Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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After reading about paleo diet for a while, I've decided to try to replace bread for eggs, for breakfast, to see how it goes. If all goes well for a while, I'll then try to completely stay away from both gluten and dairy.

I made for breakfast scrambled eggs (4 eggs + 130g of bacon), yet I can't say I feel full.

I know I'm not supposed to count calories, yet this seems to be something like 4 * 100 + 275 ~ 700 calories, which seems like much, but I honestly feel less full / satiated than eating a piece of bread with butter and ham, which would maybe equate to half the calories.

Am I eating less eggs than I'm supposed to? Should I put in more bacon? Should I add in more ingredients? Is it that my organism still needs to get used to this kind of diet?

Thanks

flag	asked Dec 1 2011 at 18:31 devoured_elysium 63●4

how long have you been paleo? – Jenn Dec 1 2011 at 18:33

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I've edited the OP. I'm still not following paleo. I'm just trying to replace bread for eggs for breakfast to see how it goes. For the rest of the day I'm following a "standard" diet. – devoured_elysium Dec 1 2011 at 18:37

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Grains are bloating. They expand your stomach and so you feel full, but gassy. Eggs and bacon digest easily and produce little waste. I bet what you are sensing is a difference is full feeling, not satiety. – Marnee Dec 1 2011 at 20:16

If I eat 4 eggs and some bacon, I'm good until well past lunch. But that's me, vive la difference! – Dave S. Dec 1 2011 at 21:13

How are you cooking the eggs? Fried in bacon fat/butter or poached/boiled? The fat helps to fill you up too. – henny Dec 2 2011 at 0:25

show 3 more comments

Mashanshell · Answer 1 · 2011-12-01 21:07:48Z UTC

I had this exact problem a couple of months back.

The solution? Steak!! Lately, I've been eating approx 8oz of steak every morning, with 2 slices of bacon and a tbsp or so of coconut oil..... Keeps me full for at least 3/4 hours, nicely satiated and also curbs cravings for snacks during the day!

Different strokes for different folks..... But maybe give steak, bacon and some healthy oil a try and see how you feel. And I would also seriously consider completely cutting bread and any other grains that you may be eating - I bet you will be amazed at how well you will feel!

AndyM · Answer 2 · 2011-12-01 18:47:48Z UTC

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Feeling full isn't all it's cracked up to be, and there's a fair chance you've never really experienced real satiation. If it's affecting your energy levels or distracting you to not have a stuffed, bloated stomach then try throwing some veg in. It's still going to take a while to adjust though, particularly if you're eating bread the rest of the day.

answered Dec 1 2011 at 18:47

AndyM
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The "full" I feel after eating a paleo breakfast is different from the "full" I feel after eating a stack of pancakes. With the latter, it's an almost debilitating heaviness, an "I'm damn sure I just ate something because I feel like I have an anchor in my gut" feeling. It takes a while to get used to not feeling that way after eating! – Charlie Dec 2 2011 at 14:35

Nance · Answer 3 · 2011-12-01 18:48:02Z UTC

I have to say that despite 7 months of ancestral eating a breakfast with eggs as a major player leaves me hungry for some reason. I can have eggs as long as I have a nice big chunk of fatty beef with it. Eggs and a few strips of bacon just don't do it. I've tried a number of times and always wound up cooking meat an hour later.

EDIT: To answer your final question, you won't hit true withdrawal of your grain addiction until you go without for a few days; you'll be in daily dosage mode. After a few days without grain, your body will resist for up to several more days so your cravings could get worse or you could feel crummy. For now, eating a paleo breakfast will leave you craving your usual bread, particularly if you had some yesterday after breakfast.

JakeA · Answer 4 · 2011-12-01 18:53:27Z UTC

First of all, you must have some huge eggs. The "large eggs" that I get are generally 70 cals apiece. I'm not sure how much bacon 130g is, but 2 large strips of the bacon I get is only 90 cals. Lets assume you're eating 4 strips of bacon... Total is 70*4+90*2 or 460 cals. Maybe that's less than you're used to.

In addition, though many people say fat is super satiating, I don't feel sated unless I get a decent chunk of protein. Both eggs and bacon are more fats per calorie than protein. I would add some lean protein to the whole mix.

EDIT: I plugged 130g of bacon into fitday.com and it came to about 700 cals. That's something like 16 pieces of bacon. Are you eating that much bacon?! Holy Cats!

Phazo · Answer 5 · 2011-12-01 20:02:24Z UTC

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Eggs needs a big hunk o' meat to be really satisfying, in my opinion. Nothing beats the egg+meat+veggie combo for hunger.

answered Dec 1 2011 at 20:02

Phazo
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How do you mix and eggs for breakfast? – devoured_elysium Dec 1 2011 at 22:29

How do I mix eggs? – Phazo Dec 1 2011 at 23:39

I meant, how are you mixing meat and eggs for breakfast? – devoured_elysium Dec 2 2011 at 11:44

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I eat a LOT of grass fed ground beef and mix it in with 4 or 5 eggs and some coconut milk. For the veggies, it's usually frozen broccoli or spinach with some olive oil. – Phazo Dec 2 2011 at 15:07

sage_ · Answer 6 · 2011-12-01 22:54:28Z UTC

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how do you prepare them? thought i'd ask just in case you put the bacon on a paper towel and fry the eggs with PAM :)

answered Dec 1 2011 at 22:54

sage_
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Kelly · Answer 7 · 2011-12-01 23:01:30Z UTC

If bacon has sugar added to it, it spurs food cravings in me. I'm very sensitive to sugar in the mornings. And nitrates too, frankly. You might try eating some nitrate-free sugar-free real sausage instead of the bacon and see if it makes a difference.

Josh M · Answer 8 · 2011-12-02 05:47:57Z UTC

There is a difference between feeling 'full' & being satiated (no longer hungry). A lot of people cannot tell the difference. Fat & protein take longer to digest then carbs which hit the blood stream quicker and give a false sense of feeling full. I no longer eat until my stomach expands and I feel 'full up' I eat until my hunger is gone and then I usually do not need to eat again for many hours sometimes up to 24-36 hours.

Kewpie · Answer 9 · 2011-12-02 00:22:19Z UTC

It could just be that those foods are not particularly filling to you. I usually find eggs to be relatively filling, but bacon is not filling to me at all. I would experiment with something else. I personally eat offal cooked in butter most mornings. I find it to be very filling--but everyone is different.

fabbecky · Answer 10 · 2011-12-02 16:49:58Z UTC

My breakfast this week - very satisfying and filling - has been 2-3 egg omelet, cooked in coconut oil with one whole avocado (usually turned into guacamole with some lime juice, a little garlic powder and a small sprinkle of sea salt) on the side. That left me full and satisfied enough to forgo lunch one day, although I did eat dinner pretty early :)

Jenny · Answer 11 · 2011-12-02 13:50:41Z UTC

I have a hard time eating such "volume" of meat and veggies alongside my eggs to feel full in the morning, probably has to do with eating breakfast at 6:15am, haha. My solution is to have a nutrition shake with 2 eggs. I use about 1/2 a can or equivalent of dehydrated coconut milk with 1 c of spinach, kale, and/or shard, almond butter, cinnamon, pureed squash, and blueberries/strawberries/blackberries.Thin it out with a bit of water to make it easier to drink, and I usually have to bring the shake to school with me because I can't finish it all in one sitting! So filling, don't eat a single thing until about four hours later.

BA88 · Answer 12 · 2011-12-03 15:29:36Z UTC

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What about veggies?!

I don't need breakfast but only because I eat plenty of protein and fat at 12pm, 5pm and half of what I would eat at a main meal before bed. Eating and then going to sleep feels natural to me.

answered Dec 3 2011 at 15:29

BA88
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Not feeling full with my breakfast

12 Answers