Studies show that eating a healthy, balanced breakfast in the morning will enhance your ability to lose weight, according to MealsMatter.org. Skipping breakfast slows your metabolic rate and reduces your blood sugar level, leaving you hungry and with low energy. Eating breakfast nourishes your body and makes you less likely to indulge in high-calorie and unhealthy foods throughout the rest of the day.
Benefits
According to an article by Nancy Gottesman on "Arthritis Today," eating breakfast in the morning jump-starts your energy for the day by feeding your brain with the glucose it needs to run. In addition, skipping breakfast makes you more likely to overeat throughout the day. Eating a meal in the morning will initiate your metabolism and keep your calorie count down during the day. People who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than those who skip breakfast. Additionally, people who skip breakfast are more resistant to insulin, which increases the risk of developing diabetes.
High-Protein Options
According to the article "High-Protein Breakfast Could Aid Weight Loss," by Sarah Hills, high-protein options for breakfast help you lose weight primarily because high-protein foods keep you full throughout the day. A Purdue University study detailed in the article tested the effect of consuming high amounts of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and found that satiety was best sustained throughout the day when high-protein foods were consumed at breakfast. High-quality protein items such as eggs, lean bacon, yogurt and cheese are healthy options for breakfast meals.
Whole-Grain Options
Countless breakfast choices exist, and different personal tastes and health conditions will determine what is best for you. Research on MealsMatter.org indicates that whole-grain cereals are the best breakfast option for weight control. Whole-grain options such as breakfast cereals, wheat germ, oatmeal and buckwheat will help your muscles store less glycogen so that your body relies on fat for energy.
Fiber for Added Benefits
Fiber includes all parts of foods that your body does not digest and passes out of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. This characteristic of fiber is beneficial in a diet for weight loss because it makes high-fiber meals seem larger and allows you to stay full longer so that you do not overeat. Additionally, high-fiber diets tend to have fewer calories for the same amount of food as low-fiber meals.
Options to Avoid
Although eating breakfast is beneficial for weight loss, you may ruin your healthy diet with a morning meal of doughnuts, sweet pastries or cereals that are high in sugar, trans-fats, calories and refined flour. They will decrease your energy level throughout the day, cause a midday crash and leave you craving more sugar.
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