If you’re trying to lose weight, you might already be aware of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise. But did you know that there are some common morning mistakes that can make it so much more difficult to see the results of your hard work? Nutritionists and dietitians have weighed in on the top 3 common breakfast time errors that can sabotage your weight loss goals, and today we’ll share with you what they have to say.
Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Liana Werner-Gray, certified nutritionist, natural food chef, and founder and author of The Earth Diet, Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA medical center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding school of public health.
Nutritionists Agree: 3 Morning Mistakes That Make Weight Loss 'So Much More Difficult'
1. Eating Refined Carbs For Breakfast
There is a lot of buzz around the topic of carbs today, Werner-Gray explains. "Through diet culture we have been taught to believe that carbs are bad for us and should be avoided. However, not all carbs need to be avoided, she stresses. She notes that our bodies and brains "need carbs to function properly," and that it's important to understand the difference between two different types of carbs: complex carbs and simple carbs.
Simple carbs, also known as simple sugar or refined carbs, are found in "processed foods like cakes, cookies, breakfast cereal, and pastries," she notes. "They should be avoided as much as possible," she warns. Refined carbohydrates are made from wheat, which is fine in a "balanced, healthy diet for some people, however, most processed carbs are made from low-quality wheat that has been genetically modified and grown in poor soil, saturated with pesticides, and then mixed with refined sugars to make an unhealthy food," Werner-Gray continues. Eating these for breakfast can cause an afternoon slump and slow down your metabolism, she says.
Complex carbs, however, last longer in the body than simple carbs because they have "more substantial molecules," she adds. They are called complex because they are made up of chains of three or more sugar molecules. "Simple carbs, by contrast, contain only one or two sugar molecules. Beans, peas, whole grains (for instance, quinoa and rice), and vegetables are made up of complex carbohydrates."
While simple carbs should be avoided as much as possible, and especially for breakfast, Werner-Gray says this is especially important over the age of 40. "Since simple carbs are primarily sugar and the body burns through them quicker, over consumption of these can lead to weight gain and the slowing of metabolism," she says. The body processes simple carbs as "empty calories," she points out, meaning there is no nutrition coming from foods like processed breads and breakfast pastries.
2. Drinking Heavily Sweetened Coffee
Many processed coffee drinks have added sugars, sweeteners, and fats in them, Hunnes says: "Think creams, syrups, flavorings, and colorings (caramel coloring)" When you go to your favorite coffee shop, "many of the syrups they are adding contain a lot of sugar and that can add many extra calories, hundreds in fact," she warns. Hunnes notes that drinking this first thing in the morning with your breakfast can also set back your weight loss, whereas drinking coffee black or with a natural sweetener can actually aid your weight loss progress.
"A black coffee is zero calories, but with common syrups and creams that are used, and any whipped toppings, this can make a zero-calorie beverage now closer to 300 or 400 calories," Hunnes says, stressing: "That's practically a meal." Instead, Richards recommends trying a monk fruit sweetener rather than sugar.
"Refined sugar, which is commonly called table sugar, is a type of sugar that is harmful for many reasons," Richards says. "This type of sugar is sucrose and is highly inflammatory as well as a food source for bad gut bacteria."
Hunnes concurs, and recommends: "I strongly encourage people to consider getting a black coffee and then adding a couple tablespoons of their favorite non-dairy beverage and an extract (ie. vanilla extract, almond extract etc) and spices like cinnamon or clove." This, she says, will add "warmth, flavor, and far fewer calories."
3. Skipping Breakfast
While what you eat and drink at breakfast time certainly matters when it comes to shedding pounds, not eating anything is never a good idea, Best says. In order to maintain a consistent and healthy metabolism (and healthily lose weight faster), she says that breakfast is always a must.
"If you must have a quick and convenient breakfast, opt for something that will feed your good gut bacteria, like overnight oats," she says. "Breakfast pastries like processed and pre-packaged toaster pastries, donuts, and even some meal replacement bars can be stalling your weight loss efforts," she warns."
"Opting for a whole grain and protein filled breakfast can help reduce fat by keeping you feeling full for longer," she concludes. This, Best says, will prevent overeating throughout the morning and will also give you a nutrient dense breakfast rather than a calorie dense one.
"The fiber in oats helps to keep you feel full and satisfied while also preventing glucose spikes or crashes, which are known to cause overeating and weight gain," she says. (Good to know!)
