Almond milk and weight loss plateau?

[spudnik]

I'm eating very low on the calorie density food chain EXCEPT for almond milk in my muesli every morning. It's super tasty and satisfying and I hope it's not the problem but I suspect it probably is. I had a good few weeks of losses and now I'm back UP a bit, which I think is mostly hormonal but also not representative of continued loss. Have others found that almond milk has a similar effect? What did you replace it with? I guess I could try to make oat milk but I'm not sure I'm ready for oat on oat action....

Here's an example day, if you see anything else that could be tripping me up let me know.

Breakfast: Oat muesli with almond milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Steamed potatoes with homemade veggie curry (no coconut milk)
Snack: Carrots with 1/2 cup of oil/tahini-free hummus
Dinner: Baked potato with tomato sauce and salad with balsamic vinegar
Dessert (sometimes): Banana "nice" cream

[Vegankit]

Almond milk does have a lot of fat from the nuts in it.

I just add water to my oatmeal and let it sit for a minute or two after stirring. It forms a milky liquid so I don't bother adding any additional "milk". If you aren't ready to ditch the almond milk, try diluting it with water. You can wean yourself off the almond milk by continuing to dilute more and more each day.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Spudnik,

Your typical meals sound yummy!! I will confess that I also had a hard time giving up almond milk for breakfast. Had it 4-5 days a week before I started.

Anyway, I am wondering if the muesli has any fat?? Or if you are making your own?

Good luck to you!!

[spudnik]

Thanks to you both! When I say "muesli" it's really just rolled oats -- sometimes if I really have my act together I'll toast it briefly, but it's really just oats, with the vanilla almond milk. So delicious! But possibly a little *too* delicious...but I also have busy mornings at work and sometimes have to take lunch late, and want something that will tide me over pretty well and this seems to do the job. Sigh.

Why did you wind up giving almond milk up, Seeking?

[Katydid]

Dr. McDougall doesn't recommend any plant milk on Maximum Weight Loss. I second what was mentioned below. I would take a portion of the oats you would be eating anyway and blend them into oat milk and dump them back onto the rest of the oats. 1/4 cup oats to a cup of water works well to make oat milk. 1/4 cup oats to 1/2 cup water makes an oat cream. Depending on your blender, you may want to filter through a nut milk bag, but it isn't necessary. You haven't added any calories or fat to your meal, and avoided some of the odd additives found in commercial almond milk.

Kate

[geo]

If you really need the taste of a nut milk. I would try Silk brand Cashew milk, unsweetened. It is as all nut milks, heavy in fat, however its lowest in calorie density at only 25 calories per cup. Its similar in creaminess and taste to almond milk but I think lacks some of the bitterness of almond milk. and for those that worry about vitamin deficiencies it does contain this in only a 25 calorie cup:

% of daily needed

B-12 - 50%
Calcium - 45%
Vita D - 25%
Vita -E - 50%

But for the MWL program its not really recommended, but is a better option when trying to transition to better compliance. Ultimately, water is your best choice for oatmeal and if you need it a little thicker just add a TBS of ground flax seed

[spudnik]

Thanks all -- I'm also not a fan of the various additives in the almond milk. I'll try giving it up for a while until I see the scale move again, it's getting ridiculous. I wouldn't think a cup a day would have such an effect, since it's only 60 calories, but I'm not sure what else to do at this point.

[spudnik]

Omg Katydid, that was soooooo easy! And sooooooo cheap. I added a splash of vanilla of course, but this is awesome. OAT MILK 4 LIFE

[nicoles]

yay for oatmilk!

know it seems both counterintuitive and !SO UNFAIR!but yes even a small serving of nutmilk, or any fat really, can inhibit weight loss.

[viv]

I don't think a cup of almond milk at 60 calories is going to derail your diet. The alternative of oatmeal milk is 75 calories a cup, so it doesn't make sense if weight loss is your goal. I wouldn't worry about it, time and adherence is all you need. The weight will come off eventually. You are in this for life, so if you like some almond milk on your morning oatmeal, why not?

Viv

[Hapsy]

That picture of the oat milk looks good. I tried making oat milk but it turned out very slimy. I even ran it through a nut milk bag and still found it revoltingly slimy.

Perhaps I used the wrong recipe?

I actually don't mind hot cereal without milk but every now and then I'd like a break to eat cold, plain Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts and you need a liquid for that. Like others, I found almond milk and rice milk to have oil and extra sugar in them, so not ideal.

[MaureenR]

I think I remember reading in one of Jeff's posts that dry oats (muesli) are very calorie dense like other dry foods such as popcorn, rice cakes, etc, and that it would be much better for weight loss purposes to eat cooked oats since the water they absorb in cooking gives them more mass which makes them more satiating.

[Starchyme]

Hi, Mary shows how to make nut milk(s) in a couple of her DVD's. So I would say it's probably ok on the regular program. Simple to make, no additives, and less costly. I make mine 1 c. to 2 c. water. Sometimes add vanilla. I blend and strain through a thin mess strainer or the nut bag. It's great for over the cereal. If one likes it thinner or thicker just adjust the ratio.

[spudnik]

Thanks all! I am sticking with the oat milk just because it's way cheap compared to the almond milk, doesn't have the problematic additives, and less waste and all that. It is working for now, and I've gotten it down to a ratio that produces a really nice creamy non-slimy result. I did get some movement on the scale this week but I am 99% sure that is just a combination of general monthly hormonal fluctuation and my crappy cheap scale, which I am increasingly realizing I shouldn't rely too much on!