Stay in shape with a hearty breakfast

Healthy living

Diet and weight loss

Stay in shape with a hearty breakfast

Eating a big breakfast packed with carbohydrates and protein is the key to successful weight loss – as long as you follow a low-carb diet for the rest of the day – say scientists reporting at the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting

For the study researchers from American and Venezuelan recruited 94 obese and physically inactive women. Over an eight month period the women were put on two different low calorie, low fat diets.

Nearly half the participants (46) were put on a strict low carb diet which allowed them to eat 1,085 calories a day with the smallest meal at breakfast.

The remaining women (48) were given the ‘big-breakfast diet’ which allowed them 1,240 calories a day. Participants ate a whopping 610 calories at their morning meal. Although lower in total fat than the other diet, the new diet had higher daily allowances of carbs and protein.

The first half of the study focused on weight loss and the final months on weight maintenance. The team found that after four months the women on the strict low carb diet had lost an average of 28 pounds and the women on the big-breakfast diet slightly less at 23 pounds. However after 8 months the low-carb dieters had regained almost 18 pounds while the big-breakfast group continued to shed weight losing an extra 16.5 pounds.

Another added bonus of the big-breakfast diet was that the women reported feeling less hungry, especially before lunch and suffered fewer carbohydrate cravings.

‘Most weight loss studies have determined that a very low carbohydrate diet is not a good method to reduce weight,’ said lead author Daniela Jakubowicz. ‘It exacerbates the craving for carbohydrates and slows metabolism. As a result, after a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity.’

Jakubowicz says that the big-breakfast diet works because it reduces hunger pangs and controls cravings for sweets and starchy foods like cakes and biscuits. It is also healthier than the low-carb diet because it allows people to eat more fruit so they can get enough fibre and vitamins.

The 'big breakfast'

With the help of registered dietician Ursula Arens, we put together what a dieter might eat on a big-breakfast diet:

This breakfast is given as an example only and may not suit your particular health needs. Always consult your GP or other health professional when making changes to your diet.

2 eggs poached/boiled
2 rashers grilled bacon
Small glass or orange juice or 1 small apple
1 large bowl crisped rice
100ml milk (for cereal and tea/coffee)

This would provide 623 calories/ 59g carbohydrate/36g protein/25g fat.

More food for thought

Useful website

The British Dietetic Association

Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.