hunger in this microcosm

OOOOkay:  getting rid of leftovers has already taught me something.  If my diet doesn't have enough protein in it, fat only satisfies me to a point.

Low-carb creamed eggs on paleo biscuits ("Paleo Comfort Foods" recipe) for dinner last night.  Ditto, without the biscuit, for breakfast.  Two hours later, i was hungry.  Each serving had about 2.5 eggs in it, less than 16 grams of protein.  There was ample fat in the meal, PLUS what my own poundage has to contribute.

As a child, i always craved protein.  MEAT.  We were a poorish family, and though we generally had animal protein as a centerpiece for dinner, there was not always a lot of it.  On the occasions when we indulged ourselves at restaurants, i usually opted for beef.  The body is wise when not addicted to carbs.

At the time of life when i started having to work at maintaining an appropriate weight, the low-fat paradigm had taken hold.  I knew i could have all the food i wanted, including things like baked chicken breast and low-fat fish.  Nevertheless, i always felt hungry ... even when my belly was quite full.  In those days, i probably weighed 15 pounds less than i do now, and was less metabolically-challenged.  But i had a hard time accessing my own fat stores, because i was trying to satisfy appetite with pasta and rice and home-made bread (any of you aging ex-athletes remember "Eat to Win"?) -- lipolysis just ain't gonna happen with all THAT insulin floating around.

Inspired by "Strong Medicine" and the ladies on PaleoHacks who report good results on a zero-carb diet, i learned that eating nothing but fatty meat is not going to set me up for ill health.  I tried it, like it, and thrive on it.  But the central message is:  both "fatty" and "meat" have to be ample.  Not enough meat, and my body rebels with hunger.  Not enough fat, ditto.  I don't get carb cravings, though sometimes i want "dessert" after a meal; coffee alone can satisfy this, but if my meal was smallish for some reason, a quarter-cup of cream is the perfect finish.

"The REST of the story"?  :-)  I just polished off the creamed eggs (no biscuit), and now am FULL as well as satisfied.  Happy ending.