We’ve long been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you want to start your day off right as you are trying to lose weight, then you better set yourself up for success with a healthy meal ready-to-go first thing in the morning.

But also, at the same time, make sure that you are starting your day off with a great workout. Exercising when you first wake up is a great way to ensure that you are not going to miss your workout as a result of work stress or fatigue, and that you are setting a positive intention for your day be re-committing yourself to your health and wellness goals.

So how do you make these two things work together? For a lot of people, the answer is grabbing something small and simple on your way out the door, and focusing on healthier, more whole-foods oriented eating later in the day. Well, as it turns out, this isn’t actually the healthiest way to approach your morning routine.

Researchers are now saying that if you are going to start your day off with a workout, then it is actually better for you to skip breakfast, despite what you have been told for years. A new study found that choosing to omit breakfast prior to a morning workout actually led to greater weight loss results. The reason why? Exercise makes you hungry! When you head to the gym first thing in the morning, chances are you are going to need a mid-morning snack. Well, turning that mid-morning snack into your breakfast will help to cut down on your daily caloric intake and in turn support your weight loss goals more effectively than if you were eating a healthy breakfast on your way to the gym.

What’s more—researchers found that those who did skip breakfast prior to working out actually made the choice to eat less throughout the entire day.

The most important thing that you need to consider when you wake up in the morning is what choices are going to help you remain healthiest throughout the day. If you wake up super hungry because you have omitted a lot of your evening eating, then a quick and healthy breakfast before hitting the gym may be necessary. However, if you are only eating that breakfast because you have been told over and over again how important it is, then you may want to consider skipping it, and eating after your workout instead. Doing so may help you to see your weight loss goals a bit quicker.