What to eat for breakfast to lose weight

 

Did you know you can use the first meal of the day as a tool to lose weight? Want to know how? We've enlisted the expertise of two nutritionists — Stephanie Clarke, RD, and Willow Jarosh, RD, of C&J Nutrition — to share the perfect equation for how to make a scrumptious and satisfying breakfast that will help you lose weight. Follow their advice below to start seeing results. 

 

 

 

I Started Saying "No" and Began Losing Weight

Saying "no" has never been my forte. I'm a social creature and a "yes" person. Long before FOMO permeated the pop culture landscape, I hated passing up any enticing invitation for a night out — the phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead" comes to mind when I think about my first years in San Francisco. 

 

Eventually, I woke up and found myself with a complete lack of energy, a totally shot immune system, and a body I barely recognized. The irony of it all was I was coming up on my one-year anniversary of writing for POPSUGAR Fitness. I was sitting at my desk writing all day and going out (almost) every night from work. I was left with exactly zero time to dedicate to my physical fitness or general wellness. Somewhere in my mind I had worked out this deal: since I was writing about health all day long, I was obviously being healthy. Then, I saw one Instagram proving that this was not the case. Seeing this photographic proof was the push I needed to recommit to a consistent routine, but seeing results was much tougher than I had anticipated. And it wasn't because I wasn't making time to work out; it's because I had to start saying "no" to people I love.

No, I can't eat nachos tonight. No, I can't go to your show at 11 p.m. on Wednesday; I have SoulCycle at 7 a.m. (and then, I work all day). No, I can't stop by the bar, because I don't want to be coaxed into drinking a bunch of Manhattans and wake up hungover and hating life. No, I need to leave early, so I can prep meals for the week and clean my house. No, I am not interested in your cupcake. Well . . . I am interested in your cupcake, but no, no thank you. 

If you're new to this whole healthy-living gig, heed my advice, and consider this a warning. There are people you love and love spending time with who will do everything in their power to get in your way. They'll tell you they miss seeing you, ask you to skip a Sunday morning class so you can meet them for brunch, and say everyone keeps asking where you've been hiding. Even after explaining that "no" has become more rampant in my vocabulary because of my health, I still felt like I was letting friends down. Guilt plagued me for some time, but once I started reaping the benefits of all my hard work, the response became easier and more natural. And honestly? It feels really good to put my foot down, take the reins, and do what's best for me.

Don't get me wrong: making time for fun is absolutely essential to live a balanced life, and trust me, I have plenty of fun. But I realized that if I was serious about changing my body and changing my life, it was only going to work if I set healthy boundaries that were on my terms. Sure, there are still weeks I spread myself too thin and nights I stay out way too late, but the vast majority of my time is dedicated to living a healthier, more balanced life — and I've got the results to prove it. 

Calories

Aim for a range between 300 and 400 calories. If you're trying to lose weight, stick with the 300 to 350 range, and if you're trying to maintain weight, especially if you're working out, shoot closer to 350 to 400 calories.

Carbs

About 45 to 55 percent of your breakfast calories should be devoted to carbs, which is about 40 to 55 grams of carbs. Skip sugary and overly processed foods or those made with enriched white flour, and choose whole grains, fruits, and veggies.

Protein

About 15 to 20 percent of your breakfast calorie amount should be protein, which works out to about 13 to 20 grams. Getting enough protein at breakfast is important for keeping you satisfied throughout the morning. And studies have shown that getting at least 20 grams of protein at breakfast may help you lose weight as well. Eggs, dairy products, soy milk, protein powder in smoothies, nuts and seeds, and whole grains are great sources of protein.

Fats

Shoot for about 10 to 15 grams, which is about 30 to 35 percent of your total breakfast calories. Instead of saturated fats like bacon and cheese, go for monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) like olive oil, nuts and seeds and the butters made from them, and avocado.

Fiber

Aim for about 25 percent of your recommended daily total of 25 grams per day. That works out to about six grams, but it's OK to go above that, as long as it doesn't bother your digestive system. Berries, pears, apples, greens and other veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains can help you reach that goal.

Sugars

If you follow the equation for carbs above, then you won't have to worry about going overboard on sugars, especially if you're eating a combination of foods like fruits, whole grains, and dairy products. But for a ballpark number to keep in mind, stick to 36 grams or fewer. And when it comes to added sugar, try not to exceed six grams — that's about 1.5 teaspoons' worth of any sweetener (white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave).

Timing

Ideally you should eat breakfast within 30 to 60 minutes of waking up. If you're not keen on eating anything big first thing, split this meal up into two parts, having something light close to waking up and the other half about an hour and a half later. This also works well if you're a morning exerciser and prefer not to have a full stomach while you work out. If you're exercising, you can aim to have the more carbohydrate-based portion of your breakfast (fruit, toast, etc.) prior to working out and the more protein-centric portion afterward. 

 

A Few Examples of Perfect Breakfasts

 

 

 

• Steel Cut Oats With Fruit and Nuts: Steel cut oats not only have more fiber than an equal amount of rolled oats, but they also have more protein since you're eating more of the original grain. Cook one-half cup steel cut oats in a mixture of one-half cup water and one-half cup unsweetened soy milk. Top with one-half cup blueberries, one tablespoon chopped walnuts, and one teaspoon drizzle of maple syrup.
  Calories:
  
  Total fat: 9.7 grams
  Saturated fat: 1 gram
  Carbs: 51.1 grams
  Fiber: 7.2 grams
  Sugars: 16.6 grams
  Protein: 11.8 grams 

 

 

 

 

• Mexi-Egg Wrap: Scramble one egg and one egg white with two tablespoons black beans, one-quarter cup chopped tomato, and two tablespoons onion, until eggs are set. Stir in one cup spinach. Fill a nine-inch whole-wheat tortilla with the egg mixture and top with one-quarter of an avocado, cubed, and one tablespoon salsa. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder to taste.
  Calories:
  
  Total fat: 15.7 grams
  Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
  Carbs: 36.8 grams
  Fiber 9.7 grams
  Sugars: 3.2 grams
  Protein: 17.4 grams 

 

 

Breakfast Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping out: When you sleep, your body slows down while you're not eating. So when you wake up, if you don't break the fast (yup, that's where the name comes from), your body will burn calories slowly. To jump-start your metabolism and get your body burning calories, you need to eat. Not fueling up also deprives your brain of glucose, which is why you feel foggy-headed and cranky. Think of breakfast as an opportunity to get your fill of valuable nutrients such as calcium, iron, and vitamin C.
• Skimping: You know skipping breakfast entirely is a no-no, but not eating enough will also backfire. It'll leave you feeling hungry soon after eating, which will cause you to need more food and can translate to more calories consumed over the course of the entire day. Stick to the formula above, and you'll not only feel satisfied longer, but you'll also have more energy for the workouts that can make you drop pounds even faster.
• Imbalanced meal: Leaving out a key component of the breakfast formula such as avoiding all carbs or going too heavy, such as having an all-protein meal, means you're not going to get enough satisfaction or nutrition from this first meal. Following the formula above will allow you to eat a balanced meal while also helping you see weight-loss results.

 

Source: popsugar.com