Doctor Shares Breakfast Mistake That Led to Weight Gain

A doctor and epidemiologist named Prof. Tim Spector, in a BBC podcast, revealed a significant health issue he encountered and how he discovered it against all odds.

"I'm generally healthy and for years I exercised and ate well, yet I wasn't losing weight," he shared in an interview with diet expert Michael Mosley. "For 10 years I ate the same breakfast—whole-grain toast with a thin layer of jam, a glass of fresh orange juice, and tea with low-fat milk."

He believes this breakfast was likely responsible for a 10 kg weight gain. "I didn't realize the breakfast was the culprit," he admits. "In recent years, my sugar levels spiked, and I didn't connect it to the breakfast. Even though it included jam, I considered it a healthy meal, but I was wrong."

Interestingly, although he wasn't classified as diabetic, when he monitored his blood sugar for health reasons, he found his numbers matched those of diabetics. This led him to change, contributing to better gut microbiome health and overall well-being. He swapped his low-fat milk tea for green tea and traded his toast for a breakfast of full-fat yogurt with nuts, seeds, and berries.

"This change transformed my body's sugar levels," the doctor stated. "Not only did they not rise, but I also felt less hungry. Despite my intense work schedule, I could delay breakfast until 11 a.m. without feeling drastically hungry, and my general well-being improved significantly."

Over time, as the doctor maintained this new routine, he realized he didn't need breakfast at all, and his sugar levels normalized. "Everyone should listen to their body and understand what's best for them," he says. "For me, the yogurt was enough, and I avoided unnecessary sugars and carbs. It probably helped with both weight and sugar level reduction," he concludes.