Why you should never skip your morning meal again
If you’re a weight loss surgery patient it can be easy to justify skipping breakfast by imagining all the calories you’ll cut out by not eating each morning. However, breakfast has more than earned its reputation as the most important meal of the day and skipping it can have huge consequences for the overall healthiness of your diet. Breakfast provides fuel for your body at the time it needs it most, offering a solid foundation for the rest of the day that you can’t afford to go without.
Many studies have shown that eating a nutritious breakfast can help you:
- Make your diet nutritionally complete, with higher values of important vitamins and minerals
- Improve your overall concentration and performance
- Lower your cholesterol levels
- Give you more strength, energy and endurance for physical activity
Regardless of why you race off to work each morning without a bite to eat, the reasons for keeping breakfast a part of your everyday life are far more compelling than the excuses for skipping it. As you work towards your weight loss goals, here are two more reasons you should eat breakfast each and every morning.
Refuel After Sleeping
Your blood sugar levels drop each morning, making it important to eat foods that provide energy early in the morning. You aren’t giving your body any fuel throughout the 8 hours you sleep each night, so it desperately needs a source of energy in the first two hours you’re awake each day.
Get Focused on the Day Ahead
According to the American Dietetic Association, breakfast makes it easier to focus and be productive throughout the morning. By giving yourself the fuel you need at the beginning of the day, you’ll be better able to handle the tasks you need to get done before lunch. Eating a healthy breakfast will also get you off to a good start in maintaining your healthy habits for the rest of the day.
What to Eat?
Because you’ll be eating less after weight loss surgery, you’ll need to eat a breakfast that will provide lots of energy in a small package. Though your bariatric supplements will provide you with nutritional value, you’ll also want to maximize the amount of important vitamins and minerals you receive at each and every meal. Of course, this means avoiding many common breakfast foods that contain high levels of sugar and fat like doughnuts, juices and sugary breakfast cereals.
Your dietary requirements will be different based on the kind of weight loss surgery you have received and the amount of time that has passed since your operation. Though you should always stick to the dietary guidelines provided to you by your weight loss surgeon Dr. Bass, the following are generally acceptable choices for breakfast after weight loss surgery:
- Lean proteins. Eggs, scrambled or poached, lean ham
- Low or non-fat dairy. Non-fat cottage cheese, skim milk
- Fruit. Unsweetened apple sauce, bananas
- Hot cereal. Unsweetened oatmeal, cream of wheat (with skim milk)
Remember to limit these foods to the portions recommended by Dr. Bass. By eating a proper and healthy breakfast, you can get each day off to a good start, helping you keep focused on your weight loss goals and anything else life throws at you.