[Sugar Cube]

My Fit for Life book is on its way but I have a couple of questions now if anyone knows, please.

Oatmeal versus Oat Bran - Is one a better choice? I like Oat bran better and prefer it but not enough if there are more benefits to the Oatmeal.

On the Free Days - the way my weekends work, I would do better if my Free Food Day were Saturday and my Free Day from exercise were Sunday, not the same day, is this a problem?

Very enthused to get back into the gym, sort of took a long (10 year+) break.

Liza

[MrsJim]

Hi Liza!

First off - on Oat Bran - specifically what form of Oat Bran are you referring to? Is it a hot cereal or a cold cereal? (Jim likes Quaker Oat Bran which is a cold cereal). If it's the plain jane oat bran, nutritionally speaking there's not all that much difference between the two, judging from what I just checked on FitDay:

1/2 cup:

Uncooked Oat Bran: 116 cal, 3.3g fat, 31.12g carbs, 7.24g fiber, 8.13g protein

Uncooked Oatmeal: 145 cal, 2.38g fat, 25.36g carbs, 4.01g fiber, 6.05g protein

Regarding Free Day: Personally, I'm NOT a big fan of the pigout Free Day...but if you're going to do it, from what I've read, it's best to do your free day from exercise and eating on the same day...but it's really up to you. (I ended up getting the best results by just having a couple of 'free meals' over the week; as for exercise, I work out every day anyway...Sunday is generally my Optional Day, but I go to the gym 99.9% of the time on that day...)

[Sugar Cube]

Thanks for the speedy answer, should have been clearer, the oat bran I prefer is cooked, made with water, plain old box says Oat Bran, or else I get it from Trader Joe's. I was just curious whether the oatmeal had any benefit I didn't see from FITDAY.

I agree that Free Day doesn't mean to throw myself off the cliff of sanity, but if I am going to have something off track I was wondering if there was some rationale for the exercise free day to be the same. I do need a day off from the gym, and will take that day off, though on Sundays, I usually end up taking a long walk, or biking with DD, or sailing, though the sailing is mostly butt sitting and soaking up the rays. LOL.

Liza