Oats and weight loss

Question
QUESTION: Hello Doctor,
         i have been having porridge Quaker Oats for the past 3 months for my breakfast and have lost around 9kgs..is that really possible?...my height is around 5'11 and my weight was around 108kgs now am around 99 kgs...if the weight loss is due to oats then when should i stop eating them.. thanks.. looking forward for your reply..

ANSWER: Hello Dave,

First I must clarify I am not a doctor, I am a dietitian.

The oats alone cannot cause weight loss. If you substituted these for a very high calorie breakfast you were previously eating (like bacon and eggs, french toast, or cinnamon rolls) you could have lost weight by eliminating those calories.
If you were not eating breakfast before then the oat breakfast may have helped you spread your caloric intake out through the day and you could have reduced your intake at other meals...but if this is the only change in your regimen (you have not also been dieting or increasing exercise) and the weight loss was not intentional, then it is due to something else and I would suggest seeing your general physician to look into the source.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello doctor,
         Thank you for the reply!!.. i almost always used to skip my breakfast and used to have lunch pretty late...and dinner pretty late too.. i have changed all those habits as well.. i also have stopped drinking coffee in the mornings..will these change of habits along with my oats contributed to the weight loss?..but for the past 4 months or so i hve been overly anxious and stressed out coz of work and my engagement.. would these have contributed to the weight loss... thanks again!

Answer
Yes, changing your eating habits along with stress can cause a weight loss. Many people eat less when they are stressed so maybe that's been contributing to your loss as well. If it continues and you aren't doing anything differently, do see your doctor to be sure you aren't having malabsorption or an over active thyroid, etc., which are a couple of problems that can lead to weight loss.
Congrats on your engagement!

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