Oatmeal and crashing..

weightgoesbyebye
weightgoesbyebye Posts: 54 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I started eating oatmeal for breskfast about 4 days ago. I have noticed about 2 hours after i eat it I crash. I get the shakes, I am extremely hungry and I feel weak. I am not diabetic as I eat bread, potatoes and such. Why does it make you feel like your crashing.
Thanks

Replies

  • SABoj
    SABoj Posts: 88 Member
    You may not be able to tolerate oats. But ask yourself 2 main questions first:
    *how many calories are you actually eating (serving size)? (are you eating enough)
    *And did you check the label?

    For serving size, consider 1/2 to 3/4 cup. It's also delicious when adding fresh fruits or maybe yogurt as well.

    Many brands of oatmeal are processed and/or have additives. To avoid a crazy spike in your blood sugar, you have to carefully select your oatmeal. Some brands of instant oatmeal add sugars and have a much higher glycemic index. So try to avoid oats that already have sugar in them. I like soaking steel-cut oats overnight.

    Good luck!

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    Are you having some protein and fat with it? If I have straight carbs like cereal (oatmeal) and fruit I crash not too long afterwards.

    I don't put sugar in mine. I have it with milk, butter, walnuts, flax meal and either blueberries or apples. Then I have an egg and maybe some breakfast meat.

    Just oatmeal wouldn't do it for me but if I eat the above I'm good for hours.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    reactive hypoglycemia
  • weightgoesbyebye
    weightgoesbyebye Posts: 54 Member
    edited August 2019
    I have 1/2 cup oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I have 1/2 oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.

    How does the carbs, protein, and fat work out for that? Sound like lots of carbs for little protein, but I'd like to see the actual numbers.
  • weightgoesbyebye
    weightgoesbyebye Posts: 54 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I have 1/2 oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.

    How does the carbs, protein, and fat work out for that? Sound like lots of carbs for little protein, but I'd like to see the actual numbers.

    Here are the macros.
    Protein 17 grams
    Carbs 68 grams
    Fat 20 grams
    Sugar 28 grams
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I have 1/2 oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.

    How does the carbs, protein, and fat work out for that? Sound like lots of carbs for little protein, but I'd like to see the actual numbers.

    Here are the macros.
    Protein 17 grams
    Carbs 68 grams
    Fat 20 grams
    Sugar 28 grams

    Ya, I would need more protein to carbs. A step in the right direction would be to use plain Greek yogurt.
  • weightgoesbyebye
    weightgoesbyebye Posts: 54 Member
    I will try that and if it does not work I will have to change my breakfast.
  • stephaniek511
    stephaniek511 Posts: 86 Member
    I experience the same thing if I don't pair it up with protein somehow. I usually through in a healthy spoonful of PB2, which helps. I recently have tried protein powder, which helped significantly but I don't love the taste. Hope you find something that works for you!
  • cacarrollkral
    cacarrollkral Posts: 2 Member
    As with those above - maybe protein is needed. For me, most mainstream oatmeal is too heavily processed. When I eat oatmeal (without the symptoms you describe), it's cooked oat groats, and paired with a grain that's more protein based -- might want to try half oat groats and half quinoa or amaranth (both of which have some protein). I also add a very small amount of grated cheese - gotta watch the portion though (saturated fat).
  • gottswald
    gottswald Posts: 122 Member
    edited August 2019
    Overnight Oats are easy to do and allow macro adjustments by adjusting what you add. I've messed around with different sweetners, PB2, etc but currently I'm doing...

    40g Rolled Oats (1/2c)
    13g Chia Seeds (~1 tbsp)
    15g Protein Isolate (adjust for your protein need and for flavor)
    4 oz Fairlife Whole Milk (prefer with Omega-3s) (1/2c)
    40g Plain Yogurt (Fage 5% is my new thing, was using Siggi's) (sometimes 50g if I'm cleaning up yogurt)

    Mine comes out at: 382 Cal, 38g Carb, 13g Fat, 30g Protein and 8g Fiber currently. You can easily adjust Fat content down to shave off calories by going to 0% yogurt and a leaner milk. You could add more milk nutrients by going to protein concentrate. Increasing Chia Seeds (minor) or yogurt (major) makes it creamier. I do a batch of dry ingredient jars, then just add the wet ingredients individually before bed for the next day. Use different protein flavors to make it a different flavor. Nuts, Berries, and Bananas are good mixed in too but you have to adjust the other ingredients if you want to control your Calories or macros.

  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    If I eat oatmeal, it's usually a bedtime snack when I have leftover calories (like on a day when I did a long distance run.) I'll eat that instead of cookies or ice cream because it's got that nice hit of fiber. Eating carbs before bed helps me sleep. In fact, the majority of my carb consumption happens in the evening.

    I don't like to eat that stuff early in the day because, personally, it's a bad start to the day for me. I get that crashing thing, too. (I always have perfect blood tests when it comes to the sugar, and my BMI is right on target, so sugar isn't even an issue for me, except that it makes me feel sluggish and crappy if I start out with it. I'm totally fine if I end with it.)

    Even though it's a good source of fiber it doesn't last long for me, so I always start the day with plenty of protein and not so much sugar. I suppose you could add protein to the meal and that would mitigate the crash... B)
  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I have 1/2 oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.

    How does the carbs, protein, and fat work out for that? Sound like lots of carbs for little protein, but I'd like to see the actual numbers.

    Here are the macros.
    Protein 17 grams
    Carbs 68 grams
    Fat 20 grams
    Sugar 28 grams

    I have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and experience the shaking, etc., with too many carbs and sugar. Speaking for myself only, I try for about 30 grams protein per meal and max of 40 grams of carbs per meal, and 25 grams of sugar per day (spread out). This is just me though. You may have to keep tweaking until you find a good mix.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I have 1/2 oats, half a cup skim mill, half a cup activia cherry yogurt,14 grams of walnuts and 10 grams of chocolate chips. Its overnight oats.

    How does the carbs, protein, and fat work out for that? Sound like lots of carbs for little protein, but I'd like to see the actual numbers.

    Here are the macros.
    Protein 17 grams
    Carbs 68 grams
    Fat 20 grams
    Sugar 28 grams

    My breakfast is more like 60C / 30F / 30P : 600 calories (includes coffee with 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp sugar.)

    If I don't get 25-35g of protein (in every meal) I'm gonna crash and/or be hungry again soon.


  • HereToLose50
    HereToLose50 Posts: 154 Member
    edited August 2019
    I mix an egg into it in the last minute as I cook it - I only do stovetop cooking with oats you have to measure. Sometimes I add a little real butter. Always love it with some brown sugar or honey and sometimes some fruit too

    I should add that I save most of my carbs until late in the day. This would be a snack or dinner for me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    stephaniek511 wrote: »
    I experience the same thing if I don't pair it up with protein somehow. I usually through in a healthy spoonful of PB2, which helps. I recently have tried protein powder, which helped significantly but I don't love the taste. Hope you find something that works for you!

    Yes, I like protein powder in smoothies but didn't care for it in oats and yogurt, even though I only used a half scoop. Other people here do like it though.
  • skelterhelter
    skelterhelter Posts: 803 Member
    I'm the same way when it comes to eating oatmeal or any carb-heavy, "sweet" type breakfast (think a stack of pancakes). I'm just not as satiated and kinda feel like garbage afterwards, although I LOVE those types of breakfasts. Now I pair with eggs whites, an egg, turkey bacon, etc to get the most I can out of it and avoid that slump.
  • mirihawk
    mirihawk Posts: 34 Member
    There is a book called "Always Hungry" and one of the food studies is about oatmeal in the morning, especially the little packets, causing a huge crash in blood sugar a few hours after one eats it. This explained a lot to me and I don't have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning anymore, although I have been known to blend a few tablespoons into my protein shake for the prebiotic fiber...
  • nooboots
    nooboots Posts: 480 Member
    weightgoesbyebye wrote: »
    I started eating oatmeal for breskfast about 4 days ago. I have noticed about 2 hours after i eat it I crash. I get the shakes, I am extremely hungry and I feel weak. I am not diabetic as I eat bread, potatoes and such. Why does it make you feel like your crashing.
    Thanks

    I used to get that after porridge too, it just doesnt suit me.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    I love porridge and it happily sustains me for hours.
    You just need to try a few options to see what works for you.

    Anything can be breakfast food, what do you find fills you up at other times of day?
  • NewTnme
    NewTnme Posts: 258 Member
    The same thing happens to me. I eat a boiled egg with my oatmeal or I started adding an individual fruit and nut pack. Omega 3 pack by valley orchard harvest. It helped tremendously. 220 cal to 300 cal breakfast.

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