I only eat when I'm hungry. Is that okay?

hulket

I've been yo-yoing up and down for the last ten years. Low calorie, low carb, low sugar. It takes over my life. And I do always lose weight, but then I always gain it back. As of a month ago, I'm the biggest I've ever been (100 lbs overweight). So this time around, I decided I'm going to just quietly change how I do things. I want to take care of my body. Listen to it. Try to instill in myself that food is FUEL. I'm going to eat when I'm hungry, and only until I'm satisfied, and only healthy foods that I enjoy and that make me feel good. And I'm not going to obsess. I'm going to eat when I'm hungry, and then forget about it. I want to completely change my mindset in hopes it'll create a long-lasting healthy me. Easier said than done, I know, but, so far, so good.

A month in I'm down 8lbs. I'm not bloated. I have more energy. I overall just feel better. It was hard at first, really hard, but it's getting easier. I really only do eat when I'm hungry. But for forever, I've been conditioned that I HAVE to eat 1200+ calories a day to be healthy. But honestly, some days I don't. Some days I have a light lunch, and I'm good. I'm not hungry for the rest of the day. Other days, I'll have two full meals and a snack (I've never done breakfast, it always made me feel gross). It all depends on activity level really. But I worry, is that okay?

Any pros out there have an advice? Or anyone else in the same boat?

fitoverfortymom

As long as you are in a calorie deficit over time, when you eat is largely irrelevant. If you're able to accomplish this without having to log/track/weigh/measure your food portions, then more power to you. It's not an approach that works for me because I am always hungry and ready to eat!

ETA: As another poster mentioned, making sure you eat a minimum amount is important, too!

deannalfisher

1200 is the minimum net calories you should consume - for health - its not just about hunger (because our bodies can give us really goofy signs/ or non-signs) - but you need to ensure that you are adequately providing your body with the nutrients it needs and that is very hard to do under 1200 cal aday

RelCanonical

Some people on here do a weekly average because they'll generally have low and high days, and that's okay. Having low-calorie days is generally fine if they're only a little low, and you generally make up for it on days that are a little high. They would only become a problem if you were to end up in a binge-restrict cycle from going too low and then whipping back and going too high. It doesn't sound like you're dealing with that.

Heck, eating that way would be the ideal I think, but I think a lot of us are on MFP because we have trouble naturally regulating like that. It just doesn't work for me.

musicfan68

I eat only when I'm hungry, and always have. I managed to gain a lot of weight doing that. You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose.

MikePTY

Your body doesn't always tell you what you need to hear. How full you feel is not a sign of whether or not your body is getting the proper calories it needs. If you eat a bunch of voluminous, low calorie food, then you will feel full even if you are not getting enough calories for your body. I would try to eat some more calorie dense foods (think peanut butter) so that you can get a higher calorie number without feeling like you are overstuffing yourself. You should be eating at least very close to 1200 if not at that level.

If you have 100 pounds to lose, your body has a little more leeway and you may not feel the negative effects of under eating right away, since your body has enough fat that it can operate in bigger deficits without taking as many survival actions. But long term, it is still not a healthy idea.

hulket

Thanks so much guys, that's super helpful. MFP people are the best!

oceangirl99

I wish you luck with that method. I would love to get there and hope when I get to maintenance I can adopt that way of eating:). Everybody tends to use 1200 calories as a general rule of thumb, however your height/weight/age/activity level/etc. all factor in. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much if you are mentally healthy and you really truly aren't hungry, there is no reason to force yourself to eat. It will even out over time. You just need to make sure you haven't sort of convinced yourself you aren't hungry because you are wanting to lose weight so badly.

tonyrocks922

MikePTY wrote: »

Your body doesn't always tell you what you need to hear. How full you feel is not a sign of whether or not your body is getting the proper calories it needs. If you eat a bunch of voluminous, low calorie food, then you will feel full even if you are not getting enough calories for your body. I would try to eat some more calorie dense foods (think peanut butter) so that you can get a higher calorie number without feeling like you are overstuffing yourself. You should be eating at least very close to 1200 if not at that level.

If you have 100 pounds to lose, your body has a little more leeway and you may not feel the negative effects of under eating right away, since your body has enough fat that it can operate in bigger deficits without taking as many survival actions. But long term, it is still not a healthy idea.

Telling someone 100 lbs overweight to eat peanut butter is such a *kitten* joke.

OP - It's ok to go under 1200 some days. Most people measure poorly and under-count, so you likely are eating more than you think, pair that with the fact that you will go over some days as well and you have nothing to worry about.

vanityy99

RelCanonical wrote: »

Some people on here do a weekly average because they'll generally have low and high days, and that's okay. Having low-calorie days is generally fine if they're only a little low, and you generally make up for it on days that are a little high. They would only become a problem if you were to end up in a binge-restrict cycle from going too low and then whipping back and going too high. It doesn't sound like you're dealing with that.

Heck, eating that way would be the ideal I think, but I think a lot of us are on MFP because we have trouble naturally regulating like that. It just doesn't work for me.

100% all this!

I think your way is ideal for long term.

whatalazyidiot

My personal opinion is that it is okay if it's not every day, you aren't purposely trying to cut your calories/over-restrict, and you feel okay physically and mentally. But if you get to a point where after a few 1,000 calorie days suddenly you have crazy cravings or feel bingey, it might be the result of not eating enough. That's what happens to me.

debrakgoogins

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

Telling someone 100 lbs overweight to eat peanut butter is such a *kitten* joke.

Why? Peanut butter has beneficial fats, protein and carbs. It is perfectly healthy as part of an overall balanced food plan.

money_as_in_banu

Hi. I would also suggest to get regular medical checkups to be sure that you stay healthy. Some things might get damaged without you feeling it, so the healthiest approach is to also consult a medic at least once a year for routine investigations. Best of luck.

tonyrocks922

debrakgoogins wrote: »

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

Telling someone 100 lbs overweight to eat peanut butter is such a *kitten* joke.

Why? Peanut butter has beneficial fats, protein and carbs. It is perfectly healthy as part of an overall balanced food plan.

This isn't about peanut butter specifically. Telling someone who is 100 lbs overweight and successfully losing weight to add a calorie dense food to their diet for no reason other than to hit a number on this app is bad advice.

debrakgoogins

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

debrakgoogins wrote: »

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

Telling someone 100 lbs overweight to eat peanut butter is such a *kitten* joke.

Why? Peanut butter has beneficial fats, protein and carbs. It is perfectly healthy as part of an overall balanced food plan.

This isn't about peanut butter specifically. Telling someone who is 100 lbs overweight and successfully losing weight to add a calorie dense food to their diet for no reason other than to hit a number on this app is bad advice.

If she is eating below 1200 on a regular basis, it is bad advice to tell her that it's ok. She is losing 2 pounds a week and often not hitting 1200 calories. 2 pounds is reasonable considering she has 100 pounds to lose but it is still important to get basic nutrition. If she is not feeling hungry and consistently hitting below 1200 for the day, she needs to get those calories or risk illness. A tablespoon of peanut butter (or any high calorie food) can get her above 1200 without making her feel too full.

runnermom419

Are you weighing everything on a scale or are you only measuring? Could very well be eating over 1200 calories if you aren't weighing everything.

There is nothing wrong with intuitive eating if that is what works for you.

hulket

runnermom419 wrote: »

Are you weighing everything on a scale or are you only measuring? Could very well be eating over 1200 calories if you aren't weighing everything.

There is nothing wrong with intuitive eating if that is what works for you.

Nope, don't weigh a thing. Hmmm. Now that you guys say that, maybe I am getting over 1200 calories because I really don't measure anything (other than eyeballing it). Only now it's all veggies, fruits, lean meats and nuts instead of greasy takeout and processed junk. And I ALWAYS over-ate before. Maybe it's just taking my brain a bit to catch up.

And peanut butter. Omg I love my peanut butter. That with apples are my go-to snack at the moment. Mmmm.

MichelleSilverleaf

hulket wrote: »

runnermom419 wrote: »

Are you weighing everything on a scale or are you only measuring? Could very well be eating over 1200 calories if you aren't weighing everything.

There is nothing wrong with intuitive eating if that is what works for you.

Nope, don't weigh a thing. Hmmm. Now that you guys say that, maybe I am getting over 1200 calories because I really don't measure anything (other than eyeballing it). Only now it's all veggies, fruits, lean meats and nuts instead of greasy takeout and processed junk. And I ALWAYS over-ate before. Maybe it's just taking my brain a bit to catch up.

And peanut butter. Omg I love my peanut butter. That with apples are my go-to snack at the moment. Mmmm.

Just bear in mind nuts can be quite a calorie bomb.

hulket

runnermom419 wrote: »

Just bear in mind nuts can be quite a calorie bomb.

I use a few chopped pecans on my mixed greens for some protein. That's it really.

jlynnm70

Try measuring/weighing everything for a while - you might be very surprised. And it teaches your eyeballs what a real portion is. Slowly overtime - you will find your portions creep up - so a reset is a good idea every now and then anyway.

HeliumIsNoble

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

debrakgoogins wrote: »

tonyrocks922 wrote: »

Telling someone 100 lbs overweight to eat peanut butter is such a *kitten* joke.

Why? Peanut butter has beneficial fats, protein and carbs. It is perfectly healthy as part of an overall balanced food plan.

This isn't about peanut butter specifically. Telling someone who is 100 lbs overweight and successfully losing weight to add a calorie dense food to their diet for no reason other than to hit a number on this app is bad advice.

It isn't just about losing weight as fast as possible. That number there is aimed to steer members away from eating below their Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the number of calories you need for your vital organs (lungs, kidneys, liver, and heart) to function if you literally lie still in bed all day. If you underfuel your body sufficiently as part of losing weight, you may dip beneath that number. If your heart in paticular doesn't have enough energy to beat regularly, that is very, very, very bad news.