Can I Skip Breakfast And Lose Weight?

Is skipping breakfast really a big deal? What's the difference? 

The short answer is yes. I eat two meals a day about 6 hours apart and finish eating before 6 pm. Don't snack after 6 pm, and don't drink calories. You can move that 6 hour period earlier if you like but I like the lunch and dinner routine. 

If you're trying to lose weight, I think that breakfast is important. It all goes back to the basic reasons for eating. If you want to stay healthy, you eat for the sake of your body. In other words, I eat the first thing or the first hour I’m up to give my body the fuel I need to concentrate, to give me strength to work out or to get to work and to be productive.

When I was younger, I didn’t think about those things. When I was younger I still had the stored up nutrition that all of us are born with, but as you age you use up that nutrition and you start to lose your edge. You're not as sharp, you're not as quick. Some people think it's because they're getting older, but that's not it. It's because of the food you're eating. 

It happens over many years and most people don’t realize it until they’re in their 40’s. By that time, they caulk it up to aging or the fact that they're out of shape, but the truth is they have spent their adult life eating wrong and not replacing that nutrition (vitamins and minerals) that they use up every day. 

We get in the habit of eating when we’re hungry, instead of eating to avoid getting hungry. This is why I eat breakfast. Some people who aren't eating breakfast ate too much at night and the food is still sitting there like a lump in your stomach and you are full and can't think about eating. Don't eat the last 4 hours before bed. You want your food to digest before bed, give it some time. If you're hungry at night think about the food your eating for dinner and those snacks you ate in the afternoon. If you're filling up on carbs and not real food you'll get hungry quicker and want to eat more often. 

 I usually eat a large bowl of oatmeal with fruit or Greek Yogurt with berries if I’m in a rush. Greek Yogurt is my go-to snack when I need something small and filling. 

So after I changed the way I was eating, that’s when I started to make changes in my body. Now I eat to avoid hunger. Yes, you have to get custom to eating more often, but now when I eat a meal I fill up very quickly. I never eat those big meals anymore. And I don’t get hungry or have cravings. 

I got used to listening to my body. I only eat what my body needs. I don’t eat processed foods, I don’t eat food from a can, I don’t eat already prepared foods like carry-out. 

Of course, I eat in restaurants but during the months I was trying to lose body fat, I tried to avoid eating out and if I had to I only ate salads with olive oil and lemon juice that I added. 

You can bend the rules a little after you lose that fat, but you can never return to your old diet. The weight will come right back. 

When you eat several small meals a day, you want to space them about 3 hours apart. Remember to eat your first meal early, no matter how small, eat something nutritious. Something that will hold you for 3 hours. Your body needs some protein the first hour your up. 

Try never to eat empty calories. And at first, you’ll have to count your calories. When you're not used to eating like this it’s easy to overdo it. Even if you’re active, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need. So be picky about the things you eat. 

When I first started to eat this way, I did some research, put on paper the things I wanted to eat and the number of calories, don’t forget to count the drinks, and I had all my choices of food and drink written down, in a small notebook that I kept with me. 

I basically ate the same things over and over until I had time to research more food choices. Over a period of weeks, my menu started to broaden.

The food pyramid will give you the choices you need. Stick to the pyramid; I did add black coffee and ice tea black in moderation. You can find examples of the "Food Pyramid" chart on the internet.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.