“In overweight individuals, skipping breakfast daily for 4 weeks leads to a reduction in body weight”
It is an age-old standard; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s believed that skipping breakfast can cause you to put on weight, sometimes to an excessive degree. However, this was proven to be an inaccurate analysis, thanks to researchers at Columbia University.
They conducted a study in which a group of subjects was given oatmeal at 8:30 in the morning. An additional group was given corn flakes to eat while the 3rd group was given nothing. This went on for 4 weeks, and by the end of the study, the only group that lost any weight was the one that didn’t have breakfast.
Needless to say, the Dietary Guidelines have since been called into question and are currently being updated. This is crucial, as the Dietary Guidelines serve as a foundation for how school lunches are created and organized, as well as other subsidized programs.
The idea that passing on breakfast will lead to weight gain found its way into the Dietary Guidelines 5 years ago in 2010. At that time, there was some evidence that seemed to confirm the notion that those who choose not to eat breakfast were more likely to gain weight. However, the evidence was ultimately not sound, because of what scientists refer to as “confounders.” These are basically just the unaccounted factors which can lead one to make inaccurate assumptions.
Scientific experts make statistical adjustments to allow for the possible confounding factors that they are able to measure. These can be any number of things — from age to alcohol consumption, exercise, employment, and so on. Those who did not indulge in breakfast during the study, for example, tended to drink, while not exercising very often. The scientists took note of this and made their adjustments accordingly. But these were still imprecise.
While experts continue to debate the legitimacy of these claims and studies, there are still some solid benefits to not eating breakfast, since it is essentially intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting, (usually between 14 and 36 hours) with very few to no calories, can actually be a lot easier than you may think. There are multiple ways of fasting. If you don’t think you can do intermittent fast every day there’s Alternate day fasting. This is where you eat little one day, then eat normally the next. Another method is fasting for about 20 hours every day and eating just one large meal every night. Base your choices on how you feel. It’s important to remember that fasting is not for everyone.
Here are some of the benefits of intermittent fasting.
“1. Intermittent Fasting Changes The Function of Cells, Genes, and Hormones.
2. Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat.
3. Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Insulin Resistance, Lowering Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
4. Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in The Body.
5. Intermittent Fasting Induces Various Cellular Repair Processes.”
These are just some of the benefits outlined in an article on intermittent
fasting by Authority Nutrition.
If you’re considering fasting it is essential to keep your mind busy at night when you would usually be snacking. Try reading a book, magazine, watching tv, or staying engaged in some fun brain activity.
Use these fitness tips and research to help you along on your path to success. Fitness is a journey, not a destination.
Guest Writer,
Stephen
Leave a Reply