How Can Oatmeal Help You to Lose Weight?

Oatmeal is a versatile hot cereal that can help you lose weight and stay healthy. Rolled oats, steel-cut oats and instant oats all provide health benefits, and eating oatmeal for breakfast is the best way to include it in a weight-loss regimen. Oatmeal fills you up, gives you energy and provides essential nutrients.

Breakfast

When you eat oatmeal it's likely that you are eating it for breakfast. Starting the day with a healthful breakfast fills you up, making it easier to avoid high-fat and sugar laden snacks later in the day. The energy you get from eating breakfast boosts your metabolism and can make you more physically active during the day and better able to burn more calories. As a whole grain, oatmeal is one of the healthiest choices you can make for breakfast. It is full of fiber and nutrients and helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Calories

By itself, oatmeal is low in fat and fairly low in calories. A typical serving of one-half cup of uncooked rolled oats contains 150 calories and 3 grams of fat. Only 25 of the calories stem from the fat content. There is 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat per serving. The total fat content represents 5 percent of the recommended daily value for fat. Eating a bowl of oatmeal every day for breakfast makes it easy to stay within your daily calorie needs.

Fiber

A diet high in fiber aids weight loss. Fiber makes you feel full and helps prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, which can make you hungry. Oats have more soluble fiber than any other whole grain, points out the American Heart Association. This high fiber content makes oats an excellent choice for a high-fiber diet. Each serving made from one-half cup of uncooked oats contains 4 grams of dietary fiber. Half of the fiber in a serving is soluble fiber.

Tips

All types of oatmeal are healthful and low-fat, but steel-cut oats are less processed than rolled oats and are believed to retain more nutrients. Packets of instant oatmeal often contain more sugar than oats you cook yourself. Regardless of the type of oatmeal you choose to eat, be careful of what you add to your bowl. Choose skim milk to keep the calories low. Instead of sweetening your oatmeal with sugar, try berries or dried fruit, which also offer additional fiber and nutrients.