Oatmeal or no oatmeal
varia2u
Posts: 39 Member
Hi lowcarbers. So I had a serving of oatmeal yesterday for the first time since starting this journey less than a week ago, and it was the first time I felt good for the entire day. No starvation feeling, lethargy etc.
The booklet my doc gave me states that whole grains (oatmeal) raise blood sugar but in reading everywhere that oatmeal is like a slow release carb that doesn't spike blood sugar. So which is it?
The booklet my doc gave me states that whole grains (oatmeal) raise blood sugar but in reading everywhere that oatmeal is like a slow release carb that doesn't spike blood sugar. So which is it?
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The answer is, I think, it depends on the person. If you can eat oatmeal and feel full and healthy afterwards, then you may be what we here call more of a slow carber. Meaning your body needs and can handle more carbs than, say, keto-ers. If it makes you feel good, keep it.6
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Yep, I think that's a good answer. Everyone's their own science project (good luck with yours!), and people have different goals. If you're carb sensitive/insulin resistant, it might not be a superfood for you....
I don't know about the "feel good" test, though. I rather suspect it's led more than one unsuspecting soul down the primrose path......6 -
Oatmeal and Low-Carb Diets. If you are following a very low-carb diet, with no more than 20 grams of net carbs a day, it is best for you to avoid oatmeal and get your limited amount of carbohydrates from nutrient-dense non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli and leafy greens instead.
From here:2 -
I eat it daily, just plain oats in my protein shake. It works great for me. There are only about 19 g if carbs in a pouch if you are using those. What info did you Dr give you and what was it for? I'm insulin resistant and hypothyroid been low carb over two years eat 80-100 g a day with regular exercise and my blood work has never been better.0
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Compared to a breakfast of eggs, I found that I'll feel hungrier sooner when I've had plain oatmeal. To help with keeping myself fuller longer, I make a batch of oatmeal to which I'll add a chopped apple with the peel, and when it's ready, I'll also add 1 tbsp of flaxmeal, and a tbsp or two of nuts and seeds I have available (sunflower, peanuts, almonds, coconut, walnuts, etc.)0
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Yep, I think that's a good answer. Everyone's their own science project (good look with yours!), and people have different goals. If you're carb sensitive/insulin resistant, it might not be a superfood for you....
I don't know about the "feel good" test, though. I rather suspect it's led more than one unsuspecting soul down the primrose path......
By feel good I just meant that it keeps one full, doesn't make them feel sluggish, and so on. I get sluggish and lethargic after eating oatmeal, not to mention hungry not even an hour later sometimes. Then there was the whole blood sugar skyrocketing thing.1 -
What's your normal breakfast?1
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Steel cut oatmeal is a completely different beast than the processed stuff that is crushed into a morsel of what it once was
Sure cut does hit your blood sugar differently, for me, and I use a glucometer to check how foods react. Quest bars hit my blood sugar faster than Steve cut oatmeal.
With some coconut oil it slows it more and is a great pre bike ride fuel source
Regular oatmeal is like rice for me. Have not ate it for years.3 -
Working2BLean wrote: »Steel cut oatmeal is a completely different beast than the processed stuff that is crushed into a morsel of what it once was
Sure cut does hit your blood sugar differently, for me, and I use a glucometer to check how foods react. Quest bars hit my blood sugar faster than Steve cut oatmeal.
With some coconut oil it slows it more and is a great pre bike ride fuel source
Regular oatmeal is like rice for me. Have not ate it for years.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of BG effect do you get from steel-cut?0 -
I checked when I woke up and was at 88 if I remember right
I had my breakfast and got on the treadmill 20 minutes later or so
After the treadmill I checked in within 5 minutes
Even after eating it but with some exercise my BG was a few points lower
It is one of the only foods that has carbs that I can eat pre workout and after a typical morning 30 minute moderate pace workout I have a lower BG than when I started
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The above advice has to be taken considering I am a pretty highly trained person. People toss around terms that they are a fairly serious athelete.
I think I am in that category and only for context of this post do I mention it
This was a couple Saturdays ago. I had a big bowl of steel cut oatmeal before the long ride before the triathlon.
It was a long intense day
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To those that asked my primary aim is to lower blood sugar. Weight loss is a secondary goal, though not a huge consideration. I started low carb 6 days ago. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Maybe the starvation feeling is my body adjusting, or maybe it is really starving for nutrients. Who knows. If oatmeal is good to go then I'll have a prayer at keeping this up.
Wasn't aware of the differences in oatmeal other than instant and regular so thanks for that tip. I always buy plain, not the flavored stuff in pouches.
My normal breakfast since I started LC has been heavy on protein: turkey bacon, boiled or fried egg, also LC biscuits (new recipe I discovered), lettuce, coffee.
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To those that asked my primary aim is to lower blood sugar. Weight loss is a secondary goal, though not a huge consideration. I started low carb 6 days ago. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Maybe the starvation feeling is my body adjusting, or maybe it is really starving for nutrients. Who knows. If oatmeal is good to go then I'll have a prayer at keeping this up.
Wasn't aware of the differences in oatmeal other than instant and regular so thanks for that tip. I always buy plain, not the flavored stuff in pouches.
My normal breakfast since I started LC has been heavy on protein: turkey bacon, boiled or fried egg, also LC biscuits (new recipe I discovered), lettuce, coffee.
If you're feeling 'starvation', you probably aren't getting enough calories. I started LC 20 days ago and I haven't been starving once. I gorge myself on things like eggs, bacon, turkey burgers, yogurt, protein shakes (LC ones of course), salads full of veggies and chicken or turkey, bison burgers or beef burgers, etc. I've been managing to lose weight despite eating more calories than my previous SAD (Standard American Diet).1 -
To those that asked my primary aim is to lower blood sugar. Weight loss is a secondary goal, though not a huge consideration. I started low carb 6 days ago. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Maybe the starvation feeling is my body adjusting, or maybe it is really starving for nutrients. Who knows. If oatmeal is good to go then I'll have a prayer at keeping this up.
Wasn't aware of the differences in oatmeal other than instant and regular so thanks for that tip. I always buy plain, not the flavored stuff in pouches.
My normal breakfast since I started LC has been heavy on protein: turkey bacon, boiled or fried egg, also LC biscuits (new recipe I discovered), lettuce, coffee.
If you're feeling 'starvation', you probably aren't getting enough calories. I started LC 20 days ago and I haven't been starving once. I gorge myself on things like eggs, bacon, turkey burgers, yogurt, protein shakes (LC ones of course), salads full of veggies and chicken or turkey, bison burgers or beef burgers, etc. I've been managing to lose weight despite eating more calories than my previous SAD (Standard American Diet).
Not necessarily. Hunger signaling is notoriously crap in overweight/obese/t2d sufferers. Lchf helps many with this, but not all.
Honestly, mine never straightened out, and didn't improve at all until I got to sub-15% bodyfat and held it for a few months. A lifetime of being a fat kid has my brain so screwed up, that I have to bulk using whole foods, just to avoid overdoing it and putting a bunch of fat back on.3 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »To those that asked my primary aim is to lower blood sugar. Weight loss is a secondary goal, though not a huge consideration. I started low carb 6 days ago. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Maybe the starvation feeling is my body adjusting, or maybe it is really starving for nutrients. Who knows. If oatmeal is good to go then I'll have a prayer at keeping this up.
Wasn't aware of the differences in oatmeal other than instant and regular so thanks for that tip. I always buy plain, not the flavored stuff in pouches.
My normal breakfast since I started LC has been heavy on protein: turkey bacon, boiled or fried egg, also LC biscuits (new recipe I discovered), lettuce, coffee.
If you're feeling 'starvation', you probably aren't getting enough calories. I started LC 20 days ago and I haven't been starving once. I gorge myself on things like eggs, bacon, turkey burgers, yogurt, protein shakes (LC ones of course), salads full of veggies and chicken or turkey, bison burgers or beef burgers, etc. I've been managing to lose weight despite eating more calories than my previous SAD (Standard American Diet).
Not necessarily. Hunger signaling is notoriously crap in overweight/obese/t2d sufferers. Lchf helps many with this, but not all.
Honestly, mine never straightened out, and didn't improve at all until I got to sub-15% bodyfat and held it for a few months. A lifetime of being a fat kid has my brain so screwed up, that I have to bulk using whole foods, just to avoid overdoing it and putting a bunch of fat back on.
I agree. Some people always have rabid appetites. I've been at a healthy BMI for almost 2 years. Still a VERY hungry caterpillar.3 -
baconslave wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »To those that asked my primary aim is to lower blood sugar. Weight loss is a secondary goal, though not a huge consideration. I started low carb 6 days ago. It's been a bumpy ride so far. Maybe the starvation feeling is my body adjusting, or maybe it is really starving for nutrients. Who knows. If oatmeal is good to go then I'll have a prayer at keeping this up.
Wasn't aware of the differences in oatmeal other than instant and regular so thanks for that tip. I always buy plain, not the flavored stuff in pouches.
My normal breakfast since I started LC has been heavy on protein: turkey bacon, boiled or fried egg, also LC biscuits (new recipe I discovered), lettuce, coffee.
If you're feeling 'starvation', you probably aren't getting enough calories. I started LC 20 days ago and I haven't been starving once. I gorge myself on things like eggs, bacon, turkey burgers, yogurt, protein shakes (LC ones of course), salads full of veggies and chicken or turkey, bison burgers or beef burgers, etc. I've been managing to lose weight despite eating more calories than my previous SAD (Standard American Diet).
Not necessarily. Hunger signaling is notoriously crap in overweight/obese/t2d sufferers. Lchf helps many with this, but not all.
Honestly, mine never straightened out, and didn't improve at all until I got to sub-15% bodyfat and held it for a few months. A lifetime of being a fat kid has my brain so screwed up, that I have to bulk using whole foods, just to avoid overdoing it and putting a bunch of fat back on.
I agree. Some people always have rabid appetites. I've been at a healthy BMI for almost 2 years. Still a VERY hungry caterpillar.
Yeap. That's a big part of why I prefer my current macro outlay when bulking. I eat (quite literally) 7+ lbs. of combined vegetables, berries and potatoes on a daily basis now, in my 2850 kcal recovery and 3350 kcal lifting days.1 -
Could it also be needing more sodium that is the hunger signal?4
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I'm actually wondering about the fat intake being too low?1
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What a great community we have here!
I am a low-carb person, not keto. I regularly enjoy an oatmeal breakfast. I limit myself to 1-2 grains per day but not white flour. My favorite breakfast is 1/2 c. old fashioned oats, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 cup sugarfree almond milk, about 8 almonds, 6 oz fruit (raspberries!). I eat this cold. It can be made the night before (minus the nuts) and then is a grab and go in the morning. I stay satiated until lunch! Best wishes on your journey!2 -
I hate oatmeal. in no form do I enjoy it. Texture is gross, taste is gross, barf-o-rama. But my kids and husband love it. LOVE IT. Would eat it daily. Steel cut, rolled, anything but instant they love it so we have it around but I wouldn't know what to do with it if it jumped out of the cupboard and said "EAT ME!" I'd probably just chuck it in the bin and tell it to quit scaring me.2
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Catawampous wrote: »I'm actually wondering about the fat intake being too low?
Fat intake ranged from 50 to 110 this week so far thanks to using almond flour.0 -
What a great community we have here!
I am a low-carb person, not keto. I regularly enjoy an oatmeal breakfast. I limit myself to 1-2 grains per day but not white flour. My favorite breakfast is 1/2 c. old fashioned oats, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 cup sugarfree almond milk, about 8 almonds, 6 oz fruit (raspberries!). I eat this cold. It can be made the night before (minus the nuts) and then is a grab and go in the morning. I stay satiated until lunch! Best wishes on your journey!
Thanks for the comment and support! Once I can confirm it doesn't spike my blood sugar levels I plan to put it on the breakfast rotation. I've never been a huge meat lover so adjusting to eating more of that and fewer carbs is a challenge.0 -
I hate oatmeal. in no form do I enjoy it. Texture is gross, taste is gross, barf-o-rama. But my kids and husband love it. LOVE IT. Would eat it daily. Steel cut, rolled, anything but instant they love it so we have it around but I wouldn't know what to do with it if it jumped out of the cupboard and said "EAT ME!" I'd probably just chuck it in the bin and tell it to quit scaring me.
This is me. It is vile. Makes me gag.0 -
A couple thoughts -
Have you read through the stickies for the LCD group on Sodium and the LCD Launch Pad? The recommended starting point for sodium intake is 5g per day - I hope that's close to the goal you're using. ??
Also, if you're doing keto for BG control, I would suggest not adding any carbs over about 20-30g net carbs/day until you establish that you can get your BG under control. If 20-30g net works for you, you can start raising the carbs slowly. (Note that Dr. Bernstein in Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution recommends only 6g for breakfast, 12g for both lunch and dinner.)
Veganhealth.org has a lot of good tips for folks who don't get their protein from meat.
Good luck!1 -
Haven't had oatmeal in over a year but when I did, I put peanut butter and walnuts in it. @baconslave and @mmultanen sorry if that grosses you out
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I hate oatmeal. in no form do I enjoy it. Texture is gross, taste is gross, barf-o-rama. But my kids and husband love it. LOVE IT. Would eat it daily. Steel cut, rolled, anything but instant they love it so we have it around but I wouldn't know what to do with it if it jumped out of the cupboard and said "EAT ME!" I'd probably just chuck it in the bin and tell it to quit scaring me.
@mmultanen I'm with you! I though steel cut was actually worse than regular oats for texture.
I never could eat it unless it had lots of sugar, flavoring and nuts added in.
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A couple thoughts -
Have you read through the stickies for the LCD group on Sodium and the LCD Launch Pad? The recommended starting point for sodium intake is 5g per day - I hope that's close to the goal you're using. ??
Also, if you're doing keto for BG control, I would suggest not adding any carbs over about 20-30g net carbs/day until you establish that you can get your BG under control. If 20-30g net works for you, you can start raising the carbs slowly. (Note that Dr. Bernstein in Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution recommends only 6g for breakfast, 12g for both lunch and dinner.)
Veganhealth.org has a lot of good tips for folks who don't get their protein from meat.
Good luck!
Not doing keto. That would unsustainable for me. I did read all the stickies. I will have to see when I talk to a nutritionist.0 -
A couple thoughts -
Have you read through the stickies for the LCD group on Sodium and the LCD Launch Pad? The recommended starting point for sodium intake is 5g per day - I hope that's close to the goal you're using. ??
Also, if you're doing keto for BG control, I would suggest not adding any carbs over about 20-30g net carbs/day until you establish that you can get your BG under control. If 20-30g net works for you, you can start raising the carbs slowly. (Note that Dr. Bernstein in Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution recommends only 6g for breakfast, 12g for both lunch and dinner.)
Veganhealth.org has a lot of good tips for folks who don't get their protein from meat.
Good luck!
Not doing keto. That would unsustainable for me. I did read all the stickies. I will have to see when I talk to a nutritionist.
YMMV with nutritionists. The ones that get LC are few and far between.
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