Weight Loss Secret Weapon

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Video Transcript

Narrator
Like many of us, Deb Nilsen is planning to start her year off right, with yet another weight loss resolution.

Deb Nilsen
After 2 or 3 months of being real hyped about wanting to do it and then like oh, I'm bored wanting to do something else. I get back to my old routine.

Narrator
How can this year's best intentions turn into permanent weight loss?

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD
The changes that work are small changes that you can sustain. Finding ten minutes to work out or get some exercise, switching that high-fat cream in your coffee to a low-fat milk.

Narrator
The most important change? Eat breakfast!

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
The studies are showing that the people that lose weight and maintain the weight are your consistent breakfast eaters.

Narrator
That's because the studies show breakfast eaters consume fewer calories by the end of the day than those who skip their morning meal. But what if you can't stand to eat first thing in the morning?

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Some people wake up not hungry because they ate too much the night before. You want to get into a pattern where you're eating light at night and waking up ready to eat breakfast in the morning.

Narrator
So what types of breakfast foods are best for weight loss?

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
You want a breakfast that's going to hold you through the first part of your day. I have a rule of thumb I like to tell people about and that's the 5 and 5 rule. You want 5 grams of protein at least and 5 grams of fiber at least. You're going to get 5 grams of protein for example in a half cup of low-fat milk. You're going to get about 3 grams of fiber in about a cup of fruit and about 3 grams of fiber in a slice of hundred percent whole-wheat bread.

Narrator
Try to stay away from sugary breakfast cereals and processed pancakes and waffles. One study showed that they can actually increase lunchtime hunger. For WebMD, I'm Sandee LaMotte.