I’ve had a revelation: It’s the sugar that makes me hungry. I’ve started a low carb/high veg diet, which I stick to during the week and abandon at weekends. And one of the first days I had an experience that was a first for me: No Hunger for Lunch. What a kick! And then it happened again - and again. One day was different, though. And that gave me another revelation:

A low carb diet makes me normal.

Let me explain: Some years back I heard that people who get fat often don’t have a link in their brain between the need for energy and their sense of hunger. They’re hungry all the time, no matter how much activity they give their body. I realized that this was me. I worked that way. Until now.

Now I know that carbohydrates makes your blood sugar peek, which gives you energy. But what happens if you eat more carbs than you need, you create a sugar rush. This is highly addictive, like drugs, so your body wants more. And when the blood sugar drops, your body screams for more. Some call it a sugar crash. I think it’s a good name because it illustrates that it’s not lack of energy you suffer from, it’s lust for sugar. And like a drug addict I got frustrated and angry when I crashed.

Now all that has changed. I eat vegetables and meat for breakfast. That gives my body good fuel for the day, but no sugar rush. It feels good. I eat enough to feel full and the feeling lasts almost until dinner time (yes, I’ve skipped lunch a few times - just because I could). Unless I have higher activity. And this is what makes me feel normal. Now there’s a natural link between how much energy I’ve burned and how hungry I feel.

So I’ve made a decision to treat bread, potatoes and other high carb foods just like other sweets: Weekends Only.