Why didn't I see this 3 years ago when the findings from this study were first published?!  Dessert for breakfast can take off the pounds, and help keep the weight off. 

According to the Telegraph, researchers at Tel Aviv University gathered nearly 200 clinically obese people for this experiment.  Half of them were fed a low-carb 300 calorie breakfast, while the other half were given a 600 calorie breakfast which included chocolate cake for dessert.  So, how much weight was gained by those eating cake for the morning meal?

On average, those chocolate cake eaters LOST nearly 50 pounds in the 32 week study.  The low-carb folks lost 11 pounds, on average.  It's interesting to note that halfway through the study, both groups had lost an average of 33 pounds, but those on the low-carb diet ended up putting 22 pounds back on while those on the chocolate cake regimen continued losing weight.

There are several reasons this happened

  • Your metabolism is highest in the morning so that should be the time to load up on sugars
  • You have the rest of the day to burn off those sugar calories
  • Having sweets in the morning causes you not to crave them as much through the rest of the day

Both groups were instructed to eat the same amount calories for the day (1600/men, 1400/women), however, the low-carb group had a higher incidence of cheating due to cravings later in the day for sweets.

This is great news for those of us that try to lose weight by swearing off sweets, but, of course, moderation is always the key.  600 calories for breakfast and a total of 1600 for the day is below what many are used to, but at least this gives you a good and tasty guide to something that seems to be proven.

 

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