It’s been a while since I posted about my adventures with carnivorous eating.

The word “adventures” makes it sound like I’m wading through some unknown landscape, maybe a swamp or a jungle, fending off alligators and giant mosquitoes or whatever. That’s not true.

At this point, eating only animal products is pretty much second nature. This way of eating has become somewhat routine, and for a long time I didn’t think much of it at all. Shredded beef for lunch, lamburgers* for dinner, maybe some eggs or a natural beef stick occasionally, the eternal battle with cheese (my only love sprung from my body’s only hate).

A few weeks ago, I realized that I was eating dinner without being hungry. It was time to eat, so I ate. But when I scanned my body’s signals, I wasn’t hungry.

So right then and there I decided to only eat when I was hungry. I’m not going to starve myself–not interested in going past hunger into hanger and stupidity–but listen carefully to what my body actually needs.

The first day, I ate a big lunch. Afterwards, I went on a hike, fully expecting to be hungry when I got back. Nope. I drank a lot of water, but that was it.

The second day, I woke up not-hungry. My cousins were in town, so naturally we went on another hike and played some board games. A few hours later, I was finally hungry and ate a huge lunch.

A 24-hour fast without trying.

In the next 24-hour period, I only ate one other meal. It was a little bit trippy and still messes with my head a little bit, but I simply wasn’t hungry.

From then on, I’ve alternated between one and two meals per day.

I haven’t noticed any weight loss, or any magical healing (that’s all because of the Omega-3 fish oil I’ve been taking), but my body feels a lot better.

It’s weird and nice getting a “mental break” from food. For a long time, when I was really sick, I wished (truly WISHED) that I could survive on Nothing Sandwiches for days at a time. Now, it’s not days but I certainly don’t have to cook or eat for long stretches of time.

One of the nicest things of being hungry is the food is so delicious. I am always happy to eat (to feast!) and everything tastes so good. Hunger is truly the best sauce.

Every once in a while I eat when I’m not quite hungry, and the food doesn’t taste as good. Nor do I feel any better.

One thing that’s weirder about this way of eating, at least this early in the game, is that I’m not always sure when I’ll be hungry. It might be at 9:30 am, or it might be at 9:30 pm. There’s not really a set “schedule” like the breakfast-lunch-snack-dinner-snack routine that I grew up with.

Hunger-on-demand hasn’t been an issue when I’m on my own, but for “social” food events (like dates) I try to make myself as hungry as possible and then just roll with it.

If you at all thing of food as entertainment–as pleasure–this method will clue you into it. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to eat carnitas with a fried egg over (my current fave)…but I’m not hungry. I just want to pleasurable experience of eating the food.

Being fat adapted, my blood sugar is steady as anything, so going long distances without eating hasn’t been an issue for mental or physical performance. In fact, it’s been rather freeing.

Overall it’s been a good experience getting back in touch with my body and its needs (and not my head and its demands). I’ll keep doing it for a while, mostly because I love going long stretches without food.

*Lamburgers: Lamb + burgers