Philosophical question for all...
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| Mon, 12-01-2003 - 3:03pm |
a) skip a meal if you are not particularly hungry and no food that is safe for your phase is readily available or
b) eat a little bit of what is there, even if it isn't SBD-friendly?
Here's why I ask. Lately, I just have not been as hungry as I used to be, and I find that when I eat I am satisfied with much smaller portions. I am not fasting by any means, and have not been skipping meals in order to lower my total consumption of food. When I was in Phase 1, I ate every meal, two snacks, and dessert every day. In Phase 2, I'm rarely hungry enough for the snacks, so I've been skipping them on days I don't feel hungry enough to eat them. The past couple of days have been crazy, and I've skipped a couple of meals (not in a row, of course!) because either I wasn't hungry at all or because I didn't have any good SBD friendly food available at the time. I should say that on the occasions when I didn't have SBD food right there and WAS hungry, I did go out and get some (thank God McDonald's started carrying salads!), but there were other times when I wasn't that hungry and just decided to wait.
Is anyone else experiencing this? What are your thoughts? Is it better to get a little food in you at regular intervals, even if it isn't very good for you, or is it better to wait it out until you can get the good stuff?
Very curious,
Shan
175/163/130

It is my opinion that it is far better not eat anything than to eat something bad. Let me explain why.....I am very hypoglycemic and have been ever since I was about 8 yrs old, so I can always tell immediately when a food I have eaten affects me negatively. I have noticed that when my blood sugar is getting low and I have nothing at all to eat but what's in a vending machine I do better if I just don't eat until I can get something low glycemic. If I eat something sweet when my sugar is low I will have a very temporary high and then my blood sugar drops even lower then it was, and usually within 30 minutes. So, then I'm worse off than when I started. So, the same holds true if you aren't hungry. If you eat something that will spike your blood sugar you WILL get hungry even if you weren't to begin with. Does that make sense at all?
P.S. I skip snacks in phase 2 also.
Michelle
Thanks for your input! I understand what you're saying, and I agree. I've had the same experience where eating something bad has just made me hungrier (and then I get crabby, which is no good for anyone ;-) That's one of the reasons why I tend to skip meals if I don't have the "right" food available.
So how do you usually deal with this? I try to pack healthy snacks and my own meals just in case I need them, but the truth is that I'm a terrible procrastinator and half the time I find myself running out the door empty-handed :-)
Shan
Shan, why not keep a can of nuts in your car, one at your desk (or wherever you seem to be when you ARE in the mood for a light snack)?
Shan
Michelle
Shan,
So timely, I just received this email from the South Beach site (their newsletter):
Is It OK to Skip Meals?

When you begin to curb your cravings during Phase 1, you may be tempted to skip meals. But it's important not to confuse a loss of cravings with a diminished appetite. Your body still wants to eat—you're simply controlling the urge to overeat. By skipping meals, you can cause your blood sugar to drop and cravings for bad carbohydrates to return, which can reverse the progress you've made on the diet.
So take Dr. Agatston's advice and eat your meals even if you don't feel hungry. And don't forget that snacks are also important for stabilizing your blood sugar and allowing your body to get used to the new diet. Instead of starving yourself one moment and stuffing yourself the next, allow your body to reach a steady state somewhere in between.
For more on skipping meals, read Dr. Agatston's recent Q&A by logging on to the South Beach Diet Online.
I just got this in my inbox this morning. Strangely, my newsletters arrive two at a time every other day. For awhile, I didn't get any at all. I wonder why that is? You're right, that's a really timely newsletter. I never even thought about that, I guess "hunger" has just meant cravings to me for so long that I don't know the difference anymore. How sad is that?!
Shan