Healthy Tip of the Week...Lose Weight with Breakfast

Are you so over breakfast? You might be smart if breakfast for you means (yes, confess) a daily Sausage Egg McMuffin (450 calories, 27 grams of fat). But wait! Before you decide to skip breakfast forever, there's a flip side to this story. The right breakfast will not only help you lose weight but also help you keep it off. Just do NOT make the two morning mistakes below.

Do NOT do this: Skip breakfast. It's as bad as or worse than overdoing it. Pass up breakfast and you're twice as likely to pack on pounds. The reason's a no-brainer: You're famished by lunch and feel justified eating anything in sight. More proof: Thousands of successful dieters can't be wrong. Nearly 80% of the happy losers in the National Weight Control Registry -- a data bank of people who've lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year -- swear by breakfast.

And do NOT do this, either: Plan to work out . . . uh, later. Putting off exercise is the perfect recipe for not exercising. Try making a date with the weight machines or taking a brisk walk for blocks. Work out before breakfast. Or if you're one of those overachievers do a "2-a-day." One hour in the morning and one in the evening when you get off of work.

Instead, DO THIS: Eat protein in the morning. It digests slowly, so you stay full way longer. When overweight women had a breakfast of eggs and toast (versus a bagel and cream cheese), they ate fewer calories for the rest of the day. So combine protein with fruit or juice (carbs) and whole-grain bread or cereal (fiber) -- you'll feel fuller even longer. In fact, this threesome turns breakfast into a weight loss power tool.

Hate breakfast foods? This is so ME! I really do hate breakfast foods. So I suggest, if you're like me, go nontraditional and munch a couple of dried apricots and a stick of low-fat string cheese. Can't stomach food first thing in the day? Sip a healthy smoothie midmorning: Whirl some nonfat plain yogurt, a banana, and some frozen berries in the blender, (i like blueberries) then sprinkle with wheat germ or ground flaxseeds to get some whole grains in. It'll keep your appetite in line when lunch rolls around. Find my yummy blueberry smoothie recipe below.

Too rushed in the A.M. (kids, pets, partners) to eat breakfast? Toss a small handful each of nuts and dried fruit into a baggie, fill a to-go cup with skim milk, and nibble during your morning commute.

Berry-Oxidant Protein Smoothie
1 Pkg. Organic Blueberries
½ Pkg. Organic Blackberries
Crushed Ice
2 Tbl. Agave Nectar
Vanilla Protein Whey Powder
½ c Unsweetened, Almond Milk

Method:
In a blender add half the blueberries and the blackberries, add crushed ice, the almond milk , the remaining blueberries and vanilla protein powder. Blend until ingredients become frothy and smooth. Stream in the agave nectar and blend for about 1 more minute on high. Taste. Add more agave nectar if desired. Enjoy!


(Recipe Courtesy of: Chef Kai Chase)