These 3 Breakfast Rules Will Help You Lose Weight

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because of so many reasons. But you need to make sure that you're doing it right. If you're trying to maintain or lose weight, here are some things to consider when enjoying your first meal of the day.

Eat it soon: Studies have found that eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, and not only that, it can help ensure that you don't feel so starved later that you make bad eating choices for lunch or dinner. To take advantage of your body's fat-burning potential, try to eat breakfast soon after waking up.

Go for filling: Stay away from foods that can lead to a mid-morning crash. Instead, opt for meals that are full of slow-digesting nutrients to help keep you satisfied throughout the morning; high-fiber, high-protein breakfast options are a good choice for feeling full and energized. And make sure your breakfast doesn't have too much sugar in it.

Related - Your Breakfast Cereal Choice May Influence Your Weight Loss Goals

Watch out for portions: A big breakfast can help fill you up, but you don't want to overdo it. Check out our handy chart of what servings sizes should look like, and keep calories in check with this list of the amount of calories in typical breakfasts.

Food	One Serving Equals . . .
Breads, pasta, cereal, cooked grain, etc.	One slice of bread (size of CD case) Half a bagel (size of a hockey puck) One-cup cereal (two hands cupped together) Half-cup cooked grain or pasta (one cupped palm)
Fruits	One piece of fruit (size of a tennis ball) Half-cup cut-up fruit, raw, cooked, frozen, or canned (size of seven cotton balls) One-quarter cup dried fruit Three quarters cup 100 percent fruit juice
Veggies	Half cup cut up veggie, raw, cooked, frozen, or canned (looks like the bulb part of a lightbulb) Half-cup cooked, canned or frozen legumes One-cup leafy greens Three quarters cup 100 percent vegetable juice
Meat, chicken, or fish	Three ounces (deck of cards or checkbook) One egg
Dairy	One ounce of cheese (two nine-volt batteries) Half-cup ice cream, cottage cheese, or pudding One-cup milk or yogurt
Nuts	One-third cup (small handful) One-tablespoon nut butter (size of both your thumbs)