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