Can porridge for breakfast make me feel terrible all day?

[quickkimchi]

To reduce my cholesterol I've swapped my usual breakfast (boiled egg or two, slice of buttered toast) for porridge with seeds and fruit (apple, prune or dried apricot). The rest of the day I eat and exercise normally, same kinds of meals as usual, lots of green veg and pulses, sometimes a bit of meat. No other changes that I'm aware of.

Since changing my breakfast I find I feel hungrier sooner, I'm snacking more and by evening I feel awful - tearful, frustrated, cross, disproportionate to whatever I'm dealing with at the time. Can this be due to the change at breakfast? Or is it more likely to be something else (eg lockdown + perimenopause)? And if it is down to porridge, can I adapt it (more fat? more protein?) to work for me?

I was told by the nurse to go low fat, but she didn't listen to me really when I said I know my body and if I cut out too much I will be seriously underweight. So for my body, I'm going high fibre and high protein, 3 meals and 3 snacks. I try to eat healthy fats such as full fat Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, avacado, oily fish twice a week etc. So maybe fat free Greek yogurt might be better for you, but in my case it's a balancing act. If I lose weight I feel weak as a kitten and so tired.

I also agree that 3-4 eggs a week are really healthy, they're packed with good stuff.

Sorry, I keep thinking of stuff! I haven't tried pea protein but the hemp protein powder isn't noticeable in smoothies, soups etc. It is a dark green colour so does look like sludge but not too bad to taste if hidden in fruit x

@toomanydicksonthedancefloor1

I'm a slim size 8, healthy BMI and just found out my cholesterol is too high. Just under prediabetes levels. My diet before was mostly carbs and sugar as I've never had to worry about my weight. So my fear on changing to a healthy diet was losing weight, which I don't want to do.

I'm the same as you. I know porridge is meant to keep you full but I'm starving an hour later too. I'm having a big smoothie for breakfast which I'm trying to pack with as much soluble fibre and protein as possible. I add lots of fruit and some veg such as avocado, spinach or kale. I use oat milk in them. Then I add lots of other healthy things which make them filling:- mixed seeds, oats, chia seeds, flax seed, hemp protein powder and nut butters.

Just an idea of something for you to try anyway.

For lunch I make a lot of different veg soups and have them with brown seeded bread. It have a whole meal
Wrap and lots of veg sticks, fruit and nuts.

Maybe fruit and full fat Greek yogurt might work for breakfast or a mid morning snack? You can add oats and seeds to that too maybe?

Interesting, I thought cholesterol measured the lipids or fats - I didn’t realise it measures your blood sugar?

Following with interest, same issue with porridge, also cholesterol issues.

Have been reading lots of articles recently and this recommendation stood out for cholesterol reduction for me - psyllium husks - think it’s available in highstreet places such as H&B etc

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium

Despairing at the official dietary advice given over the years, I cut out eggs for two whole decades - only to find it was unnecessary in terms of dietary cholesterol...

Oats give me migraines.

It’s gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. Started as just nausea and a mild headache as a child. Now I can’t tolerate even a tiny bit of oat flour in a meal without getting violently ill.

Upsets my stomach too. Not much wrong with eggs and toast if you go easy on butter. Lurpack light is nice.

Could you have become lactose intolerant? There's a lot of milk in porridge

My dad went on a low cholesterol diet in the 1990s and I think he was allowed 1 egg a week.

Weeds thank you, that's very helpful and comprehensive.

Mechant thank you!

Synchro beware, psyllium husk can have a laxative effect, use in moderation. But it is very neutral tastewise so I might look into it. I once did a gf trial (recommended by doctor) and you can use psyllium in baking instead of xanthan gum (which oddly is very constipating).

Funny to hear about so many upset stomachs, I've had heartburn from oats before, which I thought was barely possible, it's supposed to be so soothing. Can we find out who's doing the pr for the oat industry please?

toomany thanks, will look at hemp protein. No chance of me losing too much weight I'm afraid, my weight is fine and stable but I will almost certainly never accidentally lose weight. Trying to avoid lots of dairy unfortunately, it gives me sinusitis.

Miss I make it with water and put a little almond milk on it. My mum always made it with water so I don't miss anything Milk does interfere with my sinuses so while I haven't completely cut it out I keep it minimal.

Hoping it was the minor rich Christmas food binge (more cream, butter, sugar, beef than normal) that affected my bloods, don't know if that's a thing?

Thanks all, I feel eggs have been well and truly exonerated, will keep them on the menu.

Bulldoglady - I don't know about the science behind cholesterol and weight. I do believe my high cholesterol is partly genetic. As an example of how I ate before I would have no breakfast, half a cake (no exaggeration) early afternoon and then a pretty normal evening meal. Barely any fruit and veg. A couple of takeaways a week. So pretty horrendous!

I've never put on weight no matter how much I eat. My dad has high cholesterol and is also very slim. I was still surprised to learn I have high cholesterol though. I exercise a lot, I'm 5 foot 4 and weigh 8 and a half stones. You do expect someone with high cholesterol to be overweight don't you?

Hopefully I can do something about it though. Just about to have some lentil bolognese for tea! X

Eggs are a far healthier breakfast than porridge. High protein, keep you full for longer and
although the yolk is fairly high in cholesterol the white lowers cholesterol. The yolk and white work in harmony, its the perfect food. Its been completely debunked that they contribute to high cholesterol. Porridge is high in carbohydrates. Although it is slower release than white bread for instance it can still spike blood sugar levels and cause a crash which it what sounds like is happening to you. It doesn't help that you are putting dried fruit in it which is extremely high in sugar, another blood sugar spike.
Seriously, go back to the eggs