[Michelle125]

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,368462,00.html

Eating a big breakfast, heavy in carbs, is the key to keeping slim, according to new research.

A new study found that women who eat half of their daily calories first thing in the morning lose more weight in the long term than those who start the day with a small breakfast.

And they are also less likely to pile the pounds back on.

Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, from the Hospital de Clinicas in Caracas, Venezuela, who led the study, said: "A very low carbohydrate diet exacerbates the craving for carbohydrates and slows metabolism. After a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity."

It is thought that eating a meal packed with protein and carbohydrates helps cut cravings for sweet or starchy foods, and boosts the metabolism.

Scientists compared the "big breakfast" diet with a strict low-carb weight-loss regime.

Jakubowicz and a team at Virginia Commonwealth University studied 94 obese, inactive women and found that low-carb dieters initially lost more weight.

The strict low-carb diet caused an average weight loss of 28 pounds; the big-breakfast version cut 23 pounds.

However, after eight months, the strict dieters had regained 18 pounds. The big-breakfast eaters continued to drop weight, losing another 16.5 pounds.

Those on the big breakfast diet lost more than 21 percent of their body weight, compared with just 4.5 percent for the low-carb group.

Women who ate a big breakfast reported feeling less hungry, especially before lunch and had fewer cravings for carbs than the other women did. The big breakfast dieters ate an average of 1,240 calories per day, 610 of which were consumed at breakfast. The low-carb dieters ate just 1,085 calories per day.

The findings will be presented this week at ENDO 08, the 90th annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Francisco.

OOOhhhh pancakes, please?? This reaffirms the notion of calorie (and carb) tapering. I must admit sometimes I take my breakfast calories too low (like 200) so I have more calories to eat later on. But I'm thinking I should try this approach instead. Funny, if my DBF takes me to IHOP on a Saturday morning, we don't eat for the rest of the day, then have a small dinner. It was presented for the Endocrine Society- carbs aside, could eating the majority of our calories early help us PCOS'as? That would make sense, since we store more calories as fat than a normal woman. Hmm, are they on to something? What you girls think?

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by Michelle125

Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, from the Hospital de Clinicas in Caracas, Venezuela, who led the study, said: "A very low carbohydrate diet exacerbates the craving for carbohydrates and slows metabolism. After a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity."
[/COLOR]

Hmmm, quite interesting for sure But...personally, I ain't buying it. "After a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity". I've been on low carb for over 4 years now and I'm happy to report, there has been no return to obesity...quick or otherwise

[WarMaiden]

Totally flawed study. Study details here: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-nwl061008.php

The big-breakfast group ate 1200 kcal/day, while the small-breakfast group only ate 1000 kcal/day. Guess what, crash diets don't work, and those who weren't eating enough calories gained all their weight back when they got a chance to eat more calories! Also, the small-breakfast group (who were purportedly on the low-carb diet) was limited on the quantity of protein they were allowed to eat at breakfast. Um...what? So they were forced to eat higher quantities of carbs at breakfast? How does that make any sense at all, as a valid test of low-carb? Basically the researchers designed the study to produce a desired outcome.

For more commentary, check out Livin' La Vida Low-Carb on the subject: http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.co...kfast-for.html

Poor science just really makes me angry, especially when it then gets shoved through all the news media channels like it should be our new gospel.

[Suzanne 3FC]

Kim, you've done phenomenally well with low carb and you have a lot to be proud of. You've worked hard at something that works for you. You are also an exception, though, because most people don't do as well with low carb as you have. There have been several studies with the same findings as above. Can low carb work for weight loss and maintenance? Of course, but most people find success with other diets. I don't think the study results should be shot down. The author should have reworded it his statement. He said After a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity. What he should have said was that if those who lost on low carb regain, they regain quicker than those who lost on other methods, as documented in various other published studies. He made it sound like everyone who loses on low carb regains. As with any other weight loss method, every person has the potential to regain but it's not inevitable

I'm interested in learning more about the size of breakfasts in regards to weight loss success. We already know that those who eat breakfast regularly are more successful in losing and keeping it off. This is the first time that I've heard that size really does matter

[WarMaiden]

Originally Posted by Suzanne 3FC

I don't think the study results should be shot down.

Study results should always be shot down if they are based on poor science. And this study is.

[EleanorRigby]

all this stuff just has my head spinning half the time, low carb? high carb? low fat? high protien? linking? blood type? grrrrr really frustrating.. all I know with a certainty is that if i take the fast food and just obvious crap out of my diet I'll be healthier but as far as losing weight i have no idea anymore...

[CatR]

It would have been a better study had both groups been getting the same amount of calories and protein. The low-carb group was shorted in both calories and protein---not so great for long term weight control.

[Jennifer 3FC]

Whoa! Let's not turn this in to a low carb high carb debate. This isn't a post in the low carb forum trying to tell anybody they are wrong. Low vs high has been a dilemma for many a PCOSer for years. This just helps us shed light on the subject. We've read a lot of studies one direction and another. It all comes down to a personal choice based on seeing all sides of the story.

Edited to add: I know low carbers feel that it isn't showing the low carb side of the story, but for PCOSers that is mostly the only side we get to see as a choice. So this is interesting to us.

[JerseyGyrl]

Suzanne,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I personally feel the key to successful weight loss is making whatever eating plan you choose a total lifestyle change & not a quick fix to just lose the weight & go back to your old ways.

[Michelle125]

Right, why would they not feed both groups the same amount of calories?? I'd like to know what they ate. I mean, we know it's not sugar-ladened doughnuts (that's just bad for you, weight loss or no weight loss). But it reaffirms carb and calorie tapering, which does work. But the title, to me, suggests pancakes, sugar, 8 slices of toast, etc., which some people will take away the wrong message.

I've heard this statement, too:

Eat breakfast like a king,
Lunch like a queen,
and Dinner like a pauper.

I know, I know, it's like a whirlwind of info out there. But it's making me rethink my breakfast. My breakfasts have been too small (150-200 cals), and my snacks and dinners too large (500-600 cals). Tapering the calories in the other direction, no matter what plan you follow, can't hurt?

I know for a fact if I eat minimal at night I drop weight SO fast. It's just disciplining myself to do so

Oh-I posted this in the PCOS forum since that's what I have, and I thought it'd be great for us PCOS'as to know as much info as possible about controlling cravings and getting the weight off. If the article helps at least one person, that's enough for me!

[Suzanne 3FC]

Michelle, I don't think it's as carb rich as the title implies. The 'big breakfast' group at 97 carbs for the whole day which is much lower than most non-low-carb diets call for. 57 carbs, 47 protein, and 22 fat grams were in the breakfast. I don't think this is a breakfast at IHOP but may be more eggs with whole grain toast and fruit. That still sounds pretty good

[Michelle125]

Oh yeah totally- I'm not saying it should be a breakfast at IHOP. I just used that as an example, that when I personally focus on breakfast as a large meal I feel similar effects (and I don't even eat the carbs at IHOP).

I think the title implies to the reader 'a large sugary crappy' breakfast!

[KLK]

Hm... for me, a big carb-heavy breakfast is the key to a binge at around .... oh... 11AM. A big low-carb breakfast of eggs and tofu, however, is the key to feeling satisfied well into the afternoon...

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by KLK

Hm... for me, a big carb-heavy breakfast is the key to a binge at around .... oh... 11AM. A big low-carb breakfast of eggs and tofu, however, is the key to feeling satisfied well into the afternoon...

KLK!!

My breakfast (8am) everyday is 2 hard-boiled eggs, 3 breakfast sausage links or 3 slices bacon, low carb/low sugar yogurt and decaf tea with heavy cream. I am completely satisfied until I eat lunch usually at 1:30.

By the way, for any of you that go to IHOP and order eggs or omelette's...they put pancake batter in them to make them more "fluffy". Its on their menu in very small print.

[Michelle125]

Interesting how this study was done and presented for Endocrynology, which basically studies us PCOS'as. That's one of the major reasons I posted it in here. Since we store 3/4 more calories than a normal woman does, it makes sense to eat most of our calories in the A.M. so we burn more. Forgetting the carb/protein thing, I think it definitely makes sense to eat more the morning. That's a great message!