Conventional wisdom tells us that low fat breakfasts are the way to go for optimal weight loss and health. However, new research from the University of Alabama turns that wisdom on its head, with the assertion that a high fat breakfast may provide a better way to achieve your weight loss goals. It’s an about-face on our idea for a healthy breakfast for kids, but can still work as part of a healthy eating plan.
Why A High Fat Breakfast May Be Healthy
One of the most common mistakes people make when they decide to lose weight and get fit is skipping breakfast. It’s easy to rationalize passing on breakfast, too. Why? Because Americans tend to make breakfast the smallest meal of the day, and our meals get progressively larger as the day progresses.
But, of course, that’s backwards from how we should construct our meals.
After a good night of rest, our bodies need us to “break our fast,” and provide the calories to jump-start our day, with meals getting progressively smaller as the day proceeds. This notion is supported by a study done at the University of Alabama, which showed that mice fed a high fat breakfast showed normal metabolic profiles. By contrast, mice fed high fat meals at the end of the day showed weight gain and glucose intolerance, both of which are markers of metabolic syndrome.
Does this mean that we should all switch to eating only a high fat breakfast? Probably not. Certainly not without considering our other lifestyle eating habits as well. After all, there are also high fat diet risks, and if you already consume a lot of fats at lunch and dinner, increasing your calorie content at breakfast, without adjusting the rest of your daily eating habits will only lead to weight gain.
What it does confirm is that a high fat breakfast can be part of a regular, healthy eating plan. After all, as a kid growing up, I ate a traditional southern breakfast most days of the week until I was 17-years old, and I didn’t have problems with my weight until I was in my mid-20′s.
So what do you think? Can a high fat breakfast be part of a healthy eating plan? What’s your favorite breakfast? Sound off.
I really agree with eating food that regular people eat. We can eat stuff we like and still lose weight. I happened to have just written a piece about this this morning. Thanks.
.-= Frank Dobner´s last blog ..Lose Weight By Eating Fast Food =-.
@Frank – You’re exactly right here. I think the evidence suggests that having some fat at breakfast can jump start your metabolism and sate your appetite for the remainder of the day. Of course, if you choose to consume 2000-calories at every meal, you’re probably doomed to be overweight, too. All things in moderation…
Time to switch back to the bacon and eggs eh!
For me it isnt the highfat breakfast (which I do eat frequently) but the stepping BACK and viewing my break the fact in light of my entire day.
fitting it into the puzzle which is my daily meal plan.
Very interesting and makes sense if as you stated we stepped our meals down as the day progressed. I do not like most traditional breakfast foods and therefore breakfast is not too appealing to me. I usually eat a bowl of shredded wheat in the morning.
I think a high fat breakfast once or twice a week is a good option and breaks the routine of high carb (cereals etc). I always have a good old fry up on a wednesday morning – it gives me something to look forward to mid-week and kills my appetite until the weekend.