How to eat enough at meals for adequate energy, "full but hungry"?

[wholiv3a0]

First off, I'm only on Day 4, so I realize my stomach may not be adapted yet... However, I've really been struggling with the "no snacking" rule. I do some pretty intense workouts, which are usually situated right between breakfast and lunch (so I can't really fit in an "extra meal" timing wise--it makes more sense for me just to eat lunch after). I'll eat as much as I can for lunch, often over a period of ~45 minutes, but I'm still hungry 2 hours later. By hungry, I mean legitimately hungry, like I can't even focus on my other work because of it, so I know it's not just a craving. 

 

I'm an endurance athlete, not a pro by any means but I consider myself more serious than most "recreational exercisers". I'm used to eating whenever I want, which was pretty frequently...and essentially what I want (which wasn't total crap, but definitely not whole30!!) How do you all fit in enough calories at each meal to stay satisfied? Or is it just a matter of my body adapting to consuming more food at once?

 

Could I add in an afternoon snack/meal if I'm actually hungry? Say, eat at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm for mealtimes instead of the 3 meals/day? or is 3 meals really optimal?

[ShannonM816]

Could you list what you are eating, with approximate serving sizes based on the measurements in the meal template?

 

It may take some time to get to where you can eat three big meals (plus pre- and post-workout meals as needed). The reason three meals a day are recommended is that it gives your digestive system time to work all the way through all of its functions and then have a period of rest. (That's the really super simplified version -- it's discussed in It Starts With Food in more detail.)  But while you're getting to the point where you can eat just the three meals a day, it's okay to have a mini-meal when needed. Make sure it consists of at least protein and fat and preferably also some vegetables.

 

One thing that we recommend to people not used to eating large meals is to plate up a template-sized meal, eat what you can of it, eating evenly between the protein, fat, and vegetables, and then wrapping up the rest to have later. Over time, you should notice you're eating more initially and leaving less for later.

 

If you have trouble getting in volume of food, things like cooking all your vegetables and upping your fat will help you get more food/calories in less space, if that makes sense. Ensuring you include adequate fat will also help your meal last longer, as it helps slow down digestion.

[wholiv3a0]

Yes, of course. So, for breakfast I'll have an omelet cooked in coconut oil with whatever veggies I have on hand, and some veggies on the side. I'll also have a banana because I like having some carbs for energy. 

 

Lunch is... well, today I had 

1 med. sweet potato

1 serv chicken breast (I don't measure exact sizes)

~10-15 baby carrots

1 green bell pepper

~1-2 cups kale

curry paste and spices

1 small tomato

~1/2 cup broccoli

1 bowl cherries on the side

 

That's all I've had so far - dinner will probably be a similar template to lunch but I'll try to add more healthy fats, maybe avocado or almonds or something. Would increasing the size of the protein help? 

[ladyshanny]

Could I add in an afternoon snack/meal if I'm actually hungry? Say, eat at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm for mealtimes instead of the 3 meals/day? or is 3 meals really optimal?

It is fine to have a fourth meal provided that they are spaced 4-5 hours apart.  Don't snack, no hand to mouth eating.  If you are eating protein, veggies and fat every 4-5 hours, that's exactly what you're supposed to be doing.

[wholiv3a0]

I see from lunch that I probably didn't have enough fat! If only almond butter wasn't so expensive, I'd start adding that in... I do usually cook with coconut oil, but there's only so much I can take of that!

[ladyshanny]

I see from lunch that I probably didn't have enough fat! If only almond butter wasn't so expensive, I'd start adding that in... I do usually cook with coconut oil, but there's only so much I can take of that!

Nuts and nut butter are not an optimal source of fat.  Try making mayo or using olives or guacamole/avocados.

[ShannonM816]

I see from lunch that I probably didn't have enough fat! If only almond butter wasn't so expensive, I'd start adding that in... I do usually cook with coconut oil, but there's only so much I can take of that!

 

Almond butter, while it's a nice treat, is probably not your best everyday fat anyway. How do you feel about olives or avocado? And have you made mayonnaise yet -- it's a good way to add fat, and goes with just about everything. I just made a batch with a combo of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, salt, ground mustard, and a couple of cloves of garlic -- very garlicky, but I like it. If you're not into the strong garlic flavor, you could roast garlic to blend in it. And there are all kinds of sauces, like sunshine sauce or chimichurri or hollandaise that would be tasty ways to add fat to meals.