Even if you only have juice and a yoghurt, you should never skip breakfast whilst trying to loose weight...here's why...
Everyone must have heard the statement, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but do you know why this saying is true? Only those who understand the science behind the statement implement it in their daily lives. If you can’t manage to fit breakfast into your routine you may want to reconsider after reading this.
A common misconception is that by skipping breakfast, fewer calories are consumed each day resulting in weight maintenance or weight loss. Although this seems like a cogent argument, you have to understand human biochemistry to realize the inaccuracy of this thought process. Based on studies it is believed skipping the first meal of the day increases the chances of becoming obese, developing diabetes or experiencing a heart attack.
The rate at which your body burns calories is known as metabolism. When a meal is skipped, your body goes into “starvation mode” during which time the body’s natural response is to conserve calories and store any food consumed as fat. If this form of dieting persists, hormonal changes and metabolic disorders could take place within the body that make it more difficult to maintain a steady weight. In many cases the body begins to breakdown muscle for fuel. The broken down protein releases nitrogen, which is rapidly washed out of our body by water released from tissue cells. This release of water immediately results in weight reduction. The noticeable drop can be quickly regained just by drinking water; however, the muscle loss is not as easily replaceable.
Our muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires calories on a daily basis to maintain itself. Muscles burn calories regardless of whether the body is active or inactive. People with higher muscle mass need more calories and burn calories more rapidly. When muscle mass decreases so does your calorie requirement. People who deprive themselves of food end up regaining all of the weight, if not more, as soon as they go back to their old habits. This is because their metabolism has slowed down, they’ve decreased their daily caloric requirements, and decreased their muscle mass.
Eating breakfast is one of the most effective ways to rev up your metabolism, have more energy, or lose weight. Everyone should strive for an increased metabolism, which can be achieved through exercise and eating regularly. All the latest diets encourage 3 small meals a days with snacks in between to prevent cravings and binge eating.
According to research “findings suggest that if you’re trying to control or lose weight and lower risk factors of heart disease, not eating breakfast is not a good option.” People who eat breakfast end up eating less cholesterol and saturated fat and have a better overall nutritional status than those who skip the morning meal.
Top three reasons why we should eat breakfast
Better performance. Breakfast eaters have a more positive attitude toward school and work, and they perform better. A Boston study showed that children who started eating breakfast raised their test scores significantly and were late or absent from school less frequently.
Better overall nutrition. People who eat breakfast are more likely to get the nutrients their bodies need. A Louisiana study found that people who skipped breakfast rarely met even two-thirds of the daily requirements for most minerals and vitamins.
Better weight control. Breakfast revs up the body's metabolic rate first thing in the morning; burning calories faster than if the morning meal had been skipped. Thus breakfast eaters maintain their weight more easily than skippers.
People who skip breakfast end up eating more calories throughout the day. The additional calories are consumed through junk foods rather than nutrient rich breakfast foods. Eating breakfast allows a greater chance of burning off the calories since it is consumed earlier in the day.
Chances of developing insulin resistance syndrome, a metabolic disorder in which the body doesn’t use blood sugar efficiently can develop among people with high amounts of abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and elevated sugar levels. When the body is deprived of food, it may lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), when food is introduced, the insulin levels spike up. Insulin causes you to convert and store excess sugar as fat. The human body cannot live without insulin but by maintaining balanced insulin level without periods of too much insulin is much healthier.
Study after study has indicated, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and now we know why.
So you could be halting your progress if you don't try and change your eating habits...
I never used to but since I have, the weight is coming off much better and I am less hungry between meals. I even sometimes just have a yoghurt drink and a light digestive biscuit, just to break the fast.
