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Oatmeal Diet: What Is Oatmeal Diet?
As the name suggests, the oatmeal diet revolves around the consumption of oats. The oatmeal diet is a 7-day weight loss program. Oatmeal is made from dry oats, these dry oats are whole grains and are believed to have a lot of nutritional value. People usually prefer eating oatmeal for breakfast, as it is a healthy option. Those who don’t like the taste of the oatmeal try to change the taste by adding fruits or nuts. The oatmeal diet gained popularity online and with abundant information available online, it is now easy to follow this diet. Oatmeal is also preferred ‘diet-food’ as it is easy to cook and doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. In the oatmeal diet, all you have to do is replace some meals of each day with oatmeal and you are good to go.
Oatmeal Diet: How Oatmeal Diet Works?
There are different ways in which you can follow the oatmeal diet.
1. The first method is where you eat oatmeal for all 3 meals in a day for 2 days and the consumption of calories is 1300. And then eventually, you reduce the consumption of oatmeal to just 2 meals for 2 days. For the remaining 3 days, you consume oatmeal for one meal only.
2. The second method is where the first 2 meals of the day are oatmeal, while the 3rd meal, i.e. the dinner, should be a food item that has high protein content such as fish/chicken with salad/cooked vegetables. This method is healthier than the 1st method as in this method, there is an adequate amount and variety of minerals and vitamins given to the body.
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3. The third method is where you eat oatmeal in all 3 meals for 7 days. You can eat ½ cup of oatmeal for all the meals and you can also have ½ cup skimmed milk along with it if you want. But remember, you will get the best results if you only eat whole oatmeal and not instant or ready-made oatmeal. Calorie intake must be 900-1200 calories each day.
After these 7 days, for the next 30 days, you can start with your regular eat but add ½ cup of oatmeal to it. You can now have instant oatmeal as well which was not supposed to be consumed for the first 7 days. This month, calorie intake might be 1000-1300 calories. For snacks, you can eat ½ cup of fruits or ½ cup of raw vegetables.
After these 30 days, you can continue with your regular diet and add one meal of oatmeal and one snack of oatmeal each day. You can choose different food items to avoid monotony but the calorie intake should be the same.
Oats provide the required amount of fiber to the body which improves digestion. These fibers lock themselves with the fat present in the intestine which ensures the fats are not absorbed in the body.
Oatmeal Diet: Oatmeal Diet Plan
The oatmeal diet is followed worldwide for weight loss. In order to lose weight, you must follow the oatmeal diet with strict low-calorie intake. There are multiple variations of the oatmeal diet that people follow depending on what they like. Even though it is not advisable to restrict your meal to one food item but for short spurts of weight loss, or to kickstart metabolism when you may have hit a weight loss plateau, the oatmeal diet could serve a good way to lose some weight quickly.
The food items that you can eat during the oatmeal diet are:
- Oatmeal
- Skimmed milk
- Sugar free pudding
- Club soda
- Bananas
- Berries
- Tea
- Coffee
- Fish
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Apples
- Fish
- Chicken breast
- Celery
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Red pepper
Diet Plan For 6 Days
Day 1
| Breakfast | 1. ½ cup oatmeal 2. ½ cup skimmed milk 3. ½ tsp cinnamon 4. 1 tbsp raisins 5. Coffee/tea 6. Snack: ½ cup blueberries |
| Lunch | 1. ½ cup low-fat yogurt 2. 1 banana 3. ½ cup oatmeal 4. Snack: ½ cup of raw vegetables |
| Dinner | 1. Grilled chicken breast 2. Green salad 3. ½ cup oatmeal 4. Snack: sugar-free pudding |
Day 2
| Breakfast | Same as day 1 |
| Lunch | Same as day 1 |
| Dinner | Same as day 1 |
Day 3
| Breakfast | 1. ½ cup oatmeal 2. ½ cup substitute of skimmed milk 3. 1 tbsp dried cranberries 4. ½ tbsp cinnamon 5. Tea/coffee 6. Snack: 1 apple |
| Lunch | 1. ½ cup low-fat yogurt 2. ½ cup oatmeal 3. 1 cup strawberries 4. Snack: a few almonds |
| Dinner | 1. Broiled fish fillet 2. 1 cup wild rice pilau 3. Snack: 1 cup of celery sticks |
Day 4
| Breakfast | 1. ½ tsp vanilla 2. 1 banana 3. ½ cup oatmeal 4. ½ cup substitute for skimmed milk 5. Tea/coffee Snack: 2 kiwi |
| Lunch | 1. ½ cup substitute for skimmed milk 2. ½ cup oatmeal 3. ¼ cup walnuts 4. 1 tsp cinnamon 5. Snack: 1 apple |
| Dinner | 1. Lean chicken/vegetable burger 2. 1 whole wheat bun 3. 1 cup baked zucchini fries 4. Snack: 1 cup sugar-free jello |
Day 5
| Breakfast | 1. ½ cup oatmeal 2. ½ cup non-fat yogurt 3. ¼ tsp nutmeg 4. 1 cup blueberries 5. Coffee/tea 6. Snack: a few almonds |
| Lunch | 1. ½ cup dried cranberries 2. ½ cup oatmeal 3. ½ cup skimmed milk/ substitute for skimmed milk 4. 1 tsp cinnamon 4. 1 banana |
| Dinner | 1. Any red meat steak 2. 3 cups garden salad 3. 2 tbsp salad dressing 4. Snack: orange |
Day 6
| Breakfast | 1. ½ cup oatmeal 2. ½ cup skimmed milk/ substitute for skimmed milk 3. ½ cup raisins 4. ½ cup dried plums 5. Tea/coffee 6. Snack: 1 apple |
| Lunch | 1. ½ cup oatmeal 2. ½ cup vanilla non-fat yogurt 3. ¼ cup walnut 4. Snack: 1 tbsp peanut butter, 4 celery sticks |
| Dinner | 1. 1 pack chicken soup 2. 2 cup mixed vegetables 3. Snack: ½ cup sugar-free pudding |
Like any other diet, to get the best results out of the oatmeal diet, you must exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3-5 days a week. Exercising will only improve results but ensure you do the right exercises which don’t harm your body in any way.
Oatmeal Diet: What Are The Expenses Of the Oatmeal Diet?
Following the oatmeal diet is very pocket-friendly and you will not spend much in following this diet. The only expense would be of food items that you will buy which is also not expensive. And oatmeal is not expensive at all. The cost of the oatmeal diet will be cheaper than your regular diet.
Oatmeal Diet: Does Oatmeal Diet Actually Work?
You eat only oatmeal to follow the oatmeal diet and it can be challenging as oatmeal doesn’t provide the required calories for the body. If people don’t get the required calories while following the oatmeal diet, they may feel ill, tired and nauseated. If followed properly, the Oatmeal diet works for a few days but as soon as you switch to your normal diet, you may see yourself gaining weight again.
Oatmeal Diet: 10 Delicious Recipes To Consume Oatmeal In Different Ways
There are some recipes made from oats that are also low in calories and would be ideal dishes to avoid monotony while following the oatmeal diet.
1. Oats And Chicken Porridge
You can simply make chicken porridge and oats separately and then combine them together for a healthy breakfast/lunch/dinner. This way you will not get the bland taste of oats and it will be easier for you to eat oats.
2. Oats Khichdi
Khichdi is an Indian dish that is very easy to make. It can be made from rice and pulses. You just replace rice and pulses with oats, follow the same cooking method and oats khichdi will be ready for you.
3. Oats Idli
Idlis are very healthy and they are considered to be one of the most healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. To make these idlis healthier and a part of your oatmeal diet plan, make the idli batter of oats and follow the same cooking method that you follow while making normal idlis.
4. Fried Eggs And Oatmeal Porridge
Consuming oatmeal porridge along with fried eggs can substitute for a healthy breakfast and lunch. It has a high amount of fiber and proteins which keeps the body healthy and you will not feel hungry or nauseated.
5. Oats Uttapam
Uttapam is another healthy dish like idli. They both are from South Indian cuisine. You can cook uttapam following the same recipe except the batter is made of oats and not rice.
6. Egg Omelettes Of Oats
If you love eating egg omelets in your breakfast or as a side dish with your meal, then this is the best option for you. You can mix oats with the batter of eggs to make an egg & oats omelet.
7. Simple Oatmeal
You can add a variety of veggies to the plain oatmeal. You can also add fruits, nuts, dry fruits to your oatmeal and give it a different taste every day.
8. Oatmeal Smoothie
You can make a smoothie of oatmeal and add fruits or nuts to it. It will be a healthy and tasty drink.
9. Dessert
You can make Indian desserts such as kheer or payasam with oats. Instead of rice, you use oats to cook the same. It will kill your craving of sweets and you will not intake unnecessary carbs with this dessert.
10. Oats Yogurt
This is the simplest oats dish. All you need to do is mix cooked oats with yogurt and add the spices according to your taste. You will have a healthier version of yogurt to eat.
Oatmeal Diet: Merits Of Oatmeal Diet
- Oats are not expensive and following this diet will not burn a hole in your pocket.
- Oats consist of phytonutrients which are good for the heart.
- Oatmeal controls the sugar level of blood as it has low glycemic carbs which maintain the blood sugar level.
- Oatmeal diet not only reduces weight but it also reduces the bad cholesterol from your body without affecting the good cholesterol.
- Oatmeal has a high content of soluble fiber and it can make you feel full for a long period of time. Hence, you eat less and your weight reduces.
- Since oatmeal has the perfect balance of fiber and vitamins, hence, your body is never deficient of fiber and vitamins.
- A cup of oats being cooked in water has 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of protein and 0 sugar. The calorie content is low and the fat content is only 1.5 grams.
Oatmeal Diet: Demerits Of Oatmeal Diet
- Since oats have low calories, it doesn’t fulfill the need for calories in your body and that might lead to you feeling ill, week or nauseated.
- Some people might fall ill as there is a drastic change of meals when one switches from a regular diet to an oatmeal diet.
- Since there is very limited food that is consumed in the oatmeal diet, there is no guarantee that this diet is beneficial in the long term.
- Following this diet could be a challenge as you have to eat oats every day and that would be extremely monotonous which makes it hard for a person to follow this diet.
Some risks involved with diets like the oatmeal diet are:
- Maintenance of weight loss in the long run
- Kidney stones
- Gout
- Chronic health problems
Oatmeal Diet: Oatmeal Might Lead To Weight Gain
It is believed that oatmeal is a healthy food ingredient. But if somebody doesn’t like the taste of oatmeal and they try to improve it by sugar, honey or other sweeteners, then they are increasing the calorific value of their meal. In order to make oatmeal taste better, people tend to add different ingredients in the oatmeal and that is where the oatmeal diet backfires. Instead of trying to make oatmeal tasty by sugar or anything sweet, you can choose any above mentioned delicious recipe.
In conclusion, for effective and sustainable weight loss, you need a diet plan which provides all the required nutrients for the body. If you restrict yourself to a 7-day diet plan, you may lose weight for some time, but it is not beneficial to follow such diets in the long run. To lose weight, you need a good diet plan advised by an expert along with a healthy and active lifestyle.