Would oatmeal porridge be bad for me?

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Im really on the fence with this one, hopeing for some input here. Should I switch my breakfast too oatmeal porridge, or will that slow down my weightloss?

At the moment im eating a low calorie diet, I average 1200kcal/day. I start my day with a diet shake (Modifast), lentil stew at lunch and usually something with chicken and sallad for dinner. I usually have a small piece of cheese, an egg on chrisp bread or some unsweetened yoghurt if im hungry or if I feel like it some time during the day.

Im loosing weight quickly, and I like to keep doing that ;) I have assumed that im loosing due to calorie deficit, altough it might be a combination of that and not eating that much carbs. Porridge would be at aprox the same cal, but with a significant amount more carbs.

I have no problems keeping full with what im eating now. The reason im thinking of switching to porridge is that it "feels" healthier than the shake. While im loosing weight im trying to change my habits, and porridge seems like a better long term breakfast option.

- Will switching to oatmeal porridge in the morning slow down my weightloss?

- I eat breakfast at work, and would need to make the porridge with hot water. I have read that microwave porridge have a higer GI than cooked. Will just using hot water cause my porridge to have a higher GI?
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Replies

  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Why on earth would porridge slow down your weightloss?

    It was something recommended to me here after a few months and it never slowed mine down. I even have the flavoured microwave stuff with all that added sugar and it has made no difference to my weight loss rate.

    If you remain within your calorie goal there is no reason why your progress would change

    Also losing weight fast by restricting calories too much isn't always the most sustainable option
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I have porridge for breakfast sometimes, again, not sure why you think it would slow down your weight loss?

    The only issue I have with it, is that I don't find it very filling!
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    Why on earth would porridge slow down your weightloss?

    It was something recommended to me here after a few months and it never slowed mine down. I even have the flavoured microwave stuff with all that added sugar and it has made no difference to my weight loss rate.

    If you remain within your calorie goal there is no reason why your progress would change

    Also losing weight fast by restricting calories too much isn't always the most sustainable option

    I have assumed that im loosing due to calorie deficit, altough it might be a combination of that and not eating that much carbs. Porridge would be at aprox the same cal, but with a significant amount more carbs. If low amount of carbs aids my weightloss, porridge would slow it down.

    I also fear a high GI one might make it harder for me to keep on track. At the moment i eat more carbs during the weekends, and I can tell im hungrier at the beginning of the week. Altough it might have to do with me also eating more during the weekend (1200/day is week average).

    Sugar in my porridge would not work for me at all. I get intense cravings from to much carbs/to high GI, and I would rob the candystore before the left over porridge had time to harden in the bowl ;)
  • charlisobel
    charlisobel Posts: 31 Member
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    I have porridge for breakfast most days and am losing about 2lbs a week. It's one of my favourite meals because there are lots of different healthy toppings you can add so it doesn't get boring. As long as you are accurately calculating the calories and nutrition in it, I don't think it would slow your weightless down.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    1200 per day as a weekly average is probably the reason why you are feeling hungry. I am not a believer in low carb diets making you lose faster but everyone seems to have different ideas there.

    Also I must be one of the lucky ones who doesn't crave more if I eat higher GI foods.

    Eat a healthy balanced diet, make sure you get all of the required micro and macro nutrients and maybe look at slowing down your weightloss to what seems to be the accepted levels of 0.5 to 2 lbs per week
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    I eat porridge oats every day using unsweetened almond milk, tastes richer. I use stevia to sweeten and I love it! I have 50 grams and nuke it for a minute. I don't crave carbs from eating it and I always feel full with it.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    Don't have your stats but chances are you are not eating enough "1200 calories" always raises alarms in my head...
    Carbs do not make you fat - carbs are good and you need carbs!
    Your rapid weight loss is due to depletion of glycogen storages with all the water that comes with it - ratio of loss of fat vs. LBM is more than likely leaning towards LBM loss which is not a real weight loss IMO.

    Yes, by all means, the day you decide to eat those oats you will put up weight purely because you have not eaten any but realistically, you will be filling your muscles back up with glycogen and increase your water levels.
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
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    I've been eating oatmeal as my main breakfast - 1/2 cup rolled oats with sultanas/dried cranberries/fresh grated apple and milk. I find it filling. and I've been on 1200 cals. just recently upped to 1300 as I was on a plateau, and I lost some more inches. I really am enjoying this brekky at the moment
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
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    and rolled oats are low gi
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    I have porridge for breakfast most days and am losing about 2lbs a week. It's one of my favourite meals because there are lots of different healthy toppings you can add so it doesn't get boring. As long as you are accurately calculating the calories and nutrition in it, I don't think it would slow your weightless down.

    Thats great news :) Do you eat pasta, bread, potatoes and the like during the rest of the day? Do you usually react to carbs or high GI?
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
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    No it's fine, as to how your particular body responds to carbs/ GI the only way you're going to try is by experimenting.

    However oatmeal isn't the only healthy breakfast option, for example you could try Greek yogurt with fruit,, which would be easy to take to work and has lots of protein to keep you full for longer.
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    1200 per day as a weekly average is probably the reason why you are feeling hungry. I am not a believer in low carb diets making you lose faster but everyone seems to have different ideas there.

    Also I must be one of the lucky ones who doesn't crave more if I eat higher GI foods.

    Eat a healthy balanced diet, make sure you get all of the required micro and macro nutrients and maybe look at slowing down your weightloss to what seems to be the accepted levels of 0.5 to 2 lbs per week

    Im pretty sure it's the carbs and higher amounts of food that makes me feel hungry part of the week. Towards the end of the work week, when I im several days away from carbs and eat about 800 cal/day, im much less hungry than at the beginning of the week.

    In the beginning of my weightloss I ate about 600-800 cal/day, every day, and was rarely hungry. I started to worry about the low intake tough, and added the weekends with about 2000 cal/day. I "pay" for that with increased hunger 1-2 days afterwards.
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    I eat porridge oats every day using unsweetened almond milk, tastes richer. I use stevia to sweeten and I love it! I have 50 grams and nuke it for a minute. I don't crave carbs from eating it and I always feel full with it.

    Almond milk, thats a great idea! If i decide to try, I will def start out trying almond milk.
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    Don't have your stats but chances are you are not eating enough "1200 calories" always raises alarms in my head...
    Carbs do not make you fat - carbs are good and you need carbs!
    Your rapid weight loss is due to depletion of glycogen storages with all the water that comes with it - ratio of loss of fat vs. LBM is more than likely leaning towards LBM loss which is not a real weight loss IMO.

    Yes, by all means, the day you decide to eat those oats you will put up weight purely because you have not eaten any but realistically, you will be filling your muscles back up with glycogen and increase your water levels.

    Really? O_o I was at a lower intake, but raised it cause of safety concerns. Now you are telling me 1200 might not be enough either? And "not eaten any", i do eat? I also don't feel to tired or that im lacking energy, wich i feel i would if i ate to little?

    I know carbs don't make "general you" fat, but carbs do make "specifically me" fat. Carbs gives me intense addiction-like cravings. Even if the sugar i crave wouldnt make me fat, the cravings themselves is a plight to live with. Not having them at the moment is lovely :)
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    and rolled oats are low gi

    What you are eating sounds yummy :)

    I read that it's low gi when cooked on the stove, due to the slower process. Blasting it in the microwave was said to raise it's gi. Altough i don't know if its true or not...
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    1200 per day as a weekly average is probably the reason why you are feeling hungry. I am not a believer in low carb diets making you lose faster but everyone seems to have different ideas there.

    Also I must be one of the lucky ones who doesn't crave more if I eat higher GI foods.

    Eat a healthy balanced diet, make sure you get all of the required micro and macro nutrients and maybe look at slowing down your weightloss to what seems to be the accepted levels of 0.5 to 2 lbs per week

    Im pretty sure it's the carbs and higher amounts of food that makes me feel hungry part of the week. Towards the end of the work week, when I im several days away from carbs and eat about 800 cal/day, im much less hungry than at the beginning of the week.

    In the beginning of my weightloss I ate about 600-800 cal/day, every day, and was rarely hungry. I started to worry about the low intake tough, and added the weekends with about 2000 cal/day. I "pay" for that with increased hunger 1-2 days afterwards.

    If thats what you believe then no problem, but I still think there is an issue with the low level of calories you are trying to restrict yourself too. You do run the risk of having to maintain a heavily restricted diet even after you reach your weight loss goal or gaining weight back very quickly. Also while a very large deficit is great for weight loss its not so good when it comes to fat loss because again you run the risk of losing muscle faster than body fat

    There is some excellent information in the stickies on this forum, I would suggest reading them, you might be pleasantly surprised :smile:
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
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    No it's fine, as to how your particular body responds to carbs/ GI the only way you're going to try is by experimenting.

    However oatmeal isn't the only healthy breakfast option, for example you could try Greek yogurt with fruit,, which would be easy to take to work and has lots of protein to keep you full for longer.


    You are right, experimenting is probaly the only way to really know. I might wait for the next plateu, and give it a try then :)
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
    Options
    1200 per day as a weekly average is probably the reason why you are feeling hungry. I am not a believer in low carb diets making you lose faster but everyone seems to have different ideas there.

    Also I must be one of the lucky ones who doesn't crave more if I eat higher GI foods.

    Eat a healthy balanced diet, make sure you get all of the required micro and macro nutrients and maybe look at slowing down your weightloss to what seems to be the accepted levels of 0.5 to 2 lbs per week

    Im pretty sure it's the carbs and higher amounts of food that makes me feel hungry part of the week. Towards the end of the work week, when I im several days away from carbs and eat about 800 cal/day, im much less hungry than at the beginning of the week.

    In the beginning of my weightloss I ate about 600-800 cal/day, every day, and was rarely hungry. I started to worry about the low intake tough, and added the weekends with about 2000 cal/day. I "pay" for that with increased hunger 1-2 days afterwards.

    If thats what you believe then no problem, but I still think there is an issue with the low level of calories you are trying to restrict yourself too. You do run the risk of having to maintain a heavily restricted diet even after you reach your weight loss goal or gaining weight back very quickly. Also while a very large deficit is great for weight loss its not so good when it comes to fat loss because again you run the risk of losing muscle faster than body fat

    There is some excellent information in the stickies on this forum, I would suggest reading them, you might be pleasantly surprised :smile:

    We seem to be on the opposite poles of the Can-You-Handle-Your-Carbs-Spectrum, lucky you ;) A large part of what im feeling in the beginning of the week is just carbs-hunger. That sneaky feeling that so many times have told me that im hungry while im so full I feel sick.

    At the moment I have more problems with eating all the calories, and getting enough protein, than keeping my cal consumption down. In the long run, loosing muscles as well as fat isn't a huge problem. It's not ideal, but I can live with it.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    No it's fine, as to how your particular body responds to carbs/ GI the only way you're going to try is by experimenting.

    However oatmeal isn't the only healthy breakfast option, for example you could try Greek yogurt with fruit,, which would be easy to take to work and has lots of protein to keep you full for longer.


    You are right, experimenting is probaly the only way to really know. I might wait for the next plateu, and give it a try then :)

    Just go for a low carb hot cereal.

    Such as....

    http://www6.netrition.com/sensato_high_fiber_hot_cereal.html
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
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    I think porridge is a great breakfast! Although, I often switch between porridge and eggs for breakfast and the porridge definitely fills me up more to begin with, but then leaves me hungry very soon after. Any effect of 'upping carbs' will disappear quickly.