A Few Quick Oatmeal "Recipes"

I love oatmeal and eat it almost every morning.   But I also like variety, and have found ways to spruce it up and make it a complete meal with protein powder.  The only brand I use is Beverly International, since I know their quality is sound.  And for my oats I use their UMP (Ultimate Muscle Protein), which is mainly casein.  I am sure other brands of casein protein would work, too.  Casein works much better with heat than other protein powders. 

Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite "recipes".  I usually make these with 1/3 C of dry oats, but sometimes I'll got down to 1/4 C or up to 1/2 C, depending on my carb targets for the day:

- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 scoop of vanilla UMP
     * pinch of salt
     * 1 peach, diced with skin on
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, but I like the flavor this healthy fat adds) OR 1 teaspoon butter (if you use salted, omit the salt)
Put in an microwave-safe serving bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds to heat it back up, as the peaches will have cooled the oats down.


- Oatmeal Peanut butter Cookie Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
     * Salt to taste
Mix well to distribute the peanut butter evenly.  Then stir in:
     * 1 Scoop Vanilla UMP
     * 2 Tablespoons raisins


Chocolate Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil
     * pinch of salt
     * 1 scoop chocolate UMP
     * 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional, and when I use this, I often add a teaspoon or so of calorie-free sweetener to help offset some of the bitterness of the cocoa)
- If you like, substitute 1 T of natural peanut butter for the coconut oil.


Snickerdoodle Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 scoop vanilla UMP
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter (if the butter is salted, omit the salt)
     * 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
     * pinch of salt


Apple Pie Oats:
Place oats in the pan you are going to cook them in.  Cut up an apple into very small pieces and add to the oats.  Put in less water than you would usually cook the oats in, as the apple will cook down and add to the liquid.  Cook oats, stirring often (unless you do them in the microwave, then just let 'em cook), until done.
When cooked, stir in:
     * 1 scoop Vanilla UMP
     * 1 teaspoon butter (if it's salted, omit salt)
     * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
     * pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
     * pinch salt


I'll be that as you start using more variety with your oats, you will start coming up with your own combinations.  I'd love to hear what you create!

Only Undertake What You Know You Can Maintain

One lesson I have learned the hard way in my fitness journey:  Don't take on anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do on a permanent basis.

If you do a bunch of nutty stuff to lose weight, you are very likely to gain the weight back once the nutty stuff is ceased. Why?  You didn't learn a darned thing about how to exist in your real, day-to-day world. 

I've been heavy and I've been very thin, and here is what I know: The stuff you did to lose weight is the stuff you will have to continue to do to maintain it. 

The fact is that the difference between weight loss and weight maintenance for me is about 300 calories a day.  Maybe.  This is two cookies.   So keeping up the weight loss methods, with a cookie or two (or whatever else equals 300 calories) added in, is what I must do to stay at my preferred weight.

Consequently, before I give up carbs after lunch, I ask myself:  Can I live like this for the rest of my life? 

Do I really want to live without ever eating sugar again?

And before I go to two workouts a day, I have to be honest about if that's something I can keep up after the weight is off.

If it's not, I don't do it.  Maybe it means carrying around some excess weight a bit longer.  That's Okay.  I'd rather find and adapt to liveable solutions than go through the frustration of gaining back some or all of weight I'd sacrificed so much to lose.

It all goes back to that overused term "lifestyle".   You will need to make changes, but find methods that fit into your lifestyle, or that you can build a new lifestyle around.  Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of frustration this way.

And, honestly, I think taking on methods that can't be maintained is the main reason there is such a discouragingly high percentage of weight regain.

The difference between maintaining and gaining is separated by a VERY THIN line.   Make sure you don't make it even thinner by setting yourself up for failure with changes you can't maintain.