Should you eat even if you are not hungry?

imarlett

I never thought I would have this problem but I am not hungry in the evening sometimes. Should I eat anyway to meet the minimum calories for the day? Today I made myself eat something for dinner but I definetly wasn't hungry. I had 555 calories left to eat for the day.

Garrettsmom

I think its a good idea to at least eat your alotted calories for the day! Too many days of not will make you feel sluggish and tired. So yeah, its probably a good idea to eat something for supper.

Nina74

I might not eat a lot but I would eat something. Otherwise I get hungry, headachy and that sets me up to binge or overeat. I try not to let myself get very hungry.

Scncartist

I try to mix in some non-filling stuff in the evenings just to get closer to my caloric needs. Things without or low in sugar and fat: pudding, cottage cheese, 100 cal kettle corn, fudgecicles. Stuff like that.

Sometimes I'm not that hungry, and other times I just need to be careful of my sugar and fat...these help me! :-)

melodyg

I eat A LOT when I'm not hungry. It goes against what I would think would be right... but I've grown to realize that if I only eat when I'm hungry I will eat nowhere near 1200 calories on some days. I think it is okay to eat when you aren't hungry to get to the minimum for the day... and I'm hoping along the way my body will figure out what amount I need to eat and be hungry so I can go by that. I try to get in calorie dense food if I am not hungry -- peanut butter/banana, sunflower seeds, nuts. Or watermelon is a fave right now because I can eat it when I am not hungry... or I'll "drink calories" -- usually milk or soy milk.

Alure

I've noticed that on some days I'm kind of ravenous and really want to go over my calorie goals, and sometimes I don't feel hungry. I think the smartest thing to do is pay attention and do what your body tells you it needs. It seems to work for me pretty well. I would say you should eat only if you're hungry, and don't worry about the days you are hungrier and eat a little more than you are allotted.

Holton

After having looked at your food diary, I would strongly suggest that you eat more of your calories early in the day and try to throw another snack/meal in there somewhere, such that if not eating at the end of the day is your issue, you won't be so far under.

imarlett

Thanks all. I tend to not eat a lot in the morning.. lunch is a crap shoot as it depends on the kind of day it is. Dinner tends to be big because I have time to cook or eat out with my husband.

imagymrat

You need to rework your goals

Weight loss should never be about "I want to lose x number of pounds within x amount of time". Weight loss NEEDS to be "I want to change my lifestyle, so that I am no longer living like a fat person".

You really need to be eating 1200-1600 calories a day (of course depending on your height/goals) If you eat much less than 1200 a day you are asking for problems. Your body can and WILL adapt to eating low calories, and will hold onto fat. That's why if you'll notice a lot of anorexic girls look very soft, unhealthy, and a lot of times even a little chubby. Do yourself a favor and eat. Eating is good.

It's easy to eat 1200 cals a day. A large chicken breast is like 300 calories. 5 Egg whites 100 calories. A cup of broccoli i think is about 50 calories. A can of tuna is about 100 calories. A bowl of oatmeal cooked with fat free milk is 220 calories.

As you start eating like a healthy person, not only will your taste buds change to prefer healthy food, but you will start obtaining a healthy appetite.

Don't screw around, eat your food. So yes, force feed yourself if you have to. You need to train your body and rev up that metabolism, the only way you will do it is to eat, at regular intervals, and if you aren't eating breakfast you're making your weight loss so much harder to achieve, you need to feed your body.

fitterpam

I would - it messes with your blood sugar if you miss too many meals, especially if you're not eating regularly. I wish I'd learned this from my grandparents sooner. My grandfather is 90 and outside all the time, he eats 6x a day, small meals and is his ideal weight. He will live to well over 100 and is still camping, hiking and doing things that, unfortunately, many people my age aren't able to do....I sure can't.

Trying to live up to his standard is giving me the option of living a life instead of worrying about food....just a thought

SuzanneRogers

Eat your calories. My biggest meal of the day is always breakfast, I have all day to use those calories. Then 2-3 snacks and lunch and dinner. I never eat after 8pm so I got o bed on empty stomach.

AllisonMO

Definitely eat your calories. What we are all trying to do is retrain ourselves to eat normal portions that will maintain health. I personally never have ended the day with a deficit as high as yours, but last night I was about 300 under, so I ate a meal bar. The good thing is that sooner or later we will meet our goals and will be on maintenance, so we need to be eating sensibly, not doing mini-fasts, so we CAN maintain.

Best wishes to you on your journey to a new lifestyle!