The best breakfast
for weight loss may actually be the heartiest, according to a recent study in
Obesity. In the study, overweight women who consumed a higher calorie breakfast
dropped more pounds than those who had a heavier meal at dinnertime.
Researchers from Tel
Aviv University divided 93 women with metabolic syndrome into two groups; each
ate 1,400 calories a day for 12 weeks. The breakfast group consumed a
700-calorie breakfast, a 500-calorie lunch, and a 200-calorie dinner; the
dinner group did the opposite, eating the largest meal at suppertime.
Of course, the extra
calories didn't come from donuts and pastries. The meals were protein-heavy,
starring foods like tuna, whole wheat bread, skim milk, scrambled egg whites,
and turkey.
The breakfast-heavy
group lost 11 percent of their weight, while big-dinner eaters lost only 4
percent. What's more, their triglyceride levels went down 34 percent, while the
dinner group’s triglycerides went up 15 percent. Fasting glucose, insulin and
insulin resistance index dipped in both groups, but it dropped more among those
eating larger breakfasts.
“The time of day we
eat can have a big impact on the way our bodies process food,” says Daniela
Jakubowicz, MD, a professor at the university. “For effective weight loss, more
important than counting calories is the appropriate meal timing.”
Alyse Levine, a
registered dietitian in Los Angeles, recommends eating according to your body’s
hunger and fullness cues. If you want to try loading up earlier in the day, Levine
suggests a parfait with plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, an ounce of
dried cherries, and a tablespoon of honey. Another great option: scrambled
eggs, an ounce of cheese, a quarter of an avocado, a slice of whole grain
toast, a tablespoon of fruit preserves, and a cup of berries.
And to match the
protein dosages in the study, try a breakfast burrito with black beans, egg,
salsa, and avocado—or a Greek yogurt smoothie with a peanut butter and banana
sandwich.
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