Skipping Breakfast to Lose Weight, Does it Even Work?

A highly contested question in the nutritional world: Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?

There may be a lot of confusion as some people think it is while others say it's just a myth.

Well, breakfast may not be the most important meal of the day, but it is a meal that you shouldn't skip.

No doubt, when you are trying to lose weight, eating more meals might seem a little absurd. After all, the theory behind weight loss is all about having fewer calories. But if you think that by skipping your breakfast, you will consume fewer calories, you are WRONG.

Various research studies show that eating breakfast did not have any effect on weight loss compared to not eating it. According to a study, people who consume or skip breakfast end up with almost similar daily calorie intake.

Why you Shouldn’t Skip Breakfast?

It's not only us telling you not to skip breakfast; science also tells you about the importance of breakfast. According to a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating a healthy breakfast can reduce your hunger throughout the day.

It means eating your breakfast at the start of your day can keep you away from extra calories throughout the day.

For example, you skipped breakfast and went to work. The first thing that happens to you is that your stomach starts to rumble due to hunger. After some failed attempts to avoid it, you would end up in a coffee shop to have your coffee with something to satisfy your hunger.

And that's not it, after a few hours it would be a time of lunch which you can't skip because you have already skipped your breakfast. And you may end up getting a full-size sandwich or your favorite full-sister pretzels but in high quantities because it's lunch.

As a result of your skipping breakfast, you have eaten two calorie-dense meals, and it's just afternoon. And you are already hungry for the third meal.

That's why we are telling you to not skip breakfast. As your first meal of the day, it is going to help you a lot to do healthy things throughout the day, which can fend off weight gain.

Don’t Know How to Fill Your Plate?

Now that you know the importance of breakfast, you need to figure out how to build a balanced and healthy breakfast for yourself.

What you are going to eat for your breakfast is up to you. But we will tell you a secret to a balanced plate that can keep you full throughout the day. All you need is to fill your plate with a lot of green foods, a sprinkle of yellow foods, and a bit of orange food. But if it's too much for you, consider an egg.

Research has shown that egg eaters lose more weight than those who eat bagels. That's because of the high protein content in eggs, which can increase metabolism and also provide a satiating effect. On the other hand, bagels are high in refined carbs, which not only increase weight but also spike and drop your blood sugar levels, leaving you unhappy and hungry.

In a recent research, scientists compared two groups of obese people; one group was given a calorie-restricted egg diet while the other was given a bagel diet with the same number of calories. The researchers found that the participants who were given eggs lost more weight than the ones with bagels.

Quick and Easy Breakfast Prep Ideas

Even if weight loss is guaranteed by breakfast, we will not insist you eat because you know better what works for you. We are psychology experts, but you are experts in you.

But we are here for you to give you facts and to help you choose what – and when, and why to eat so that you can reach your healthy weight loss goal.

If you are looking for some quick and easy prep meal ideas with minimal calories, here are some breakfast and snack options that can get you started:

Healthy Snack (150 calories)

Grab & Go

⦁ A small banana, pear, orange, or any other fruit (100 calories)

⦁ ½ Avocado (120 calories)

⦁ ½ cup whole-grain granola without added sugar (150 calories)

⦁ 2 hard-boiled eggs (140 calories)

⦁ ¼ cup homemade trail mix (150 calories)

Quick & Easy

⦁ Overnight oatmeal made with ⅓ cup rolled oats + 1 cup low-fat milk + optional flax or chia seeds ( 150 calories)

⦁ 1 sliced whole grain bread + ¼ cup mashed avocadoes (120 calories)

⦁ 1 tbsp almonds + 1 cup berries (110 calories)

⦁ 1 small apple + 2 tsp nut butter (150 calories)

Nice & Light

⦁ 1 cup puffed rice cereal + ½ banana + ½ cup low-fat dairy + cinnamon (150 calories)

⦁ 2 rice cakes + 1 tbsp mashed berries + 1 tbsp peanut butter (150 calories)

⦁ 2 cup egg whites + 1 cup spinach + 2 oz shredded chicken + 5 sliced tomatoes (150 calories)

⦁ ¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt + ½ cup berries (130 calories)

Mini Meal (200-300 calories)

This is a great calorie range to start a healthy tone for the day. Here are some easy yet delicious options you can choose from:

Light and Simple

⦁ Breakfast Salad: 2 sliced chopped bacon + 1 chopped hard-boiled egg + ½ cup chopped tomatoes + 1 cup spinach + 2 tsp Olive oil + lemon juice ( 220 calories)

⦁ Quinoa porridge: ¼ cup quinoa cooked in ¾ cup low-fat milk + ½ diced apple + sautéed with cinnamon (250 calories)

⦁ Voluminous oats: ½ cup oats cooked with cinnamon + 1 cup low-fat milk + ½ cup shredded zucchini + 1 cup raspberries (250 calories)

⦁ Chia Pudding: 3 tbsp chia seeds + ½ tbsp cinnamon + 1 cup low-fat diary (250 calories)

⦁ Banana pancakes: 2 eggs + 1 banana (250 calories)

Craving something Savory

⦁ Savory toast: 2 pieces whole-grain bread + ¼ cup mashed avocadoes + pinch of red chili flakes (220 calories)

⦁ Smoked salmon sliders: 4 oz. smoked salmon + ¼ avocado + 2 slices tomato (200 calories)

⦁ Vegan tofu scramble: 4 oz tofu + ½ avocado + 5 slices tomato + spices of choice (250 calories)

⦁ Breakfast sandwich: 2 pieces of whole-grain bread + 1 cup spinach + 1 egg + 1 oz low-fat cheese (300 calories)

Some Sweet Options

⦁ Sweet tortilla: 1 whole-grain tortilla + 1 sliced banana + 1 tbsp nut butter (300 calories)

⦁ Sweet toast: 2 slices whole-grain bread + 2 tbsp mashed berries + cinnamon + 1 tbsp nut butter (300 calories)

⦁ Sweet oats: 1/3 cup oats cooked with ½ diced apple, water, and cinnamon + topped with 1 tbsp almond butter (250 calories)

⦁ Protein-packed parfait: 1 cup blueberries + 1 cup Greek yogurt + 2 tbsp almonds (300 calories)

Want to Add Eggs

Protein-packed omelet: ½ cup egg whites + 1 cup spinach + 5 slices tomatoes + 2 oz shredded chicken (200 calories)

⦁ Eggs and yam: 2 eggs scrambled with cinnamon + 1 small sweet potato, diced (250 calories)

⦁ Veggie-omelet: 1 egg + 2 egg whites + ½ cup chopped bell peppers + ½ cup sliced mushrooms + 1 cup spinach (250 calories)

Smoothies, A Sweet Start (150-200 calories)

Smoothies

Strawberry & cream smoothie: 1 cup frozen strawberries + a handful of ice + 1 cup low-fat milk + protein powder, optional (150 calories without protein powder)

⦁ Pina colada smoothie: ½ cup frozen pineapple + 1 cup spinach + 1 cup low-fat milk + 1 cup frozen mango + a handful of ice + optional protein powder (200 calories without protein powder)

⦁ Small smoothie: ¾ banana + 1 cup spinach + 1 cup low-fat milk + a handful of ice + optional protein powder (130 calories without protein powder)

⦁ Green smoothie: 1 cup spinach + ½ banana + ½ cup chopped zucchini + 1 cup kale + 1 cup low-fat milk + optional protein powder (150 calories without protein powder)

These are some great options in a minimum calorie range if you want to overcome your mid-morning cravings in a healthy and delicious way.