I was happy to spend some time with my long-time friend Meg while we were at "Cowboy Town*." She and I met in 7th-grade music class, almost FORTY-SEVEN YEARS ago! Now that's some connection....
Meg, whether because of my advocating it or because she heard about it somewhere else, has given up wheat-eating for the most part, too. She did an elimination/refeed experiment, and she finds that her minor health challenges are much better without it -- like so many of us do! She's one of these high-energy people I envy so, who has the power to "get things done yesterday." :-) Meg has always been slender, but nowadays wears very loose-fitting clothes because she doesn't like what mid-life has done to her shape.
We've corrupted her with our Sunnyland Farms nuts always in the house, and Meg sends off regular orders for them. She eats more fruit than I, but that's only fair -- I'm sure she burns a lot more energy. At "Cowboy Town" she rarely sits down for meals, but nibbles a little on-the-go -- for our Saturday night traditional steak dinner she usually sits, but this time she was a bit late, and the only steaks left were overcooked; she ended up circulating through the room, chewing off bones that were still pretty well-endowed with medium-rare meat. :-) They buy big bone-in ribeyes for us these days!
One thing that I do, diet-wise, that she doesn't ... is FAST. Meg feels the need to eat about a half-dozen small meals each day, as opposed to the two large ones that I prefer. Sometime, I need to quiz her on exactly why she does it -- does she feel poorly when she eats larger meals, what? I can understand that -- on the unusual event that I eat a little too much quantity, my digestion feels as though it can't handle it. Lettuce is frequently involved, or I've consumed too much liquid with my food (this is why I no longer like to order iced tea with meals -- if I can't have a glass of wine to sip, I order coffee). Perhaps Meg has a stomach-acid issue, or maybe a shortage of digestive enzymes...?
The short version (too late!) is that she feels best eating frequently, even though to most people she's a low-carb eater -- she evolved this style not because she ever needed to lose weight but because LC foods are what make her feel best. Before he retired, she had a wonderful holistic MD who encouraged herbs and "food as medicine," and she took that ball and ran with it. She's a middle-school science teacher by trade -- very much a cool scientific thinker. If it WORKS, then it doesn't matter to her that Conventional Wisdom is against it.
So "all middle-aged low-carbers are overweight, red-faced plodders" -- not quite! There are many reasons to go LC, and my friend Meg, just like Jan at thelowcarbdiabetic, finds that a low-starch and -sugar intake provides plenty of fuel for their high-energy styles. There's plenty of room in the tribe for their types, too!
here we are, with another friend...
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* I'll call it what a friend's children used to, because I'd prefer to keep its true name quiet -- long story!
I feel much better when I only eat twice a day, yet sadly I'm a snacker by nature. That said, the more pure primal I eat, the less snacking I feel the need to do. In fact, when I snack it's a pretty clear indication that sugar has crept back in my diet. (grains I'm much better at 100% avoidance.)
ReplyDeleteSo interesting how different strokes for different folks, even in the paleo/primal worlds...
I could easily be a multi-meal person, but it would put weight on me. it's so easy to sit down with a beverage and want to nibble on something at the same time -- tea and cookies, cocktail or wine and something salty.... it's because my meals are protein/fat based that this rarely happens. I can't have ONE egg, or a couple of ounces of steak, so when I have a proper meal, I don't have room for more for a long time! :-)
DeleteI am a snacker by nature too, and grazing is the way for me to gaine fat. Two meals + coffee is the weight stabilization regiment in my case. Today it was one meal at 5 pm and coffee with cream at 9 am.
Deletei suspect that back in our hunter-gatherer days, on non-hunting days, people probably didn't eat "meals" but just picked up and nibbled what came along. when "dishes" had to be cooked -- like tubers -- eating was probably more meal-like. the difference between grazing then and now is, our grazing foods are more substantial as well as more plentiful. nuts they had to crack, and fruits were probably much smaller and more scarce.
DeleteGreat point about hunter-gatheres, Tess!
DeleteThe only thing that killed my need to snack was Atkins induction, which is pretty close to no-carb. It didn't enable me to fast, though.
ReplyDeleteLarge meals give me a stomach ache, regardless of what they're made of. When I hear of people eating a three-egg omelet, bacon, some sausage and yogurt with berries for breakfast, I wonder where they put it all.
And I'm sure you know this, but baggy clothes aren't going to help your friend. If her clothes are big and shapeless, people will assume she is, too.
I have to wonder if people who don't do well, fasting are not carrying as much fat as I am -- maybe in places that aren't as easily accessed.... I often hear of women particularly, who don't feel good when fasting, whereas I feel better the longer I don't eat (till fatigue and tired-brain set in). WHY? :-D I always want to know that....
DeleteWhen I did an all-day fast a few years ago, my blood sugar slid downward all day. But the fat had fallen off on LC.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there are a couple of evolutionary strategies going on when food is scarce: 1) lying around and waiting on some game to come by; 2) running out and looking for some.
some time ago it occurred to me that in Wooo's case, it might be liver function. if one's liver doesn't handle GNG very well, fasting probably IS a big mistake.
DeleteAs a person who managed to train my liver to be very efficient in GNG, I suspect it prevents me from easier fat loss, while a person like Woo gets well adapted to low blood sugar. May be I started LC later in life when my liver got IR already.
Deletemine does a great job of creating glucose, too -- lucky us! :-/
DeleteI don't know am I lucky or not. The easy start of GNG in a fasted state feels good, but I guess Wooo's brain rely on ketones more.
DeleteI can only do one meal a day as anything more awakens the hungry monster. Also time after time I have proved that eating too early in the day in my case stimulates the hunger beast for the rest of the day. I'm trying to cut down on the coffees without much success. It is winter here though and I enjoy the comfort of a hot coffee, it will be easier in the warmer months.
ReplyDeletedoes coffee make you hungry? I hate to use the M-word, but moderate coffee usage seems to be at most beneficial and at worst "mostly harmless"....
DeleteJasmine, may be you should try green tea . It suppresses appetite for many people, you can experiment with flavors.
DeleteI have tried and tried but loathe taste of GT. It also gives me nausea if not taken with food, so I guess it is effective as an appetite suppressant :) I've tried all combos of herbal teas and nothing is comparable to coffee for me. It's a true addiction and raises endorphins for me so cold turkey is the only way to proceed...one of these days.
DeleteI like loose leaf Jasmine green tea. Many people use too hot water for brewing and over- brew their GT, which makes it nauseating instead of just appetite suppressing.
DeleteI went to the specialist tea shop and they showed me how to brew, I got the top quality gunpowder green leaf which unfurls, paid a fortune for this and the special teapot and still I can't stomach it :( It still makes me want to barf, even the smell. It's not the caffeine as I'm used to that, it's just affects me badly. Even GT tablets need to be taken on full stomach or I will get nausea. I really can't explain why but a google search shows it has this effect on some people. Nothing beats my beloved coffee but it def has addictive qualities.
DeleteSure, sometimes it is what it is, regardless of what others say. I also prefer the taste of coffee and a green tea in my case is more like a remedy for eating less. May be I have the same reaction as you do, but in a much milder form.
Deletei'm not fond of green tea, either -- like chamomile, it just puts me off. black teas, however, i find wonderful!
DeleteI often start eating at 11-12 ish and then have some light dinner. If I don't do dinner I sleep better....so hmm. If I eat in the early morning I am sluggish all day. I do not have that luxury in my line of work. So, I don't believe we all need to eat at the same time each day. Thanks for the mindful post.
ReplyDelete:-) my pleasure, and thank YOU. ...yes, I've learned to be suspicious of any plan which insists that we eat within X number of minutes after waking up....
DeleteI eat every day ... no fasting for me. Speaking personally, I find it's best to start the day with a good breakfast, a light lunch if required and then for dinner some meat with vegetables or fish with vegetables, during the summer months salads feature in my menu plan too. LCHF and some exercise and I'm ageing gracefully.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to keep in touch with old friends, have a good chat and 'put the world to right' how I wish it could be that easy. News programmes are not too up lifting these days.
Keeping positive, keeping and eating healthy.
All the best Jan
i eat every day unless i'm sick, but i often do skip meals. if i'm not hungry i feel much better not making myself do it. :-)
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