Oatmeal diet, or oatmeal diet, is one of the most interesting and rational weight loss diets. Although it is based on one product – oatmeal, it avoids monotony and rigorous nutrition. Composing a menu in the oatmeal diet, we can use vegetables, natural yogurt and other culinary products conducive to weight loss. By implementing oatmeal diet we can get rid of unwanted kilograms permanently, effectively, and most importantly – in a way that is safe for health. Learn about the types and rules of oatmeal diet. Check how to build a menu!
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Why oatmeal is the perfect base for a slimming diet?
Oatmeal is one of the favourite products of people striving for weight reduction. They are extremely healthy, regulate digestion, abound in dietary fibre, are rich in valuable minerals, vitamins and amino acids, sweep toxins from our body, regulate blood sugar levels, are filling and perfectly satisfy hunger.
Oatmeal is very versatile in use – it can form the basis of oatmeal, but also works well as an addition to smoothies, pastes, pies, chops, spreads, diet desserts, baked goods and other dishes. In ground form, they can also be a fit substitute for standard breadcrumbs.
A large number of applications and benefits for our health and figure make oatmeal a great ally of each person during weight loss.
Oatmeal – calories
Although dry oatmeal has a lot of calories, because about 370 kcal per 100 g, it is not dangerous for our figure. Why? Firstly, they are very light, so we use them little at a time (100 g of oatmeal is enough to prepare several oatmeals). Secondly, thanks to the high content of fiber (10 g in 100 g of oatmeal), they are digested slowly, do not result in sudden spikes in blood sugar, and do not fatten.
Oatmeal – calories
Oatmeal, the basis of the oatmeal diet, is a light dish and does not cause weight gain, whether it is prepared with water, milk or yogurt.
The most ascetic and leanest version is of course oatmeal on water, without any additives, or only sweetened with a little honey. If you like such minimalistic dishes, you can use oatmeal on water as much as you like, but if you prefer slightly richer meals, you can prepare it with milk, yoghurt, your favourite cheese or juice.
Good additions will also be: nuts, dried and raw fruits, cocoa, seeds and seeds, nuts. Don’t worry. Such a richer oatmeal will not provide us with additional folds of fat, but will satisfy our appetite and provide many valuable nutrients from the additives that we used for oatmeal.
Example of the caloric value of different types of oatmeal:
- oatmeal on water (1 serving – about 250 g) – about 200 kcal
- oatmeal with milk (1 serving – about 250 g) – about 280 kcal
- oatmeal with yoghurt (1 serving about 250 g) – about 300 kcal
How to make oatmeal in the simplest, quickest way? Pour oatmeal into a bowl, pour boiling water or hot milk over it, stir lightly and set aside for 5 minutes. When the flakes swell, add your favourite toppings and you are done.
Oatmeal – glycemic index
The glycemic index of oatmeal is low, which makes it a very valuable product for people striving to reduce body weight, as well as all people struggling with blood sugar disorders. The final glycemic index value of oatmeal depends on how much it has been processed.
The glycemic index of plain and mountain oatmeal is 40, while the glycemic index of instant oatmeal is just over 40. These values apply to dry, raw flakes.
After cooking, the glycemic index of oatmeal increases slightly (to about 50-55), but it is still a low value, completely safe for our figure and for the insulin economy of our body.
Types of oatmeal diet
In the most restrictive edition, the oatmeal diet consists in eating for a week or two weeks almost exclusively oatmeal on water or skim milk. Calorie intake in this case is very low, far too low to maintain the proper work of our body (we take in only about 800-1000 kcal per day). This variant can absolutely not be recommended – severely restricted monodiets never reflect well on health and well-being and almost always end up with a yo-yo effect.
Another variant is a one-day oatmeal diet. It is easy to guess that this is not a diet aimed at fat reduction. It is simply too short for that. It aims to detoxify the body, get rid of harmful substances and excess water, reduce the level of bad cholesterol and fatty deposits from blood vessels and relieve the liver.
During the one-day oatmeal diet, we eat only oatmeal throughout the day. We prepare it from 7-8 tablespoons of mountain oatmeal and 2 liters of skim milk. We then divide this into 5-6 small portions and eat every 2-3 hours.
One-day oatmeal diet is a typically health-promoting diet, which brings the best results if it is done periodically, for example, once every two or three weeks.
If you want to effectively lose a few pounds, neither radical weekly oatmeal diet, nor cleansing one-day oatmeal diet are certainly not for you. A much better option would be a long term oatmeal diet, which we will follow for a month or two, and which will help us gradually get rid of excess weight without the subsequent yo-yo effect.
Long-term oatmeal diet – the rules
Long-term oatmeal diet is a way to lose excess weight, while cleansing the body of toxins, regulating metabolism and digestion, and stabilizing blood sugar levels. The duration of the long-term oatmeal diet is 4-5 weeks, maximum 2 months.
In the first phase of the long-term oatmeal diet we introduce a rather restrictive menu, in which we eat almost only oatmeal (on water, low-fat yogurt or skim milk). We can also allow ourselves a little variety in the form of whole vegetables, salads, blender smoothies, small portions of very lean meat (e.g. a piece of turkey or chicken fillet, a slice of sirloin).
Oatmeal must appear in almost all meals.
In the first stage, we should not consume more than 1400 kcal per day (in some sources 1200 kcal is given as the maximum amount, but for most people this is a little too little). It is comforting to know that this raw phase is short, only a few days. It aims to thoroughly cleanse the body, eliminate excess subcutaneous water, speed up metabolism and start the fat burning process.
In the second phase of the oatmeal diet we have much more freedom in cooking, although our menu must still be based on oatmeal and remain low-calorie.
- 1 breakfast: porridge with skim milk
- 2 breakfast: smoothie with blended vegetables and oatmeal
- Dinner: 100 g. cooked chicken breast with herbs, salad, 3 spoonfuls of oatmeal on water
- Tea time: 3 carrots
- Dinner: natural yoghurt with 3 spoons of oatmeal
After 5-7 days we enter the second phase of the diet, gradually incorporating fruit, lean cottage cheese, lean ham and poultry tenderloin, nuts, legumes, lean fish. We try to eat about 1400-1600 kcal per day.
We eat oatmeal on skim milk or yogurt every day, in addition to incorporating oatmeal into most meals.
- 1 breakfast: oatmeal on skim milk with raisins and sunflower seeds
- 2 breakfast: wholemeal bread sandwich with lean meat, a glass of smoothie made of mixed fruit and oatmeal
- Lunch: 100 g of wholemeal rice, grilled cod, cooked green beans
- Tea time: omelette with egg whites and oatmeal
- Dinner: vegetable casserole with oatmeal
Remember to drink plenty of water (at least 2 liters) every day during the whole oatmeal diet.
Products not allowed on an oatmeal diet
While on an oatmeal diet, eliminate from your diet all high-calorie, unhealthy, fattening, fat-soaked and sugar-saturated products.
We do not eat fatty meats or fatty meats, salty snacks, sweets, fast food, highly processed food (e.g. instant soups), delicatessen dishes, white bread, white pasta, potatoes. We do not drink colored drinks, coffee or alcohol.
Oatmeal diet effects
Long-lasting feeling of satiety, no problems with constipation and flatulence, gradual, effective loss of excess weight, no attacks of strong hunger, normalization of blood glucose levels – these are the effects of a rationally composed oatmeal diet.
How much weight can be lost using a diet plan based on oatmeal? Usually you lose about 1 kg per week, but in the initial phase of the diet and if you are overweight, the rate of weight loss may be faster.
Remember to compose your menu in such a way that you don’t overdo it one way or the other. We cannot cut calories too radically. 1300-1400 kcal a day in the first phase and 1500-1700 kcal a day in the second phase is the optimum. Do not forget to drink plenty of fluids (water, water with lemon, green tea, juices) and avoid products from the list of those prohibited and the results will be satisfactory.
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Sources:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/oatmeal-diet
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-benefits-oats-oatmeal
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311409
