Weight loss tips & tricks: how eggs help shed pounds

Here is one breakfast staple you might be overlooking while trying to lose weight: eggs. POPSugar reports that according to a 2008 study involving obese participants, those who consumed two eggs instead of bagels for breakfast showed a higher reduction in weight circumference, even if both egg and bagel diets contained the same number of calories.

Xpose also reports that eating eggs for breakfast helps keep your hunger pangs at bay. The study conducted at Rochester Centre for Obesity also showed that those who ate eggs for breakfast stayed fuller for a longer period of time and ate less for lunch, consuming around 417 less calories over the next 36 hours compared to their counterparts who did not eat eggs.

Egg is a great snack too, as it contains only 78 calories (hard boiled). Additionally, the Huffington Post reports that egg yolks are "one of the richest dietary sources of the B-complex vitamin choline, which is associated with better neurological function and reduced inflammation." Women's Health also reports that according to study, women with high intake of choline are 24 percent less likely to get cancer.

The health benefits don't end there, as according to the Huffington Post, eggs are high in sulfur, an essential nutrient that assists in the body's absorption of vitamin B and liver function. Sulfur is also vital in the production of collagen and keratin, which help build strong and shiny hair, healthy nails, and glowing skin.

Nutritionist Jo Lewin also wrote on BBC Good Food that eggs are great sources for high quality protein. She wrote: "More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white along with vitamin B2 and lower amounts of fat and cholesterol than the yolk. The whites are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper."

Egg yolks also contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, which according to Women's Health are antioxidants that help prevent macular degeneration.

You don't even have to limit yourself to hard boild eggs. Create garden omelettes with your favorite vegetables (black olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, and other leafy veggies), stir them into soups, or top off your healthy pasta meal with an egg.

Certified strength and conditioning specialist Jared Meachem of Precision Body Designs in Louisiana told LiveStrong: "From a fitness standpoint, they're one of the perfect foods: It's an encapsulated source of very high-quality protein and very high-quality fat."