Eating only when hungry?

Rukadare

Hey there.

So...I have realized that when I calorie count and track everything that goes into my mouth that I sort of get OCD about it, and way too obsessed. I hate it. I feel like it's controlling my life, and because of that, I end up binging. I find that things are just so much better when I don't have to worry about each and every little calorie, you know?

My question is this, then: Is it possible to lose weight just by eating only when you're hungry, and stopping when you're full? (Adding exercise, of course). I mean..do you *have* to count calories in order to track everything? I just want to be free of calorie counting because it feels like a full time job!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

cmriverside

This is a common problem here.

It takes me less than five minutes to enter a meal from the database into my food diary.

Is that too much a price to pay?

That said, after doing this for a while you will be able to eye-ball portions. At this point I think you can take breaks and just watch your weight and/or measurements and come back if things start to go the wrong way.

jmruef

Hey there.

So...I have realized that when I calorie count and track everything that goes into my mouth that I sort of get OCD about it, and way too obsessed. I hate it. I feel like it's controlling my life, and because of that, I end up binging. I find that things are just so much better when I don't have to worry about each and every little calorie, you know?

My question is this, then: Is it possible to lose weight just by eating only when you're hungry, and stopping when you're full? (Adding exercise, of course). I mean..do you *have* to count calories in order to track everything? I just want to be free of calorie counting because it feels like a full time job!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I know there have been studies done that show that people lose *more* weight in X amount of time when they log what they eat. When I did Weight Watchers many years ago, though, they were about healthy portions rather than specific numbers. and I lost weight that way too.

If you're obsessing about it, then a) good for you for realizing it and b) it's time to stop counting...for a while, anyway. Maybe you can just track the numbers MFP provides about numbers of protein, fats, etc, rather than overall calories? That way you'll make sure you get a good balance of nutrients in your system...? (I don't know if it's possible to use MFP like this - just a thought...)

The trick of stopping eating when your full can be a tough one to learn. It takes (I've heard) 20 minutes for the message to get to our heads that we've had enough to eat. For myself, at least, it's more effective to go by calorie numbers because I can't trust that feeling yet of "Okay, yeah I've had enough" to kick in faster than the "OM NOM NOM NOM" feeling when I'm eating something particularly good. :laugh: It's definitely something to work on, though!

Trust your gut on what's right FOR YOU to do on this one. Obsessing over calories can definitely be as unhealthy as eating too many of them.

khadijak17

its all abot calories in vs calories out so yes logging them and measuring food will make weight loss easier although you could just eat in moderation and portion control....no take aways and generally healthy food....could take longer but then again its a lifestyle change so whatever keeps you going in the long run i guess good luck x

fteale

It absolutely is possible to lose weight that way, but it's also very possible to gain. I have only ever eaten when hungry and I managed to put on 2 stone that way while pregnant and not lose it for 3 years after. I am always hungry. For me the hard thing has been realising that if I want to be a healthy weight, I will have to be hungry most of the time.

MJ7910

it's been a while since this post was out but i am starting to do just that today. i am still tracking but i'm only eating when my hunger reaches a certain level. not extreme stomach growling level, but enough where i know my body is saying "i'm hungry, time to eat"... i think it is easy to start into a pattern of obsessing over when you eat, if you're getting enough x, y or z, etc... i am trying to break out of that by listening to my body's natural cues. i am hoping this will work for me. i agree with you about binging, that tends to happen to me if i obsess too much about it.

kryptonitekelly

I understand completely.
I become OCD too! I know that 1 little cookie won't affect me (it never has done) but when I'm counting and I have one...and seem to wanna binge on them all!

I've tried the eating only when hungry thing. It does work, but depends on what you eat

christina0089

Hey there.

So...I have realized that when I calorie count and track everything that goes into my mouth that I sort of get OCD about it, and way too obsessed. I hate it. I feel like it's controlling my life, and because of that, I end up binging. I find that things are just so much better when I don't have to worry about each and every little calorie, you know?

My question is this, then: Is it possible to lose weight just by eating only when you're hungry, and stopping when you're full? (Adding exercise, of course). I mean..do you *have* to count calories in order to track everything? I just want to be free of calorie counting because it feels like a full time job!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I know there have been studies done that show that people lose *more* weight in X amount of time when they log what they eat. When I did Weight Watchers many years ago, though, they were about healthy portions rather than specific numbers. and I lost weight that way too.

If you're obsessing about it, then a) good for you for realizing it and b) it's time to stop counting...for a while, anyway. Maybe you can just track the numbers MFP provides about numbers of protein, fats, etc, rather than overall calories? That way you'll make sure you get a good balance of nutrients in your system...? (I don't know if it's possible to use MFP like this - just a thought...)

The trick of stopping eating when your full can be a tough one to learn. It takes (I've heard) 20 minutes for the message to get to our heads that we've had enough to eat. For myself, at least, it's more effective to go by calorie numbers because I can't trust that feeling yet of "Okay, yeah I've had enough" to kick in faster than the "OM NOM NOM NOM" feeling when I'm eating something particularly good. :laugh: It's definitely something to work on, though!

Trust your gut on what's right FOR YOU to do on this one. Obsessing over calories can definitely be as unhealthy as eating too many of them.

Agreed!

wurgin

I find when I am being very careful I actually stop eating and then a few minutes later the full feeling kicks in. that means if I was eating till I felt full I would have continued to eatr for 5 or 10 minutes... how many more calories is that? It takes our brains a little time to receive the message from the stomach that it has enough to work with in there... for me eating till full would not work. Not unless I ate a very tiny portion and waited 20 minutes then eating again if still hungrey.

xtina

You should never only eat when you are hungry as this will lead to over eating! Although I'm one to talk. I'm working on improving this. The best way to speed up your metabolism and really see the results is to each small meals throughout the day. Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Supper. Also if you think you are hungry inbetween it may just be that you need to drink some water. :happy:

tigersword

There's a downside to it. Your body's hunger and satiety signals are based on hormones. They adjust to what you do. So, if you chronically under eat, but don't know it because you aren't logging it, your hunger signals adjust to that, and even though you are technically under eating and malnourishing yourself, you don't feel hungry. With Chronic over eating, your body sends signals that it's constantly hungry, as it's used to eating a lot.

That said, logging isn't really necessary, as much as being mindful of what you eat, and how much you eat, being sure you are eating enough to properly fuel yourself, without going overboard.

michellemaeb

God designed us to do just that, we are programed at birth to eat when hungry and stop when full...it's due to environment that we are taught to overeat (eating anytime you are not truly hungry). I actually taught a weight loss class on this exact concept, and have LOADS of information on it. If you're interested just get ahold of me, I will gladly share

God bless

therealangd

I'm going to say no, it's not possible. If it were possible, you'd be doing it already, you'd be at a healthy weight and not here asking if it's possible.

I'm not trying to be flip about it. Just stating the facts.

If you want to change your lifestyle you need to learn how to do it. The only way to learn is to track. In the beginning it is time consuming because you are learning about food and portion size and nutrition, cardio and strength training and calorie burn. But eventually you will get to the point that it's second nature.

tigersword

God designed us to do just that, we are programed at birth to eat when hungry and stop when full...it's due to environment that we are taught to overeat (eating anytime you are not truly hungry). I actually taught a weight loss class on this exact concept, and have LOADS of information on it. If you're interested just get ahold of me, I will gladly share

God bless

Humans have evolved to overeat. Food was never abundant, so the human race evolved to gorge themselves at meals, which is why the satiety signal takes so long to get to the brain. Gorging, and then fasting for one to 2 days until more food could be found. The problem now is that food is overabundant, so listening to your natural body signals, without extensively retraining them, can cause over eating and weight gain, as that's how the body is designed to work. Hence the concept of intermittent fasting.

elsinora

It absolutely is possible to lose weight that way, but it's also very possible to gain. I have only ever eaten when hungry and I managed to put on 2 stone that way while pregnant and not lose it for 3 years after. I am always hungry. For me the hard thing has been realising that if I want to be a healthy weight, I will have to be hungry most of the time.

Sounds like me but without the pregnancy part. Every time I stop logging in my diary I pile the weight back on, so I sadly for me personally do have to do a diary. Thank
Goodness for electronic devices though!

chevy88grl

I lost the majority of my weight by simply eating less, eating better and moving more. No calorie counting. No exercise logging.


If doing it makes you too obsessive, then stop for awhile and see how it goes. Still be aware of serving sizes and follow them. Make better food choices. And workout.

I find that logging everything is too obsessive for me and NOT something I want to be strapped to doing for the rest of my life. So, I'm done doing it. Plain and simple. I've been in maintenance for the last 18 months and am doing fine. Just remember that just because you aren't logging doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want. You still have to be aware of what you're doing.

Artemis_Acorn

I absolutely IS possible, but it is much trickier than it might seem at first blush. First, most of us have some mental, emotional or physical reasons that we have gotten overweight, and thinking you're just going to eat only when you're hungry does nothing to address those issues - you're going to have to do some 'heavy lifting' on that end of the spectrum if you're going to make it a lifestyle change.

There is a man with a program out there that helps tune you into your body cues. His name is Paul McKenna. He advocates this method by promoting eating awareness. That is, you don't eat in front of the TV, book or computer. You set the fork down in between each bite and don't pick it up again until after you've swallowed. You savor every bite. You monitor your hunger level as you do so and stop eating as soon as you hit not being hungry, a state of being 'satisfied', but not full - regardless of how much food you have left on your plate. (It takes 20 minutes for your body to catch up to the signals)

Meals take a long time this way - even though you are eating less. There is no option for eating on the run. You need to eat as soon as you start to feel mildly hungry so that you don't get into a super-hungry state and binge.

The, you must address the other issues, such as comfort or stress eating etc. He offers self-hypnosis/meditation DVDs that are supposed to help you do it.

I have tried his method, and yes, it does work, but if your life is busy, if you have limited time for meals, or lack the discipline and patience it takes to spend time meditating daily, you have strikes against you already. I am considering dusting off the DVDs I bought for this program when I get to maintenance, because it is absolutely true that our body has the capacity to self-regulate, but I know from experience that it takes real work too - it isn't the 'easy fix' it sounds like.

Erica002

I think it depends. For me, I can't. I find that I eat more when I'm not counting.

MaddoxsMommy

Yes. It's called intuitive eating. There are lots of books about it...maybe you can eat what you want, when you're hungry for a couple of days but log afterward and see how that goes. Estimate as best you can about portion sizes. Honestly shouldn't we ALL be eating when we are hungry and stopping when we are full? It's more difficult than it sounds in this day and age! It really comes down to what works for YOU, and that may take some experimenting.

MJ7910

the point is listening to your body. at first, you will need to eat a little bit and then stop and wait for your body to tell you if you need to eat more or not. which could be up to 30 minutes after eating a small portion. we have natural cues to tell us when to eat and when we are full but most of us have not taken the time to be cued into it.

cjw6

People who are 'naturally' slim (not me), are that way not because of some kind of magic (although genetics play a role), but more because they are good at doing exactly this.
It absolutely is possible to lose weight this way, provided you are eating the right KINDS of things. Obviously a big plate of veggies and lean chicken will fill you up, or a burger and fries will fill you up but you may actually feel hungry sooner after an unhealthy meal or snack especially after high-gi carb loads- with predictable effects on your weight.
The trouble is that for many of us who are overweight, it is because we are not great at listening to our bodies signals to stop eating and we eat because of emotions, habit, boredom, taste or social pressure rather than just hunger,
If you have good habits and knowledge regarding your food choices, and are aware of your bodies signals to eat/not eat this may work for you. I find logging keeps me honest and aware and stops me slipping back into bad habits. I don't plan on logging forever- I am hoping to firmly establish good habits and then wean myself off by trying to learn only eat when hungry, stop when I'm full, and not feel the need to hoover up everything on my plate.

kiminikimkim

It depends how fast you eat.

It takes 10 to 15 mins for your stomach to tell you it had enough.

You can inadvertently stretch your stomach a little more each day, therefore eat more calories over time.

It didn't work for me, I am more successful with MFP.

floweringcurrant

I typically leave about 100-200 cals left over on a day where I might have a bite of this or a bite of that, one cracker, a few nuts, etc.
This gives me the ability to not be ridiculously obsessed, but still count for calories that might add up. This way I can mainly add my main meals. Works for me!

whitneyann0

I'm sure it's possible. I just find that tracking every little thing that I eat keeps me accountable.

If I don't track everything, I feel like I don't really realize all the calories I'm consuming.
MFP has really opened my eyes to what I am putting into my body. I never really looked at the nutritional information on food before.

taso42

Sure. I did absolutely no calorie counting when I first started. I started eating mindfully and exercising. I lost fat and got fit. Counting calories isn't a requirement. It's just one way to do this.

SammyPacks

It gets easier after the foods you normally have is logged into the system. I think counting calories helps you learn about portion control. When you have portion control down then yes you can eat when hungry because you wont have a large lump sum of food. It is a trial and error thing, and I think logging food is kinda fun :P just start adding recipes and meal into your system. That's how I should start doing it...

xMsAlly

I think counting calories is very valuable when beginning a weight loss journey. For me it was like a wake up call, I had no idea how much i was eating until I logged it on MFP for the first time.

KatKatatrophic

Hey!

It takes about 20 minutes for your body/brain to realize you're full. Hunger can be mistaken for dehydration. So, first, before you eat something, drink an ounce or two of water. If it feels you up, it's just because you're thirsty. If you're hungry five minutes after that, eat something because it's real hunger.

The problem with eating only when your hungry is that some people are hungry besides just their three meals a day, so they overeat because they're hungry. When you eat an actual meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, drink a glass of water (the standard 8 ounces) 45 minutes before you eat. It feels you up more, so you eat about 75-100 calories less. I work well with MFP, since I can track everything. But try all of that up there, and it should help you.

I am actually OCD, so I know how you feel.

jazzalea

I'm trying to find a balance now that I'm closing in on the end of my journey...... I find myself obsessing over the calories in, and out and even that I am running out of weight to lose......I'm even starting to have anxiety about life "after" ........

What I'm doing is logging during the week faithfully when I'm in a more structured routine.... and on the weekends I'm just letting my body have what it wants, when it wants it...... and trying to make healthy choices without counting the calories..... that way my body is getting what it thinks it needs and I can monitor it while not letting it get out of control.... Mondays my regular routine kicks back in.....


good luck

CollegeGirl19

bump

OSC_ESD

I think if you ask most people on here what happened when they actually started counting and paying attention to calories consumed ... you would find that it was a rude awakening and it really made a HUGE difference how people move forward.

Knowledge is power ... but awareness saves lives !