No Sugar = No Hunger?

I've noticed something interesting over the past little while. I'm down to eating only three meals a day. Sometimes I'll have a snack in the afternoon, but this is a far cry from the constant eating I did before. Remember just a little while back, when I posted about eating five or six meals a day since my belly would frustrate me with hunger otherwise? That's not happening anymore.

I can easily go from breakfast at 7:30 to lunch at 12:30 without feeling tired or shaky. Monday I was so busy I forgot about an afternoon snack at all, then proceeded to hike 4 miles after work before cooking supper. Yesterday I cooked and ate dinner right after work, went to a 90-minute dance class, then came home and went to bed without doing any late-night snacking. Even though my belly was empty, I just didn't feel any particular need to put food in it.

What's the cause of this physiological change? I attribute it to the lack of refined sugar and minimal refined carbs. I have a sprouted wheat bread at home, I'm baking rye sourdough bread after work, both sweet and white potatoes are in my diet, and I'm not limiting myself as to beans or fruit. Obviously, I'm still getting plenty of carbohydrates--more than 50% of my calories.

However, because all my calories are coming from nutrient-dense foods, I think my body is able to say, "Hey, I'm well-fueled. Got everything I need to get through the day. Oh, and here's plenty of energy for those long hikes you're so fond of. Let's go on another one."

Much to my boyfriend's chagrin (once he finds out), I'm not planning to go back to my former way of eating once Lent is over. Dessert can be just for special occasions, not every time we go out. Honey makes a great sweetener for when I need to bake things, and it's expensive enough that I won't be using it liberally over everything.

This is awesome!