So, this morning I decided to find out exactly how much meat my body wants me to eat at each meal, assuming three meals in a day.
I loaded up my breakfast plate with lamb chops, knowing that I would not need to eat all of the meat. I ate the fat first, then noshed on the muscle until I was done. Total eaten = 150g. And I felt truly stuffed, which isn't a state I often find myself in.
Then, after a galling day of teaching, I came home as quickly as possible to grill up a scotch fillet steak (which, as it turns out, is NOT the same as a rib-eye, despite what Wikipedia claims! I know this because the butcher I went to also sells rib-eye! Ha!), served with a nice hunk of butter. How big did that piece of meat happen to be? As luck would have it, 150g, and I didn't need any more than that. I could have eaten more, but I didn't need to, and after letting the meal settle, it become increasingly obvious that 150g is certainly enough! As Spring has finally arrived, I took my late lunch out on the patio to enjoy a few more rays.
The boys haven't been exposed to much direct light lately, so I took them out with me, along with a sad looking bunch of organic baby beets from last week's box - they're definitely getting well fed since neither of us humans eat much veg at home lately. Look at their little grateful faces...
The beau brought home a little roast chicken for dinner a couple of hours later, so I served him the breast meat, and the skin, legs and wings to myself. Decided I didn't need the second leg, which meant that my total intake of chook was - can ya guess? - 150g! And I didn't want another bite! Plus, now I have cold leftovers for tomorrow, yum!
I seriously can't imagine eating more than 500g of food these days; maybe I have just adapted really quickly to the amounts needed to keep my intake around 1500-1800kcal (although today was just under 1400kcal apparently), or maybe these amounts reflect my actual activity levels of late. I know well that I can eat more, but considering the entire lack of hunger, and steady energy levels, it's clear that I don't need to.
Meanwhile, I finally found time to watch Sugar: The Bitter Truth, a lecture by Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, looking at the nature of sugar consumption and obesity, focussing particularly on fructose as a toxin. I may never eat any fruit again. Wonderfully educational stuff, lots to think about, although I would argue that without the presence of the non-fibrous carbs, there's no need to consume fibre. I'm certainly doing fine without it - I want the best of both world, to neither be fat nor fart, thanks so much! It's working thus far!
See you on the other side of a MUCH needed and well deserved sleep-in!
Interesting experiment, 150g huh? I don't know if I would actually stop eating unless it was a conscious decision:)
ReplyDeleteNot an experiment, but a surprising 'coincidence' that may be my body asserting its preferences. Dinner this evening sure supported this theory - loaded up a plate with scotch fillet steak and salmon, ate the steak, and could only manage a couple of bits of salmon (the fact that it was kinda tasteless may have played a role, but a couple of minutes later I received a very clear satiety signal). Weighed the leftovers to see the deficit, and guess how many grams of meat I had managed to down before feeling sated?
ReplyDeleteI know that the Western cultures eats way too fast, so we usually plow right through that signal, or have finished and over-eaten before it comes (it takes 11-20 minutes, from what I have read). If you think you are over-eating, maybe try slowing it down, and see what you think... I'm intrigued to know whether it is just a coincidence, just me, or what.