Feeling full-eating less frequently-metabolism slowing down???

jumanajane · April 2015

I have been wondering if anyone has any info or thoughts about how this WOE affects the metabolism? In early Atkins we were told not to go longer than 5 hours without eating to ensure we kept our metabolism stoked but on this higher fat regime I read a lot, and experience myself, that I can go much longer without feeling hungry. Wont this stall weight loss by slowing down our metabolism??

GSD_Mama · April 2015

I eat when I'm hungry, usually 3 times a day, not any different then I used to. I have my breakfast, lunch and dinner. My meals are smaller with no carbs so I feel full after I eat anyway and it takes me to the next meal without loading on snacks in between

wabmester · April 2015

LC has a pretty strong effect on reducing hunger signals. I skip a meal every once in a while, but I usually make up for it the next day.

I wouldn't worry too much about damaging your metabolism, but if you start feeling cold, you'll know your body is trying to conserve energy. Eat more if that happens. You might also consider taking a diet break every so often . Try out maintenance, for example. I'm doing that now.

GrannyMayOz · April 2015

I've experienced this too Jane. I've been eating 2 meals a day on LC because that's all I want, and I'm sure it's fine as long as you're tracking and can see that you're maintaining 'sufficient' calories most days. The past 4 days I was sooo hungry and I did eat more. And weight fell off me the way it does for younger people or males of all ages. Brilliant! Then yesterday I wasn't hungry again and today I had a gain.

Not suggesting you should force food in the hope of a loss. None of this 'science' seems set in concrete the way we'd love it to be. A precise set of instructions for optimal fat loss would be so brilliant wouldn't it?

I'd say to make sure you're not under-eating over the span of each day (however you choose to have your food, 2 meals, 3, snacks...) and see how you go for a little while. If you do feel that it's 'broke' then try another plan, even if you do force the new plan for a few days and see what happens with that. If you're going to try new things I think I might suggest that losing dairy, but eat plenty of meat, could be a plan

jumanajane · April 2015

Thanks all. I havent had any reason to suspect anything to do with metabolism..it was just a thought about eating less frequently as you often read about eating little and often to keep the metabolism stoked.

@wabmester.....I would love to start feeling cold! Lolol. I live in Dubai but definitely love feeling cold rather than hot.

I go to the UK in winter especially to get frosts etc!
@May, ahhh so thats what happened! Interesting...maybe we should all be recording these things to see if there are any patterns emerging that might give insight to help others!

Dragonwolf · April 2015

The idea that you need to eat frequently to keep the metabolism "stoked" is a myth. The body is not a bonfire. What matters is the total amount of energy available to it. As long as you're eating enough over the course of a week or so, you'll be fine.