When to Eat

There have been a few discussions on 3FC about when people eat their largest meal, as well as topics about to eat or not to eat breakfast. Invariably, it seems that many people skip breakfast and eat most of their daily calories at dinner. I found this poll on fitsugar.com, and it seems that people answered the question the same as they do on 3FC.

This article that accompanies the poll on fitsugar states that

• eating breakfast is important because it jump starts your metabolism
• you should eat your largest meal at lunch so you have time to burn off the calories
• eating too late in the day can affect your body in ways that interfere with the fat burning benefits of a restful sleep.

Bob Harper's Skinny Rules (which you can read HERE) also encourage people to eat a large breakfast and go to bed hungry.

So, I wonder....why do so many people function well - and lose weight - by skipping breakfast and eating a large dinner? I know it doesn't work for me.

If I don't eat an adequate amount within a short time after waking, I drag. A lot. And the one time my weight loss slowed down was before I tinkered with my calorie allotment and started eating less in the evening. I have no trouble sleeping when I'm hungry, but I'm not able to function during the day if I need food.

I'm guessing it might have something to do with variables in people's life schedules. If you get up at 8 am, and go sit at a desk in an office for a few hours before eating lunch, you might be okay skipping breakfast. (I get up at 4:30 am and have put in a hard half day's work before I eat lunch). And if you eat a large dinner at 6 pm, then hit the gym, and don't go to bed until midnight, those dinner calories would be necessary. (I go to bed about two to three hours after dinner, and usually don't do anything strenuous during that time.)

What about you? Are you part of the majority who skips breakfast and eats a big dinner? Or are you more like me in your eating habits?

Portion sizes

Before I began this weight loss journey, I really had no concept of correct portion sizes. When I began weighing/measuring/calculating things, it was definitely a bit of an adjustment. (And I was shocked to realize what an enormous amount of food I'd previously been consuming.)

On Tuesday afternoon I went for a run and when I finished I was hungry. I decided to skip having a snack and just wait an hour and eat dinner. By the time I'd taken a shower and the meal was prepared, I was ravenous. Like, hungry to the brink of craziness. And I looked at my plate of food with two little chicken drumsticks and six asparagus spears and the Old Food Voice whispered, "There is no way that is going to be enough food."

But I sat down and enjoyed every morsel. Juicy flavorful chicken glazed in a fabulous balsamic-mustard sauce. Fresh from the farmer's market asparagus roasted until it was tender-crisp. So very very very good. And not only was my mouth happy, but my tummy was satisfied. Barely 300 calories of quality healthy food was all that was needed to vanquish the Hunger Monster. Old Food Voice was very wrong. Lesson learned.

Skinny rules

I found this image on pinterest. I don't follow all these rules but I pretty much agree 100%.

Focus on change

That fat we don't want to talk about

The fat we don't want to talk about. You know, down there. No, not the tummy just below the belly button. Lower than that. Yeah....there. The V-area and the dreaded FUPA.

I've noticed that on weight loss forums, almost all women have it, hate it...and think they're the only one. On the contrary, it seems it's rather common. It's so not rare, in fact, that I actually found something about it in Cosmo! The slideshow gives some great advice about how to deal with the FUPA with diet and exercise. Here's the tips included in the article:

1. Destress by doing yoga or meditating or anything else that helps you relax.
2. Eat Omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Increase your intake of Vitamin C.
4. Eat Greek yogurt.
5. Eat some fiery capsaicin (spicy foods).
6. Consume some cinnamon.
7. Enjoy some blueberries.
8. Eliminate all refined carbs.
9. Have a glass of wine.
10. Do high-interval training.
11. Do legs lifts instead of ab crunches.
12. Improve your breathing and posture.

Click over to the slideshow to read all the "whys" behind these suggestions. Banish the FUPA! Huzzah.

You don't need carbs

I found this graphic on Mark's Daily Apple, the website of Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint.

In the article in which this graphic is included, he states, "There is actually no requirement for any 'essential dietary carbohydrates' in human nutrition. It’s possible to live a very long and healthy life never consuming much – if any – in the way of carbs, provided you get adequate dietary protein and fat. The same can’t be said for going too long without protein or fat. Cut too far back on either of those macronutrients and you will eventually get sick and die."

That's a pretty bold statement that contradicts several other sources, but it's certainly what I've been found to be true about my body and carb intake.

How to deal with your "fat shape"

I've always been jealous of women who gain weight on the bottom - thighs, butt, hips. You know those women who can look like a skinny chick in a face-only photo? And whose body, even when overweight, still conforms to society's idea of "sexy." How unfair is that?

I'm completely the opposite. I think half the weight I need to lose is in my face. It's just freakin' ginormous. There, and my tummy. Those are the places where all my fat accumulate. I can put on a pair of size 12 slacks; they fit fine on my thighs and butt but I can't zip them up over my stomach.

The reason for this disparity is your body type, or how genetics determine where your body is going to hold onto fat. The two primary "fat shapes" are Apple and Pear. According to Dr. Jeffrey Morrison, "The apple shape body type are women who typically have belly fat, a round face, a hump on their upper back and relatively thin legs." (I'm definitely an Apple.) Pears are the ones who have all their fat in the thighs, butts,  and hips.

The bad news: there's nothing you can do to change your "fat shape." But understanding it can help you plan a more effective weight loss strategy.

According to several different sources, the ideal program for an Apple is a diet that is low in complex carbs and high in healthy fats. Apples should develop an exercise routine that includes a lot of cardio, especially a type that incorporates interval training. Belly fat is also exacerbated by the hormone cortisol. Decreasing the amount of cortisol in your body can be achieved by stabilizing blood sugar levels and destressing workouts like yoga or T'ai Chi.

The best diet for a Pear is totally the opposite - low in fat (especially saturated fat found in dairy and red meat) and high in complex carbs. Pears benefit from circuit training style workouts - a combo of cardio and resistance.

The good news for me? It's supposedly easier for an Apple to lose weight because visceral fat (the type stored in the abdomen) breaks down more quickly than the subcutaneous fat (the kind that forms in the butt and thighs). The bad news for me? I ain't never gonna have a waist or a booty. :)

Diet Rule: Baby Steps

Why are you overweight? A combination of bad habits and emotional issues. And none of that is going to magically change overnight. You have to deal with it one baby step at a time.


"Baby steps: it means setting small reasonable goals for yourself, one day at a time, one tiny step at a time."

Diet Rule: Moderation Not Deprivation

I've been overweight most of my life (since I was 8 years old) so "dieting" has frequently been on my To Do list. When I was younger, and before I did A LOT of research, my concept of A Diet was eating markedly restricted calories and a list of "allowed" foods like lettuce, celery, cottage cheese, canned tuna, Special K. (I even tried to "diet" like that a few times and it lasted (maybe) one day.) And I know a lot of other people have the same concept of dieting: I cannot eat X (whatever X may be) because I'm on a diet.

It's simply NOT TRUE. If you feel deprived, you're gonna fail.....fast. Deprivation = Failure. And by making a list of "diet foods" you're not learning how to eat healthy in the long term. Eventually you're going to go back to "normal eating" and gain weight again.

You need to learn how to eat nutritiously. You need to learn how to eat balanced. You need to learn how to MODERATE what you eat.

I found myself slipping into the "I cannot eat X..." thinking this week. I was CRAVING Mexican food. No, I told myself, that would be a diet nightmare. But, really, it's not. It's totally possible if you do so with moderation.

I had TACOS for lunch. My mouth was so happy. And I stayed right on plan!

Lunch was:

• three ounces extra lean ground beef seasoned with homemade taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Wholly Guacamole 
• 3 tablespoons Pace picante sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

all divided and stuffed into three crunchy taco shells.

Calories: 582
Carbs: 26
Protein: 35

And I had a veggie side. Who eats veggies with a Mexican meal, right? But I found this amazing delicious recipe for Mexican Stir-Fry Veggies - yellow squash, zucchini, jicama, and bell peppers seasoned with jalapeno and cumin and stir-fried. SO GOOD...and only 59 calories and 7 carbs!

Yes, it's a pretty significant number of calories for one meal and the carbs are right at the limit of what I consider acceptable for one meal. But is it okay for a once in a while treat so I don't feel deprived? Abso-freakin'-lutely.

Diet Rule: Moderation Not Deprivation