You Have to Eat What To Lose Weight?

Many people don't believe me when I tell them I struggled with weight for so many years.  I weighed almost 50 pounds more than I do today.  Back then, I was on every diet known to man--NutriSystem, WeightWatchers, low calorie, low fat.  I made up a few of my own, too.  There was the starvation diet and then the throw up diet.  One of my favorites was the Kit Kat diet (they are only 220 calories and if you eat one a day for all 3 meals, it's not a lot of calories...).  I thought you had to eat  much less and skip meals to lose weight.  Of course, I ended up  getting too hungry and would then binge.  Needless to say, none of these never really worked.  It wasn't until I started eating that I really began to lose weight.  Yes.  As a matter of fact, when I started eating all 3 meals a day, I finally started losing weight.

One of my beliefs was that if I could wait as long as I could during the day to eat, then I would ultimately eat less in total.  Therefore, skipping breakfast was a no-brainer and I would stretch it to eating lunch as late as possible.  I couldn't understand why I remained "big boned," as Grandma Rae referred to me.  However, a funny thing happened.  Someone told me that if I ate breakfast, I would lose weight.  Well, it worked!  I wasn't even eating anything healthy as it was a bagel, but it was enough to get my metabolism more regulated and moving.   

 

 You see, your metabolism needs to keep going consistently to most effectively digest your food and keep things moving.  This is why it's even a good idea to have smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. By far, the most important meal is how you get your body moving after a long fast--that being breakfast.  The longer you wait to feed your body, the longer it takes to rev itself up or get your metabolism going again.

Now we know why breakfast is important, but many of us have the problem with the "how."  Yes, mornings can be hectic as we are running out the door to start our day.  However, with a little planning, even if you don't have time to sit and eat at home, you can get a great power-packed breakfast to help energize you for your entire day.

First, dump the sugar laden cereals, muffins, donuts, breakfast bars or bagels.  They are all sugar or convert to sugar where you end up having a short burst of energy only to find yourself fatigued and starving 2 hours later.  The most important thing to eat what your body is made of--protein.  This is what will give you lasting energy and stabilize your blood sugar levels.

Check out these quick and easy breakfast options:

• Eggs are a great source of protein.  Always make a bunch of hard boiled eggs in advance so they are handy to grab and go in the morning. 
• Protein shakes are also a great grab and go breakfast.  Combine protein powder with a banana and some spinach and you've got a powerful and filling jump start. 
• Plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries and/or nuts is a yummy and protein packed meal. 
• Bananas and peanut butter (natural) is a great option for fussy kids (and adults!) 
• Organic cottage cheese with tomatoes or fruit can help satisfy lots of pallets
• Keep in mind that breakfast doesn't just mean "breakfast food."  I ate a leftover piece of salmon from dinner the other morning and it kept me satisfied and energized until lunch.