Does Eating Breakfast Help You Lose Weight?
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Loading... - Sara Koopman
- 01 Apr 2022
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It's been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you're looking to lose weight, can eating a healthy breakfast have a role in shedding pounds? Or is skipping breakfast a helpful strategy for weight loss?
The answer: Breakfast eating may not help with weight loss in the short term, but a breakfast habit may be a helpful habit for long term weight maintenance and metabolic health. In other words, there are many good reasons to fuel up in the morning if you feel hungry enough.
Research on breakfast and weight loss is inconsistent. A 2020 review published in the journal Obesity found that among seven randomized controlled trials with a total of 425 participants, skipping breakfast led to a weight loss of only one pound over two months compared to eating breakfast. However, the average duration of these studies was only about eight weeks. Future studies on the topic should include large, more diverse population groups and longer follow-up periods, according to Jessica Malloy, a registered dietitian and a coach for the New York City-based digital health platform Noom.
There are many older, larger and longer studies that show an observed relationship between eating breakfast and reduced risk of gaining weight, but that doesn't mean there's an exact cause and effect, says Malloy.
There is some research that finds time-restricted eating – during which a person consumes calories in a certain time window, such as in 8- to 12-hour time intervals – can promote loss of body fat. This includes those who eat in a later time window and don't have breakfast, says Sparta, New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, author of "2 Day Diabetes Diet.”
Time-restricted eating is one form of intermittent fasting, during which you avoid eating during specific time periods.
However, when comparing people who follow a time-restricted eating plan with those who eat in an earlier time window – such as when we might usually have breakfast – eating in the earlier time window helped to improve feelings of satiety after meals and allowed for better portion control, Palinski-Wade explains. Although it was a small study, a 2020 study in the journal Obesity showed this in a trial with 11 adults who were overweight. This study also showed a 2.5 times greater weight loss on the same number of calories in a group of women who frontloaded calories and carbs to breakfast when compared to eating a smaller, low-carb breakfast and backloading calories during dinner.
Why Breakfast Is Good for You
Whether you want to lose weight or just stay healthy, there are several good reasons to eat breakfast:
- It can help regulate your appetite the rest of the day, Palinski-Wade says. If you've already eaten breakfast, you're less likely to grab less healthy energy sources late in the morning, such as donuts or sugary drinks.
- You help prevent blood sugar swings. Blood sugar is another name for the glucose, which is the main sugar that we get from food and drinks. Maintaining a balanced blood sugar level is especially important if you have diabetes. Even without diabetes, it's healthier to consume foods that won't increase your blood sugar frequently.
- You can fill up on healthy nutrients your body needs such as protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals, says Ali Webster, director of research and nutrition communications for the International Food Information Council in Washington, D.C. Read More...
