Do you eat just because you can?

2

Replies

  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    it's my calorie goal. if i'm hungry or not. I'm hitting my goal.
    More importantly, hit my protein while staying near my calorie goal.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    I rarely eat just because I can. If I have calories left over and I am hungry I eat. If I am not hungry I don't. By not hungry I mean if I ate anymore it would make me cry, I am not going to hurt myself trying to eat more. Tonight I was still hungry after I ate dinner so I made a quick protein smoothie and now I am good.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    I am trying to learn to listen to my body's hunger signals, so if I have extra calories and I'm not hungry I won't eat. If I'm hungry, I'll eat.
    If your body's hunger signals were accurate you wouldn't be fat in the first place.
    I'm not sure I agree. I believe it can be an effective strategy to try and train your brain to recognize the difference between physical hunger and emotional need (need for control/perfectionism, need for love/self-soothing, boredom, etc.) and to only use food to fulfill for actual nutritional need and not other needs.

    I'm reading The Beck Diet Solution right now and Dr. Judith Beck prescribes cognitive behavior therapy exercises designed to help one recognize this distinction.
  • sunnyhlw77
    sunnyhlw77 Posts: 204 Member
    I don't eat past 7:00 pm. I know that people will disagree with me BUT if my body is busy digesting the food, it cannot get the rest it needs. I'm not sure if anyone else can feel it when their digesting food but it sometimes will keep me awake at night if I do eat in the evening. I'm a creature of habit though, I eat at certain times each day except on weekends which most of the time I usually forget to eat and will make bad choices. I try to eat all of my calories. I do have a rule of thumb though, its that I look at my calories over the course of the week more than on any individual day. I personally think weight loss is a long term thing.
  • mlfrailing
    mlfrailing Posts: 79
    Only if I'm hungry, wide awake, and have some calories left. If I'm not hungry, I will try not to eat. BTW, overcoming that is probably the hardest thing for me.
  • AJinBirmingham
    AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
    I am trying to learn to listen to my body's hunger signals, so if I have extra calories and I'm not hungry I won't eat. If I'm hungry, I'll eat.

    If your body's hunger signals were accurate you wouldn't be fat in the first place.

    Unfortunately there are way too many variables that affect one's hunger.

    Words that pierce like an arrow, a straight true arrow.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    No, that's not how it works. You can eat any time of day or night so long as you create a calorie deficit adequate to lose weight.
  • chrisloveslife
    chrisloveslife Posts: 180 Member
    If I know I'm going to have some calories left, I'll eat a little more at dinner. I usually don't eat right before bed just to use up calories. I'm usually proud of myself just for having some calories left that I didn't eat.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    Not at all.
  • BurningAway
    BurningAway Posts: 279
    I am trying to learn to listen to my body's hunger signals, so if I have extra calories and I'm not hungry I won't eat. If I'm hungry, I'll eat.

    If your body's hunger signals were accurate you wouldn't be fat in the first place.

    Unfortunately there are way too many variables that affect one's hunger.

    Lmfao lmfao lmfao
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    Usually, as long as I'm within 500 of my goal, I don't worry too much about hitting my goal. But I must caveat that by saying my goal is based on maintenance, so it's not as though I'm creating a massive defecit by coming in 500 short.

    If you've already got a defecit built in for your goal, then you should make an effort to eat close too that goal. I wouldn't say you should force yourself to eat before going to bed, but you probaly should look to change how you eat through the day.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    no

    eating more calories than you need will turn them to fat, meal timing will not.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I eat all the time. Because food is awesome and is fuel for my body. Just like my car won't run on fumes, my body won't either.


    And, weight loss is not like golf. Having the lowest number doesn't always mean you are going to win. It's not a race to see who can eat the least amount of calories. I need calories - I like to run, I like to have energy, I like to increase my strength and lean body mass and lose fat. To do all that, I need food.
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
    If I know I'm going to have some calories left, I'll eat a little more at dinner. I usually don't eat right before bed just to use up calories. I'm usually proud of myself just for having some calories left that I didn't eat.

    That might work OK at first and when you have a lot to lose but the closer you get to goal the worse off you will be by being proud of leaving more of a deficit than is already pre-built for you (as all deficits are on MFP).

    I eat to my goals one way or the other because doing so has enabled me to lose 60lbs, be smaller than I even was in high school and develop and maintain incredible muscle tone that I never thought possible. Not eating to my goals when I was doing things the wrong way made me skinny fat and unhealthy. I'm glad I learned the right way quickly enough and have been able to stick to the right way even when I didn't feel like it.
  • BeautifulByChoice
    BeautifulByChoice Posts: 60
    Most times, yes. I love food and baking, so I take what I can get and eat almost every calorie that I can. Unless I'm super full. I do know when to stop myself.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    :huh: :huh: :huh: Sorry, not supported by science. Timing of calories makes no difference......

    To the OP, I rarely come in too far below my target , I need the fuel and I love to eat.....
  • BSBgirl337
    BSBgirl337 Posts: 119 Member
    I only eat my remaining calories if I am still hungry. I don't think you should ever talk yourself into eating. I think for the most part, most of us are trying to talk ourselves out of eating, lol!

    I try to always come in under my calorie goal. I think it's too high, and I never eat my exercise calories back. Before anyone says it, I always eat at least 1200 calories. If you aren't at 1200, then yes eat something else before bed. If you're over 1200 and you're not hungry, try to not eat more just because you have calories left over for the day. You will probably be proud of yourself the next morning. : )
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    I have a rough estimate for calories i eat daily rather than adjusting to each day's activities. Last night, for example, I had XX amount of calories left over, and saw that my protein was low, so i had a protein shake. I wasn't really hungry, but the extra protein was needed.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    I love how everyone reads the entire thread before posting.
  • slowlow1
    slowlow1 Posts: 31 Member
    I am trying to find a balance with this. When my net goal was only 1200 then I would all of my calories. The problem was that when I exercised I would not eat back those calories. This turned into a big problem. Now I have increased my net calories to 1500 and try to atleast get a net of 1200 ever day. This seems to help when I exercise because I start out with more calories so I don't have to add back so many calories at the end of the day to net 1200.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Well, I usually plan my day the night before so I'm not left with too many calories at the end of the day... unless I work out hard... and then, yes, I eat. If I'm really under goal after dinner and have met my protein goal already and am under on carbs and fat (rarely happens) then I will treat myself to some ice cream. Because there is always room for ice cream. :wink:
  • spidey11186
    spidey11186 Posts: 141 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-o.gif

    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG!
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-o.gif

    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG!
    I love how everyone reads the entire thread before posting.
    Case in point
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    LOLing
  • spidey11186
    spidey11186 Posts: 141 Member
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-o.gif

    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG
    YOU'RE WRONG!
    I love how everyone reads the entire thread before posting.
    Case in point

    My turn: My bad ::facepalm::

    I just really got excited to use my new Dr. Cox GIF!
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    It is a great gif
  • ShellyBrowne
    ShellyBrowne Posts: 27 Member
    The initial question on this post was a big struggle for me the first time I joined MFP. Even though I'm a runner and I thought running longer would help me lose weight, it took me 6 months to lose 13lbs.

    I'm on my second go-around now on MFP and I'm doing it a bit different - about 75-80% paleo foods, still running but reasonable distances 4-5 days a week. I might have left over 'net calories' on days where I run but I eat a fulfilling amount of protein, carbs and fats.
  • ChelseaTheRedHead
    ChelseaTheRedHead Posts: 6
    When I started using MFP I had my calories set to 1200 per day. BIG mistake. I was always so hungry and not comfortable.

    You have to remember that how many calories you eat to lose weight depends on current weight and stature -- 1200 is often times much too low for a lot of people.

    I've bumped my calories up to 1500 a day, and find it is much easier to stick with. I don't worry TOO much about hitting the goal...usually I'm a bit over. +/- 100 calories won't kill me. So long as I'm satisfied, I'm happy.
  • kate1103
    kate1103 Posts: 23 Member
    For awhile I had my calories set to maintenance, and then I tried to stick to right at or a little under my calorie goal (with 1-2 high calorie days per week-I think my body likes them and so do I!). I just reset my information to reflect that I'm currently sedentary (law student sitting on my booty about 10-12 hours per day), and would like to lose 1/2 pound per week. When my calories are set at a deficit, I don't mind going a little over. I'd rather lose REALLY slowly than anything else. And I'll definitely eat my calories if I still happen to have some left at night. But that's just me.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    I love coming in 500 calorie under target. I eat enough calories but work them all off. Eating too close to bedtime will turn calories into fat like nothing else.

    So much fail bro science at work here.

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