I have spent the past few days figuring out when I am REALLY hungry. It’s an experiment in using the clock and my growling stomach to determine how long a meal will hold me, until I need another one. I am emphasizing the word “need” rather than “want” as a way to determine how many hours tick by before the rumblings begin.
My findings have been fascinating…to me. I eat the same breakfast every morning. Before you think that I am making a mistake and should be having a variety of items to ward off boredom, let me clarify a family trait. Everyone in my genetic line can eat the same meal repeatedly, for decades, and not get bored. My father ate the same tuna plate for 30 years when he was working, and I ate its cousin, Starkist tuna and crackers, all in one pouch, for over 10 years. Once we find something we like and it’s easy, we stick with it.
So, my breakfast of yogurt, fruit and a granola bar works for me. And, it holds me for 3.5 hours. Unfortunately, lunch seems to be a moving target. Yesterday, I had a shrimp and avocado salad and was hungry one hour later. That wasn’t a good feeling, and I tried to figure out what went wrong. I decided that I was missing bread. The shrimp and avocado seemed to be like eating air, so I popped a 1-point multi-grain Thomas’ English muffin in the toaster. It was the missing link and bought me two more hours of satisfaction.
I have charted my findings, showing the true nerd-like behavior of one who likes to see numbers on a page, and now know when I have to eat. The revelation…every three hours, I’m going to feel hungry, and I will be prepared ahead of that time with appropriate solutions.
Check back with me in another 10 years, and you will probably find me eating the same “appropriate solutions” at every meal. Oh well, it works for me!
Talk to you soon.
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