To eat or not to eat when not hungry

12Lose25

today I had my shake for breakfast and a very satisfying to lunch. Then my day got away from me and I was home at 8 PM and wasn't really hungry. I'm planning to go to bed at 10 and I know were not supposed to eat three hours before we go to bed, but I went ahead and had my shake anyway to get in the protein. In the future, is it better to just not eat if I'm not hungry on occasion okay? Or should I always get by two shakes in even if I'm not hungry?

12Lose25

Forgive the typos. I was speaking it into my phone and didn't check before I posted it. I do know how to spell! Ha ha but I can't figure out how to edit my post.

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bfrance

You can eat whenever you want as long as you stay in a deficit

Cortneyrenee04

I don't eat if I'm not hungry because I'll make up for it the next day.

Why can't we eat 3 hours before bed?

karen_fitzgibbon

Me? I would have gone to bed lol. But woken up ravenous. However depending on your calories then yeah eat whenever you like. The eating 3 hours before bed doesn't bother me. But different things work for different people

IvanOcampo

Meet your macros no matter what. Your body doesn't care when you eat. 3 hours before bed, 12 hours before bed.. a calorie in is a calorie in ..
The only way to track progress is to be consistent with your diet.

Bghere1

so we don't eat to hunger here? Your stomach doesn't shrink right? but for me I just have to get my head right when it comes to being hungry vs. a craving (carbs usually)

kpkitten

I'd say eat your normal calories wherever possible, but if you've earned them through activity and don't feel you can eat them back without forcing them down your throat, then that's OK.
It also depends on your planned deficit - 250 calories, it's not so bad to have a bigger deficit every now and then, but if you're already -1000, then skipping a meal, even if you're not hungry, isn't great.

sijomial

12Lose25 wrote: »

today I had my shake for breakfast and a very satisfying to lunch. Then my day got away from me and I was home at 8 PM and wasn't really hungry. I'm planning to go to bed at 10 and I know were not supposed to eat three hours before we go to bed, but I went ahead and had my shake anyway to get in the protein. In the future, is it better to just not eat if I'm not hungry on occasion okay? Or should I always get by two shakes in even if I'm not hungry?

Bold part is a myth unless you have some specific condition like acid reflux or it causes you heartburn.

There's no problem in having lower and higher calorie days, many people work to a weekly goal rather than feel constrained by a daily goal.

barbecuesauce

12Lose25 wrote: »

today I had my shake for breakfast and a very satisfying to lunch. Then my day got away from me and I was home at 8 PM and wasn't really hungry. I'm planning to go to bed at 10 and I know were not supposed to eat three hours before we go to bed, but I went ahead and had my shake anyway to get in the protein. In the future, is it better to just not eat if I'm not hungry on occasion okay? Or should I always get by two shakes in even if I'm not hungry?

As the poster above pointed out, you can eat at any time, unless you have medical issues like acid reflux.
But of course you're hungry if you're consuming shakes instead of food! Set MFP to 1 pound/week and eat the calories they give you (you should not be doing a VLCD shake plan with only 20 pounds to lose). Make sure you're getting enough protein, fiber, and fat.

Pootler74

If your body tells you it's genuinely hungry, eat. Ignoring those hunger cues can screw up your appetite. It doesn't matter, for weight loss at least, when you eat. Eat when you're hungry. And if you're not hungry, don't eat. Simple.

barbecuesauce

Anyway, if you're hungry at night, the best thing to do is save calories for it. Also keep lower-calorie snacks like cut-up vegetables on hand for days when you haven't saved very many.

mazdauk

I wouldn't consider a shake a meal, even if it has the same calories. But that's just my view. I work across a week as well as by day, so if I know I've got a big weekend, for example, I eat fewer calories through the week. Works for me.