We already know eating breakfast is smart: It breaks the overnight "fast,” fuels the brain and muscles, and stabilizes blood sugar. It's something so many strength and conditioning coaches agree on that it's become a mantra in the weight training world.
Now a new study, headed by Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an endocrinologist at the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela, indicates a big, well-balanced breakfast may actually help with weight loss. And she's talking BIG.
In the study, 47 obese, sedentary women were told to eat a big breakfast of about 1,240 calories for eight months. The big breakfast accounted for about half the participants' daily calories and included milk, 3 ounces of lean meat, two slices of cheese, two whole grain servings, one fat serving and one ounce of milk chocolate or candy.
At the end of the eight months, the women on the big breakfast diet lost nearly 40 pounds. They also reported feeling less hungry and had fewer carbohydrate cravings. So what gives?
Jakubowicz told the HealthDay Reporter the body is primed to look for food in the A.M. when metabolism is revved up and levels of cortisol and adrenaline are at their highest. If you don't eat--or eat too little--the brain activates an emergency system that pulls energy from muscle, destroying muscle tissue in the process. What’s worst, when you eat later, the body and brain are still in high-alert mode, prompting the body to store the energy from food as fat.
Eating a high protein, carbohydrate mix gives the body the initial energy boost it needs in the morning. Jakubowicz suggests eating meals made up of protein and vegetables throughout the rest of the day. Because protein is digested slowly, you won't feel hungry.
And if you're wondering what role the chocolate plays in the big breakfast scheme, Jakubowicz explained that having a small piece of candy with breakfast doesn't taste as good when serotonin levels are high, so the brain won't feel the same serotonin boost. This will eventually help cut down on cravings.
Strength and conditioning coach Chad Waterbury suggests a carb/protein/fat balance of 60/30/10 for breakfast, or 40/30/30 for those who don't handle carbs well.
Now a new study, headed by Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an endocrinologist at the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela, indicates a big, well-balanced breakfast may actually help with weight loss. And she's talking BIG.
In the study, 47 obese, sedentary women were told to eat a big breakfast of about 1,240 calories for eight months. The big breakfast accounted for about half the participants' daily calories and included milk, 3 ounces of lean meat, two slices of cheese, two whole grain servings, one fat serving and one ounce of milk chocolate or candy.
At the end of the eight months, the women on the big breakfast diet lost nearly 40 pounds. They also reported feeling less hungry and had fewer carbohydrate cravings. So what gives?
Jakubowicz told the HealthDay Reporter the body is primed to look for food in the A.M. when metabolism is revved up and levels of cortisol and adrenaline are at their highest. If you don't eat--or eat too little--the brain activates an emergency system that pulls energy from muscle, destroying muscle tissue in the process. What’s worst, when you eat later, the body and brain are still in high-alert mode, prompting the body to store the energy from food as fat.
Eating a high protein, carbohydrate mix gives the body the initial energy boost it needs in the morning. Jakubowicz suggests eating meals made up of protein and vegetables throughout the rest of the day. Because protein is digested slowly, you won't feel hungry.And if you're wondering what role the chocolate plays in the big breakfast scheme, Jakubowicz explained that having a small piece of candy with breakfast doesn't taste as good when serotonin levels are high, so the brain won't feel the same serotonin boost. This will eventually help cut down on cravings.
Strength and conditioning coach Chad Waterbury suggests a carb/protein/fat balance of 60/30/10 for breakfast, or 40/30/30 for those who don't handle carbs well.
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