I snack but it is an old habit and sometimes the period between meals is too long. The more I read, the more I realize this has to change.

The issue (I am reading) is every time you eat something your body will produce insulin so it is best to limit this to as few occurrences as possible during the day. This will help with weight loss and any blood glucose issues and also helps with any metabolic issues we have because insulin has a very specific purpose and shouldn't be out of it cage all day long.

It is going to be a new goal for me to adjust my eating to compensate or just break this cycle altogether.

tshirtartist wrote: »

That makes a lot if sense about the less meals and snacking the less insulin you produce. Funny because I always used to think you needed to eat every few hours to keep your blood sugar stable. Funny how much misinformation there is out there.

If you eat a lot of carbs that is probably true that you need to eat every few hours. The more substantial protein and fat meals are what makes that possible to go so long without eating. Without the spike and fall of blood sugar, you don't have to eat again so soon at all. Plus, you don't get the weak/shaky feeling.

To answer the original question, I have been eating 4 meals a day and maybe a snack. Only because I am dialing down my carbs again and I have long days. On the weekends I eat only once or twice as I am not up and active so long.

feisty_bucket wrote: »

tshirtartist wrote: »

I was just wondering what everyone's view on snacks and number of meals a day were?

I'm also eating in an 8-hour window (like MiRatlhed) so it's pretty much a continual blizzard of food, ha. Then you stop.

I like it a lot because it simplifies things. Hurry up and eat all your allotted calories and then you're done with food for the day. No snacking, no compulsive problems or any of that sort of thing. You're also full, instead of that annoying(IMO) semi-satisfying-but-never-really grazing sort of thing where you space out your tiny bits of food all day long.

Following the forums on here the past few months has been really eye-opening in terms of learning about the psychological problems that are common with food. I showed up just before Thanksgiving, and wow! I suspect time-windows for eating could help lots of people.

This is so true. It can be a challenge to fit 1500+ calories of whole, healthy food into an eight hour window. I usually have BP coffee and cider vinegar/gelatin tonic when I get up (I don't count that as "in the window" but it seems to be working and it packs a surprising amount of fat and protein, which I was falling short of on a regular basis before), a hearty lunch, and then log my calories so I know how much I need to eat later in the day, to get enough. It's so weird to have to eat more than I want to eat, just to stay above 800 calories for a day, rather than stuffing myself (we're talking carbs, like pasta, bread, chocolate cake, brownies) and never feeling satisfied.

When I think of the time I used to eat small meals, spaced through the day, and was always hungry...

I know that long distance running isn't approved for the Paleo lifestyle per se but darnit I love running. And I love running long distances- something serene and wonderful about lacing up and just going

That being said when I'm training/running regularly I don't have breakfast until about 9 or 10, then have my lunch around 12:30 or 1 (not huge meals) but then have 2 small afternoon snacks before I run- usually a handful of olives and then a small apple and some almond butter an hour later. Post run I have a big meal with lots of veg and lots of protein.

If I'm not training then I have a small breakfast, a medium lunch and a slightly-bigger-than-lunch-supper and if I'm still hungry afterwards, some veggies/homemade dip and a cup of herbal tea.

Happy Munching!

Most days I do fine with 3 squares, but sometimes I have a snack. Usually mid morning if a snack attack hits. I've been thinking of pushing my breakfast back to try and stop this. Usually I can have a handful of nuts, a spoonful of coconut butter or something and I'm fine. Sometimes I drink some kombucha and that takes the snack craving away. Many schools of thought including paleo/primal, ayurveda, etc. tout the digestive benefits of having at least 2-3 hours between eating. I'm very new to trying the totally primal approach but I have been low fructose for a while and I've found either way so long as I keep the sugar to a minimum I don't feel so much like snacking. I also find that getting rid of the sugar helps me not feel so famished when I first wake up in the morning.