Eating on a schedule vs when you're hungry

corinasue1143

I have been on pretty close to the same schedule for so long that even 7 years after retirement with no reason for a schedule, my body is on the same schedule. I try to start cooking at the first little hint of hunger to prevent overeating if I ignore it until I am REALLY hangry! If I get hungry between mealtimes, I try to eat a high protein snack, a small one if I’m a little hungry, or a big one if I’m a lot hungry.

LyndaBSS

So, your comments have really helped. Prepared my lunch today when I felt the first pang of hunger. By the time the veggies roasted, half hour later, I was definitely hungry. Felt good to nail the timing. 😀

BuddhaBunnyFTW

I graze like a buffalo but I don't eat calorie dense foods.

LyndaBSS

I tried grazing but was hungry all the time.

SoaringOccamy

I try to stick to a general schedule (or at least a guideline of a certain amount of time between meals), but if I am not scheduled to eat for a while and my stomach is persistently begging for food, I will sometimes relent and have something that is light on calories and filling. My go-to faves are almond milk iced coffee, high protein snacks like hard-boiled eggs or deli meat, or fruit and a few pistachios.

Apart from that, I try to stick to my meal times as best I can. Otherwise all I have to go on is my stomach, and my stomach is a spoiled brat that always wants a treat.

cbihatt

I tend to eat at approximately the same times every day, but that is just because I tend to get hungry at those times. I wouldn’t really call it a schedule.

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are a little more flexible than dinner because my family tends to dictate when I cook dinner (based on them complaining about being hungry, LOL).

As for my hunger cues, it depends on the situation. I am less likely to eat at night, despite feeling hungry. In the morning, I can sometimes skip breakfast and eat an early lunch instead. If I am about to exercise, I may put off my meal until after my workout. Otherwise, I eat as soon as I feel slightly hungry, but I rarely eat enough at one time to reach a feeling of “fullness.” The exception to that is when at a restaurant, because I always eat more than I would at home. Something I should work on, I suppose.

MelanieCN77

I eat on a schedule because I'm always hungry