Should you eat even if you are not hungry?

mgarciar
mgarciar Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
My appetite has decreased a lot more lately. I do not get hungry as much as I used to. My calorie intake should be 1200 a day, due to the weight loss program I have been following. I do not want my body to go into starvation mode, but I also do not want to eat when i do not need to. Every time I eat when I am not hungry I begin to feel sick. What should I do?

any suggestions?
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Replies

  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    You should be eating on a schedule (certain times of the day) and should eat regardless of whether or not you are hungry. You are at the lowest end of caloric intake (1200 calories) and should not eat less per day. Figure out what doesn't make you sick and eat that. Try to ensure that at least 50% of your lunches, dinners, and snacks are non-starch vegetables. Hopefully vegetables don't make you sick.

    If you workout, you should eat back your workout calories. Your net should not be less than 1200 and should probably be more.

    If you see any weight loss from not eating, it will be temporary and if your goal is long term weight loss and then maintenance of your goal weight, you want to eat regularly.
  • judymata
    judymata Posts: 42 Member
    I have that same thing going on with me due to medications. I dont get too hungry but my husband as well as coworkers think I am strange because I am not hungry, therefore I either over eat or only graze. I usually try to drink a glass of water and after 30 minutes if I feel I am hungry I will eat something small. Good luck!
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Eating less than 1200 calories will NOT cause starvation mode if you're more than 10% body fat.
  • Sweet_Pea0107
    Sweet_Pea0107 Posts: 90
    Hunger isn't really a good measure of whether you need to eat. Low colories diets even if done short term effects the hormones that control hunger and these effects can last months or even years after coming off a low cal plan.. I dealt with this when I was crash dieting (bad idea). I ended up eating 300 to 500 calories a day but thought I was fine because I didn't feel hungry. Little did I know the damage I was doing to my body. Even now my appetite isn't fully restored so to get enough food in I eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. Even if I don't feel hungry I know my body needs a certain amount of calories.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Feelings of hunger are far more complicated than indicating a physical need for food. Various physical, mental, and emotional factors come in to play.

    If some people always ate when they were hungry, they would gain 2 lbs a week. If others never ate unless they were hungry, they would end up in the ER.

    If following your hunger signals doesn't even get you to 1200 calories, then yes, you need to eat when you're not hungry.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Are you reaching your calorie suggestion? I can't even imagine not being hungry eating only 1200 calories. You are right, you don't want you're body to go into starvation mode if you are well under 1200. If you aren't even reaching 1200 and your exercising on top of that then I would suggest changing what you eat not necessarily how much. Eat higher calorie foods, nuts, olive oil, salmon and full calorie versions of any low calories items you're already eating. If you haven't always had a low appetite, I might also talk to my doctor to find out possiblilties as to why it's decreased.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Should you put gas in your car before the light comes on, if you're about to go drive for 8 hours?
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Hunger is not a measurement of need you need to eat some anyway and slowly up your calories.. It sounds like your body is shutting down. This recently happened to me I was not hungry my metabolism was shutting down and I stopped losing netting under 1,200. I have upped my calories and have began losing again. You need to figure your BMR out and not eat under that.
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.
    This is absolutely true the large majority of the time (obviously not in all cases). It's known as "intuitive eating".
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.

    That's a really great thing to say when you don't even know how many calories she's getting. There's a big difference between someone that isn't hungry but is still getting 1000-1200 calories a day after exercising and someone that isn't hungry, not eating and only getting 400-700 calories a day. Great way to promote an eating disorder. Just because someone doesn't feel hungry doesn't mean they don't need food.
  • fatty_to_fitty
    fatty_to_fitty Posts: 544 Member
    a) starvation mode is a myth

    b) it depends on your goals and how little you are eating anyway

    If you haven't had enough nutrients be honest and eat some veggies or something

    no one says cos you have 200 cals left you should have a kit kat
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    Just make sure you eat breakfast lunch and dinner. If you aren't that hungry then pick up some fruit or a small salad. That way your body won't go into starvation mode. Just make sure you always have food in your system because if you wait to eat later then you're going to be more hungry and then you're going to want to eat more of a heavier meal.
  • dantrick
    dantrick Posts: 369 Member
    Eating less than 1200 calories will NOT cause starvation mode if you're more than 10% body fat.

    where was this information found? did i miss something?
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    Usually people will tell you to eat more calorie dense foods like nuts. I say try to eat at least close to your goal. If you are 100 calories under its not the end of the world but I wouldn't go eating like 600 calories or anything. Under 1000 on the regular would be dangerous I'd say.
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.

    That's a really great thing to say when you don't even know how many calories she's getting. There's a big difference between someone that isn't hungry but is still getting 1000-1200 calories a day after exercising and someone that isn't hungry, not eating and only getting 400-700 calories a day. Great way to promote an eating disorder. Just because someone doesn't feel hungry doesn't mean they don't need food.

    ^This
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I would eat if I wasn't hungry if I would otherwise net less than 1200 calories. If it's an occasional thing, like when sick, I'd go with how I feel but for the everyday situation, I'd eat. Eat higher calorie foods if that's what it takes to get you to a healthy level. And if it persists, check in with your doctor to make sure there isn't an underlying medical cause.
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
    Should you put gas in your car before the light comes on, if you're about to go drive for 8 hours?

    I LOVE THIS! So true!
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.

    For the most part I agree with this. Not understanding true hunger cues is what gets most of into the overweight category in the first place (not stopping when full, eating when bored, eating when depressed, etc). Having said that, you don't want to be malnourished. Find things that sound GOOD to you and eat those and try to get as close to your minimum as possible.
  • cakemewithyou
    cakemewithyou Posts: 132 Member
    I would just eat something light and fresh!
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    Oh yeah and more importantly you want to keep your metabolism working not slow it down.
  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
    If you've been on a very low calorie diet for a long time i think your body adjusts to it and you loose that feeling of hunger. That doesn't mean you shouln't eat.
    You might not feel hungry, but do you feel weak, tired, grouchy? Even if you don't, you're still putting your body through a lot of stress.
  • newmooon56
    newmooon56 Posts: 347 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.

    Personally I agree with this as it worked for me. I would worry when I first started and was that girl that "couldnt even eat all 1200 cals?!" in a day. Now I read those posts and roll my eyes. You need to lose 40#s but cant eat? Yea... ok...

    Your body is adjusting and thats GREAT! LET IT. You will be hungry soon - just be careful not to pig out once your hunger comes back- eat when you feel it- dont wait it out.

    Schedule your eating? Yea- cuz life isnt crazy enough with enough deadlines and such. Just dont let yourself get too hungry- nothing good comes of that.
    But do learn to LISTEN to your body- you will love it and yourself for it.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Nope! Dont care what anyone says if you watch a child eat or someone who is naturally always on the slim side, they stop eating immediately after their brain tell them they are full. A child, for the most part, will not snack just to snack. If they arent hungry they will be off playing. Listen to your body. If you are healthy, no underlying disease, listen to the wisdom of your body.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Feelings of hunger are far more complicated than indicating a physical need for food. Various physical, mental, and emotional factors come in to play.

    If some people always ate when they were hungry, they would gain 2 lbs a week. If others never ate unless they were hungry, they would end up in the ER.

    If following your hunger signals doesn't even get you to 1200 calories, then yes, you need to eat when you're not hungry.

    This. Listen to your brain over your stomach, and eat what you know your body requires. Intuitive eating only works if your body's hunger signals are functioning the way they should.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Feelings of hunger are far more complicated than indicating a physical need for food. Various physical, mental, and emotional factors come in to play.

    If some people always ate when they were hungry, they would gain 2 lbs a week. If others never ate unless they were hungry, they would end up in the ER.

    If following your hunger signals doesn't even get you to 1200 calories, then yes, you need to eat when you're not hungry.
    Good point. I should have added:
    1. Learning to differentiate desire to eat, for various reason, from true hunger is a very important part of learning your body's hunger signals.
    2. Man made, artificially concentrated foods can be more calorie dense than foods found in nature, so it's easy to fool your body's satiety mechanism if you are eating processed foods.
  • OspreyVista
    OspreyVista Posts: 464 Member
    No. Learning to listen to your body's own hunger drive is one of the more important things you can learn. Just like if you are hungry, listen to your body and eat some (healthy) food. If you are not hungry, don't eat.

    This. Starvation mode myth gets used so much. There's been studies on it, you don't actually go into starvation mode unless you have less than 5% body fat. x.x Eat when you are hungry, if you are not hungry, don't eat.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    I depends. If I've been laying in the couch all day not expending any energy, I probably won't eat much because... well, I don't have to. But if I lifted a bunch or ran 8 miles or something, then yeah, I make sure I eat. I know it's important to refuel.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    If you're only eating 1200 calories a day, yes you should be forcing yourself to eat even if you're not hungry.

    I say this mostly because your decrease in appetite is probably mental/emotional. a lot of people come here who are overweight, put themselves on a 1200 calorie diet and suddenly they "can't eat" any more than 800-1000 calories. It's usually because they are associating food with fat. You're not going to get fat from eating 1200 calories, or 1400 calories, or probably even 1600 calories. It would be best to stay in the habit of eating a healthy amount of food, not less than your (very low) goal.
  • Molly_Maguire
    Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
    Don't force yourself. If you are truly not hungry, just don't eat. It would be silly to cram stuff down your throat if you don't want it, esp if it makes you feel sick.

    Since you are only eating 1200 cals though, (like me!) I would try to make sure it doesn't happen very often. To make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need, try planning all your meals for the day, eating higher calorie meals in the beginning of the day, just so you aren't left with an extra 500 calories you don't want at the end of every day. It used to happen to me a lot, and with a little trial and error I was able to work it out to where I always met my goal. Good luck!

    *Edited for typos

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