How Instant Oatmeal Can Help Weight Loss?
Instant oatmeal is a dish many people enjoy having for breakfast. Not only it is a delicious dish for breakfast, it is also a dish that helps in reducing your hunger, thereby helping you stick to your diet plan. This is because the fiber in oats forms gels to fill up. And it is these gels that delay the emptying of your stomach so that you don’t feel hungry quickly.
Having a bowl of instant oatmeal every morning increases your consumption of whole grains. These whole grains have fiber, various minerals and phytonutrients. These phytonutrients include lignans, plant sterols and stanols and antioxidants. The lignans are helpful in protecting your heart while stanols help in normalizing blood cholesterol levels. Eating about two bowls of oatmeal a day helps to reduce your cholesterol levels by six points in three months.
In addition to this, instant oatmeal also helps in reducing the medication in a person with diabetes. Instant oatmeal is also full of proteins and has about 50% of the amount of manganese a person requires in a day. Oatmeal also offers lots of iron, magnesium and thiamin. So it can be seen that instant oatmeal helps you to lose weight, and at the same time, provides you with your required nutrients. There is absolutely no cholesterol in a bowl of instant oatmeal as there is only three grams of dietary fiber in it. Oatmeal is a high source of phosphorus where you can find 133 mg of phosphorus and 42 mg of magnesium in it.
Instant oatmeal is a dish that does not have many calories. Though a portion of oatmeal has only 110 calories, it is a very filling dish. With a bowl of instant oatmeal, your hunger gets satisfied and you don’t feel hungry for quite sometime. The amount of fat in a bowl of oats is only two grams; so you don’t feel guilty of eating unnecessary fat in your breakfast.
The cooking time for instant oatmeal is also very short as they are precooked and pressed thin. Boiling water is used only for its reconstitution. Instant oatmeal usually has added sodium, and comes in the unsweetened, sweetened, flavored and unflavored form. The sweetened and flavored varieties have sugar, and so are not advisable if you are having instant oatmeal to help in weight loss. It is better to eat unsweetened or unflavored variety if you intend to lose weight with the help of oatmeal.
If you get bored eating instant oatmeal in your diet, you could try some variations in it by perhaps sprinkling it with cinnamon and adding some fat free milk. Instead of cooking oatmeal as a hot cereal, you could also bake oat brain using a low fat muffin recipe. This brings some variety in your diet and makes you feel better eating instant oatmeal while trying to reduce weight.
Posted: November 27th, 2006 under Daily Health Tips.
Comments: 16
Comments
Comment from John from East Amherst NY
Time: April 23, 2007, 6:05 pm
I was diagnosed with IBS ( irritable Bowel Syndrom ) about 5 years ago. I was told back then, that my diet would reduce the symptoms of severe bloating, cramps and irregular bathroom visits. I tried lots of different food with very little difference. Recently, i slowed my approach by focusing on a change at one meal per day. I started with Breakfast. OK, i reduced my McDonalds visit which was 4 days a week, and stopped eating sugared cereal. I replaced my morning breakfast with instant Oatmeal and a fruit. The oatmeal was constant every day ( different flavors ) but i changed the fruits each day. I chased it down with bottled water. Within a week i felt better with more energy. After about three weeks, i lost about two pants sizes. I only lost about 5LBS, but my stomach went down drastically and my bloating pains went away!!! I am happy with both results. Maybe in a month i can tell you i lost yet another 5lbs.
Love the oatmeal too. I think this snack or meal will be with me for many years.
Comment from SAM
Time: April 23, 2007, 8:11 pm
Hi John, i am glad that you love oatmeal. Instead of flavored oatmeal, i build my own oatmeal
You should do that too cause commercial oatmeal has a lot of sugar in it. Also, try to get the multi grain for more fiber.
Here is two other oatmeal recipes that i love
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21335,00.html?rsrc=search
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_15945,00.html?rsrc=search
try to replace the milk or cream with skim mike and put some crushed nut or flaxseed for more nutrition.
Comment from Amanda
Time: October 14, 2007, 11:29 am
Hello. I am a huge fan of Quaker Weight Contrl Oatmeal. It comes in 3 yummy flavors and has 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. It is 160 calories per packet. It fills you more than other instant oatmeals with the added fiber and protein. It’s a perfect balance for weight control. I usually add a sliced banana into the oatmeal and then cook it for 2 mins in the microwave. It is just perfect! I also pour some soymilk on top after it comes out of the microwave.
Comment from Jane
Time: January 13, 2008, 8:51 am
I recently read, How To Eat Like a Hot Chick. I discovered through reading this that the little pre-fab packets are not so great compared to just plain instant oatmeal. I am eating oatmeal for weight loss and even though the packets are only 160 calories, half a cup of instant oatmeal is 150 calories and is about three times large of a portion!! Since filling me up is my goal, I have switched to the instant oatmeal. I can still spice it up with cinnamon or sweeten it a little with splenda. Now instead of a third of a bowl of oatmeal, I get a FULL bowl for same (actually slightly less) amount of calories!!
Comment from SAM
Time: January 13, 2008, 9:47 am
Yup, plain instant oatmeal is good. However, the best choice will be a multi grain hot cereal. Usually it is a mix of rye, barley, oats and wheats.
Let compare the Quaker oatmeal and Country Choice organic multi grain hot cereal. Both measure in half cup serving size
Quaker : 150 calories, 3g of fat (.5 saturated), 27 grams carbohydrate, 4g fiber
Country Choice: 130 calories, 1g of fat (0 saturated), 29 grams carbohydrate, 5g fiber.
Country Choice have more fiber that can fill you up better and less calories. However, most plain oatmeal don’t offer enough protein. You can fix it by add soy milk, soy bean protein powder or protein power that is low in sugar.
Also add some fruit in your oatmeal Jane. It is boring to eat cinnamon oatmeal everyday
Comment from Lexi
Time: October 9, 2008, 3:51 pm
Hey,
So I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast and lunch for about a month now, I have lost 15 pounds and feel great. My doctor recomended this to me to loose wheight:
Eat oatmeal For breakfast and lunch but be sure to include double the amount of protien as carbs in each meal. Then half whatever you normally eat for dinner.
Getting Double the protien was hard But I came up with a really easy way to add healthy and good flavor to my oatmeal. I Use 1/2 a serving of carmel flavored protien powder (muscle Milk) to my oat meal and a banana. This way I am eating 11g carbs and 16g protien so I have alot of long term energy. Each meal averages out to 300 calories so I have 500 calories to eat for dinner.
I didn’t think this would work but it has, I eat something that tastes great and work out 4 times a week, And I am never hungry! The recipe may look gross but it tastes good and I am still not bored because I change the flavors of protien.
Comment from Moogreen
Time: December 29, 2008, 1:08 pm
I like it. And I hate oatmeal of any kind. But on my Christmas break I found myself eating it. I have been eating for a week and a half and I feel energized and satisfied due to the oatmeal. Now that I am on medication which causes weight gain. This hot cereal is perfect . ^_^
Comment from gili
Time: February 4, 2009, 12:48 am
hi… am the new entrant to tis oatmeal list… Iam having oats as my breakfast for past a week.. No doubt its a good appetizer but the strange thing is that though it reduces my hunger if I see any of my favourite eateries even just one minute after eating the oats I get tempted to eat again..
Comment from Donna
Time: March 26, 2009, 12:22 pm
I was just wondering if flavored instant oatmeal is any good for lowering your cholesterol and weight loss and if not what do u suggest?
Comment from SAM
Time: March 26, 2009, 12:32 pm
Donna:
The problem with flavored instant oatmeal is they are loaded with sugar. Quaker Instant Oatmeal has 13g of sugar per serving.
unflavored instant oatmeal + splenda + fresh fruit will work the best for you
Comment from MC
Time: June 5, 2009, 8:32 am
I love Quaker oatmeal! I switched to the sugar free packets and it’s still amazing! I add some fresh fruit and it’s simply delicious! It also helps me feel full during the day!!!
Comment from Fresh
Time: August 17, 2009, 10:01 am
So Lexi how much have you lost now as of 8/17/09 or have you reached your goal yet?
Comment from bhuvana
Time: August 20, 2009, 6:10 am
i get gastric trouble if i take oats porridge. how should i cook?? instead of milk, what i should i use for making the porridge. shall i use salt and buttermilk for that???
Comment from Shawn
Time: August 20, 2009, 8:33 am
Instant oatmeal is not whole grain. The oats are sliced open, then rolled, and most likely then added with sugar. If you want true Whole Grain, get steel cut oatmeal. It’s the entire seed. It tastes like oatmeal, but has the consistency of brown rice. Mix with some raisins and you’ve got yourself a TRUE healthy whole grain breakfast.
Comment from gege
Time: November 7, 2009, 7:12 am
im going to try this for a month straight a meal substitute i have not much cravings i just have problems with hunger because i constantly get hungry even though i had a heavy meal. i hope it this oatmeal diet would help me loose weight and my tummy problems ill post again if this works for me
Comment from Sumana
Time: January 5, 2010, 9:41 pm
I love sugar free Quaker oatmeal. I agree the flavored oatmeals have a lot of sugar. When you are trying to control cholesterol or lose weight, its not a healthy choice. I changed to un-flavored oatmeal quite a while back and its delicious! I cook it with water in the microwave and add skim milk on top. I think it’s the perfect way to get the right fiber to lose weight / enjoy what you eat as well.
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