A Big Breakfast May Mean a Big Weight Gain

A recent study published in the Nutrition Journal suggests that the idea of starting the day with big breakfast may lead to a big weight gain.

The public has been told for so many years that the right way to start the day is with a big breakfast. For those individuals still sticking to their new year's weight loss resolutions, piling on the calories in the early morning is apparently not the best advice.
The study was conducted by German researchers led by Dr. Volker Schusdziarra of the Else-Kroner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine in Munich. The research team followed the food intake of 280 obese and 100 normal weight subjects. The participants were asked to keep detailed food diaries and the results were analyzed and recorded over a period of 10 days (obese participants) to 14 days (normal weight participants).
The research concluded that eating a larger breakfast in the morning led to an increased calorie intake throughout the day. It suggested that starting the day off with a high-calorie meal would set the precedent for the entire day and lead to overall hearty eating patterns. The subjects on average ate 400 more calories in a day when they had a big breakfast.

Healthy Eating Recommendations

Instead of consuming a bigger breakfast, healthy is what counts. Skipping breakfast entirely is also not a good option either. Notice the guidelines on Mayo Clinics website that state:
“When you eat a healthy breakfast, you are more likely to:
• Eat more vitamins and minerals
• Eat less fat and cholesterol
• Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
• Control your weight
• Have lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease”
Bigger, in this case, is not apparently better.

Diet Study Shows Little Effect on Disease in Women

Diet Research

The nearly decade-long dietary modification trial of the national Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which tested the effect of a diet low in total fat and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, showed that that diet had no statistically significant effect on rates of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Results of the three arms of the trial were published today (Feb. 8, 2006) in three papers in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The University at Buffalo is one of the 40 WHI clinical trial sites. This dietary modification arm of the WHI included 1,138 Western New Yorkers among the 48,835 postmenopausal women who participated across the U.S.
Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D., UB associate professor of social and preventive medicine, is a co-author on the papers reporting the breast and colon cancer results. Maurizio Trevisan, M.D., professor and dean of the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions, is a co-author on the heart disease paper.
"The women achieved a remarkable change in dietary fat, but not as much as planned," said Wactawski-Wende. "There is no question that a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and grains is very healthy. This trial tested the diet's effects on specific conditions. The fact that it showed little effect on those specific conditions does not mean that anyone should abandon a proven healthy diet."
Results showed the dietary change group went from 38 percent to 24 percent of calories from total fat in the first year, to 29 percent in the sixth year. The comparison group, in which women followed their regular diets, averaged 35 percent of calories from fat at year one and 37 percent at year six.
Women in both groups started at 35-38 percent of calories from fat. The low-fat diet group also increased their consumption of vegetables, fruits, and grains.
"If we had achieved what we planned, 20 percent of calories from fat, the changes may have reached statistical significance," she said.
"This study has shown us once again that it is very hard to change behavior. However, those who made those greatest reductions in total dietary fat had the greatest benefits."
"On the issue of breast cancer, results indicated that women who started with the highest fat intake and had greater changes in fat intake showed stronger evidence that they could be reducing their risk," Wactawski-Wende said.
Overall results showed that the intervention group achieved a nine-percent reduction in risk of breast cancer, compared to the comparison group.
"This means that, out of 10,000 women, 42 women in the dietary change group and 45 in the comparison group developed breast cancer each year," said Wactawski-Wende. "This difference was not large enough to be statistically significant -- meaning it could have been due to chance. Longer follow-up may be needed to show the effects of diet on cancer risk over time."
There was no overall benefit on heart disease. Noting that the study focused on total fat intake rather than the type of fat, Trevisan said that for heart disease, specific types of fat, such as saturated fat and trans-fats may be more important than total fat."
"In women who achieved the greatest reduction in saturated fat in this study, we saw the greatest benefit on heart disease and certain blood markers," he said.
The study also found that women following this low-fat and somewhat higher carbohydrate diet did not increase their body weight, triglycerides or indicators of increased risk of diabetes, such as blood glucose or insulin levels.
No effect on colorectal cancer was seen but there was a reduction in the number of colon polyps reported.
Women who took part in the dietary modification trial were assigned randomly to the comparison group and the intervention group. The comparison group maintained their usual diet, while the intervention group was asked to decrease fat intake to 20 percent of total calories, increase fruits and vegetables combined to five or more servings per day, and increase grains to six or more servings per day.
Both groups were tracked for an average of 8.1 years.
The WHI diet proved to be safe, the results showed, and is consistent with current U.S. Dietary guidelines. An ongoing five-year follow-up study may help researchers understand the longer term effects of this low fat dietary intervention, the authors noted.

Who Loses Weight After Gastric Bypass Surgery

It is known that gastric bypass surgery does not give equally successful weight loss results to all patients. A new research suggests that diabetics and those with a larger stomach pouches lose less weight than the others do.
Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure when stomach size is being changed to limit the possible amount of food intake. This is being done by creating a stomach pouch which is smaller than the stomach and it helps lose weight quickly, effectively, and safely. However, from 5% to 15% of patients do not significantly benefit from the surgery, and this study reveals who exactly doesn’t benefit from this weight loss surgery.
The study comes from a team of researchers from University of California, San Francisco and examines 361 patients who underwent a weight loss surgery during the period between 2003 and 2006. Participants were followed for a year and 310 patients finished the study. It was defined that 40% excess weight loss is not a good result, but over 40% is a good one.
At the beginning of the study the average body mass index (BMI) was 52, after the study it was 34. Most patients lost weight significantly, but there were 38 patients (12.3%) who reported poor weight loss. Researchers found that diabetics and those with larger stomach pouch after a surgery lost less weight than others did.
Researchers suggest that diabetes drugs may stimulate fat and cholesterol increase while trying to control blood sugar levels. For those with a larger stomach pouch the study suggests sizing balloon used to define the new size of stomach should be replaced by an algorithm, which should take into account patient’s anatomical landmarks to estimate the optimal size.
Overall, researchers urge the need of improving gastric bypass surgery results because it is a very effective weight loss treatment, which becomes more and more popular. This study suggests changes in diabetes drugs to improve the weight loss surgery outcomes and help patients fight excess weigh and changes in terms of defining stomach pouch size before the surgery.

Rich Diet, Poor Diet? You Can Lose Weight on a Budget

Diet and Weight Loss for Low Budget

"How can people on a modest income eat a healthy diet and lose weight when they can't afford it?" The question stumped author Kimberly Floyd during a health seminar and she became determined to find the answer. Her new book "MoneyWise Weight Loss: The Faith-based Plan for Building a Better Body on a Budget" contains the strategies she uncovered.

Having lost 85 pounds herself, the former Registered Nurse found that conventional weight loss programs cost up to $14 a day. After reading that the average low income family can only spend $25 per person per week on food, she decided to see if she could still eat healthy while spending that amount each week.
"I did it for a month and it was challenging," Floyd said. "In my research, I discovered that there is indeed a 'rich people's diet' and a 'poor people's diet.' The rich diet consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. The poor diet is high in sugar, fat, and starch. These foods contribute to obesity. In this country, higher obesity statistics run along socioeconomic lines."
To prove her point, Floyd sited an August 2006 article by Dr. Adam Drewnoski in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the article Drewnoski states, "There is no question that the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States follow a socioeconomic gradient, such that the burden of disease falls disproportionately on people with limited resources, racial-ethnic minorities, and the poor."
Floyd went on to discuss her difficulty in saving money on fruits and vegetables during her challenge. "To save money, many experts advise you to buy fruits and vegetables in season. But what are the seasons? After a lot of digging, I found the answers, and then combined other food budgeting strategies with the principles I used to lose weight. That's how 'MoneyWise Weight Loss' was born."
She concludes "Achieving our optimal weight is one way that we can regain our energy, joy, and live the abundant life that we are called to live. My dream is to make wellness affordable for everyone."

Pedometers Help Lose Weight

People who participate in a pedometer-based walking program can be expected to lose a modest amount of weight even without changing their diet, with more weight loss the longer they stick with the program, according to a University of Michigan Health System analysis of nine studies.
Participants in the studies increased the distance they walked by one mile to slightly more than two miles each day. At an average pace of three miles per hour, that means the walkers were getting an additional 20 to 40 minutes of activity a day. On average, they lost 0.05 kilograms per week (about 0.11 pounds) for an average total of 1.27 kilograms (2.8 pounds) throughout the duration of the studies.
"The amount of weight loss attributable to pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant," says lead author Caroline R. Richardson, M.D., assistant professor in the U-M Health System Department of Family Medicine. She notes that the analysis ” which appears in the new issue of Annals of Family Medicine ” also indicates that participants tended to lose more weight in the longer studies.
While pedometer-based walking programs are thought of as convenient and flexible for participants, there has been some question in the fitness and medical communities about the health benefits of such programs, Richardson notes. This analysis should quell some of those questions, she says.
"The increase in physical activity can be expected to result in health benefits that are independent of weight loss," Richardson says. "Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting."
Another benefit, she says, is that exercise in general has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in people with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes.
In all, the nine studies involved 307 participants, 73 percent of whom were women and 27 percent men. The lengths of the studies ranged from four weeks to one year, with a median of 16 weeks. All but one of the studies led to a small decrease in weight.
Over a year, the analysis suggests, participants in pedometer-based walking programs can expect to lose about five pounds. While that may only mean a 2 percent to 3 percent reduction in body weight for an overweight person, Richardson notes, the program still can be beneficial. A quicker way to see results ” and possibly to encourage people to adhere to the program longer ” would be to add a dietary program to the walking plan, she says.
The study also found:
* Average daily step-count increases varied from just under 2,000 steps per day to more than 4,000 steps per day across these studies. For the average person, a 2,000-step walk is approximately equal to a one-mile walk.
* The range of weight change for the nine studies was a gain of 0.3 kilograms (0.66 pounds) to a loss of 3.70 kilograms (eight pounds), with an average weight loss of 1.27 kilograms (2.8 pounds).
* Results from the nine studies were "remarkably consistent" and did not vary by the population targeted or the goal-setting strategies employed.
Further studies will be needed to determine the amount of long-term weight loss that can be expected from pedometer-based walking programs, Richardson notes.

It's OK to Weigh Every Day

Once upon a time there was a woman who went on a low-carb diet and became very interested in what her weight was doing on a regular basis. She woke up every morning and weighed herself. Then she would go to the bathroom and weigh herself again. Then she would weigh again after her shower. Then she'd weigh herself after she put her clothes on. And she would weigh herself finally before she went to bed at night.
Every day it was the same roller coaster ride. When she weighed after going to the bathroom, she knew her diet was working, because she would often weigh a full pound less than what she weighed a couple minutes earlier. That's pretty good weight loss for a couple minutes.
But then, when she put her clothes on and weighed again, she would be horrified and question the whole diet. She had gained 3 pounds!
And, if that wasn't enough, she also started measuring her waist every morning and night. She discovered that her nighttime measurement was often half an inch more than her morning time tape reading. That made her sure the diet wasn't working. But then, by morning, she would be surprised to find her measurement down half an inch, and she would brim with enthusiasm for her great diet.
In the end the woman gave up her diet, went insane, and went bankrupt from all the scales and measuring tapes she had to buy over her lifetime.
So what's the moral of the story? Obviously the woman in this story took measurements too frequently. With all those ups and downs how could any human being stay sane? She was riding the measurement roller coaster.
You've been warned!! If you don't want to end up like this woman, don't weigh yourself any more than once a week.
The Real Point of the Story
If you haven't picked up my sarcasm, let me fess up now. My tongue has been planted firmly in my cheek so far. So what's my point?
Many low-carb gurus will tell you: "Weigh yourself just once a week". But the fact is that most dieters weigh themselves much more often than this. Most weigh at least daily. I just wanted to take a chance here to encourage you. You don't have to feel guilty for frequent weighings. You'll probably be just fine, even if you weigh as often as the woman in the story.
So why do the gurus give this advice? Well, I suspect (and I'm only guessing here) that Dr. Atkins and others got tired of hearing from the small minority of dieters who would
freak out when their weight went up one day. Or they would go to the scale every morning expecting a drop, and not see one for maybe 7 mornings in a row! It was for them as agonizing as waiting at the mailbox every day for a college acceptance or rejection letter or something would be for the rest of us.
And some people really probably can't put things in perspective, and are probably better off weighing only once a week. But I have a hard time believing this involves anything more than a small minority of dieters.
How can you tell which group you are in? Well, weigh yourself every day and see if it drives you crazy.
Let me now tell you how weighing just once a week can actually drive you more crazy than weighing once a day.
How Weekly Weighings Can Backfire
Suppose you are losing a pound a week, but your weight normally fluctuates 4 pounds depending on the level of fluid retention you have. So suppose your average weight is 180 and your weight fluctuates between 182 and 178. When you lose a pound the next week you will weigh 179, and your weight will fluctuate between 181 and 177.
Now suppose you weighed just once each week. The first week you weighed and the scale read 178 (the bottom end of your normal fluctuation at that time). And the second week you weighed and the scale read 181 (the top end of your normal fluctuation a week later). What will you think then? According to the scale you've gained three pounds! You waited all week, and you found out you gained three pounds. You would be understandably disappointed.
But if you had weighed daily, perhaps you would have seen something like this: 178, 180, 182, 181, 179, 178, 177, 181.
Now that 181 reading has some context. Sure your measurements that stand exactly 7 days apart say that you gained 3 pounds in 7 days. But let's look at the context. Both readings were aberrations. The first reading was unusually low, and the second unusually high. There's really nothing to worry about here, and the readings are consistent with ongoing weight loss.
In this case, then, weighing every day is clearly superior to weighing once a week. In fact it might be the difference between sticking to a diet that's working and getting discouraged and giving up.