Jul 2, 20233 min read

Why Your Favourite Bowl Of Oats May Not Be Helping Your Fat Loss Journey

Why Your Favourite Bowl Of Oats May Not Be Helping Your Fat Loss Journey

I ate oats for years. I loved them. But I want to be very clear on why, although they may be a better alternative to sugary cereal, your favourite bowl of oats may not be helping your fat loss journey.

Oats are around 60% carbohydrates.

When they hit our bloodstream this turns to glucose.

They contain very little protein or fat.

So they don’t tend to ‘fill you up’ for very long.

Despite what you might have been told.

One ‘serving’ of oats contains 17g of carbohydrates, which is the equivalent of around 4-5 tsp of sugar hitting our bloodstream as glucose.

For packaged oat sachets or if you add a piece of fruit (like a banana), you can double this load…

The second ingredient in these packaged oats is sugar. 29g of carbohydrates is the equivalent of around 7+ tsp of sugar worth of glucose hitting your blood stream. Add a banana and that's another 5tsp. So, although these are traditionally 'healthy' ingredients, the glucose load they provide isn't ideal for many of us.

Our Body Cannot Burn Body Fat If We Give It Glucose That Has To Be Burnt First

Our body can’t burn body fat if we give it carbohydrates/ glucose that cannot be stored and have to be burnt first.

If we aren’t moving much and depleting the glycogen stores in our muscles excess glucose gets stored in the liver as glycogen or, with the help of insulin, gets converted into fatty acids, circulated to other parts of the body and stored as fat.

You can trust me on this one... I used to live off porridge. And be 12kg heavier.

Oats definitely aren’t bad for you...let's get that straight.

They are brilliant for if you love them, you’re active, or if fat loss isn’t your goal.

But if you are struggling with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance or just fat loss, switching your breakfast could be a good place to start.

I honestly recommend everyone switch from a sweet/mushy breakfast to something more substantial like eggs, bacon and veggies...but if you love the idea of your porridge, you can give this recipe a go.

It won't give you the satisfying dopamine hit that carbohydrates do and the texture is different - there is plenty more protein and also fat, which means you'll likely not need much of it. But if you want to stay fuller, for longer, without spiking your blood glucose, this is worth a go.

5 INGREDIENT GRAIN FREE PORRIDGE

A deliciously uncomplicated grain free, low carb porridge recipe, packed with protein and healthy fats.

Only 5 Key Ingredients:

- 2-3 Eggs (& a scoop of naturally sweetened protein powder if you like)

- 1Tbsp Almond Meal/Almond Flour/Ground Almonds - 1Tbsp Ground Linseed/Flaxseed/Chia Seeds - 1Tbsp Desiccated Coconut - 1 Cup Cream or 2 Cups of Water/Milk