by Chris Shugart
Does This Diet Work for Fat Loss?
Oat shakes are a silly social media diet trend. Or are they? Here’s what you need to know.
Back in the ‘90s, I had an idea. To support my lifting goals and save time on busy mornings, I tossed a cup of oats and some protein powder into a blender and drank it. I called it my “oatmeal shake.” Years later, I wrote about it on T Nation and everyone tried it. Yep, I accidentally invented Oatzempic.
Well, sorta.
What the Heck is Oatzempic?
It’s a viral social media diet. The “oat” part is obvious. The “-zempic” part comes from Ozempic, the injectable prescription drug (aka semaglutide or Wegovy) mainly used as an appetite killer but originally made for Type-II diabetics. It’s incredibly expensive stuff. Naturally, social media soon blew up with so-called alternatives, some smart and healthy, some not so much. One of those is Oatzempic.
Oatzempic is simply an oat shake or smoothie. You blend half a cup of rolled oats with a cup of water and drink it every morning, usually for 8 weeks. Some people add a squeeze of lime juice. The promise? Rapid weight loss.
Does it work? Kinda. Let’s dig in.
The Claim
The main claim behind Oatzempic’s effectiveness sounds sciency. Ozempic, the drug, mimics a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) that makes us feel full. It also prompts the stomach to slow down food transit and lowers blood sugar levels. Oats, indirectly, also cause your body to release a little GLP-1. Most foods containing fiber do. However, the effect is short-lived compared to the drug.
Oats contain soluble fiber, including the type called beta-glucan, which forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. That slows down digestion and carb absorption, keeping blood sugar levels stable. This leads to a more sustained release of GLP-1 which enhances satiety. This same “fiber effect” is also why things like psyllium (Metamucil) have been called “the poor man’s Ozempic.”
Those are all fine reasons to have some oatmeal, but these GLP-1 effects pale in comparison to what the drug can do. I have a strong feeling that Oatzempic “works” for other reasons. And I know for sure that we can improve its fat-loss effects.
Why Oatzempic Actually Works
- Oatzempic beats a bowl of sugary cereal or whatever pastry people buy at Starbucks every morning along with their 300-plus calorie coffee drink. The standard Oatzempic shake only has about 140 calories. For many, this simply lowers their daily calorie intake. Calorie reduction for fat loss? Yeah, that works.
- Oatzempic gets a lot of people to start consuming breakfast. Multiple studies show that breakfast-skippers are more overweight than breakfast-eaters. Skippers usually compensate at lunch or dinner, or over-snack. An oat shake helps control their hunger and cravings. Yes, so would a bowl of normally cooked oatmeal. Nothing magical about blending steamed and flattened oats. (Rolled or old-fashioned oats aren’t technically raw since the processing involves steaming them first.)
- People trying Oatzempic are probably doing other things, too. Many of the online success stories mention how they also started exercising or watching what they ate in other meals. The shake was just part of it.
A Better Oatzempic Shake
There’s nothing terrible about the Oatzempic fad. It may not work for the reasons the TikTok scientists say it does, but it’s fine. We can, however, make it better. Try this instead:
Blend the following with three ice cubes:
Allow the oats to soften for 15 minutes in the water or soak them overnight if you’re in a hurry in the morning. Yes, rolled oats are pre-steamed, but some people can have digestive issues if they skip the soaking.
Here’s why this is a better Oatzempic shake:
- Protein! It’s the most satiating macronutrient. Add that to the appetite-controlling effects of oats (and water) and it’s a superior combo.
- More protein! With this recipe, you’ll get about 25 grams of protein instead of 5 grams. Fat loss is great, but not when it slows your metabolism, causing you to quickly regain the lost fat. That happens with the muscle loss that accompanies most diets. Prevent that with protein. MD Protein (Buy at Amazon)
also contains micellar casein, the most filling form of protein that also happens to have metabolism-boosting properties. - Even more protein! Starting your day with more protein gets you closer to meeting your body’s natural protein threshold, part of the protein leverage effect. In short, most people need somewhere between 85 and 138 grams of protein daily to “turn off” their appetite-signaling mechanisms.
- Flavor! Oat-water and lime juice? Gross. You’ll be more likely to stick to the plan if your shake tastes good. MD Protein takes care of that, too.
- Nutrition! This shake provides a foundational hit of veggies, berries, and fruits without the associated calories. That’s the Superfood (Buy at Amazon) part. Too often when we diet, we eat a smaller variety of foods and miss out on things like inflammation-fighting, heart-healthy phytonutrients. Superfood contains 18 whole-food plant extracts to cover your bases.
But doesn’t this new shake have more calories than the standard Oatzempic shake? Yes, it contains about 50 more calories. What we’re doing is replacing some of the carbs from oats with protein. It’s almost impossible to store protein calories as body fat anyway, and the protein itself is thermogenic. It’ll keep you full longer and help you control portion sizes in subsequent meals.
Bottoms Up!
Sure, Oatzempic is a silly trend, but it’s not a terrible idea. Improve the strategy with the suggestions above if it motivates you. Just don’t forget to lift some weights. You can do that instead of zombie-scrolling TikTok.
