7:30 a.m.: Eat breakfast.
Oatmeal is one of the best foods you can enjoy for breakfast. It’s high in fiber and has a decent amount of protein to keep your hunger levels in check.
“Your body digests the fiber slowly, so you stay full for a couple of hours,” says Brooke Alpert, MS, RD, founder of B Nutritious, a private nutrition counseling practice in New York City.
Enjoy one-half cup of oats with fresh fruit, or prep overnight oats for a delicious, pudding-like texture. For protein, add a glass of fat-free milk, yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg. Topping your oats with some nuts, like almonds or walnuts, adds some healthy fats and a satisfying crunch, too. For fruit, Alpert recommends one-half cup of mixed berries for vitamins and antioxidants and more fiber. Whatever you do, don’t just sip coffee all morning and wait to eat until lunch, says Alpert. “You’ll be so hungry, you won’t make healthy choices.”
Calorie estimate: Aim to get 300 to 400 calories
9 a.m.: Drink another glass of water.
You know you’re supposed to drink multiple glasses of water a day. But it’s better to sip a little water all day long instead of chugging a giant glass when you suddenly feel parched. “If your tongue feels dry to the touch or your pee is bright yellow, you’re dehydrated,” says Alpert.