Does anyone eat when they aren't hungry to fulfill their cal

theflyingartist

Quick intro: I am a MFP success story - lost 25 pounds with the help of this site! I'm now in maintenance mode and have been finding it harder than when I was on a deficit/losing.
Today: I find that I am developing an 'appetite' throughout the day as I watch my calorie intake to fulfill my maintenance calories. However, I'm not always hungry, just eating because it would fill up my calories. I often wonder if that's the reason I overeat now.. I went a day without logging and at the end of the day calculated it up, and was over 500+ cals!!

I'm considering taking a week off of MFP, and just writing down what I eat without looking it up.. has this worked for anyone? I'm afraid (ironically) that I'm eating more to satisfy the 1700 calories I'm given everyday.. and now I've gained 2 pounds back..
Any tips? Advice?

futurefitgirl88

i don't....I eat only 3 meals and 2 snacks a day....if I'm hungry after dinner! Well then I eat...if not then I don't even if my calories are too low (esp due to exercise. 2300 calories is just too much for someone my height and size!!! I wud baloon!

jamielise2

Yes, I frequently eat when I'm not hungry to get myself above 1000 net calories for the day. It sucks, but I don't lose weight if I don't eat.

ShannonWinger

I always wish I had extra calories to eat. If I'm hungry I eat. If not I don't but I'm usually always hungry.

YukonJoy

Don't eat when you're not hungry.

Really.

Why do I even have to say that?

aippolito1

HELL no. But I workout at least an hour everyday so there's really no time of the day when I'm NOT hungry. I try to keep my net at 1200 but if I'm hungry, I'll eat the calories I have left from exercise just so I don't go to bed hungry but I'm TRYING to make sure I eat something good to keep me fuller for bedtime - that's usually when the munchies hit me, right before bed. Ugh.

CakeFit21

I do it all the time. I know I need the nutrition, I work my *kitten* off and I need to replenish everything I take out of it. I always feel it the next day if I haven't eaten enough the day before, ALWAYS.

This is when the "listen to your body" thing irks me. Before I started trying to lose weight I would listen to my body and only eat when I was hungry. Which meant i would only eat once or twice a day. I gained a lot of weight doing this. If I only "listened to my body" I'm sure this would happen again. I am in charge now.

Panda_Jack

I'm always hungry...

taso42_DELETED

When it's time to eat again I'm usually hungry. On a rare occasion I'm not that hungry, but I still eat, and as I start eating, I realize that I actually was hungry.. And on an extremely rare occasion, I'm so not not-hungry that I go to bed with a significant amount of calories left on the table.


If I chronically didn't feel hungry when I had a bunch of calories left, I don't know how I would feel. I guess I would be kind of confused. The last time I upped my calories, it took a few days to get used to it. It felt like thanksgiving every day for a few days there. But I got used to it. I guess there's some evidence to suggest that it can potentially take a little time.

CakeFit21

When it's time to eat again I'm usually hungry. On a rare occasion I'm not that hungry, but I still eat, and as I start eating, I realize that I actually was hungry.. And on an extremely rare occasion, I'm so not not-hungry that I go to bed with a significant amount of calories left on the table.

This is usually exactly what happens to me. I start eating and I'm like, "Wow, I'm really hungry!"

FaithsVegWorkout

I notice when I don't eat enough calories, I'm really hungry in the morning. I can't force myself to eat when I'm not hungry though, but if I'm hungry, I eat.

SiltyPigeon

I'm pretty used to my "schedule" of eating, so I don't really have this problem. If I am a little under for a day, though... I'll be hungrier the next day, so it evens out over time.

theflyingartist

Don't eat when you're not hungry.

Really.

Why do I even have to say that?

Yeah, you're right haha. I think it's the number that freaks me out: I have to eat 1700 of those things?! :noway:
Maybe a MFP vacation will work, to kind of get out of my logical head for a bit.

Pebble321

Sometimes I do. I won't stuff myself but if I've been for a long run and burnt 900 calories then I know I need to get some of those back in my system to help my body recover.
I don't eat every last calorie that I have available but I like to keep my net cals consistently between 1500 - 1600 so I plan for this and eat accordingly.
I'm not convinced that "listening to my body" is the best way to get healthy nutrition, it is more likely to say something like "a family sized block of chocolate makes a great lunch" and I that's what got me fat in the first place!

kitinboots

If I earned extra calories I struggle sometimes. I don't mind being a couple of hundred under as it allows room for error (I tend to forget cooking oils and sauces)

sugarbone

I often have 200-300 spare cals at the end of the day, but if I'm not hungry I don't eat them. Feels wrong. Guess I'll find out...

Avalonis

Actually, since I am trying to build muscle, I am force feeding myself constantly.

It all depends on your goals. If you are trying to lose weight, only eat when you are hungry, WITHIN REASON. You are changing how you feel about food, and when you need it. It's to be expected that listening to your body isn't a valid indicator of what you actually need.

After all, for the last few years my body has been telling me I NEEDED to eat fast food 5x a week. I shouldn't have listened then, why would I listen now?

bcattoes

I rarely eat when I'm not hungry. But I might have an extra glass of wine if the calories are just sitting there waiting to be consumed. I'd rather have a buzz than go into the dreaded starvation mode. :drinker:

JennLifts

i eat to hit my cal goal all the time. hungry or not. it's easier for me to eat at a deficit as well.
If you're finding youre going over or what not, i wouldn't suggest stopping tracking to fix it, i would suggest the opposite. better yet, plan your day the day before and just eat what you planned.

carrie1128

No I don't eat to fulfill the calories that MPF says I should have but I do eat when I'm not hungry. I take regular snack breaks and eat before I get to the point of feeling hunger. It helps me to eat less over the course of the day (I'm more likely to end up stuffing my face when I'm starving). I try to think of eating as fueling my body and I don't like to wait until the gas light comes on.

Tuffjourney

I always wish I had extra calories to eat. If I'm hungry I eat. If not I don't but I'm usually always hungry.

Me too....:sad:

killagb

I rarely eat when I'm not hungry. But I might have an extra glass of wine if the calories are just sitting there waiting to be consumed. I'd rather have a buzz than go into the dreaded starvation mode. :drinker:

Drinking alcohol to prevent a reduction in metabolism is kind of self-defeating...

carrie1128

I'm pretty used to my "schedule" of eating, so I don't really have this problem. If I am a little under for a day, though... I'll be hungrier the next day, so it evens out over time.

Yes, this happens to me. Actually if I'm under, I end up waking up in the middle of the night starving. I have to grab a banana or something so I can go back to sleep.

erickirb

Don't eat when you're not hungry.

Really.

Why do I even have to say that?

Actually hunger is not a very good indication of nutritional requirements. If you under eat for long enough your stomach will not take as much to get full, but that does not mean your body needs less nutrients. If you have calories left over on a consistent basis, change what you are eating and eat more calorie dense foods, such as nuts and seeds.

End6ame

Don't eat when you're not hungry.

Really.

Why do I even have to say that?

Actually hunger is not a very good indication of nutritional requirements. If you under eat for long enough your stomach will not take as much to get full, but that does not mean your body needs less nutrients. If you have calories left over on a consistent basis, change what you are eating and eat more calorie dense foods, such as nuts and seeds.

Well said! My thoughts exactly.

darklord48

What I would do is make sure you get at least 1200 calories a day. Beyond that, if you are under your maintenance goal, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you are down to the low end of the healthy BMI.

alleyag

Actually, since I am trying to build muscle, I am force feeding myself constantly.

It all depends on your goals. If you are trying to lose weight, only eat when you are hungry, WITHIN REASON. You are changing how you feel about food, and when you need it. It's to be expected that listening to your body isn't a valid indicator of what you actually need.

After all, for the last few years my body has been telling me I NEEDED to eat fast food 5x a week. I shouldn't have listened then, why would I listen now?

I feel you on this one. I'm also gaining at the.moment and sometimes I feel like a bear going into hibernation.4000 calories of healthy wholesome food is no easy task. I've gotten to the point of actually liquifying my meal to get it down. I will not fail. EAT BIG LIFT BIG GET BIG. I'm not complaining though I enjoy this much more than the cut, but it does have its disadvantages.

hypergrl

I'll eat the calories I have left from exercise just so I don't go to bed hungry but I'm TRYING to make sure I eat something good to keep me fuller for bedtime - that's usually when the munchies hit me, right before bed. Ugh.

Me too! WTH! The worst possible time!

_gwen

I never eat less than 1200, but I don't always eat my exercise calories.

joejccva71

I feel you on this one. I'm also gaining at the.moment and sometimes I feel like a bear going into hibernation.4000 calories of healthy wholesome food is no easy task. I've gotten to the point of actually liquifying my meal to get it down. I will not fail. EAT BIG LIFT BIG GET BIG. I'm not complaining though I enjoy this much more than the cut, but it does have its disadvantages.

LOL bro, use IIFYM. You will be fine eating a few more calorie dense foods to get that 4000 in.

bcattoes

I rarely eat when I'm not hungry. But I might have an extra glass of wine if the calories are just sitting there waiting to be consumed. I'd rather have a buzz than go into the dreaded starvation mode. :drinker:

Drinking alcohol to prevent a reduction in metabolism is kind of self-defeating...

Did I meniton the buzz??