For the last month and a half, my husband and I have been trying something radically different when it comes to how we eat—and for the first time, it actually feels sustainable.

We’ve tried it all before: Atkins, juicing, cutting carbs, skipping meals—you name it. And every time, the result was the same: we’d stick with it for about a week before crashing hard. Hunger, cravings, and deprivation would set in, and before we knew it, we were back to old habits… sometimes even gaining more than we lost.

What we finally realized was this: sudden, restrictive changes just don’t work for us. Cutting out the foods we love only made us want them more. Feeling constantly hungry wasn’t motivating—it was miserable.

Then, inspiration struck in the most unexpected way. A friend of ours had to shift their diet for health reasons and ended up losing a significant amount of weight as a side effect. While their approach was a bit too extreme for us, we adapted some of the ideas and made them our own.

So what did we do?

We took a page from The Hobbit’s meal schedule—yes, really—and started eating more often, just in smaller portions.

A typical day now looks something like this:

• ☕ Morning coffee with breakfast
• 🍎 A light snack mid-morning (a.k.a. Second Breakfast)
• 🥪 Lunch (Luncheon, naturally)
• 🍇 Another snack in the afternoon (Afternoon Tea)
• 🍲 An early dinner around 4 or 5 PM (Supper)

The key change? We’re no longer trying to deprive ourselves. We’re still eating the foods we love—just in reasonable amounts and at regular intervals. This steady fueling throughout the day keeps our energy stable and helps curb those “I need to eat EVERYTHING” cravings.

To help keep things on track, we also started lightly tracking our calories—not obsessively, but just enough to be mindful of portion sizes and avoid mindless overeating. That awareness, combined with our new eating rhythm, has been a game-changer.

✔️ My husband, who is diabetic, has seen much more stable blood sugar levels.
✔️ We’ve both started steadily losing weight without feeling like we’re “dieting.”
✔️ Our metabolism seems more active—we’re not sluggish, we’re energized.
✔️ We’re saving money—groceries last longer, and we now split entrées at restaurants or bring home leftovers.

But perhaps the most surprising benefit? We physically can’t eat large portions anymore. Our stomachs (and appetites) have adjusted, and that bloated, heavy feeling we used to get after meals is a thing of the past.

Nearly two months in, we’re eating more like Hobbits—but feeling lighter, healthier, and happier than ever. Turns out, second breakfast might just be the secret after all. 😉