4 Breakfast Mistakes That Are Making You Gain Weight

You already know that eating breakfast can help you slim down. But just because you are (hopefully!) making a concerted effort to rise and dine doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want when you wake up—sorry, but calories still count before noon. So we asked Lisa Young, Ph.D., a dietician in New York City and author of The Portion Teller Plan, for the top breakfast mistakes women make. Avoid these so your morning meal doesn't mess with the number on the scale.

You Guzzle OJ

Juice is much higher in sugar and calories per serving than actual oranges themselves. Go for the real fruit instead, which is more filling and contains more fiber—so it keeps you fuller longer.

You Have a Big Bowl of Nutritious Cereal
Yes, you get points for skipping out on the Frosted Flakes. But even so, be sure to watch your portion sizes. Most people actually pour out way too much and end up having two to three servings of the stuff, taking in more calories than they need.

You're a Bagel Junkie
Everything bagels with cream cheese are fine every once in a while, but think of them as a treat: Most bagels are equivalent to about five pieces of bread, calorie-wise (and that doesn’t even count all the toppings). On most days, you'll want to stick to whole-wheat toast spread with natural peanut butter to get the bagel effect.

You Go for Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt
Yes, yogurt is a good choice. But the sugary ones are loaded with extra calories you don't need. Have plain low-fat yogurt instead, and top it with your own fruit to add sweetness. 

From: Women`s Health Magazine 

Eat Like an Athlete

Gold medal swimmer and chef-in-training Garrett Weber-Gale shares his rules for feasting like a champ.

Gold-medal-winning swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale met Daniel Boulud on the Today Show before the Beijing Games in 2008. Since then, he has apprenticed at Daniel, Noma and Troisgros; hosted dinners with Tom Colicchio, David Bouley and Daniel Humm; and turned his high blood pressure diagnosis into inspiration to start the site athleticfoodie.com, a resource for people who love food, but also want to stay fit. He took a break from the pool to share his top ten food rules.

1Avoid processed sugar

“For three and a half months leading up to the 2008 trials, I eliminated sugar from my diet. Why? Because desserts aren’t helping me win gold medals. When the trials came and I became the first American to go under 48 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle, I celebrated with a big dessert — but the funny thing is that it was too rich: after so long without them, I had stopped craving sweets.”

2Use whole-wheat flour

“The best bread I’ve ever eaten was at Noma. It had five to six different grains in it, and really captured the heartiness and environment of Scandinavia. Whole-wheat flour tastes better than white does, and it’s less-processed and so much more filling.”

3Stock up on sweet potatoes

"I find that these give me the most lasting energy, and keep me full for a long time. If I have a race at 7 pm, I’ll eat a sweet potato around 5 pm. I like to bake them in the oven, but even if I have to use a microwave at a meet, I think they’re so delicious.”

4Put down the cheese

"It should be used in moderation. When making a lasagna, for instance, don’t put cheese between each layer; instead, wait until it’s done cooking, pull out the tray, sprinkle a strongly flavored cheese — like parmigiano reggiano or pecorino — over the top, and then broil it for a few minutes. You get a crispy, cheesy effect with way less fat.”

5Blanch or bake, don’t sautee

“You should taste the sweetness of fresh peas or beets rather than oil or butter. I buy tiny farmers’ market beets, soak them in water to remove sediment, rinse, and cut them in half all the way up the stem to the leaf. I put them on a cookie sheet, season with black pepper, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. They come out super sweet, with crispy, chip-like stems and leaves.”

6Find a salt substitute

“I use Ocean's Flavor, the only salt substitute that doesn’t have a horrible aftertaste, but I also make my own spice blends. My Cajun one has paprika, cayenne, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, dried rosemary and red-pepper flakes. “

7Eat fruit, then protein post-workout

“Immediately after a workout, I replenish glycogen with something high in sugar: dried mango, pineapple, honeydew melon, a banana, an apple or a pear. A half-hour or so later, I have protein to help my body recover. I like making a bean dip: I simmer kidney and black beans with onions, garlic powder and veggie stock until it’s cooked down, then mash the beans and add some tahini, cayenne or black pepper. “

8Add acid

“When cooking, always reach for something acidic — vinegar, lime or lemon juice — before you think of salt. Vinegars and citruses have stronger flavor without the cholesterol. When I’m making steak, for instance, I’ll cook in a pan, then deglaze the pan and use it to make a sauce with beef stock, fig-balsamic vinegar, a little red wine and some water.”

9Go beyond olive oil

“Olive oil loses nutritional benefits when heated, but coconut and avocado oils don’t — they’re good for baking vegetables. When I cook fish in a pan, I use grapeseed oil because it has a really high smoke point, so it gets really hot and gives you a nice crust.”

10Cheat

“Give yourself a certain amount of ‘cheat meals’ per week, when you let yourself eat pizza, have dessert, or go out to dinner. I have two cheats a week, but if you eat a lot of junk now, you could start out with six to seven and take away one per month. Guaranteed you’ll eat healthier than you did before!”