Obesity is just poor decision-making!

The 50g bowl contains 30g of carbs, which is more than I eat in a day.

Casdon

That’s not a fact though growstuff. An average portion of porridge oats contains 145 calories, which given the other benefits it offers is low. The nutrient composition is well balanced. It’s a recommended product on many diets, including Slimming World, which is one of the most successful.

I guess it depends what you mean by "average". A quick search tells me that a 50g bowl (made with water), which is what the manufacturers consider average, contains about 180 calories.

It IS a fact that porridge is carbohydrate-dense.

Blondiescot

Growstuff - a quick search pointed me to many studies which have reached that conclusion. You can avoid porridge if you want, but it is a FACT that it is not high in calories and has many other health benefits.

It depends how big the bowl is and whether it's eaten with milk.

It's a FACT that it's high in carbs - and, yes, I will continue to avoid it, thank you - I believe my blood glucose measuring device.

If somebody is eating 1700 calories a day and weight is stable, that indicates that the body needs that number of calories to maintain weight. To lose a pound a week, the body needs a deficit of 500 calories a day ie 1200 calories. A 50g bowl of porridge with 300ml of semi-skimmed milk is about 330 calories, which is fine if you want to maintain weight cheaply, but porridge is carbohydrate dense, so not so great if you already have insulin resistance, which a lot of overweight people have.

Growstuff - a quick search pointed me to many studies which have reached that conclusion. You can avoid porridge if you want, but it is a FACT that it is not high in calories and has many other health benefits.

growstuff

MaizieD

Why should orange juice have a health warning, Maybee?

We can't obliterate all sugars from our lives.

I do.

I manage the natural sugars in my food, but for another condition, not diabetes. Perhaps people should learn more about natural sugars. Those telling others what a "healthy" diet is, appear to have little knowledge of them.

Not that I am recommending sweeteners. You simply get used to a less sweet, but if you know how to cook, you can have a very tasty diet and you will soon find out just how much our diets have been skewed towards sweet and salty.

The biggest problem is not sugar, fat or anything else on its own. It is overprocessed food. If you try to only include foods with only one word on the contents label you will lose weight. If you learn which foods are lower in natural sugars, you will lose weight. By eating things that are not overprocessed you will eat less wheat, which packs out many processed foods, and you will lose weight.

You will also be fitter and healthier, but this needs money and education. However, this government are not prepared to pay for either. They, and their acolytes, would rather find a group to blame than admit their need for making money has radically changed our diets.

That’s not a fact though growstuff. An average portion of porridge oats contains 145 calories, which given the other benefits it offers is low. The nutrient composition is well balanced. It’s a recommended product on many diets, including Slimming World, which is one of the most successful.

Blondiescot

You clearly missed the last part of my previous comment. Studies have shown that porridge can aid weight management. At less than 200 calories for an average bowl, I'd hardly call that high in calories, and oats are very filling, so that would keep you going until lunchtime.

Which studies?

FWIW I know that porridge sends my blood glucose sky high (because I test it), so I won't touch it.

I expect the argument is that porridge makes you feel full, but that only works if it really does reduce the consumption of other foods and very little else is eaten.

The fact is that porridge contains a lot of carbs and calories and if the aim is to lose weight, it needs to be cut down.

You clearly missed the last part of my previous comment. Studies have shown that porridge can aid weight management. At less than 200 calories for an average bowl, I'd hardly call that high in calories, and oats are very filling, so that would keep you going until lunchtime.

vampirequeen

growstuff

Vampirequeen Cut out the porridge, bread, pasta, rice and treats (or, at least, only eat minute portions). Reduce your intake to 1200-1300 calories a day for a month and see if it makes any difference.

PS. Exercise doesn't have a huge effect on weight.

Go on a keto diet and reduce to starvation calories. Not a good plan for healthy living. But thanks for your reply. At least you've made a suggestion.

Having read the posts from all the people who seem to be in the 'you are what you eat brigade', I'd expected more replies. Perhaps it's easier to blame the obese than offer solutions.

You asked about losing weight. 1200-1300 calories is not a starvation diet and cutting down on carbs isn't keto either. I'm not "blaming" anybody, but if you want to lose weight, you've been given a method of doing so. It's your choice if you don't want to lose weight after all.

Blondiescot

What's wrong with porridge? Oats have been proven to help manage cholesterol levels, help to balance blood sugar levels,
support gut health, are a good source of antioxidants and studies have shown that a bowl of porridge in the morning can also help aid weight management.

The poster asked about losing weight. Porridge has a high number of calories, which is great if you want cheap energy, but not so great if you want to lose weight.

What's wrong with porridge? Oats have been proven to help manage cholesterol levels, help to balance blood sugar levels,
support gut health, are a good source of antioxidants and studies have shown that a bowl of porridge in the morning can also help aid weight management.

vampirequeen

growstuff

Vampirequeen Cut out the porridge, bread, pasta, rice and treats (or, at least, only eat minute portions). Reduce your intake to 1200-1300 calories a day for a month and see if it makes any difference.

PS. Exercise doesn't have a huge effect on weight.

Go on a keto diet and reduce to starvation calories. Not a good plan for healthy living. But thanks for your reply. At least you've made a suggestion.

Having read the posts from all the people who seem to be in the 'you are what you eat brigade', I'd expected more replies. Perhaps it's easier to blame the obese than offer solutions.

I agree with growstuff

vampire cutting out porridge, pasta, bread, rice and cake is not a Keto diet. I eat very little of these starchy carbs but do eat other carbs such as most vegetables, and moderate portions of lentils, chick peas, etc.

This is the way I have to eat if I want to control my weight.

I'm afraid, with few exceptions, we are what we eat - if I remember rightly didn't you lose a lot of weight some time back by dieting, which rather proves the point.

As a life-long dieter in one way or another I know it's not easy dealing with the genes we've been dealt, but it can be done.

Obesity is NOT just poor decision-making! Obesity is not just stuffing your face with food. Medication, disability and illnesses can cause obesity too.

growstuff

Vampirequeen Cut out the porridge, bread, pasta, rice and treats (or, at least, only eat minute portions). Reduce your intake to 1200-1300 calories a day for a month and see if it makes any difference.

PS. Exercise doesn't have a huge effect on weight.

Go on a keto diet and reduce to starvation calories. Not a good plan for healthy living. But thanks for your reply. At least you've made a suggestion.

Having read the posts from all the people who seem to be in the 'you are what you eat brigade', I'd expected more replies. Perhaps it's easier to blame the obese than offer solutions.

MaizieD

growstuff

MaizieD

Why should orange juice have a health warning, Maybee?

We can't obliterate all sugars from our lives.

I do.

But you're diabetic.

I'm curious, though. Is it actually necessary to eliminate all sugars? My late MiL was diabetic but ate icecream.

And doesn't the digestive process break carbohydrates down to a form of sugar? (I could look this up, of course)

Yes, you're right. The digestive process does break food down and, to be accurate, I eat sugar in milk products, vegetables and whole fruit, but I eat a fraction of the recommended amount of carbs and avoid all extrinsic sugars (including fruit juices and smoothies).

I suspect it's not necessary for non-diabetics to avoid all sugars because they produce enough insulin to cope. However, most people do have too much sugar and sometimes aren't aware that they're consuming them. I doubt if a glass of fruit juice would do a non-diabetic much harm, but it contains the same amount of sugar as a glass of normal coke and some people drink cartons of it. If people are trying to lose weight, fruit juices are probably best avoided and substituted with whole fruit. They quench thirst and provide some vitamins, but they're calorific.

PS. I guess it depends how often and how much ice cream your late MiL ate. If she was T2 diabetic and didn't eat much other sugar, ice cream contains less sugar than some other healthier seeming desserts.

Musicgirl I hope you didn't think that was what I was implying.
I was just noticing that for me I may be a bit smug about my diet which I know is a "good" one, but my portion-control seems to be the issue.

Everyone probably has a unique reason/combination of reasons for being overweight. The trick is obviously trying to discover what our own reasons are.

growstuff

MaizieD

Why should orange juice have a health warning, Maybee?

We can't obliterate all sugars from our lives.

I do.

But you're diabetic.

I'm curious, though. Is it actually necessary to eliminate all sugars? My late MiL was diabetic but ate icecream.

And doesn't the digestive process break carbohydrates down to a form of sugar? (I could look this up, of course)

Obesity is far more than “eat less, move more.” Emotional eating is real and complex and there are a number of medical conditions and medications that can cause weight gain. Genetics do play a part. I have three adult children. The younger two take after my husband’s side of the family and are very, very slim. The oldest takes after my side of the family and has a constant struggle to control his weight. In addition to this, I have an underactive thyroid and lipodoema, which is a medical condition, usually hereditary on the female side of the family and which mostly affects women. This is a condition where abnormal fat cells build up in the legs and bottom and can progress to the arms and upper body in later stages, which has happened to me. My mother and her sister (my aunt) also have it. Each hormonal change can make it progressively worse and at my age l have had the lot - puberty, four pregnancies (one miscarriage) and menopause. This type of fat cannot be lost by diet or exercise. Obesity is a very common co-morbidity. I am fortunate in that my top half is around a size 14, lower half larger, but, because I am an abnormal shape, l look larger. Many ladies with this condition are size 20+. This condition has been known about since the end of the Second World War and affects about 10% of the female population but until recent years there has been virtually no research into it. Various lipodoema groups have been pro-active themselves, but there has been very little help from the medical professionals. Until recently, only around 5% of gps had heard of it. I cannot imagine a condition that affected 10% of the male population would have had so little research in all that time. Hopefully, younger ladies with the condition will be able to avoid reaching the later stages but it is too little too late for me.
I simply wanted to show that there are other reasons for being overweight that we cannot always see from the outside and it is not always because of sheer greed.

I'm overweight, for sure. I eat pretty much the same as I always have though. Virtually everything is cooked fresh, from scratch, no biscuits or cakes or fizzy drinks in the house unless it's an "occasion" or visitors expected.

I swim three times a week and walk in-between (admittedly not as far as I used to)

I have decided it's my portion size that's the problem and am trying to cook less than I think we need.
So far I think I've lost a little as my jeans are not so tight. It's not just about what you eat, it's about how much.

MaizieD

Why should orange juice have a health warning, Maybee?

We can't obliterate all sugars from our lives.

I do.

Callistemon21

I'm not advocating sugary foods, icanhandthemback, but I do think that artificial sweeteners are not the way to go.
Perhaps the manufacturers of food and drink and the government need to have a proper conversation with all those who have carried out extensive research.

I know how hard it must be, a relative and a friend have T1 diabetes and we meet for meals out sometimes. They do seem to have a gadget to check on their blood sugar levels, neither seems overweight either.

T1 diabetes isn't associated with being overweight. Insulin-dependent diabetics sometimes adjust their insulin to what they eat and, therefore, can be more flexible about food than T2 diabetics. The two conditions are totally different.

icanhandthemback

MaizieD

There's always Adam's Ale, MOnica.

Or soda water or pure fruit juices

Pure Fruit Juices are full of sugar. They are one of the first foods on the "banned" foods for diabetics!

Is MOnica diabetic?

Why should orange juice have a health warning, Maybee?

We can't obliterate all sugars from our lives.

Vampirequeen Cut out the porridge, bread, pasta, rice and treats (or, at least, only eat minute portions). Reduce your intake to 1200-1300 calories a day for a month and see if it makes any difference.

PS. Exercise doesn't have a huge effect on weight.

icanhandthemback

MaizieD

There's always Adam's Ale, MOnica.

Or soda water or pure fruit juices

Pure Fruit Juices are full of sugar. They are one of the first foods on the "banned" foods for diabetics!

The two healthy eating podcasts I’ve just listened to said that orange juice should have a health warning on it.