For years I believed I was doing the right thing.
I ate three meals a day, plus snacks in between, plus coffee breaks.
Oh my goodness… when I think back a few years! Starbucks was practically part of my daily routine, especially during the winter. Sometimes even twice a day! Especially in the Fall and Winter months. At the time, I thought I was treating myself.
I had no idea how much sugar I was drinking or what those frequent snacks and drinks were asking my body to do.
Looking back, I realize my body had become so used to eating every couple of hours that I always carried a snack in my purse “just in case.”
If too much time passed without eating, I’d start feeling shaky, irritable (sorry girls), or like I desperately needed something right away.
I thought I was keeping my metabolism going.
Every single time we eat or drink something with calories, our body releases insulin.
Again, insulin isn’t bad. We need it. It’s one of the hardest-working hormones in our bodies, but if we’re eating every hour or two from the moment we wake up until bedtime, our bodies never get much of a break.
That doesn’t mean everyone should fast and it doesn’t mean you should skip meals.
It simply made me realize that eating balanced meals and allowing my body a little time between them felt so much better than constantly grazing.
Today I naturally go about four hours between meals, don’t feel the need to snack anymore, and I honestly don’t miss those daily Starbucks runs. It’s not because of more willpower; it happened because I started supporting my metabolism differently.