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Having a healthy and well rounded breakfast to start out your day is essential for providing your body with the energy it needs to thrive so that you can stay clear headed and alert as you go about your busy life. However, not only is the food you’re choosing to include in your breakfast integral in determining your overall health, but the time at which you eat can also make a major impact on the speed of your metabolism and your ability to lose weight.
While many people believe in the concept of intermittent fasting to speed up weight loss and create a healthier eating plan, there are also benefits to eating first thing in the morning when it comes to starting your day off right. If you aren’t hungry in the morning or feel as though you’ll be better served holding off on your meal, health experts agree that at least having a small snack within a certain time window may ultimately set you up for a better day and a more successful weight loss journey.
Depending on what time you wake up each morning, experts agree that the best time to eat breakfast is within two hours of your rising time. The time that you eat breakfast often dictates what time you consume the rest of your meals throughout the day and how your calories will be allocated, so eating when you first wake up is a great way to create a regular schedule that your body can get used to for easy weight loss. Food acts as fuel for your day, so it stands to reason that feeding your body in the morning will offer you more energy to burn through during your waking hours.
“We utilize carbohydrates better during the morning hours than later in the day when our digestive system slows down to prepare for sleep. Research has shown that when two groups of people are given the same food and the same amount of calories in a day but at different times, those who ate a larger percentage of their calories earlier in the day lost more weight than those who ate more at dinner, even though the calories were the same,” explainsLauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN.
If you find yourself often craving carbs, starting your day off with a balanced meal that contains this macronutrient group is a great way to go. Within 2 hours of waking up, creating a breakfast that fulfills your protein, carb, and healthy fat needs will provide you with ample energy for your work and exercise, and will be burned off as you go about your activities. Working backwards from when you plan to eat dinner is another great way to determine your ideal breakfast time in order to make sure you’re keeping yourself well fed throughout the day.
“Research has found that eating around 7 am will result in a dinner time of about 6 or 6:30 pm. This will allow the individual to eat dinner later in the evening and not be tempted to snack throughout the evening,” explains registered dietitian Trista Best. “This also puts the individual in a fasted state for around 10 to 11 hours until breakfast the next day, which can lead to an increase in fat burning and higher metabolism.”
It’s important to keep in mind that regularly skipping meals when you’re hungry can have a negative impact on your metabolism over time. In trying to preserve calories, you may accidentally be putting yourself in a position where your body is being restricted of too many calories, making it difficult to function. With this, it’s necessary to be aware of your hunger cues and listen to your body when it tells you that you need to eat. “This is your body's way of telling you it needs calories to function and delaying that can cause the body to burn less calories to reserve what it has, this leads to a slower metabolism and ultimately weight gain,” says nutritionist Lisa Richards.
Not everyone feels hungry in the morning, and if that’s the case there’s no reason to force yourself to eat. However, ignoring your hunger cues in order to save calories will only hurt your body in the long run, damaging your metabolism and ultimately making it more difficult to lose weight. Eating breakfast within two hours of waking up is a great way to set the tone for the rest of your day, keeping in place healthy eating patterns, and keep you on track to stay nourished and well-fed throughout your weight loss journey. Depriving yourself of food is only a short term solution to weight loss, and you will be better served feeding your body healthy and nutritious foods incrementally throughout the day rather than withholding meals for the sake of a calorie deficit.
