Since generally going low-carb, I've noticed a huge difference in quantity and quality of hunger; namely, greatly reduced, and a more gradual ramp-up when it does strike. I'm often not hungry in the morning and thus don't eat. The advice to constantly snack to keep your blood sugar "level" is the perfectly logical, if absurd, result of the flawed premises of the high-carb, low-fat diet. The alternative -- eat high-fat, low-carb, and you don't need to snack because you're not hungry all the time -- seems better to me.
As I've added more exercise, I've also questioned the conventional wisdom of needing to "fuel" for workouts, and usually run mornings on an empty stomach. A couple weeks ago I went for a 9 1/2 mile run after not having eaten for 18 hours prior (excepting coffee, no sugar). I didn't drink anything during the run. It wasn't hot at all, which made it easier. Last week I did a 10+ mile run later in the day than usual, but after having almost nothing to eat (coffee w/ double cream, maybe half a cup of full-fat unsweetened yogurt a couple hours earlier). No drinks during the run. Water and (real) food afterwards. Seems to work ok.
I concur. On diet soda & high carbs previously, hunger would GRIP me, with esophageal tightening, upper abdominal pains, light headedness, and that angry-hypoglycemic adrenal rush. Intense (or even moderate) exercise would exacerbate these symptoms if not mitigated prior to beginning the activity. Carrying "emergency food" in a cooler (in AZ & SC to avoid melting) was required. But in the last month, having banned bread and cereals from my caloric intake, the symptoms have abated, hunger has been greatly reduced - I've even "forgotten to eat" a day here or there each week at lunch. Forgotten, previously with high carbs / low fat, was unimaginable. Caloric intake used to be MANDATORY, or beware my wrath.
ReplyDeleteTraci & I have both lost weight on this strategy, and I believe are both feeling better, healthier, with more energy. The extreme low humidity modification, is to drink lots of water, or risk kidney overload, but that is true on high or low carb while living in the desert.
Your "fueling" observation is not an anomaly. Other data points reinforce it. =)
Excellent! It really is striking, the mitigation of the grumpiness.
ReplyDeleteI also concur. Lately since I've pretty much lost all the weight I can (40lbs) I have started enjoying occasional bread and other high-carb treats. But with this comes the hunger pangs. Very noticeable.
ReplyDeleteHunger pangs, and indigestion mixed with reflux. Bread = yummy but evil =)
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic! I'm not at the "can't lose any more weight level", but I know what you mean -- it's distressing in a way to go crazy with a high-carb feast one night and be hungry the next morning when I know there should be no good reason for the hunger. It's much nicer to get a more accurate hunger signal.
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