What Skipping Breakfast Does To Your Body

​Many people tell me that despite religiously watching what they eat, they still can’t seem to lose weight (and that’s when they also usually ask for my advice).

Maybe you can relate.

A lot people struggle with their weight loss even with the best of intentions.

So, normally my first response to them is a question of my own: “Ok, well what did you eat for breakfast today? Let’s start with that.”

Typical response: “I don’t like to eat breakfast.”

Not good.

If you’re someone who only has a bowl of Cheerios or skips breakfast altogether, you’re not doing your metabolism any favours for the following reasons:

Breakfast is a literal word
With your morning meal you are ‘breaking’ an 8-12 hour ‘fast’ in which your body hasn’t received nutrition for an extended period of time.

It’s a necessity during any weight loss program (with rare exception), not an option.

You wouldn’t set out in your car on a long journey with the fuel gauge in the red would you?

So, likewise, you shouldn’t leave your house in the morning without filling up your body with fuel for the day ahead.

Breakfast is the meal that gets your metabolism going each day
If you’re repeatedly waiting until lunch to eat, you’re simply training your metabolism to remain slow for an extended portion of each day.

Your metabolism is responsible for the rate at which your body burns calories.

Now, if you’re not eating frequently enough then your metabolism slows down in order to make the calories you’re putting in last longer.

Great if you’re stuck in the desert and need to survive.

Not great if you’re trying to lose weight.

When you start eating frequently, your metabolism speeds up as it has no need to hang on to calories.
Your body is clever like that.

Breakfast is THE time to consume carbohydrates
Carbohydrate tolerance and insulin sensitivity are highest at breakfast.

I call this a metabolic ‘window’.

First thing in the morning when you wake up is one of two metabolic ‘windows’ and these are the absolute best time of day to eat carbs (and get away with it).

The second metabolic window is right after intense exercise – I knew you were wondering.

Breakfast is energy for the day
You literally have ALL day to burn the calories that you eat at breakfast.

It’s very unlikely, unless you are making very poor food choices and eating highly excessive amounts of calories, that calories eaten during the first meal of the day will lead to appreciable fat storage.

Simply put, breakfast should be the biggest, not smallest (or skipped) meal of the day, and if you’re not consuming it on a regular basis, you really need to start.

At Mark Personal Training I coach you in all areas of nutrition including what foods you should be having for breakfast to ensure that you lose body fat and don’t lose muscle definition. 

​If you’re interested in knowing how to speed up your metabolism check out the infographic below

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