Well, the diet “experts” on TikTok are at it again with advice on how to lose weight. It’s called “Oatzempic” and it’s exactly what it sounds like – oatmeal. Only it’s oatmeal with a twist. A twist of lime that is. Some TikTok influencers are claiming that you can lose 40 pounds in two months by replacing one meal with Oatzempic. So how can make this magic elixir of weight loss? Just mix ½ cup of rolled oats, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a squeeze of lime and voila! Oatzempic! Now you might be thinking, “couldn’t I just eat the oatmeal cooked as Quaker Oats intended”. Well, I don’t see why not, but then I’m not a social media influencer, so what do I know? And if you replaced a meal with this 140 calorie concoction for two months, you probably would lose quite a bit of weight - if you could stick with it.
All kidding aside, there is some truth to eating more foods like oats to lose weight. Quite a few studies have shown that increasing fiber to 30 grams a day could help you lose up to 5 pounds over the course of a year. Now that may not sound like a lot but it’s not bad for making one relatively simple change. Granted, it’s no 40 pounds in two months. But even you could lose that much on “Oatzempic”, I wouldn’t want you too. Losing weight that quickly is too extreme and not likely to be permanent.
But eating oatmeal is a great idea. Oatmeal has a type of fiber in it called beta-glucan that is particularly good at making you feel full and possibly lowering your blood sugar. Aiming for that 30 grams of fiber a day is also good for your weight, your heart health, and for blood sugar control.
Here are some tips for getting more fiber and “Think Thirty”:
Read food labels for fiber
Choose high fiber cereals
Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables every day – most have 3 to 5 grams of fiber in a serving
Eat starchy beans and peas like pinto beans, blackeye peas, kidney beans, and black beans
As you add in more fiber, increase your fluids too. Fiber absorbs water if you don’t get enough, you can actually end up constipated.
As you read food labels, you’ll find that it takes several servings of high fiber foods to reach that 30 grams a day. Since not all foods have food labels, you can also find lists of how much fiber is in various foods by visiting the USDA's database on the fiber content of various foods. They have two lists. The first one is for standard serving sizes and the second is for smaller serving sizes.
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Beth Kitchin PhD RD