Good Post-Workout Breakfasts to Lose Weight

Getting your workouts out of the way early is a great way to make sure they don't fall through the cracks and energize yourself for the rest of the day. But waking up to an invigorating workout can leave you hungry after your exercise. When you're trying to lose weight as well as refuel after your morning workout, you'll want to choose your menu carefully and track your nutrition on a calorie counter. Your post-workout breakfast has to satisfy your keen appetite while staying within your diet plan's budget of calories or macronutrients. Breakfast possibilities that fill you up without filling you out will help keep you on track and build on your smart start to the day.

A staple food for low-carb and low-calorie diets alike, eggs provide a whopping 6 grams of protein per serving at a cost of just 70 calories — a great balance if you're looking for a high-protein breakfast choice to keep you on track for weight loss. You can lower that calorie count and enjoy a larger breakfast if you incorporate egg whites as well as whole eggs into your breakfast. With 4 grams of protein and 15 calories per egg white, you can enjoy a hearty serving for breakfast after a workout for weight loss. Scramble eggs with spinach, diced tomatoes or bell peppers to add vitamins and variety to your breakfast.

If you're watching your calories but still want a meal that will keep you full until lunchtime, choose a serving of whole-grain cereal. Fiber increases your satiety, according to a systematic review of studies on dietary fiber and weight regulation; the review was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. That extra fiber also helps keep your digestive system healthy. Look for additional protein or fiber from grains like oatmeal and amaranth, to give your body the raw material it needs to build muscle as it recovers from your workout. Nutritional fortification in commercial cereals makes any diet more well-rounded, but if you're a strict vegetarian or vegan, you almost always need the extra vitamins in fortified cereal.

After a strenuous workout, you may not have the appetite for a heavy meal. If that's the case, reach for a light snack like fresh fruit, which supplies you with fiber and healthy carbs for energy. To balance those carbs, pair your fruit with protein-rich nuts and nonfat yogurt, especially Greek-style yogurt that has additional protein. The healthy fats in the nuts, carbohydrates from the fruit and protein from the yogurt means you enjoy a breakfast complete with all the macronutrients you need.

Oatmeal contains fiber, provides protein and supplies you with a host of essential minerals including iron. It makes a satisfyingly hearty meal by itself, but when you add a tablespoon of almond butter to the bowl, you improve its nutritional profile even more. Nut butters, including almond butter, give you an additional 6 to 8 grams of protein and a supply of healthy fats. Almond butter does contain plenty of calories — about 100 calories per tablespoon, depending on the brand — so measure quantities carefully.