Breakfast has often been described as the most important meal of the day. Despite the benefits breakfast provides not only for weight loss, but overall well being, it's surprising how many people skip this meal. Some people say that they don't have the time to eat breakfast while others are under the false perception that missing this meal will help them lose weight. The truth is that by missing breakfast you are not doing yourself any favours, regardless of what your goals are.

Breakfast actually means breaking your fast, as you have been fasting during the night because you have been asleep. When you wake up in the morning, your sugar levels are low and you are lacking in energy, this is why you feel a little sluggish. Basically your body is crying out for fuel in the form of protein, carbs, vitamins, fibre, liquid, and other nutrients. When you skip breakfast you are not supplying your body with what it needs. So your body will go into defence mode.

Your body will think that it is starving and to compensate for this situation it will slow down your metabolism so that it can hang onto calories. This situation is called starvation mode. When this happens you can forget about your attempts to lose weight. To lose weight you must burn calories, but if your metabolism cuts back on burning calories, it stands to reason that weight loss is not going to happen.

Eating breakfast will not only give your metabolism a big boost, it will supply you with the nutrition your body desperately needs. It supplies your blood, muscles, brain, and other organs with energy. Basically it will give you the best start for the day ahead. Another great reason to eat breakfast is that you don't tend to get cravings throughout the day, and this prevents the ups and downs in energy you get during the day.

The next step is to decide what your breakfast should consist of. A cup of coffee and some donuts are not going to cut it. You should avoid virtually all sugary foods when eating breakfast. Yes you will get a sugar boost that will raise your blood sugar levels. However a boost just means a quick fix, once this boost drops, so do your blood sugar levels which leave you feeling tired and lethargic.

You need to have a breakfast of complex carbs which release energy slower and for longer. This avoids the sudden peak in blood sugar levels, which are detrimental to your health. Your carbs should come from whole grain cereals and fibre. Oats are a great breakfast meal and can keep you going for many hours. You should also have protein in your diet; this can come from eggs, fish, or lean meat. You could even add a protein shake to your breakfast. Fresh fruit is another great addition to a healthy breakfast.

The fact is that if you want to lose weight your metabolism will need to burn calories, and if you miss breakfast it won't do that. You will be sabotaging all your efforts, so you must get into the habit of eating breakfast. Apart from the weight loss benefits of breakfast, it is also really important for your brain. Your brain for its size is very greedy for glucose. Glucose is the energy you get from your food. Your brain actually takes 30% of the glucose your body receives. So when you miss breakfast you are short changing yourself on glucose. When you brain is not getting its needs met, it will not function to its optimal level. This leads to lack of focus and concentration, a lack of alertness and basically make your thinking process feel slow and sluggish.

Begin eating breakfast and you will become more alert, think better, and feel sharper. Your metabolism will be happier and so will you. If you are not used to eating breakfast, you should start small and build up how much you eat over a few weeks. It's no point trying to eat a big breakfast straight away if you are not used to it. It could make you feel sick and make you give up trying. However once you start to eat some sort of breakfast, the habit is acquired pretty quickly.

Don't worry about storing any calories from breakfast as fat because this won't happen as you have all day to burn any excess off. The truth is that your body will use virtually every calorie you eat for breakfast, so there should be no concerns over that. Start eating breakfast and you will start to notice improvements in your energy levels just after a few days. Avoid eating breakfast and you will be in the same position in 6 months as you are in today. Without doubt you will lose weight with breakfast.