grazing like an herbivore? or not.

caribougal

I feel like I have a new question every day. So, most of the Paleo blogs say not to graze like an herbivore all day, but to eat meals that keep you feeling full and not snack in between. I struggle with that.

Today, I packed a big lunch... zucchini "pasta" with sauce and 5 small home-made meatballs (a whole zucchini, meatballs the size of grape tomatoes) A couple of slices of roast beef lunch meat, a couple of stalks of celery, 10 grape tomatoes, 5 medium strawberries, 1 baby belle cheese.

I ate the zucchini and meatballs and was stuffed - couldn't even look at the rest of the food. I thought about forcing myself to eat more, since it wasn't a ton of protein and very little fat, but then I thought, "why should I eat when I'm not hungry". Right? So I put the rest of my lunch away.

Now it's 2.5 hours later and I'm not starved, but a bit hungry. I could eat. Or not. The old school dieter in me would say, "don't eat - hold out - you don't really need it." The new-school paleo dieter in me says, "if you're hungry, eat - it's all healthy." But then those messages about "don't graze all day" pop into my head, and I know that was a bad habit before - to sit at my desk and eat all day.

Ah, what to do.

spirit80

I try to eat every two to three hours around 250 calories even if I'm not hungry. By the time I get home I'm stuffed. I split my means into two sessions this works best for me. Everyone is different. You will learn what works best for your body. Good luck.

jofjltncb6

I think most of the "don't graze" suggestions are more like "don't feel like you *have* to graze" as a counter to the bogus "eat small meals throughout the day" mantra.

Personally, I don't think meal frequency has any significant effect and I have trouble seeing anything wrong with using the: "Hungry? Then eat" approach.

bubblicious84

I think most of the "don't graze" suggestions are more like "don't feel like you *have* to graze" as a counter to the bogus "eat small meals throughout the day" mantra.

Personally, I don't think meal frequency has any significant effect and I have trouble seeing anything wrong with using the: "Hungry? Then eat" approach.

Ditto. I had a late breakfast today so my "lunch" around 2 was just a small handful of cashews, since I really wasn't all that hungry. What I love about Paleo (I'm about 6 weeks in) is that my blood sugar has stabilized and before, when I HAD to eat every couple hours or I'd be starving, now, I simply eat when I start to feel hungry. And there's no real rules to go by; if I feel like eating mostly fruit one day and not as much protein, it's not a big deal. Or if the next day I'm a total carnivore, that's great, because it all balances out over the week. I just let my 'instincts', so to speak, take over my days and let my appetite take it's course naturally. There's some days I'm not very hungry and won't eat hardly anything, and other days I feel like eating a lot.

To sum it up, don't sweat all the little details. You'll do just fine

mantisladyx

Yes I agree, I tried to eat lightly with fruits, so many things ingrained into you over the years on how you should eat and how you shouldn't eat even for me it's still a learning experience, my start was dropping wheat and sugar, then I tried to do IF with only eating fruits till supper, so tomorrow I will adjust again and take meat to work and a whole lot less fruit. Even so, just 13 days into my changed diet my blood sugar levels are down.

mantisladyx

I just want to add one more thing...why do diets fail? Because we restrict our food intake, with paleo I don't think you have to if you eat the right things.....correct me if I'm wrong please.

ethelapple

Eat if you're hungry and if it's paleo -- I found the longer I am on Primal/Paleo, the less often I want to eat. When I started, I wanted to eat every 3 hours or so...then three weeks in, I just suddenly wasn't hungry when I thought I "should" be.