Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for weight loss

Breakfast is both a much maligned meal and a most celebrated meal.

Those who malign wail, “I hate breakfast! I hate eating in the morning.”

Those who celebrate breakfast enthuse, “it’s the most important meal of the day! It boosts your metabolism, turns on your powers of thinking and concentration, helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and promotes good nutrition.”

A tasty doughnut and a cup of coffee is my favorite breakfast!

A tasty doughnut and a cup of coffee is my favorite breakfast!

I tend to be among the latter. I do love breakfast and there’s nothing I love more for breakfast than a tasty doughnut and a cup of coffee. I also like cake for breakfast or pie or cookies.

Oh, I know. My confession is startling to many. I’m a 20+ years veteran of weight loss and I’m still maintaining. I hold an elevated position in a respected commercial weight loss program. I raised four daughters and I have responsibility for two grandsons a couple times a week while their parents are working.

I don’t apologize. I won’t eat myself up with guilt for my breakfast habit. I won’t attempt to change to please what others think or expect me to do. I’ll tell you why.

My maintenance depends on my ability to balance calories in with calories out. My ability to do that depends on me being satisfied with my food. I need satisfaction in quantity, flavor, and variety. I need some heavy-duty sweets to stay satisfied and breakfast is the best time for me to eat them.

I have all day to burn the calories. I have the most control in the morning. I eat my doughnut and I’m done. I had my sweet and now I can make good choices with the calories I have left for the rest of the day. I’ll snack on fruit and vegetables. I’ll have some whole grains, some fat-free dairy and some lean protein.

My day may start looking horribly unbalanced and poor in terms of nutritional quality, but by the end of the day I’ll have succeeded in balancing my nutrition. My calories in and my calories out will be about equal so I will continue to maintain my goal weight.

Some will judge. Let them. I will eat my doughnuts or cake for breakfast regardless of how some may frown. On occasion I’ll enjoy oatmeal (with adequate amounts of brown sugar) and I’ve been known to enjoy a vegetable-filled omelet with rye toast. Breakfast is important and I’m not going to waste a meal trying to please anybody but myself!

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.