Many people believe that a big breakfast is an essential part of a weightloss diet. It is commonly believed that eating breakfast helps to speed up a persons metabolism, and results in requiring fewer calories at lunch and dinner, thereby lowering the overall calorie intake for the day.
Recent research at the University of Munich has shown that this belief is incorrect- a study involving 400 people demonstrated that those who ate a big breakfast did not eat less for lunch or dinner, and ended up consuming an additional 400 extra calories per day, whilst those who skipped breakfast altogether had overall fewer calories leading to better weight loss.
We encourage our patients to just eat when they feel hungry- Patients with a gastric band usually do not feel hungry in the morning, and often force themselves to eat breakfast in the belief that it is important for successful weightloss- remember the needs of an obese person are different; the key to successful weightloss is minimising calorie intake. You already have plenty of stored energy on board. So its ok to skip breakfast! Just eat when hungry, focus on small, protein rich meals, keep up your water intake, take a mulitvitamin each day, and try to do a little bit of regular exercise. Patients who follow this strategy almost universally to well.
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