Steel cut oats and blueberries

Lately, I've been trying to lose a little weight. Which has meant cutting out empty calories by avoiding sugar and fat, which also happen to be what make food taste good. When food doesn't taste good, I am less inclined to eat it, so it's actually working out OK.

My strategy is pretty simple. I eat when my body needs food the most: first thing in the morning, and before, during, and after a ride. The rest of the time, I eat as little as I can without passing out or throwing things for no apparent reason.

With my meal options limited to things with very little sugar and fat, for breakfast I have been eating steel cut oats with blueberries and a bit of either low-fat milk or soy milk. I'll add a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon, but no sugar, honey, or other sweetener. It's a filling, nutritious breakfast and a good source of energy to start the day.

I actually quite like oatmeal this way--regular old-fashioned oats, I mean. But I had heard people talk about steel cut oats, so I thought I'd give those a try. My wife bought a small bag, which I tried. She asked me how I liked them, and I said they were OK. I did not elaborate, and she dug no deeper. What I meant was "they're OK, but I don't see any advantage to eating these rather than regular oatmeal, and regular oatmeal tastes better." What she heard was "that's something mark likes for breakfast. He likes very few things for breakfast." So next time she went shopping, she bought a huge bag of steel cut oats.

I made steel cut oats a few more times, eventually using up what was in the initial bag. I thought I was done. Then I opened the pantry and noticed the huge bag in there. Now with the exception of buying bikes and skis and related items, I'm kind of a cheapskate. I have one of the most pathetic wardrobes you will ever see, and let's just say that my lunch choices are highly price elastic. So I wasn't about to throw the oats away in favor of the kind I like. Slowly but surely, I have been making my way through this bag of steel cut oats. This morning I realized that I am getting really close. I also realized that I AM SO SICK OF EATING STEEL CUT OATS.

But you get one guess as to what I'll be having for breakfast tomorrow. I can't wait to get this weight lost (3.5 kilos to go as of this morning) and be done with these oats. Because as soon as I am, I'm going back to the honey granola. Yum.