News: Breakfast like a king, put on weight like a king?

You know that old saying, breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper? It’s meant to be a weight-loss (or lack-of-weight-gain) "secret," but it turns out that breakfasting like a king may bring you to Henry VIII-like proportions.

As reported by the New York Times, according to a new German study of both obese and normal-weight participants, calorie intake during the day remained the same no matter how many calories were consumed at breakfast, meaning those who ate a big breakfast ended up eating more daily calories overall. Not exactly a prescription for losing pounds.

Perhaps most shocking, one of the study authors actually advocates skipping breakfast, if that’s your regular habit. He claims you won’t make up the missed calories later in the day.

My take? We all have our own triggers for overeating, and the key to not overdoing things is to recognize those patterns. For example, I find that if I have a lot of grains for breakfast, I crave sugar throughout the day, especially if the meal is relatively low in protein. When I have a smoothie (especially a green one), my blood sugar seems more stable.

What do you think? Do you prefer your breakfasts big or small? What kind of a breakfast helps you eat well all day?

Related:
‘ Should you eat breakfast if you’re not a breakfast person?
‘ Breakfast rituals from around the world
‘ 6 ways to shave time off your morning routine