Most people feel they would feel a lot better if they lose a few pounds. For others, weight loss is a lifelong battle. One of the major reasons people struggle with weight loss is if they have a busy lifestyle. Constantly being on-the-go can really be a major inhibitor of any healthy habit if you're not extremely disciplined. Here are 8 tips for those who are on-the-go. But new research has found that eating on the go may cause weight gain in dieters. 

The study was published in the Journal of Health Psychology suggests that eating while "on the go" could lead to weight gain and obesity in people who are dieting. Conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey in the UK, they found that eating while walking could make you overeat later in the day. The trigger to more overeating stems from distraction such as watching TV or chatting with a friend over dinner. 

Walking is a powerful form of distraction that disrupts our ability to process the impact eating has on our hunger. Previous research has suggested that distraction has a significant impact on our food intake. 

Other studies have food environments and social interactions can provide forms of distraction that influences the amount of food eaten during a meal.

However, most of this research has focused on the impact of distraction on concurrent rather than future food intake, the study authors write. As a result, the authors opted to explore the impact on future food intake by using a fixed meal intake during a period of distraction for the study participants.

7 healthy breakfast ideas for busy mornings

1. Egg Cupcakes: These are super easy to make, divided in a muffin tin and perfect to reheating on-the-go. And it's a muffin without the carbs. Get the recipe here. 

2. Homemade Instant Oatmeal: If you have a microwave or hot water at your disposal, try these customized oatmeal packets. Purchase pre-made oatmeal packets, assemble in Ziploc baggies and use rolled oats, cinnamon and add-ins like raisins and nuts.  

3. Here's a fresh way to have peanut butter and jelly and eat it in the morning. Prepare 1 whole-grain toaster waffle and slice in half. Spread with 2 tablespoons of your choice nut butter like walnut butter or pecan butter. Layer 2-3 sliced strawberries on top in place of the traditional jelly. This cuts down on sugar and is still delicious. 

4. Ricotta and Tomato Breakfast Sandwich: Here’s a healthier take on the classic breakfast sandwich: Take 2 slices of a hearty whole-grain bread, spread each slice with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add 1-2 hearty slices of fresh beefsteak tomato (blotted with paper towel to remove excess liquid) and enjoy.

5. Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie: Here’s a simple and delicious smoothie recipe for the morning rush. Blend 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup frozen fruit (banana and berries work very well) with ½ cup liquid (milk, juice, coconut water—whatever you like). Freeze overnight and thaw throughout the day to enjoy in the afternoon, or blend up in the morning.

6. Breakfast Quinoa Bites: Here’s a new way to enjoy quinoa: make mini quinoa breakfast quiches! In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups cooked quinoa, 2 eggs, 1 cup your favorite veggies (spinach or zucchini work well), 1 cup shredded cheese, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Portion into a lightly-greased mini muffin tin, and bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. These are easy to bring along and delicious to enjoy warm or cold.

7. Pumpkin/Yogurt/Avocado Smoothie: A great smoother for healthier looking skin, and you'll be full throughout the morning. Canned pumpkin boasts 17mg of beta-carotene and 12mg of alpha-carotene per cup.  Both of these carotenoids are converted by the body into retinol, one of the precursors to vitamin A.  The retinol combines with fat molecules from the avocado and yogurt, forming vitamin A.  Vitamin A as mentioned is an essential skin nutrient which helps cell growth and replenishment.

8 Weight Loss Tips for On-The-Go

1. First, drink lots of water – aim for 7 to 8 glasses every day.  In addition to staying hydrated, research shows that drinking two glasses (8 ounces) of water before every meal, in combination with a reduction in portion size, can help you lose weight and keep it off for up to one year. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and guarantee you'll mindlessly grab the bottle throughout the day, helping you achieve your daily water intake. 

2. Aim to sleep at least 7 hours every night.  Research has demonstrated that the hormones leptin and ghrelin, both of which affect feelings of fullness and hunger, are affected by how much or little you sleep.  Furthermore, good quality sleep allows your body to repair any cellular or systemic damage accrued throughout the day.

3. Exercise at least 30 minutes, most days.  It goes without say that exercise helps stimulate your metabolism and helps create the caloric deficit necessary for weight loss.  The more lean body mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be.  To aid in the caloric deficit, decrease your portion sizes at every meal.  

4. Eat smaller portions: You don't need to cook all your own food and eat different foods to lose weight. You just need to eat less and eating less doesn't take any more time or money. For both men and women, most of the time eating between 1200-1500 calories per day will help them lose weight in a healthy sustainable way. Skipping dessert and eating small portions and not going back for seconds will have a healthy weight loss effect. 

5. Add more activity: On top of your 30 minutes 5 days a week, or if you're struggling to even get that in, some people may see more success if they break up their exercise into weekly moderate exercise for short bursts throughout the day. Fitting in 10 minutes in the morning, at lunch and at night for five days a week may be the right approach to reach your exercise goals but not feel like you need a massive chunk of time to get there. 

6. Don't skip meals: Yes it's important to eat less overall but not by skipping meals. People who are on-the-go tend to do this. Going more than four or five hours without refueling your body will slow down your metabolism causing your body to enter starvation mode and store fat. Erratic eating patterns like just coffee in the morning and no real food until later afternoon is not going to give your body the energy it needs to burn fat, hence weight loss. Try have 5-6 small meals throughout the day if you don't have time to sit down for a 3-course dinner. 

7. Practice food swaps: Leave the cheese of the hamburger, switch from mayo to mustard, leave behind the canola oil and embrace the olive oil. Small food choices can really impact your weight loss success. Little swaps throughout the day and limiting additives like sugar and fattening salad dressings can have massive effects than depriving yourself. Think about what you're drinking. Cutting back on soda, orange juice and dairy can really help gear your body into an energetic fat burning machine. 

8. Get enough sleep: More and more studies show that sleeping is directly linked to weight loss. If you're sleep deprived, no exercise or diet regimen will satisfy your body enough if it feels tired and overworked. Achieving 7-9 hours of sleep in the long run is the better approach even if getting up early to get stuff done seems right or staying up late. It can really backfire and prevent your body from functioning properly.