Latest Advice for Weight Loss? Skip Breakfast
Study after study fails to support the orthodox view on breakfast being essential for weight management.
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
This just in: skipping breakfast leads to weight loss. At least, it did in a small study done at Columbia University. The researchers divided 36 subjects, all of whom were overweight, into three groups. One group ate oatmeal for breakfast, a second group ate Frosted Flakes, and a third (gasp!) skipped breakfast every day for four weeks. The group who ate the oatmeal reported having less hunger throughout the day than the other two groups. But only one group lost weight.
You guessed it: the breakfast skippers lost an average of 2 1/2 pounds.
If you’ve been following the podcast for a while, you know that I’ve been questioning the orthodoxy on breakfast being essential for years. If you have Type 2 diabetes (or pre-diabetes), skipping meals can mess with your blood sugar. You’re probably better off eating breakfast. But for those without blood sugar issues, skipping (or delaying) breakfast can be a perfectly healthy option … as long as your daily intake is otherwise nutritious, balanced, and right-sized.
For more on my rules for skipping breakfast, see:
Is Skipping Breakfast Bad For You?
Does Eating Breakfast Help with Weight Loss?
Not Hungry in the Morning? Permission to Skip Breakfast
And if you’re a breakfast lover, here are some tips on how to make the most of it:
9 Ways to Optimize Your Breakfast
What’s Wrong with this Breakfast?
References:
Geliebter A, Astbury NM, et al. Skipping breakfast leads to weight loss but also elevated cholesterol compared with consuming daily breakfasts of oat porridge or frosted cornflakes in overweight individuals: a randomised controlled trial. J Nutr Sci. 2014 Nov 13;3:e56.
Jakubowicz D, Wainstein J, et al. Fasting Until Noon Triggers Increased Postprandial Hyperglycemia and Impaired Insulin Response After Lunch and Dinner in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Diabetes Care. 2015 Jul 28.
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.