You may be familiar with the following cycle: You have a small bowl of cereal for breakfast, skip lunch, and finish off the day with two plates of dinner and a large bowl of ice cream. However, reversing this order by front loading your calories at breakfast may help you lose weight. A larger breakfast with a relatively large proportion of calories provides more energy during the daytime and reduces your evening hunger -- and thus the chance you will overeat at night. Furthermore, eating fewer calories at night may improve sleep quality, which is important for weight loss.
Breakfast and Overall Calorie Intake
Eating a larger proportion of your calories in the morning may reduce your overall daily calorie intake. One 2004 study published in "Journal of Nutrition" showed that, among 867 individuals, those who ate a higher proportion of their calories before noon had a lower overall calorie intake than those who skimped on calories in the morning. Calories consumed earlier in the day may be more satiating than those eaten at night. In order to lose weight however, you must reduce your overall daily intake. One 2011 study published in "Nutrition Journal" showed that high-calorie breakfasts are associated with higher daily calorie intakes in both lean and obese individuals.
Breakfast Composition
The composition of your morning meal may also influence your food choices later that day. A 2007 study published in "British Journal of Nutrition" showed that people who ate a proportionally large amount of carbohydrate and fat in the morning ate fewer overall calories over the course of the day. Additionally, a 2003 study in "Journal of American College of Nutrition" found that those who ate high-carbohydrate breakfasts had lower body mass indexes than those who ate high-protein breakfasts. However, a small amount of lean protein along with a breakfast high in fiber-rich carbohydrates can help increase satiety, reducing your calorie intake later in the day and increasing weight loss.
Sleep Quality
Getting sufficient sleep is important for weight loss. Many studies, including one published in "American Journal of Epidemiology" in 2006, showed an association between insufficient sleep and weight gain. Additionally, a 2011 study published in "Obesity" also shows that going to sleep late was associated with a shorter total sleep time, eating a large amount of food after 8 p.m., and a higher body mass index. Digesting a large quantity of food may interfere with the body's circadian rhythm, making it difficult for you to fall asleep early. This may also set up a pattern of chronic sleep deprivation, which may increase your cravings for high-calorie and high-carb food throughout the day and night and make it more difficult for you to lose weight.
Considerations
Many of the studies above are observing natural patterns of food intake in a large population, so there may not be a cause-and-effect relationship between a large breakfast and weight loss. Additionally, you will only lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume throughout the day. Therefore, this front loading of calories should accompany lower-calorie lunches and dinners to achieve maximum weight loss.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition";The time of day of food intake influences overall intake in humans, J.M. de Castro, January 2004
- "Nutrition Journal"; Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake - an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories,V. Schusdziarra et al, January 2011
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; The time of day and the proportions of macronutrients eaten are related to total daily food intake, J.M. de Castro November 2007
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), S. Cho et al, August 2003
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Association between reduced sleep and weight gain in women, S.R. Patel et al, November 2006
- "Obesity (Silver Spring)"; Role of Sleep Timing in Caloric Intake and BMI, K.G. Baron et al, April 2011
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