A new study, which appears in the March issue of Pediatrics, suggests that if you want to lose weight, you gotta eat more. Specifically, more breakfast. The New York Times has the details.
The authors found a direct relationship between eating breakfast and body mass index; the more often an adolescent had breakfast, the lower the B.M.I. And whether they looked at the data at a given point or analyzed changes over time, that relationship persisted.
What’s more, the study was controlled for “age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, smoking and concerns about diet and weight,” so the researchers weren’t just playing around. Although you’re taking in more calories (and cholesterol) by eating breakfast regularly, you’re also curtailing snacking later in the day and promoting better nutritional habits.
Not exactly sexy, but definitely wholesome and life-affirming.
I think this Fact is so overlooked… not enough people spend time to eat a good breakfast… sugary bowl of cereal, maybe a donut and coffee… definately not a good way to start the day. I make sure my kids eat a HOT breakfast including whole grains, proteins and fruit everymorning. This is the best start you can give your children (and yourself) every day.
And to eat breakfast at home. That way you’re more in control of ingredients as opposed to a quick drive-thru. Even a yogurt and banana has a big effect. Then a big breakfast or lunch around 10am. Regular lunch at noon. At 44 I’m still my ideal size from high school.
Surprisingly the most effective diet for me (lost 40 lbs. last year, now going for a bit more trimming) has been to eat only one normal meal a day. If you can hold off on lunch, drill into yourself that it is NEVER ok to snack and restrict yourself to eating a normal portion of dinner (no seconds, for example) it’s not hard to lose weight eating, basically, whatever you want.
Pizza, burgers, cheap college-town open til 3 AM all-you-can-eat Chinese food? No problem. It’s just a matter of keeping that one meal under 1000-1500 calories causing you to lose, respectively, one to two pounds a week (roughly and assuming a 2000 calorie ideal diet). Unless you’re really gorging though it’s gonna be hard to cram that many calories in in one meal if you also kick out desserts (well, maybe every other week or so).
That’s the miracle diet people: eat fewer calories.