I Miss My Oatmeal (cross post)

Do you eat oatmeal? I like oatmeal and miss it on cold winter mornings. My last taste was about 6 weeks post-op. I was in a hurry and ordered the classic oatmeal from Starbucks. 30 minutes later I regretted every bite. I think it was my first dumping episode. I posted something here and there were a couple of things that may have contributed my discomfort. 1. Too early for carbs and too many carbs in the Starbucks oatmeal and 2. Too much sugar in the Starbucks oatmeal. Now at 7 months post-op and winter in full swing I'm thinking about trying oatmeal again. Only this time I will make it at home and add my protein powder to it. I see on Bariatric Foodie some recipes for baked oatmeal and regular oatmeal. Any suggestions? Steel cut vs rolled? There are 5-6 gram of protein in the oatmeal and with the added protein powder I could get about 25-30 grams, get my fiber in and be full all morning. Or should I just stay away from oatmeal?

I ate steel cut oatmeal pretty early out.  I added protein powder in it to alleviate my guilt, lol.  I was fine as long as I watched the portion.  It was one of those things that I lost interest in as soon as I allowed myself to have some.

My NUT said it was perfectly fine for me to have oatmeal. I'm a month later than you surgery-wise.  I either make Steel Cut (which my dad will very willingly eat the rest) or use some low sugar instant. 2 ounces of oatmeal and 2 ounces of cottage cheese and i'm a happy camper. Mind you, i only do this about once a week so i don't burn out on it.

Oatmeal is one of my favorite things to eat during cold mornings and I have never had a problem with it.  I either get Quaker Instant Packets NO SUGAR ADDED or LOW SUGAR ( I dump very easily, so I watch that the sugar is not over 10 grams)  I mix the oatmeal with WATER.  I do not use milk to mix it nor do I add it to the oatmeal once it is heated as the sugar in the milk will increase my chances of dumping.  I have added unflavored protein powder to increase the protein and it helps to keep me satisfied.   I don't eat oatmeal daily, just every once in awhile and have no problems.  

I am pretty sure you probably dumped off the Starbucks oatmeal, that stuff is loaded with sugar as is the McDonald's.  Try regular instant oats or the individual packets and see how you do.  

Good Luck to you! 

Nik

Rolled oats are processed junk food, whi*****ludes all instant oatmeal. Rolling the oat removes part of the grain, so it is no longer whole grain and is heavily processed. If you must eat oatmeal, pick steel cut oats because it is the least processed kind. It just sounds too heavy for me.

I think oatmeal (steel cut -- not instant) is a fine thing to eat once you want to stop losing weight.  If you are in maintenance, then in moderation, I guess it could be okay. I would definitely not waste my honeymoon period on it, and even at two years out,  it is definitely NOT part of my eating plan, however...

If you really miss oatmeal that much, consider making mock oatmeal using TVP (texturized vegetable protein) 

It makes a very acceptable mock oatmeal! There is no real taste to it, so it just absorbs the flavor of whatever you add to it, and the texture is very much like oatmeal. I have used sugar free maple syrup, sweetener and cinnamon, almond milk and shredded unsweetened coconut and raisins for my skinny husband, etc -- my husband even likes it

1/3 cup TVP (I used Bob's Red Mill High Protein TVP)

1 cup water

Cook on high for 2 1/2 min, then on half power for 10 min. covered loosely.  

The TVP alone is:
Calories: 106
Carbs: 9 grams-5 grams Fiber = 4 Net Carbs
Protein: 16 grams
Of course your additions will add to that.

I did not eat oatmeal during my weigh loss phase because I felt it was a waste of calories. Why? Because I wanted to meet my protein goals using as few calories as possible.  Other than low carb veggies and the occasional sprinkle of berries as a condiment on something, I limited my food choices to ones that had at least 10 grams of protein for every 100 calories.  Actually, I rarely eat oatmeal now for many of the same reasons. 

I occasionally have instant steel cut oatmeal (unflavoured) that I add my regular protein powder to. I only have it on the weekends as a "Brunch" since during the week I just have a protein shake for breakfast.

The protein powder adds the flavour and sweetness (artificial).

It's not something that I had early out, only when I was closer to goal.