How do you guys make it through the day?

[Schnebit]

Hi all,

It has been really tough for me trying to only eat 3x per day. I usually eat lunch at 12pm, and by 4pm I'm ravenous. I typically don't eat dinner until after 7pm.

I compete in endurance sports at the amateur level (typically work out 5-7x per week, anywhere from 60 minutes to 180 minutes at a clip), however, despite this I have some extra flab around the middle that I want to lose.

So, it's not as if I can say eating all of the time (every 2-3 hours) has worked for me. However, I'm just concerned that 3x per day is just too little food.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Jim

[reinhard]

Welcome, Schnebit.

If you're a competitive athlete, and think you need it, feel free give yourself an official fourth snack-meal. 3 meals is plenty for the vastly more slothful rest of us. This isn't unprecedented. Other no-essers have had success with 4 meals (or even 2 meals). I'd give 3 a try first though, just to try it on for size.

Good luck and let us know what you wind up doing,

Reinhard

[Schnebit]

Thanks for the reply, reinhard!

I think that I can make it from the 7am-12pm no problem... it's the 12pm to 7pm that scares me!

I'm going to try eating 3x today and see how it goes. If I feel like I'm absolutely starving (or feel like I don't have energy in training, etc.) I'll add back the forth meal between lunch and dinner.

Thanks!

Jim

[Jammin' Jan]

Seven hours is a long time! Try a glass of juice and see if that helps.

[Sakira]

Are you able to adjust the times you eat? Say even 12:30pm and 6:30pm? That will shave off an hour in itself.

I would try whole fruit vs. juice. Juice tends to have sugar added even with the 100% juices.

[gratefuldeb67]

I totally agree with Sakira...
Good luck Jim!!!!
Peace,
Deb

[scottwblack]

It has been really tough for me trying to only eat 3x per day. I usually eat lunch at 12pm, and by 4pm I'm ravenous.

Same here. It's hard for me mainly because since Katrina I've been working from what amounts to home and am therefore never far from the fridge. I take longs walks each day, but I always end up being extremely hungry a few hours after lunch. This is not-so-good, because it means that I end up eating an early dinner. Maybe I should eat a bigger lunch?

[Maskedlioness]

A bigger lunch (depending on what you're eating now) might be a good idea. I use water to tied me over between meals when I'm feeling ravenous, but I'm a lazy thing.

[10ch]

Just a beginner here, so I'm totally talking outta my arse, but what's so bad with feeling a bit ravenous? I'm dealing with this same feeling and it is annoying, but it's not devastating.

Distracting, maybe.

Anyway, I'm kinda happy to feel hungry. I know that it signifies that I'll enjoy my upcoming meal all the more. Plus, I think so much market-driven diet talk has us afraid to feel hunger ... not real hunger mind you, but an hour or two's time of discomfort and rumbly belly... we're programmed to believe that hunger is the enemy.

Think about it. If a diet makes money off the food it promotes (bars, shakes, endorsed nukable meals, etc.), then it would be rather beneficial to tell people to eat more often.

Our bodies are capable of going for weeks without food, surely a couple extra hours can't hurt us.

[Schnebit]

Hi 10,

The only problem I have encountered with the "ravenous" feeling between meals is that when this happens, I tend to over eat at my next meal.

Jim

[10ch]

Word, Schnebit.

I realize there is the tendency to do that, plus hunger can cause irritability & distraction. And in your case, how you've fueled your body during the day might make a difference in your energy level and alertness on the field.

But, I have a hunch that a lot of the hunger ails we experience are self-fulfilling prophecies of the diet industry. It's all in our perspective. For myself, if I know that I'm gonna be okay even if I'm hungry, then I'm more likely to be okay with being hungry (and not eat until the next mealtime arrives).

I would imagine after awhile, our body and belly (and brain) adjusts.

[carolejo]

If you make sure that you stick to your ONE plate of food at a meal, then you can't overeat. If you think your plate looks disgustingly overloaded, it might very well be, but don't worry too much, cos that will sort itself out once your body gets used to only eating at fixed times each day.

Oftentimes, I'm still feeling a little bit hungry when I've finished eating my meal, but if I wait for half an hour the feeling turns into one of fullness but not excessively full. If, after half an hour I still feel like I want to eat something, I'll have a piece of fruit to round off the meal. That only happens about once a month though at this stage for me!

C.

[MerryKat]

I have found that since doing No S I have uped the size of my breakfast and my lunch and by doing this I make it to dinner with few problems.

I always used to suffer with the 3pm munchies and now I seldom feel snacky then. The first few weeks were hard, but my brain adjusted and now I just don't think of food at those times.

[JWL]

Bottom line, it's gonna take a LOT of willpower to get your body used to your new eating regime. It takes at least 3 weeks.

But here's some tips that help me:

1. Drink LOTS of water

2. A useful "Jedi Mind Trick" that I've written about many times on this forum: if your body is hungry, then that means it needs fuel. And if you don't feed it, then the only place it can get fuel is from your stored fat reserves. Therefore, if you feel hunger it means your body is burning fat! This simple metaprogramming technique can help "get you through the night" until your next meal.

Good luck, and stick with it! Your body will get used to it.

[eva]

quote:[ A useful "Jedi Mind Trick" that I've written about many times on this forum: if your body is hungry, then that means it needs fuel. And if you don't feed it, then the only place it can get fuel is from your stored fat reserves. Therefore, if you feel hunger it means your body is burning fat! This simple metaprogramming technique can help "get you through the night" until your next meal.

Thank you!
Thats such a wonderful reprogramming thought! It really helps to think about that hungry feeling in this way and to keep it that way. After all its the digestive fire we have to keep it alive and burning, not douse it with another useless, unhealthy in-between meal snack.

I am very new in this forum and started on 1st Nov. Still in the struggling phase and looking for all the good tips on this board.

Good luck everyone.

[wosnes]

quote:[ A useful "Jedi Mind Trick" that I've written about many times on this forum: if your body is hungry, then that means it needs fuel. And if you don't feed it, then the only place it can get fuel is from your stored fat reserves. Therefore, if you feel hunger it means your body is burning fat! This simple metaprogramming technique can help "get you through the night" until your next meal.

Thank you!
Thats such a wonderful reprogramming thought! It really helps to think about that hungry feeling in this way and to keep it that way. After all its the digestive fire we have to keep it alive and burning, not douse it with another useless, unhealthy in-between meal snack.

I am very new in this forum and started on 1st Nov. Still in the struggling phase and looking for all the good tips on this board.

Good luck everyone.

I'm not sure I agree with the "if you're hungry you're burning fat" theory. I suspect that's exactly what it is -- a theory with little to no proof behind it. Remember, scientists can, and do, lie with numbers.

I don't think most of us have a clue as to what true hunger is: we've NEVER been that hungry. We just think we have been.

You can also embrace hunger, strange as that may sound, just as you might embrace the delicious anticipation of a nap, or sexual craving. Your hunger will, after all, be satisfied. Why not wait an hour? (You're not dying, after all!) You might also stop eating before you're full (three-quarters full is probably about right). And if you eat slowly, taking your time, you'll give the food time to reach your stomach and give you a sense of satisfaction before you have seconds or thirds.

There's a basic truth here: there are stages of hunger, and we -- Americans -- have become accustomed to feeding ourselves at the first sign. This is the equivalent of taking a nap every time you get tired, which hardly anyone does.

There are levels of hunger, and there is a very real difference between hunger and starvation. Starvation is a physical state; your body is deprived of essential nutrients or calories for a long period of time. Probably no one reading this book has ever been truly starving -- though we all think we know what starving feels like.

Hunger is a hardwired early-warning system. At first, your brain says, "Think about eating something soon." In the later stages it says, "Eat as
soon as you can; make eating a priority." At no point does your brain say, "Eat now or you will do permanent damage," though at times it may feel as if that is true. But "Eat when hungry" has become a habit. We get hungry. We eat. We get hungry again. We eat again. And so on.

I'm not saying, "Don't eat when you're hungry." I'm saying that if losing or maintaining weight is important to you, think twice before you eat from simple hunger, or from other reasons, like emotion. And when you do eat, choose a piece of fruit; a carrot; a handful of nuts. If you're still hungry, have more. And more. Eat a pint of blueberries, or cherry tomatoes; have a mango, a banana, and an apple. Have a lightly dressed salad. You would be hard-pressed to gain weight eating this way.

You can also embrace hunger, strange as that may sound, just as you might embrace the delicious anticipation of a nap, or sexual craving. Your hunger will, after all, be satisfied; why not wait an hour? (You're not dying, after all!) You might also stop eating before you're full (three-quarters full is probably about right). And if you eat slowly, taking your time, you'll give the food time to reach your stomach and give you a sense of satisfaction before you have seconds or thirds.

[NoelFigart]

I'm not sure I agree with the "if you're hungry you're burning fat" theory. I suspect that's exactly what it is -- a theory with little to no proof behind it. Remember, scientists can, and do, lie with numbers.

I don't think most of us have a clue as to what true hunger is: we've NEVER been that hungry. We just think we have been.

This is something that I think we do need to give some thought. I talk about the book The Hunger Games a lot, I know. It's probably dorky that a book written for teenagers hit me so, but it's really gotten to me how little we know of real hunger. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm deeply grateful to be so well-off, but man, if I can't make it seven hours, it's quite telling how soft I really am.

[Blithe Morning]

This is something that I think we do need to give some thought. I talk about the book The Hunger Games a lot, I know. It's probably dorky that a book written for teenagers hit me so, but it's really gotten to me how little we know of real hunger. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm deeply grateful to be so well-off, but man, if I can't make it seven hours, it's quite telling how soft I really am.

Good YA literature can be just good literature. One of the things I was thinking about doing this winter was reading all the Newberry Award books.

But regarding the discussion about hunger, I know you are right. I remember hearing an interview with man in a refugee situation talking about the loss of dignity that comes with being so hungry. I forget where he was from (he was dressed in a sub-Asian garb of tunic and pants) but in his previous life he owned a store and had a comfortable middle class lifestyle. He said when you are that hungry you would do anything for food and to feed your family. I think about that from time to time.

[slothlike]

Hi Schnebit,

Interesting question. I'm planning on getting back into bike racing so I've thought about this too, although I haven't actually been able to muster the will power to officially commit to No-S yet.

I don't know what your sport is, or how you train, but long-slow-distance is surprising bad at raising your metabolism. Make sure you're getting interval or hill workouts in if you want to lose the gut. Or you could try adding in metabolic conditioning work-outs. These are full body workouts with higher reps and minimal rest, 15 minutes is plenty to really raise your metabolism. Shovelglove fits the bill perfectly.

I'd try to have that fourth meal as soon after you finish working out as possible. That way the food is more likely to refill your muscle cells and not float around your blood stream until it turns into fat.

JWL - I like the mind trick, I've started using it.

Wosnes - it might be more accurate to say hunger is your body's way of telling you that your liver is turning glycogen into glucose for your muscles to burn instead of saving it until you're asleep and storing it as fat. BTW The scientists I've known have been among the most honorable people I've ever met.

One last thought, If having too much to eat is your biggest problem, you really have to consider yourself blessed. I used to tell that to my co-workers when they complained about their weight or diet, until I finally learned to keep my mouth shut.

-ted

[SunCat]

Actually, I've been hearing more and more lately about how the idea that we store fat when we sleep is wrong - that sleep is actually prime fat burning time.

I've also have no problem with the morning hours, but find that noon - 6.30 pm stretch a long time. I've been hearing that more protein at breakfast might help. I usually eat a pretty good breakfast, but I plan to experiment with this and see if it helps.

However, for someone with a heavy workout, a fourth meal might be the way to go.