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You see, the words "Fruit Loops" enticed you in here to see what the rest of the article was about. Maybe even that Fruit Loops had become the next great diet program and was the answer to weight loss. Sorry to burst that bubble but we won't quite be traveling down that road. Without exception, breakfast represents the first and, without question, the most critical meal in a normal day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and will directly influence what your mood will be for the day and how productive you will be. It sends the first message to your metabolism as to what you expect it to do and how hard it's going to have to work. Can your body call in sick or does it have to work efficiently for the next sixteen hours giving you good health and an optimum weight?

That's a big burden to put on just meal, especially one we approach still-half awake as we stumble to the kitchen. It is critical but your body is always up to the task. Think of breakfast as the first position on an assembly line. If you don't put the frame of the car on the line at step one, the guy putting on doors at step two is not that important. Did you know that over 50% of Americans are either overweight or obese? Of that group, an amazing 80% admit to skipping breakfast. Without exception, it is the first approach most choose in trying to lose weight. Skipping a meal equals fewer calories equals weight loss is the formula that pops into the mind of someone desperate to lose weight. Statistics clearly show that it doesn't or can't work otherwise those that did it would lose weight, which is the desired goal of the formula. Why would anyone choose a method to try that you know will fail? The psychology behind that question sadly shows just how desperate and frustrated Americans have become to break this over-weight pattern.

I read a ton of literature on nutrition but far from consider myself an expert in it. Since I take full responsibility for my body and how I want it to look and act, I have spent the better part of my fifty plus years trying to understand nutrition and how it affects my overall health and appearance. I have never read even one study or research report that even remotely suggests that skipping breakfast, or any meal helps lose weight. To the contrary, it directly contributes to gaining weight or maintaining an overweight condition.

Yes, it helps you to gain weight by skipping the meal. Within 60 minutes of awakening in the morning, you must put calories into your body. You need to act and act rather quickly in turning on the key to your metabolism. It should be about 10-15 percent of the total calories your body needs to maintain normal activities. For most adults, this will fall into the 250-400 calorie range. It is critical to fall within this range, a King's feast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice is just as bad as skipping. A cup of a whole-grain, natural cereal with skim (or reduced fat milk) is the perfect choice. I use 100% natural and safe Stevia to sweeten it just a bit. I use the Kashi Go Lean cereal as it does not have the additives of the commercial brands, cost no more and is high-glycemic as far as carbs go. These break down over hours, thus fueling you longer. Low-glycemic carbs, such as white bread or sugary cereal spikes your insulin almost immediately but results in a quick crash to your system when the level drops in about an hour. Very poor approach to the end goal of keeping your metabolism running at the same level all day, where the most efficient burning of calories is accomplished.

Another approach is to make breakfast all protein, which breaks down slowly as well and gives you a much fuller feeling until the next meal. Egg whites or a whey protein shake or even cottage cheese are great choices. If you have time constraints and kids to get off to school, plan ahead and have natural breakfast bars available. However you tackle it, don't make the number one mistake that keeps your body from giving you the optimum weight you desire. You must eat, and eat often. Although it represents the topic of another article that can go into depth on it, the body is meant to "graze". By that I mean, that you should eat six or seven times during the day, each light in calories. By doing this correctly, there is never the sensation of hunger, and the internal engine called your metabolism works at top level and is able to fully digest all food and burn and use each nutrient available. Keep in mind, the total calories of the day still must be considered and stuck to.

The main point I wanted to address here is how critical it is to rev up the engine at breakfast, not hours later. It's like driving a high-performance, finely-tuned car for a sixteen hour trip versus chugging through the same sixteen hours in a misfiring, broken down Pinto, with smoke pouring out of the exhaust. So buckle up and get started.