Eat a Big Breakfast to Lose Weight

by Megan O. Steintrager, Epicurious

Sure, the idea of eating more to lose weight might sound like a bunch of baloney, but many experts agree that eating more in the morning can indeed help you to consume fewer calories later in the day. For starters, when you eat a wholesome breakfast with plenty of protein and fiber, you have a much better chance of staying satisfied than if you skimp in the morning, and that means you'll be lest likely to grab a sugary muffin mid-morning or go for the cheeseburger and fries at lunch. Plus, breakfast boosts your metabolism and gives you the fuel you need for exercise, so you're more likely to stick to your workout routine if you're well fed. Kathleen Zelman, RD, who I interviewed for the first in Epicurious' series of Doable Challenges: Get a Healthy Breakfast Boost, says that she and other nutritionists recommend eating up to a third of your daily calories at your first meal of the day. "So don't be afraid of breakfast," Zelman says.

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Of course, if you're trying to lose weight you'll need to trim your overall number of calories and/or burn additional calories through exercise, but consider slashing later in the day rather than at breakfast. In my own recent highly unscientific experiment with the big breakfast diet, I was pleasantly surprised to discover I had actually dropped a pound or two after several weeks of eating larger than normal (but mostly healthy) breakfasts while traveling overseas.

Have you tried eating more in the morning? How about giving it a shot and weighing in here in the comments section? You'll find lots of healthy recipes in the Doable Challenges breakfast feature.

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