There are different types of oatmeal out there: quick oats, rolled oats, steel cut, you name it. Before this challenge, I wasn't the healthiest person you could think of. However, I wanted to start with baby steps in order to begin feeding my body the nutrients that it needed. Breakfast being the most important meal of the day made me consider trying out oatmeal for a month and seeing how I felt. Here are my results.
Honestly, in the beginning, I dreaded it
People like their oatmeal with different consistencies. At first, I began serving my oatmeal with a watery consistency and it was not pleasant. I like to note that I started with quick oats and I am now, *spoiler alert* a fan of rolled oats. I dreaded every single moment of eating oatmeal for the first week or so, but I then began getting used to it.
I did not get as hungry throughout the day
Usually, when I reach for cereal or hashbrowns in the morning, I tend to quickly feel hungry as an hour or two pass by. This was not the case when I had oatmeal. My hunger was pretty much controlled until lunchtime rolled around.
My sugar cravings were under control
I am a huge fan of desserts, especially chocolate! I must admit, there have been mornings where I woke up wanting to grab a piece of Ferrero Rocher from my candy vase and at times actually ate it. I actually noticed that my thoughts for dessert weren't as present because I honestly think about dessert. All the time. Oatmeal is known to lower blood sugar levels so it worked well in order to balance my cravings!
I noticed my stomach to be much flatter
My frequent *trips* to the bathroom I feel contributed to this. Nuff said.
I began to enjoy it
I noticed that by constantly eating oatmeal, I felt less of a need to grab my pancake mix in the morning or some sugary cereal (sorry Cinnabunnies). I began to jazz up my oatmeal with some cinnamon and fruit, like blueberries.
I felt healthier
Let's be real, I felt healthy AF by eating something as healthy as oatmeal to get my day started. I felt as if I was contributing to the overall health of my body.
I eat it regularly now
I tend to get tired of routine pretty quickly, but I can say that eat oatmeal now every day!
I motivated those around me to tweak their eating habits
When I told my mom that I was embarking on this oatmeal journey, she actually joined along by eating it and eating more portioned meals daily. It's amazing what one little change can do to those around you.
I ditched my unhealthy weekend breakfasts
I had a thing that whenever I came home from school during the weekends, I would eat the most unhealthy food your body can take in the morning. I replaced my unhealthy breakfast with some good ol' oats.
Why don't you give this a try?!