So, you’re looking to drop a few pounds and you’re wondering how the amount of food you eat throughout the day might affect your weight loss. Many people think that skipping breakfast is an easy way to lose weight faster. However, there’s new research that says otherwise. As it turns out, the best portion sizes for weight loss may just be consuming the largest amount of food in the morning gradually declining your intake throughout the rest of the day.

Why a big breakfast is helpful

Once you start to think about it, eating a larger meal in the morning makes sense.  When you eat more food earlier in the day, your digestion and metabolism kick in, stoking some fat burning fires that keep going as you’re active throughout the day. Eating well early also helps to stabilize your blood sugar which helps manage hunger and energy.

Conversely, if you have a smaller meal — or nothing — for breakfast, the opposite happens. Your body isn’t cued to digest and stays more stagnant, affecting your metabolism and energy levels. In addition, not eating well early in the day may cause hunger to build up. When you do finally get to have a meal, you could become ravenous and overeat.

How to be sure you’re eating the right amount of food at each meal

If you’re looking to make sure you get the right amount of food at each meal, many nutritionists have an adage that can help. They advise their clients to eat like a king or queen at breakfast, eat like a prince or princess at lunch, and eat like a pauper for dinner. This is just a fun way to remember that if you have larger amounts of food in the morning there are nutrition and energy benefits throughout the entire rest of the day. Give it a try!