Breakfast Makes Me Hungry and I'm Trying to Lose Weight

I hear this complaint all of the time from clients who are trying to lose weight: "Whenever I eat breakfast, it makes me more hungry, even before lunch. I'm better off not eating at all until later in the day." This, however, is a really bad idea. You don't realize it, but you more than make up for those calories later in the day. Your body knows how many calories it wants and it will have you eat them, even without you consciously noticing; piling on second helpings, snacking before dinner and late at night. Then you try to justify that you can use those extra calories because you skipped breakfast!

There are two main reasons that eating breakfast can lead to hunger later in the morning: One is the adaptive function of our body to conserve energy when we do not eat. It goes back to the caveman days: if there wasn't food around, our metabolism would slow down to conserve energy. Our bodies work the same way today: if we don't eat breakfast, our metabolism slows down and we are less hungry as a result. Some people don't get hungry till late in the afternoon if they don't eat breakfast--they skip lunch as well! But, as I mentioned, they almost always make up for it later in the day. If we eat breakfast, our metabolism starts running: "we have plenty of energy to use," our body says, "so let's start using it!" If we don't keep eating we get hungry in a few hours. It's okay to eat again then--just be sure to have a snack that's not too high in calories, such as a handful of nuts or a few crackers with peanut butter. Then you won't be starving at lunch time!

The other factor that causes people to be hungry a few hours after breakfast is the drop in blood sugar. Often at breakfast we eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein, such as a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice, or toast with jam. Our blood sugar spikes high in an hour or so, and drops quickly in another hour, leaving us dizzy and weak by mid-morning--way before lunch time.

The solution to this is either having some high-protein food that also has a little fat in it, like an egg, cheese, cottage cheese, or peanut butter; or otherwise go with the mid-morning snack idea!

I know it sounds contrary to eat extra meals and snacks, particularly when one is trying to lose weight, but there are many studies that prove eating frequent small meals during the day results in weight loss. In the meantime, try keeping a food diary for a few weeks to see what works for you. Which breakfast foods leave you satisfied until later in the morning? Does your weight really fluctuate if you eat a 300 calorie breakfast and a 200 calorie mid-morning snack (as opposed to nothing until lunch time and then catching up on calories the rest of the day)? People have to prove it to themselves to believe it works. Try having a small and healthy breakfast, followed by a high-fiber, low-calorie mid-morning snack, and see if you don't find yourself continuing this healthy eating pattern throughout the rest of the day.

Laurie Beebe, The Diet Coach, is a registered dietitian certified in adult weight management. Coaching helps dramatically by allowing people to set their own goals and design their own action plans. Please visit Laurie's website for more tips on having a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/products and you can sign up for a free monthly newsletter! Visit http://lifedietbalance.blogspot.com for more great diet tips that can lead you to a healthier diet and permanent weight loss! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Beebe

Not Eating Breakfast Leaves Your Brain Craving High Calorie Foods

You may have already heard that not eating breakfast, often called the most important meal of the day, isn't a good idea if you're trying to lose weight. But in the rush to get out the door in the morning, many of us just don't have the time, even though studies have shown those who eat breakfast stay slimmer and consume fewer calories during the course of a day.

Now new research has hit upon the explanation.

The work involved 20 healthy, non-obese subjects who skipped breakfast before a fMRI scan.

During the test, the subjects looked at photos of both high and low calorie foods. High calorie choices included pizza, chocolate and cake. The low calorie foods were things like veggies, salad and fish.

Using scans known as function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that help doctors look at blood flow in the brain and how it increases in response to brain activity, the researchers were able to compare how breakfast eating vs. breakfast skipping affected the reward center of the brain.

The reward center is known to be a part of the brain involved in keeping track of the pleasure and reward that comes from food, as well as igniting the motivation to eat. The taste, smell and sight of food also serve to activate these reward centers.

What the team found was that the reward center of the brain of the breakfast skippers lit up more vividly when these subjects saw a high calorie food as opposed when they were looking at a healthier alternative.

High calorie foods also were on top of the list of favorites the breakfast skipping subjects listed when asked to rank foods they found most appealing.

Just the opposite was true when it came to the subjects who ate breakfast first, then had the fMRI 90 minutes later.

This time, the reward center of the brain didn't show any greater activity at the sight of the high calorie foods as when looking at the low calorie ones. What's more, the subjects didn't rate the higher calorie foods any more appealing than the lower calorie ones.

"Our results support the advice for eating a healthy breakfast as part of the dietary prevention and treatment of obesity," says Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, a consultant endocrinologist with the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College, London.

"When people skip meals, especially breakfast, changes in brain activity in response to food may hinder weight loss and even promote weight gain."

Skipping breakfast causes your metabolic rate to slow down while your blood sugar also drops.

This brings on feelings of hunger that set you up for impulse eating later on in the morning, at lunch or dinner.

Eating breakfast at the start of your day gives the body the fuel it needs to feel satisfied, so that you're less likely to overeat, or eat on impulse for the rest of the day.

Here are some quick-to-make, healthy breakfast suggestions to try:

- Milk and whole-grain cereal
- Instant oatmeal topped with raisins and milk
- Whole-grain granola topped with fruit and yogurt
- Peanut butter on whole-wheat toast or a bagel
- Fruit smoothie made with yogurt
- Cheese and whole-grain crackers
- Energy bars so long as you read the labels - some of these have little fiber and as many calories as a candy bar.

Future studies in this area might even uncover ways to prevent the activation of the brain's reward center so that high calorie choices don't seem so appealing.

In the meantime, if you're trying to lose weight or just keep your weight under control not eating breakfast is not an option, as a healthy breakfast including natural sources of protein will help you feel fuller, longer.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information why not eating breakfast and skipping meals is bad for your overall health. Plus get 5 free fantastic health reports.

The Top 4 Breakfast Foods to Lose Weight

Are you dieting to lose weight? The most important thing you have got to bear in mind then is to see to it that your breakfast is the richest and the heaviest meal for the day. Often people tend to skip breakfast, in an attempt to aid weight loss; but sadly they are all mistaken. Breakfast is highly important, if skipped can have serious consequences on your weight. This does not mean to gobble some of the sinful food, keep the calorie count low. If you are still wondering what I am talking about, check out the top 5 diet breakfast options -

1. Muesli: A wholesome meal, muesli is said to have great benefits if eaten with milk or yogurt every morning. It contains nothing but nuts, dried fruits, oats, berries, etc which is not just delicious and tasty but is a good dose of all the essential nutrients you need to be geared up for the rest of the day. Muesli tops the list of top 5 breakfast options to lose weight.
2. Granola: This is yet another incredible idea for breakfast. Known to be highly versatile, it not just satisfies your taste buds but also pumps in sufficient carbohydrate, fiber, protein and other essential nutrients. Consumed with low fat milk or curd, this is another great option for breakfast; easy to make and best to lose weight.
3. Berries: To just start your day with a bowl of berries is also a great idea. Berries have all that necessary anti-oxidants to kick start your day with all that energy. A scrumptious meal. I must say, if you like some blueberries, strawberries, etc, try this for breakfast.
4. Healthy drink: You can also choose to sip on some fruit smoothie or even some green tea to go with your food. A drink in the morning totally refreshes you.

Of course apart from all this, you can also try out the all time favorite, pancakes. You can also purchase the best pancake griddle or even the electric pancake griddle and make the most delicious pancakes.

Start Your Day With Low Carb Breakfast and Low Fat Breakfast Recipes

Do you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? You need to have a healthy breakfast to start off the day. Here are a couple of low-carb breakfast and low-fat breakfast recipes that you could easily make for your family and kids.

Yogurt with Toasted Almonds and Jam
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Exchanges/choices
1 fat free milk
1 Carbohydrate
1 fat

Calories 195
Total Fat 4.5g
Cholesterol 15mg
Sodium 160mg
Total Carbohydrate 26g
Protein 14g

Ingredients:
4 cups fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup Splenda
4 Tbsp low sugar raspberry jam
4 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

Cooking methods:
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt and Splenda. Divide evenly among three small serving bowls. Dollop each bowl of yogurt with 1 Tbsp jam and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp toasted almonds.

Nutrition Tips:
This simple delicious breakfast is a great source of calcium, which is needed for bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis.

Egg Sandwich with bacon and cheese
Serve 4
Prep time: 10 minutes

2 Starch
2 Lean Meat

Calories 245
Total Fat 3.5g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 1150mg
Total Carbohydrate 31g
Protein 24g

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 slices Canadian bacon
1 cup egg substitute
1/8 tsp ground-black pepper
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
4 (1-oz) slices fat-free American cheese

Cooking Method:
Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray. Add Canadian bacon. Cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.

In a medium bowl, beat egg substitute and black pepper with a wire whisk until well blended, pour into skillet. Cook until egg substitute is almost set, draw a spatula across the pan to form large curds. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until eggs are firm but still moist, stirring occasionally.

Spoon about 1/4 of egg mixture over one English muffin half, top with 1 slice Canadian bacon, 1 slice cheese and other English muffin half. Repeat for remaining three sandwiches.

Cooking Tip:
These sandwiches are great on the go, when you don't have time to sit down for breakfast.

Looking for even more creative and healthy low carb breakfast for your family? Check them out here for a large collection of healthy low carb and low fat breakfast recipes.