Be On Your Best Breakfast Behavior!

Your mother always told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  However, despite this widely touted piece of conventional wisdom, less than half of Americans actually report regularly fueling their tanks in the morning. Further, if you are attempting to shed a few pounds, consuming that first meal takes on even greater importance. Consider the following breakfast benefits from a psychological and behavioral standpoint:

Minimize late day cravings

People often reason that if they are not hungry upon waking, then it makes sense to skip breakfast to “save” those calories. However, research clearly shows that skipping breakfast almost invariably leads to overeating later in the day, usually resulting in a higher caloric total at the day’s end compared to folks who eat a morning meal. To avoid a “crescendo” eating pattern, make sure to include breakfast on a regular basis. You will likely find that after consistently eating breakfast for several weeks, you will start to feel hungrier in the morning upon waking. You need to give your body time to adjust to the new eating schedule.

Set the tone

Starting the day with a nutritious meal is a way to remind yourself that you are a person who values healthy behavior. Thus, as you proceed through the day, your subsequent choices around food and exercise may very well be influenced by your earlier decision to nurture your well-being. When you see eating breakfast as an important self-care behavior, you will be in the mindset of engaging in later self-care behaviors as well. These might extend beyond your eating and exercise, such as f managing stress better, functioning more effectively in your relationships, and paying better attention to your sleeping habits.

Defend against deprivation

Eating a breakfast that you find tasty and satisfying will serve as powerful ammunition against those feelings of deprivation that sometimes arise during weight loss efforts. When you start your day with an enjoyable meal, you will be less likely to feel the need to indulge later to “reward” yourself for your restraint. Try to be thoughtful in choosing a breakfast that appeals to all of your senses – make a meal that looks beautiful, smells delicious, and tastes fantastic.

Ease into your morning

Rushing out the door just minutes after waking is no way to begin your day. Instead, starting your day by calmly sitting down to a meal will allow you to organize your thoughts, to spend some time with family, or quiet time alone, and to boost your mood before you venture out into the world. We often use meals to punctuate our days, and the morning meal can be a terrific “first chapter” and help you pace your day so that it feels as though it has a thoughtful beginning.

 

Related posts: Do You Eat on Autopilot? The Food Diary – Your Partner to Success