Should you eat when you're hungry? HELP

mama_mia3

BEFORE: I wouldnt eat breakfast...I'd have a high calorie snack or two and call it good. I most often would skip lunch, again grabbing anything out of the cupboard to snack on. I'd would snack in the afternoon as well. I'd fix supper and eat way too much, and by bed time I've got the munchies again so off to the cupboards I go find another snack. This would repeat itself every day.

This where I get confused. I was always told that hunger was your body's way of saying it was going into starvation mode. So I always ate when I got hungry. I was making bad food choices, but I'm worried that I'm still going to send my body into that mode by not taking in as much as I'm used to. Can that happen? Does that happen?

NOW: I'm actually hungry in the mornings, so I eat a good breakfast. I make myself have cup of yogurt or some fruit a couple hrs after. I make myself eat lunch even though Im not really hungry for it. I have a snack in the afternoon and with supper I'm only eating 1 serving of the main course and doubling up on a vegetable. I get hungry a couple hours later but I'm already at my limit of calories. Should I eat something when I'm hungry? I don't know what my body is telling me when my stomach is cramped up and growling. Should I just cowboy up and get through it just for the sake of staying under my limit or not? Please feel free to look up my food diary if you think you can help. THANKS!

lutzsher

Have a healthy snack if you find you are hungry, but if it is within 2 hours of bedtime just have a cup of tea or some water. The only exception is if you are diabetic, my husband was advised to have a couple of crackers with a slim slice of cheese in the evening before bed to sustain him and regulate his blood sugar overnight.

Luckymam

Of course you should eat when you're hungry! That's your body's signal that it needs food! It's a bit like saying "should I sleep when I'm tired?"

Sorry if I'm blunt, but starving yourself is silly.

Amb1976

this happens to me too....i eat breakfast (very small) then 2 hours later im hungry so i have my morning snack (just got done w my egg whites and hot sauce actually) then ill be hungry at lunchtime again....

erickirb

Hunger is not the best indication of nutritional requirements as if you eat more your stomach stretches and the next day it will take more to fill it whether you need the extra nutrition or not. After a while of eating less your stomach will shrink and you will get full easier.

A better way to see if you should eat is how you feel, are you lethargic, irritable, feel weak, etc.

So my answer would be to gram something small, low in calories and in time you should become less hungry. Try veggies as a snack they will fill you up due to the fiber content and are very low in calories.

erickirb

Of course you should eat when you're hungry! That's your body's signal that it needs food! It's a bit like saying "should I sleep when I'm tired?"

Sorry if I'm blunt, but starving yourself is silly.

Hunger is not the same, the more you eat one day the more you will have to eat to become full the next. Hunger just means your stomach is not full, it does not mean you need more nutrition/energy (calories)

wriglucy

My husband has this same problem, he's ALWAYS hungry. Sometimes though, hunger may not be that you need more calories, it could be just from a faster digestive system. I would try to eat foods that contain carbs, protein, and fat at every meal to keep you feeling full longer. Maybe smaller meals throughout the day would work best for you then too.
Good luck!

Sillybunni

If you are having to make yourself eat some of those snacks, why not skip it and save the calories for a before bedtime snack?

freeatlast20

you need to eat at regular times but have your healthy snacks if you are really starving. As for me after dinner i have my snack then if i get real hungry before bed time....i drink water....and it if wont go away i just go to bed.....works for me. But im real strict about my calories....i try to never go over. Find what works for you ...best of luck on your weight loss journey!! :drinker:

nabrown382

Have a healthy snack when you're hungry! But pay attention to your body, and don't overeat.

I've also read & heard that sometimes hunger pains are actually a sign that we need to drink some H2O. I don't remember where I read it, but I do remember hearing it from a fitness class instructor. If I can find a credible source online, I'll come back and repost.

superwmn

Eat when your body is hungry.

Not by the clock.

Not when you 'think' you're hungry.

When your body is hungry, there will be no doubt in your mind that it is time to eat.

Listen to and honor your body. It knows best

Charmagne

Goal_Seeker_1988

Here's something that may help. When you wake up don't eat, drink your days serving of water (8 8oz.). An hour after completin your water intake eat your breakfast. Take your vitamins and don't be afraid to take an extra B vitamin and C vitamin. If you workout in the morning then do your workout. After your workout eat your protein. Drink a protein shake if nothing else. 2 hours after that eat your lunch. 2 to 3 hours after that have a snack. Then 2 hours later have your dinner. Make sure you are eatin your daily amount of lean protein and make sure your eatin raw organic fruits and veggies. You shouldn't be hungry if you follow somethin like this.

Also don't eat alot of carbs. They will leave you hungry. I can eat 4 servings of spaghetti and still be hungry. You need protein, lean protein. That will keep you full. Feel free to add me as a friend, I've been there, I've lost 75lbs and I've kept it off for over 2 years.

kbanzhaf

When my doctor sent me to a nutritionist when I first began this journey, she told me it was important to eat a healthy snack in the evenings (I usually try to eat some fruit or yogurt, sometimes some popcorn) so that there was fuel for your body on a more consistent basis. It helps keep your blood sugars more stable, and therefore keeps you healthier.

I agree with someone else's suggestion that if you are forcing yourself to eat snacks earlier in the day, save one of them for the evening.

Amb1976

Here's something that may help. When you wake up don't eat, drink your days serving of water (8 8oz.). An hour after completin your water intake eat your breakfast. Take your vitamins and don't be afraid to take an extra B vitamin and C vitamin. If you workout in the morning then do your workout. After your workout eat your protein. Drink a protein shake if nothing else. 2 hours after that eat your lunch. 2 to 3 hours after that have a snack. Then 2 hours later have your dinner. Make sure you are eatin your daily amount of lean protein and make sure your eatin raw organic fruits and veggies. You shouldn't be hungry if you follow somethin like this.

Also don't eat alot of carbs. They will leave you hungry. I can eat 4 servings of spaghetti and still be hungry. You need protein, lean protein. That will keep you full. Feel free to add me as a friend, I've been there, I've lost 75lbs and I've kept it off for over 2 years.

im not sure that i completely agree with this...i have been told to drink the water consistantly thru out the day....8 8oz servings is equal to one gallon of water....it is possible to suffer from water intoxication by drinking it all at once....also, during your workout, your only supposed to drink 1/4 of your water per every like 15-20 min....i may have just started, but the 4-6 small meals i have a day keeps me going all day, i stay under my calories and have been successful so far with my journey....i suppose to each his own though....congrats on yours!

ladyhawk00

I had almost the exact same schedule as you, before I changed my lifestyle. With the exception that I rarely had anything to eat before mid-afternoon. And I drank no water whatsoever - only coffee, soda and some occasional tea or juice.

I'm going to copy and paste something I wrote on another thread, as I don't have a whole lot of time at this moment. But I'll say this - eat on schedule. Because one of your biggest bad habits from before was skipping meals and then overeating later, you need to get on a schedule that provides consistent fuel throughout the day and prevents that evening binge. It doesn't have to be a big meal or snack in the mornings, but SOMETHING to keep you on that schedule.

"I would disagree with your trainer as far as loss of appetite - I experienced it myself. Or rather, I should say a continued lack of appetite. My previous habits included a LOT of soda and eating no breakfast and rarely eating lunch - I had suppressed my appetite during the day for many years and it took some time to retrain my brain to recognize hunger. That's just my opinion, but I've heard a LOT of people claim a lack of appetite in the first couple of weeks and I find it hard to believe they're all lying or wrong.

That brings me to my strongest disagreement. One of the biggest reasons for the existence of a site such as MFP is that the majority of people who are overweight are not able to recognize the true feelings of hunger. Saying "trust your body" just isn't a useful thing in the beginning. Most overeaters have established habits over many years that contradict the body's normal hunger cues - and thus they can no longer distinguish between real hunger and other feelings or mental cues. It's a classic case of Pavlov's dog - over time, associating something with food brings the same response whether the food is there or not. Overeaters will feel hungry when they are not, and not feel hungry when they need fuel, because they are mentally trained to have the inappropriate assocations/responses with food that caused their overeating.

This is one reason why MFP (or any calorie counting) is so useful. Its best application as a weight loss tool is to help retrain the body AND mind to recognize the cues a HEALTHY body gives us. The way it does this is it says "You need to eat this many calories today. Don't go too far over or under - try to meet this goal." By doing that over the first few weeks or months, it helps us recognize healthy portions, and a healthy schedule, and a healthy amount of total calories - based on fairly accurate estimates of what a person this size/age/activity level needs.

The idea is this: MFP already calculates a cal deficit that allows for a certain amount of HEALTHY weight loss per week. Exercise over and above that number of calories needs to be replaced to some extent or the deficit is larger than what you (presumably) intended."

(Edited a bit to hopefully be more applicable to this thread)

Good luck to you!

jrbb0309

Maybe the issue is spreading things out a little more. Maybe try not doubling up on the vegetable at dinner but having it as your snack in the evening. Then you're still within your calorie goal but you can satisfy that hunger as well. OR try 12 natural almonds for 80 calories, which doesn't put you too much over, and will really calm the hunger and carry you through the evening because it's protein.

wriglucy

Here's something that may help. When you wake up don't eat, drink your days serving of water (8 8oz.). An hour after completin your water intake eat your breakfast. Take your vitamins and don't be afraid to take an extra B vitamin and C vitamin. If you workout in the morning then do your workout. After your workout eat your protein. Drink a protein shake if nothing else. 2 hours after that eat your lunch. 2 to 3 hours after that have a snack. Then 2 hours later have your dinner. Make sure you are eatin your daily amount of lean protein and make sure your eatin raw organic fruits and veggies. You shouldn't be hungry if you follow somethin like this.

Also don't eat alot of carbs. They will leave you hungry. I can eat 4 servings of spaghetti and still be hungry. You need protein, lean protein. That will keep you full. Feel free to add me as a friend, I've been there, I've lost 75lbs and I've kept it off for over 2 years.

im not sure that i completely agree with this...i have been told to drink the water consistantly thru out the day....8 8oz servings is equal to one gallon of water....it is possible to suffer from water intoxication by drinking it all at once....also, during your workout, your only supposed to drink 1/4 of your water per every like 15-20 min....i may have just started, but the 4-6 small meals i have a day keeps me going all day, i stay under my calories and have been successful so far with my journey....i suppose to each his own though....congrats on yours!

I disagree with this as well. CARBS are important! They are what fuels your body. Also, who can drink 8 glasses of water right when you wake up? And not throughout the day? You're supposed to drink 8 glass of water for the DAY, not morning. Plus, too much at once can dilute your electrolights and make you dizzy and feel unsettled. It doesn't sound healthy to do it that way.

susu5

I like almonds also. They do satisfy!

Kevalyn34

You should be eating your breakfast no later than an hour after you wake. My trainer gave me the following schedule:

7:00-7:30 breakfast -
10:00-10:30 snack (no more than 150 calories)
12:00 lunch
2:30-3:00 snack
5:00 workout snack - protein & carbs (i.e. slice of toast w/ tbs peanut butter or protein bar/shake)

I try to workout no later than 6pm and it's usually 1-1.5 hours.
I usually eat dinner around 8pm. I used to believe that you can't eat after 7 but my trainer said that this wasn't true. Just as long as it's 2-3 hours before you go to bed. She also said that eating a tbs of peanut butter and drinking water before bed is really good.

mama_mia3

You girls and guys are AWESOME!! Thanks for taking the time to comment on this post!!! I appreciate it more than I can express right now!!! I love you people!!!!