Porridge

[deb1960]

I have been lchf since the beginning of January. I'm sure that I will horrify you by telling you my guilty secret . Yes I eat porridge for breakfast . There I've said it. I have reduced my insulin from 120 units daily to 50 units daily and have lost well over a stone. I don't have much appetite apart from breakfast and never eat lunch and only eat dinner as I cook for my husband and he gets worried if I don't eat. I had half a chicken breast with a tablespoon of carrots and another of cauliflower cheese followed by full fat Greek yoghurt and an apple. Does this count as lowish carb? I do need to lose another 3 stone too.
I don't enjoy a cooked breakfast and am not keen on eggs so I'm a bit stuck on my porridge which I relish.

 

[Resurgam]

The porridge oats are about 60 percent carbs I believe - so you need to know how much you eat, plus the carb content of anything added.
Carrot is 7 percent and cauliflower about 3 percent.
The apple varies with the variety but about 12 percent - so you need to weigh and calculate.
Personally I'd have had some chicken thighs, lots of cauliflower and no apple.
I eat twice a day, but have a low carb breakfast as I am entirely diet controlled. I find it easy to lose weight on low carb, but it is normally necessary to establish the level at which you lose weight in order to maintain weight loss week by week.
Don't you need to calculate your carbs to adjust insulin?

 

[deb1960]

The porridge oats are about 60 percent carbs I believe - so you need to know how much you eat, plus the carb content of anything added.
Carrot is 7 percent and cauliflower about 3 percent.
The apple varies with the variety but about 12 percent - so you need to weigh and calculate.
Personally I'd have had some chicken thighs, lots of cauliflower and no apple.
I eat twice a day, but have a low carb breakfast as I am entirely diet controlled. I find it easy to lose weight on low carb, but it is normally necessary to establish the level at which you lose weight in order to maintain weight loss week by week.
Don't you need to calculate your carbs to adjust insulin?

No I just inject 25 units of insulin before breakfast and before dinner. I think I'm struggling with what foods in can eat having gone from eating lots of carbs especially bread, potatoes, fruit and lots of other goodies. I had the apple today as I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. Which is pointless I know!

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

First can I ask do you measure your Blood Sugar if so what are your reading Good on you for reducing your Insulin Units I personally would be unable to survive on your regime but as long as your healthy that all that really matter.

As for the porridge and Lchf I am sure many of the disciples of this Diet will disagree but all diets are just one or more persons ideas on how to achieve their eating goals. and in the end its your body and your choice if it works for you fine. I think weight Loss is one goal of dieting But your Blood Sugar Levels and lowering them are equally important So do not worry about The porridge unless it Raises you Bs Levels if You don't use a meter You really must get one. and test before and 2hrs after your Porridge and this will tell you if it spikes your blood sugar and by how much and this will lead to you making a more informed choice about your diet.
Personally I say I eat Sensibly I do not slavishly follow any one diet I do read them I do take on Board other peoples experience, I make my food choices based on my own bodies reaction to different food and yes I too have porridge sometimes maybe once or twice a month on average it is a form of comfort food for me. The other thing is of course Portion Size but that again comes unde Sensible Eating

 

[Alison Campbell]

I am not in the least bit horrified and I hope you reach your goals.

 

[Prem51]

I used to have porridge for breakfast, usually with soaked Chia seeds added, until I tested 2 hour later and found my bs was over 10 mmol/L. Some people find it doesn't spike them though. The only way to find out is to test.
If it does spike you perhaps a Chia seed pudding would be a substitute if you don't like cooked breakfasts, or a toasted buttered LIDL High Protein roll.

 

[Crocodile]

I eat porridge for breakfast occasionally too. Only 1 to 2 times a week. found the Lowan brand has the lowest GI and have only 50g. That's way more than some have but my BG doesn't go up terribly. Usually about up by 1.5 at 1 hour and almost back to normal after 2. I'm 94kg.

Glenn

 

[david1968]

I used to love porridge but found that it was spiking my blood sugar quite badly. What sort are you eating @deb1960 ?

 

[pete254]

Hi Deb,
Don't feel at all guilty about eating porridge for breakfast. Since diagnosis 4 years ago I have eaten porridge for breakfast every day (except on four occasions when I experimented with bacon & eggs or omelette to see if it made any difference to my post meal reading - it didn't).
My favourite is Scott's old fashioned oats made with water, some berries, a splash of full fat milk and sprinkled with cinnamon. It's just under 35g carbs in total which is fine for me though if you're aiming for VLC I can see that would be a problem.
The advantage of porridge for me is that
(a) I never get bored with it (it's my favourite meal of the day).
(b) keeps me feeling full for up to five hours so no temptation to snack
(c) full of fibre which is difficult to get enough of on low carb
(d) cheap, easy & quick to make (3 minutes in microwave - my idea of cooking!)
Hope you continue to enjoy your guilty secret
best wishes pete

 

[deb1960]

My fasting bs at 8am was 5.9 just before having my porridge really late at 12 it was 7.6. 2 hours later 10.2! I made it with half milk half water and a teaspoon of honey. I'll test tomorrow without the honey and hope for better numbers.
Should I eat something as soon as I get up in the morning ? Why do my bs go up when I don't eat for a couple of hours?

 

[pete254]

My BG does exactly the same if I delay breakfast. It's your liver being helpful and releasing glucose for you to tackle the day ahead! I try to eat within an hour of rising and the insulin response acts on your breakfast and whatever glucose is swilling around from your liver. Try cinnamon instead of honey - I find it tastes quite sweet but without the extra carbs from the honey.