It seems there's truth to the proverb "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper." At least when it comes to losing weight.
According to researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., starting the day with a big breakfast packed with protein - and yes, carbohydrates - can lead to significant weight loss.
Most studies indicate that low-carbohydrate diets (think Atkins and South Beach) worsen carbohydrate cravings, slow metabolism and result in weight regain. It's estimated that only 5 per cent of low-carb dieters are successful after two years.
In this latest study, presented last month at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, researchers tested two low-calorie diets to see which one did a better job at helping people drop pounds and keep them off.
Ninety-four obese and physically inactive women followed either a 1,085-calorie, very low-carbohydrate diet or a 1,240-calorie, modified-carbohydrate "big breakfast" diet.
The very low-carbohydrate diet contained 17 grams of carbohydrates (roughly the amount found in one slice of bread) a day and gave dieters 290 calories for breakfast.
The "big breakfast" diet had more carbohydrates - 97 grams - and provided 610 calories for breakfast, about half the day's calorie allotment. The big breakfast included milk, lean meat, cheese, whole-grain bread, added fat, even a little chocolate or candy.
At four months, women on the low-carbohydrate diet lost, on average, 28 pounds and the big-breakfast dieters shed 23 pounds.
After eight months the situation had reversed. The low-carb dieters regained about 18 pounds, while the big-breakfast eaters continued to shed weight, losing a further 16.5 pounds. The end result: Women in the big-breakfast group lost 21 per cent of their body weight versus 4.5 per cent for the low-carbohydrate group.
The researchers theorize that eating a big breakfast works because it helps maintain higher levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which is thought to play a key role in regulating carbohydrate intake.
When you wake up in the morning, levels of serotonin are at their highest and cravings are the lowest. Skipping breakfast or avoiding carbohydrates will cause serotonin levels to drop, leading to cravings that can derail a diet.
Including a small piece of chocolate at breakfast when serotonin levels are already high won't give your brain the same serotonin boost. Without the feel-good association, your cravings later in the day will be reduced.
Adding protein and a little fat to breakfast slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness throughout the morning.
Another recent study of 6,764 middle-aged adults revealed that individuals who consumed the most calories at breakfast and fewer later in the day gained less weight over five years than those who followed the opposite pattern.
Studies consistently show that adults and kids who eat breakfast tend to have healthier weights than those who skip the morning meal. What's more, research suggests that people who skip breakfast have a greater risk of becoming obese and developing insulin resistance.
People who regularly eat breakfast are more inclined to follow a structured eating plan during the day and less likely to snack impulsively in the morning.
It's estimated that 40 per cent of Canadians skip breakfast at least once a week and 15 per cent never eat the morning meal. Some people are too rushed to prepare a meal, some find it's too hectic getting the kids out the door and others prefer to sleep a little later than eat breakfast.
The following tips will help you plan a balanced meal that can stave off hunger and curb cravings during the day:
Add protein
To put the brakes on your appetite throughout the day, include two protein-rich foods at breakfast such as yogurt, milk, soy beverage, egg whites, turkey, lean turkey sausage or salmon.
Choose the right carbs
Studies suggest that a diet based on quickly digested carbohydrates such as white bread, refined and sugary cereals and pastries are less effective at promoting weight loss because the large spikes in blood sugar and insulin they cause can trigger hunger and inhibit the breakdown of body fat.
Foods with a low glycemic index release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream and don't produce an outpouring of insulin. Low-GI breakfast foods include grainy breads, steel cut and large flake oats, bran cereal, oat bran, apples, citrus fruit, grapes, pears, nuts, milk, yogurt and soy beverages.
Include fibre
Breakfast should include at least 5 grams of fibre, preferably more. Like protein, fibre slows digestion and helps keep you feeling full longer after eating. To boost fibre at breakfast, choose 100 per cent whole-grain breads, buy breakfast cereals with at least five grams of fibre a serving, and eat fruit instead of drinking juice.
Satisfy your sweet tooth
If you're addicted to sweets in the afternoon or evening, add a small square of chocolate or hard candy to breakfast. Consuming a little something sweet in the morning can help you lose your sweet craving by preventing spikes in feel-good brain chemicals.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. http://www.lesliebeck.com.
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The 'big breakfast'
Participants in the modified-carbohydrate, big breakfast diet
consumed 1,240 calories a day.
The breakfast portion was 610 calories, made up of:
Low-fat milk, 1 cup (250 millilitres);
Lean turkey, 3 ounces (90 grams);
Mozzarella cheese, 2 ounces
(60 g);
Whole-wheat bread, 2 slices;
Fat, 2 teaspoons (10 ml);
Milk chocolate or candy, 1 ounce (30 g)
Source: The Big Breakfast Diet Study, Virginia Commonwealth
University