to FIVE slices of bread! If you must, eat just half, and opt for spreads like peanut or almond butter. And cream cheese is NOT a dairy food -it is fat!

Read your granola labels carefully. Look for the lowest fat and sugar content, and treat it as a condiment, not the main dish, which can lead you to overdo it on fat and sugar.

And always always always stay close to the suggested serving size!

So eat breakfast -and enjoy an energized day !!!