When it comes to what to eat, I generally think what is going to give me the biggest bang for my buck.
If you want to eat more volume, start by adding foods that are lowest in calorie density, like fruit. Adding fresh (or frozen) fruit to your oats in the morning is a great way to fill your stomach without over eating the oats. Oats are going to be the satiating factor in your meal and the fruit is going to be the volume factor.
The key to losing weight and keeping it off is not eating less, but eating MORE lower calorie foods that will get you into that deficit and SHUT OFF that hunger drive. A big bowl of oatmeal in the morning is definitely going to turn off that hunger drive and keep you full until lunch.
To Build Your Bowl:
- Start with cooking the oats. To keep it lower in calories, cook with water instead of milk.
2. To add some flavor and sweetness, chop up your favorite fruit or you could use frozen fruit. By adding the fruit, it helps to lower the calorie density of the meal. If you really wanted to feel fuller on few calories, you could grate some zucchini or add in riced cauliflower. It sounds strange but honestly you can barely taste it.
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3. Add in some FRESH FRUIT (Berries are great because they are super low in calories)
4. Add in something that makes it taste good, PB powder (small amount), a few stevia drops, dash of cinnamon, splash of soy milk, vanilla or whatever you are feeling. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tips: I keep nuts and seeds to a MINIMUM for weight loss because they are exceptionally calorie dense without helping to fill me up. In the oatmeal bowl, I added a sprinkle of flax seeds for OMEGA-3. Prior to learning about calorie density, I would add a large tablespoon of nut butter. and a hefty drizzle of maple syrup. No wonder I thought my metabolism was broken. I used to add an additional 200 calories to my oats.
Raw nuts and seeds ARE good for you, but if you are needing to lose 30 pounds to be in a healthy weight range, limiting them to HELP you lose weight.
