Nutritionists have long advised that the key to a successful diet is starting the day off with a big breakfast. The theory holds that eating more at the beginning of the day allows for less food consumption later in the day. However, a new study conducted by German scientists suggests that a big breakfast simply boosts your daily calorie intake because you will likely eat the same amount of lunch and dinner no matter the amount of calories you consume at breakfast. The details of the study were recently published in the Nutrition Journal.
Although a good breakfast functions to jump-start the metabolism and promote calorie burn off, if you are looking to lose weight you will need to cut back on the amount of calories you consume in the morning. This is the conclusion of the team of German researchers led by Dr. Volker Schusdziarra of the Else-Kroner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine in Munich. The finding was true for both obese people and those being of normal weight.
The study involved 100 normal weight and 280 obese volunteers who wanted to lose weight. All 380 people were asked to keep detailed food diaries that would include all calories consumed over a 10-day period for the obese patients, and 14 days for the normal weight study volunteers.
A broad variation of calorie intake at breakfast was noted for the participants in both groups. An individual might consume a big breakfast on one day and skip breakfast entirely the next. Breakfast calories consumed ranged from 121 to 606 calories for obese patients, while they varied from 134 to 559 calories for participants of normal weight.
Although a big breakfast was shown to reduce the likelihood of late morning snacking for both groups, it had no impact on extra calories consumed by the end of the day. Participants in the study consumed an average of around 500 to 550 calories at lunch and dinner and the calories consumed at breakfast calories simply increased the daily total. Those people who ate a breakfast having about 400 more calories than a typical small breakfast had the tendency to eat around 400 more calories during the rest of the day.
Previous studies on the relationship between breakfast calories consumed and calories eaten throughout the remainder of the day have had mixed results. Some have shown that those who eat breakfast in general weigh less than those who don't, and others have suggested that eating a big breakfast leads to less calorie intake for the balance of the day. Still other studies have found that the higher the calorie intake at breakfast in relation to all meals combined, the lower the overall daily energy intake.
A healthy diet includes eating a nutritious breakfast, not a big one. Skipping breakfast for weight loss is not a healthy choice. Cutting back on the amount of calories consumed during the first meal of the day is the key. Among breakfast items consumed by study participants that boosted their calorie counts were fatty and sugary foods such as bread, eggs, sausages, butter and marmalade. Better choices would include foods with protein and fiber to help you feel full longer. Eat smaller meals totaling 400 to 500 calories and supplement your calorie intake with light snacks to keep hunger at bay.
Source: Healthnews By Drucilla Dyess
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