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We were skeptical—especially given studies that show high-protein breakfasts help you eat less the rest of the day compared to high-carb breakfasts—so we touched base with Alan Aragon, M. S.,
In the study, researchers divided people into two dieting groups. One
ate 60 grams (g) of carbs for breakfast and a daily total of 83 g of
carbs. The other that ate 10 g of carbs for breakfast—a total of 41 g of
carbs all day.
Take note: Both of those can be considered low-carb diets. After all,
the average American eats around 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day.
During the 16 weeks, dieters were
counseled by a dietician and instructed to keep a daily checklist for
everything they consumed. After 16 weeks, both groups had lost about 33
pounds.
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After that, dieters were self-supervised encouraged to maintain
weight loss by adhering to their previously assigned strategy—but free
to eat as motivated by hunger, no journal necessary—for another 16
weeks. The results? The carb-heavy breakfast group continued losing
weight—an additional 15 pounds from weeks 16 to 32. The low-carb
breakfasters backlashed and gained weight—packing on 24 pounds in the
same period.
Before you jump to the cake at sunrise, know this: Even though both
groups were instructed to eat 1,600 calories a day, they weren’t eating
the same amounts of carbs, fats, and protein. “It’s understandable that
the carb-deprived group underwent a compliance disaster in the second
half of the study. They went into a behavioral revolt from deprivation
and over-restriction,” he says. A single potato can zap
41 g of carbs a day. Even the Atkins induction phase (20 g or less of
carbs a day) only goes on for a 2 weeks—not 16.
[post_ads]Though the researchers didn’t record eating patterns after week 16,
the drastic weight difference at week 32 suggests that the first group
didn’t keep the diet up. “The other group stuck to the diet simply
because it wasn't so incredibly restrictive,” he says.
The truth of the matter? “As long as you nail your protein, carb, and
fat totals by end of day, the way you position meals should be about
personal preference. If you go against your natural proclivity, you’re
fighting nature. That’s where frustration and lack of results come in.”
So, if you like your omelets in the a.m., eat roasted potatoes for
dinner. If you’re an oatmeal guy, have grilled chicken at night. (Beware
of the 12 Worst Breakfast Foods in the Supermarket.)
“Timing introduces another variable to worry about. The simpler you
make a diet, the better you’ll be able to stick to it,” he says. In
other words, a little slice of cake as part of your breakfast is OK as
long as the rest of your day is balanced. (But no, it won't help you
lose weight.)