Quote:
Originally Posted by ap0258  hey guys,
i'm starting out again on my weight loss. i have a couple of questions:
Is Slim Fast a good alternative to eating breakfast? |
Speaking of peer reviewed literature, there's a mountain of evidence out there that suggests it's a good idea to eat breakfast if you're trying to lose "weight" - even if you have to force yourself to get into the habit.
ie: Timlin MT, et al. Breakfast eating and weight change in a 5-year prospective analysis of adolescents: project EAT (Eating Among Teens) Pediatrics 2008;121:e638-645
The relationship between breakfast eating and body mass index was assessed in 2216 adolescents. The eating habits of the study participants were assessed at the start of the study and then 5 years later. Basically, what the researchers found was the skipping breakfast was found to be associated with increased body mass index. Also, the more breakfasts were skipped, the greater BMI tended to be. These findings are in keeping with previous research linking skipped breakfast with an enhanced tendency to gain weight.
It should be noted, of course, this doesn't prove that skipping breakfast causes
weight gain. But this study did find that individuals who were attempting to lose weight were more likely to skip breakfast, which is consistent with the idea that some people may skip breakfast in an attempt to lose weight.
So then why would skipping breakfast cause an increase in
BMI?
Several reasons.
1. Skipping breakfast can lead to the general over-consumption of food later in the day.
2. Skipping breakfast can mean an over-ravenous appetite at lunch which can lead to a preference for carbohydrate-based meals that cause a spike in blood sugar levels that lead to
fat deposition in the
body.
3. Caloric restriction (ie: through skipping meals) can cause the metabolic rate to slow, making the conversion of food into
energy less efficient.
Something to consider.
