I’m Dr. Sandip Mathur, a gastroenterologist in Abilene, Texas. We’re talking about weight loss. I told you last time that you have to accept major changes, and change means pain. It’s going to be difficult to give up things you love.

Okay, once you’ve embraced the idea of changing your diet, let’s talk about what you need to give up. The most important thing is carbohydrates. You need to stop or drastically reduce sweet and starchy foods. Let’s talk about the foods you need to avoid.

At breakfast, you need to avoid breads, pancakes, muffins, croissants, bagels, cakes, cookies, pop-tarts, French toast, tortillas, and most breakfast cereal. Yes, this is a lot and it gets worse. Most breakfast cereals are not that good for you, so hunt carefully for those that have no added sugar and are NOT frosted. Frosted means simply adding more sugar on top of everything else. The serving size is actually much smaller than we
think.

Avoid whole milk. Drink 2% milk or almond milk or soy  milk or oat milk instead.

Fruit juices are full of sugar. They are NOT healthy. You’re safe to eat the fruit but not the juice; the juice is just a sugary extract. Have water or tea or coffee instead.

You should avoid breakfast meats like bacon, sausage and sliced meats. True, they are not carbohydrates, but they are best avoided.

So what can you have for breakfast? I will tell you in my next blog.

Remember, these are general medical guidelines. You must consult your healthcare provider.