The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

I spotted a study (reported hereand here) that looked at whether the timing of eating carbohydrates influenced weight loss. They found that on a calorie-restricted diet, having most of the carbs in the evening resulted in better weight loss than a standard calorie-restricted diet. They report:

Hunger scores were lower and greater improvements in fasting glucose, average daily insulin concentrations, and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)), T-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were observed in comparison to controls.

I wonder whether this is not so much due to carbs at dinner but having higher protein breakfast/lunch resulting in greater saiety (hence the leptin results) and so perhaps a lower calorie intake overall (there is no free access to the article so I can't check more details). There was a study (here) showing that a high protein breakfast is better for hunger levels than a high carb one.

I think this supports Dr M's advice to have high protein, low carb food on fast days!

[Tracieknits]

So this means if you are eating all day, leave most of the carbs until evening, right?

I don't suppose there's an opinion on whether this is true, if you are *only* eating an evening meal. I.e. would eating carbs in our evening meal help us with satiety?

[carorees]

No, I think it shows that protein is more filling than carbs so best avoid carbs altogether on fast days also maybe rethink those high carb breakfasts on feed days! Trouble is, I love cereals for breakfast

I have found that if I eat breakfast cereal early on in the day it seems to set off the hunger monster that has me nibbling all day!

Sandwich for lunch does not have the same effect, or if I have a delayed breakfast at about 10am then cereal is fine then too.

If I have to eat my breakfast early in the morning I try to have something egg based like am omelette or even greek yoghurt with fruit.

I actually probably already have the majority of my carbs in the evening. Although even after a big dinner I can still sometimes want to snack on a night

I followed a diet called The Carbohydrate Addicts diet some years ago and it was successful. My friend finds its the only way she can loose weight.
Insulin release is controlled by the eating pattern and weight loss is pretty regular.
Diet consists of 2 mini meals containing zero- well very near zero carbs and a main meal which can be whatever you want. A time limit of 60 mins is placed on the main meal to ensure a second release of insulin is not triggered.
Interestingly my friend finds a carb breakfast triggers an insatiable hunger ( I get that with porridge???) but eating any kind of carb within the 60 mins leaves her full and satisfied.
Looking at it, it's almost like a fast day every 24 hours.

[Tracieknits]

Carorees, I get it! I love croissants and cafe au lait and I make sure I get it at our local boulangerie once a week now

Lolli, that diet is not sustainable to me. I don't care if people want to call it an addiction or whatever - in my opinion, it's an unreasonable way to live. The allure of this diet is increasing health while not saying entire aisles of the grocery store are completely off limits forever.

I spotted a study (reported hereand here) that looked at whether the timing of eating carbohydrates influenced weight loss. They found that on a calorie-restricted diet, having most of the carbs in the evening resulted in better weight loss than a standard calorie-restricted diet.

The obese police officers study

I wasn't massively impressed, it mixed men and women which is an easy way to lose statistical significance and the experimental group (rather than the control) were 7kg and 2 BMI units heavier on average, which could be part of why they lost more weight.

So they may be onto something, but more work required.


"The experimental group was prescribed a standard low-calorie diet (20% protein, 30–35% fat, 45–50% carbohydrates, 1,300–1,500 kcal) providing carbohydrates mostly at dinner, whereas the control group received a standard low-calorie diet (20% protein, 30–35% fat, 45–50% carbohydrates, 1,300–1,500 kcal), providing carbohydrates throughout the day"

[carorees]

Yes, it is flawed (so many diet studies are)! And for every study showing one thing you can find another refuting it! But it's interesting, in the context of the accepted norm these days of having cereal and milk for breakfast, don't you think?

[Tracieknits]

In doing a study like this, what does a breakfast of fruit count as? Carbs? Yet a big bowl of berries is really healthy and has a lot of nutrients. In an ideal world, I should be eating some plain yogurt (no sugar) and fresh fruit as my breakfast. But it's so much less exciting than bread (of any kind). Sometimes I try to pretend I'm having breakfast in Paris, and I put my yogurt in a little glass Danon container that is a souvenir from one yummy hotel breakfast. That does make the yogurt more palatable, but the trick only works about once a week

But it's interesting, in the context of the accepted norm these days of having cereal and milk for breakfast, don't you think?

I have suggested an RCT on the traditional english breakfast versus the obesogenic american sugar breakfast before now

Tracie, I found it restrictive to follow but it was an example that I thought fitted in with the OP
Carbs at one meal= greater weight loss?
I love carbs, they make me happy.

[Tracieknits]

Oh yes, they are happy-making indeed! And apparently I should not post things on fast days because my last post sounded grumpy!! SO sorry about that!!

So my breakfast today of 3 crumpets has messed up my day?

[Tracieknits]

I had a croissant and plain yogurt. I don't care either. I was a very good girl on my fast day yesterday and I will have what I like today. Tomorrow I'll make sure my choice is a bit healther - but it might be oatmeal because it is winter.

Aww, Tracie, don't be daft, you didn't sound grumpy xx
I had crumpets yesterday but today I repair.