Eat a high-protein, low-carb breakfast to lose fat and feel good. Recent research shows how limiting carb intake in the morning in favor of protein and healthy fats can set you up for greater meal satisfaction and lower calorie intake. This combination is useful for improving body composition and peak cognition.
A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that college students who skipped breakfast and ate their first meal at lunch consumed significantly more high-calorie, high-carb foods than students who had eaten breakfast. The students started their meals with high-carb foods 75 percent of the time if they had skipped breakfast. If they ate breakfast, they chose carbs only 44 percent of the time.
More importantly, if they started eating a high-carb food first (dinner rolls or French fries), they consumed nearly 50 percent more calories of that type of food.
In fact, the food that all participants ate first at lunch ended up being the food they ate the most of. Those who started with vegetables ate more veggies overall, which translated into fewer calories and a lower blood sugar response. Protein would have the same benefit for blood sugar, but it will provide more calories than veggies.
Another benefit of high-protein meals is that gut hormones that keep you feeling satiated are elevated. In contrast, high-carb meals often trigger food intake so that you eat more calories overall.
Take Away: You have complete control over what you put in your mouth. Starting the day with a low-carb, high-protein breakfast is an easy way to take that control and keep you on point to create a calorie deficit so you lose fat.