Eating without thinking

willis84

I eat at 9am because it's "breakfast time", not because I'm hungry. I eat at 12pm because it's "lunch time", not because I'm hungry. The same happens with dinner.
I eat because I'm suppose to eat, not because I NEED to eat.
And then after I eat, I hate myself because I wasn't hungry in the first place but did it anyways. It's a mental game and I don't know how to end this.

tiptoethruthetulips

You have to eat sometime. Most of us eat the majority of our meals when its convenient (usually a set time) because we don't have an option because of other commitments, facilities etc.

Why not delay breakfast based on appetite, other meals will be delayed accordingly. You need to be prepared if out and about though or at work. Have ready meals handy.

Now if you never need to eat, there are issues.

kommodevaran

I agree with the above. You need to eat. You don't need to feel the need to eat. There's a difference there. Hunger and satiety cues aren't always that useful and reliable. Are you eating at an appropriate calorie level? "Mindless eating" is harmful only when you eat too little or too much or unbalanced. There's nothing wrong with eating from habit when your eating habits are good. I suspect lots of "naturally skinny" people today don't think so much about what they eat, they just eat, much like most people used to when the majority was "naturally skinny". (Sorry about that expression, I know it's hated, but I don't have any other shorthand for "people who seem to maintain healthy weight effortlessly".)