In a book I have been reading it poses the question- Do you eat just because it's meal time or because you are actually ready for a meal? I have been interested to figure out for myself when I would eat, if I only ate for hunger's sake.
After a week of observations, here's what I determined:
I'm ravenous when I wake up in the morning. So I typically eat something small at about 6:30 a.m. Then I'm ready for 2nd breakfast around 10 a.m. (Yes, I'm a hobbit). This breakfast is a little more substantial.
Then after eating a fairly large meal at 10 a.m. I am not hungry again until about 3:00 P.M. Which interesting enough, has always correlated with my "snacky time" regardless of when I last ate- I think 3:00 is just a time when my biologic clock wants food. I think I really do need a mini meal there, instead of mindlessly wandering the kitchen for snacks.
Then after "lunch" at 3 p.m. I am not hungry for dinner until about 7 p.m. I quite often sit down to dinner at 5:30 and eat, not because I'm hungry, but because dinner is on the table and I don't want to be hungry later. But funny thing- eating at 5:30, means I'm not hungry before 8, but starving at about 9:30 p.m. So I end up eating and missing my "no eating after 8 p.m." points.
Who says we have to eat at 8 a.m. 12 p.m.noon and 6 p.m? I am going to rebel against convention a little bit and instead follow the dictates of my own biologic clock. We shall see how it goes.
I understand that logically speaking we can't be a waitress to the rest of the family making them food whenever each one determines he/she is hungry. But perhaps, if I pay more attention, I will find my children's inner clocks are more similar to mine, than to the rules of society that dictate our meal times.
Try it out- set aside a day when you only eat for hunger's sake and just see if you learn anything new about your biologic clock, when all convention is set aside.
We eat at about 7:30 and about 11 we do lunch because everyone is hungry then everyone wants to eats about 2 or three and I realize everyone eats better if we eats around 6:30 or 7 and no one goes to bed hungry. Dinner is what's hard for me because I would rather have it at 5 or 5:30 just to have it out of the way. Amber
ReplyDeleteAmber,
DeleteMaybe I need to re-think dinner time too. I prefer to eat around 5:30 just to get it over with and get our evening routine on schedule for bedtime at 8. But the kids are always complaining they are hungry at bedtime. Perhaps some of the bedtime routine before a later dinner would actually work out better. I'm going to ponder on that! Thanks
When I get up I am usually starving. Problem is, I seriously detest breakfast. I don't like breakfast foods, and I dislike intensely cooking first thing in the morning. So usually my whole day of eating is thrown out of wack. By noon I'm famished. I will get my daughter cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt for breakfast. Then she and hubby don't eat until about 2 in the afternoon and I'm beyond ravenous. Without a really fulfilling lunch I feel unfulfilled and will sometimes pick at food off and on all day. Then I'm hungry starting about 6 pm. We eat about 6 or 7 pm. Depending on how my day went determines what dinner is. If it has been a particularly difficult day it will be beans and rice which I won't eat. After Penny's in bed at 8 I'm starving but don't want to cook for myself. So it's often popcorn. Then when hubby gets home at 1 am he's starving and wants to eat so I will fix something for him and often we'll eat together just before I go to bed.
ReplyDeleteCrazy, I know. This probably makes all kinds of alarms go off for you as a dietician. ;)
Stephonie
DeleteMostly I am so pleased you can read your body so well. Great job being able to detail that out without even experimenting for a week, like I did.
Then certainly the hard part is honoring your hunger, when so many other things are vying for your attention. But at least you know where to start.
So my first breakfast was 2 slices of toast with peanut butter (almost always is). And 2nd breakfast today was leftovers from last night's dinner. So even there I'm breaking away from convention. Choose what works for you. The only advice I can give is to make sure you eat something. Honoring your hunger is the very best way to get your metabolism burning at full capacity! 2 thumbs up for that!
Did I ever e-mail you my menu rotation? That has been a huge help to me in planning dinner. Cause I totally know what it's like to be so tired by the end of the day that all you can think to do is get something on the table to feed the kids as quickly as possible.
Yes you have. Unfortunately my husband is as picky an eater as my daughter. I have tried many times to sit down with him and pick out things that he will eat. There are two things that annoy the heck out me about him. 1- he can eat the same nasty thing every single day and be content with it. Unless it is a really awesome salad I can't eat the same thing every day. And even with a salad I have to have some variety. But he won't touch anything green or raw. And 2- He detests leftovers. After 13 years and tons of wasted food I finally got him to admit it. It drives me crazy that I will leave food for him and go to bed and he won't eat it. There was the time I had left dinner for him in the oven and it was 2 weeks later that I found the nasty pan still in the oven and stinking up my house. I thought he had eaten it and washed the pan. Surprise!
ReplyDeleteHe did agree to do the new program with me so we shall see what that is like. I am very excited about what great things this will mean for me though. =)