Start every day with a satisfying breakfast to help set you up and keep you feeling full until your next meal.
Eating breakfast could help you reduce snacking and avoid overeating later in the day. According to Professor G. Harvey Anderson, a specialist in Nutritional Sciences, there is evidence to suggest that breakfast eaters weigh less than people who skip breakfast.
Food is fuel
Eating breakfast is like filling up on an empty petrol tank. When you wake up in the morning, your body is low on fuel, like a car running on empty, explains diet expert Kathleen Zelman. The idea is to choose foods that will kick-start your engine by:
In fact, if you're a classic 'snacker', eating breakfast can help you avoid those impulse munchies. In fact, a 1992 study suggests that skipping breakfast can often result in eating more to 'make up for it' throughout the rest of the day.
"The ideal breakfast is based on carbohydrate and protein," says Anderson, who is currently researching the food combinations that make up the most satisfying meals. He believes that the most satisfying breakfasts work two ways, rapidly raising blood sugar levels for a quick burst of energy, followed by a longer term energy boost from high fibre, complex-carbohydrate, protein-containing foods that are more slowly digested.
Of course, if you love fresh fruit or sweet cereals, you can still include them in your breakfast. For example, you can mix a handful of your favourite cereal with a carton of low fat yogurt and some fruit, such as apricots or blackcurrants. If you have a blender, you can make delicious smoothies with fruit, such as bananas, and skimmed milk. Or how about:
No time for breakfast?
Excuse: I don't have time to make myself breakfast, so I have to eat croissants from the café or chocolate from the vending machine...
If you're in a rush in the morning, how about a packed breakfast? Try a hard boiled egg (make up a batch one evening while you're making dinner, cheese triangles or fresh fruit or those dinky little packets of raisins or dried apricots. And for those times when you really can't stop, keep a stash of Weight Watchers Snack Bars in your desk drawer or glove compartment.
Excuse: I just can't eat before 1pm.
You don't have to eat breakfast at the crack of dawn if you don't feel like it. As long as you eat within several hours of waking up you'll be fine and many people prefer 'elevenses' anyway. If you can't stomach much, try a few grapes, half a glass of fruit juice or a plain crispbread. After a few days, your body might naturally look forward to its morning wake-up call and you can try more substantial meals.
Excuse: I would like to eat breakfast but am afraid it will put my hunger into overdrive.
Don't worry about this - research suggests that the opposite is true. Many people experience less erratic eating patterns (like mid-afternoon and after-dinner munchies) when they eat several small snacks and meals throughout the day. There's more good news, according to Anderson. In addition to being slimmer, people who eat several small, nutritious meals are often healthier than those who eat one or two big meals per day.
Source: http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=4491&sc=3027
Food is fuel
Eating breakfast is like filling up on an empty petrol tank. When you wake up in the morning, your body is low on fuel, like a car running on empty, explains diet expert Kathleen Zelman. The idea is to choose foods that will kick-start your engine by:
- Giving your body energy to run on.
- Possibly preventing you from overeating later in the day.
In fact, if you're a classic 'snacker', eating breakfast can help you avoid those impulse munchies. In fact, a 1992 study suggests that skipping breakfast can often result in eating more to 'make up for it' throughout the rest of the day.
"The ideal breakfast is based on carbohydrate and protein," says Anderson, who is currently researching the food combinations that make up the most satisfying meals. He believes that the most satisfying breakfasts work two ways, rapidly raising blood sugar levels for a quick burst of energy, followed by a longer term energy boost from high fibre, complex-carbohydrate, protein-containing foods that are more slowly digested.
Of course, if you love fresh fruit or sweet cereals, you can still include them in your breakfast. For example, you can mix a handful of your favourite cereal with a carton of low fat yogurt and some fruit, such as apricots or blackcurrants. If you have a blender, you can make delicious smoothies with fruit, such as bananas, and skimmed milk. Or how about:
- Grilled back bacon and tomato slices, on brown toast, half a bagel or a muffin.
- Delicious grilled kippers.
- Hard-boiled or scrambled eggs (or egg whites) with a couple of crispbreads.
- Low-fat yogurt.
- A banana and a small handful of peanuts or almonds.
No time for breakfast?
Excuse: I don't have time to make myself breakfast, so I have to eat croissants from the café or chocolate from the vending machine...
If you're in a rush in the morning, how about a packed breakfast? Try a hard boiled egg (make up a batch one evening while you're making dinner, cheese triangles or fresh fruit or those dinky little packets of raisins or dried apricots. And for those times when you really can't stop, keep a stash of Weight Watchers Snack Bars in your desk drawer or glove compartment.
Excuse: I just can't eat before 1pm.
You don't have to eat breakfast at the crack of dawn if you don't feel like it. As long as you eat within several hours of waking up you'll be fine and many people prefer 'elevenses' anyway. If you can't stomach much, try a few grapes, half a glass of fruit juice or a plain crispbread. After a few days, your body might naturally look forward to its morning wake-up call and you can try more substantial meals.
Excuse: I would like to eat breakfast but am afraid it will put my hunger into overdrive.
Don't worry about this - research suggests that the opposite is true. Many people experience less erratic eating patterns (like mid-afternoon and after-dinner munchies) when they eat several small snacks and meals throughout the day. There's more good news, according to Anderson. In addition to being slimmer, people who eat several small, nutritious meals are often healthier than those who eat one or two big meals per day.
Source: http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=4491&sc=3027
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