Unintentional fasting?

Nu_Primal_Me

Hi all,

So I've been living Primally again for a few weeks now...and I have to say, this week, my appetite is just not the same. I am waking up not hungry, can actually go well into the afternoon without eating and not feel at all deprived or hungry. I am not sick, for the record, or stressed. I just don't feel te need to eat as often as I did...anyone else experience this?

divemunkey

I went through that as well. It didn't last forever. Men usually do much better with fasting as you feel like you want to do, but many women eventually have hormonal issues if they force the issue. What I mean by that, is if you eventually start getting hungry during the times you now are not, you should probably start eating. If you don't ever get hungry during the morning or noon hours, you will probably be fine. Also, keep in mind , you should probably be eating sizable meals when you do get around to eating each day to make sure you are getting enough to fuel your body properly.

LittleTrollCupcake

Are you working out?

Akimajuktuq

Yes, I am a chronic breakfast skipper. On weekends, sometimes I don't eat until 2 pm. However, sometimes I can eat 1000 cals at one meal. It's fine because that's what my body wants. Now that I eat primally, I can totally trust my body to manage the food intake. Prior to changing my lifestyle, I still skipped breakfast, but binged uncontrollably until I fell asleep at night. Lack of willpower? Mental disorder? No, malnourishment. lol Or how else to explain that an eating disorder was resolved merely with changing the type of food?

Hunter gatherers were always intermittent fasting, and were able to go long periods without food when need be. They also gorged themselves when they were really hungry and just made a kill.

So eat when you are hungry and don't worry about eating if you are not.

SweetxCatastrophe

Yup! There are many times I don't eat until 1p because I'm just not hungry. There are some days you'll wake up starved, and some days you won't even think about food for hours and hours. Listen to your body and eat when you're hungry

monkeydharma

Why fluff it all up with the word 'fasting'?

Eating only when you are hungry is the most normal, natural thing in the world. 'Skipping a meal' is an artificial concept - three meals a day is the result of the Industrial Revolution, when workers were forced to eat a set times to maximize productivity.

If you are less hungry, and eat at odd times - more power to you. If it skips a mealtime, so what? 'Fasting' is not eating when you ARE hungry.

Shadowknight137

Why fluff it all up with the word 'fasting'?

Eating only when you are hungry is the most normal, natural thing in the world. 'Skipping a meal' is an artificial concept - three meals a day is the result of the Industrial Revolution, when workers were forced to eat a set times to maximize productivity.

If you are less hungry, and eat at odd times - more power to you. If it skips a mealtime, so what? 'Fasting' is not eating when you ARE hungry.

So much +1. Actually, let's call it +10. That'll do it.

Think about if. What is a "mealtime" other than something society has decided to call a certain time as such. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that we, as a species, have developed to eat 3-6 meals a day at certain times.

It's social nonsense. You know, like those friends you get who expect you to eat fast food and toxic crap just because they are. Then they get annoyed with you for not doing so.

I only eat one or twice a day. Breakfast/Dinner and dessert - maybe with an earlier PWO meal if I'm feeling a bit peckish, but usually I eat most of my food in a four hour timeframe. Is this weird? To me, no, not at all. To others, yes, it's unnatural and wrong. Screw that.
IMHO, listen to your body, and not what people say about arbitrary times you need to eat.

Nu_Primal_Me

Maybe I used the incorrect word when I said 'fasting'. What I was trying to articulate is that since eating Primally, I just don't have the same hunger patterns and seem to be able to go long periods of time without eating or even thinking about eating, before this that would not have happened. It is not at all intentional, it just seems to be that way. And yes, as someone asked, I am working out/active daily.

I don't understand the concept of 'eat even if you are not hungry to cut off hunger before it comes' that many people seem to subscribe to...to me, I would think that you are in danger of creating a bad habit, at least for me I believe that would be true.

Thanks for the info guys, I was just wondering if this was something others experienced as well.

ichorica

Why fluff it all up with the word 'fasting'?

Eating only when you are hungry is the most normal, natural thing in the world. 'Skipping a meal' is an artificial concept - three meals a day is the result of the Industrial Revolution, when workers were forced to eat a set times to maximize productivity.

If you are less hungry, and eat at odd times - more power to you. If it skips a mealtime, so what? 'Fasting' is not eating when you ARE hungry.

So much +1. Actually, let's call it +10. That'll do it.

Think about if. What is a "mealtime" other than something society has decided to call a certain time as such. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that we, as a species, have developed to eat 3-6 meals a day at certain times.

It's social nonsense. You know, like those friends you get who expect you to eat fast food and toxic crap just because they are. Then they get annoyed with you for not doing so.

I only eat one or twice a day. Breakfast/Dinner and dessert - maybe with an earlier PWO meal if I'm feeling a bit peckish, but usually I eat most of my food in a four hour timeframe. Is this weird? To me, no, not at all. To others, yes, it's unnatural and wrong. Screw that.
IMHO, listen to your body, and not what people say about arbitrary times you need to eat.

Agree with both of these men! I hardly ever eat breakfast. Not a fan never really have so I have Bern not eating it tor years. I eat when I am hungry time does not tell me when! So you aren't alone! I know there is an article out there about women skipping meals but eh....I have no current complaint!

ajourney2beme

Why fluff it all up with the word 'fasting'?

Eating only when you are hungry is the most normal, natural thing in the world. 'Skipping a meal' is an artificial concept - three meals a day is the result of the Industrial Revolution, when workers were forced to eat a set times to maximize productivity.

If you are less hungry, and eat at odd times - more power to you. If it skips a mealtime, so what? 'Fasting' is not eating when you ARE hungry.

So much +1. Actually, let's call it +10. That'll do it.

Think about if. What is a "mealtime" other than something society has decided to call a certain time as such. It's absolutely ridiculous to think that we, as a species, have developed to eat 3-6 meals a day at certain times.

It's social nonsense. You know, like those friends you get who expect you to eat fast food and toxic crap just because they are. Then they get annoyed with you for not doing so.

I only eat one or twice a day. Breakfast/Dinner and dessert - maybe with an earlier PWO meal if I'm feeling a bit peckish, but usually I eat most of my food in a four hour timeframe. Is this weird? To me, no, not at all. To others, yes, it's unnatural and wrong. Screw that.
IMHO, listen to your body, and not what people say about arbitrary times you need to eat.

Both of these posts +10

ssparks5849

I have noticed a change in my eating patterns as well. I worry that my calorie total at the end of some days is too low. How low is to low? I've seen on some other posts where people have broken down percentages for carbs, protein, fat, etc. How did you figure that out?

hilliardjoe

Started Primal Jan 1 and yesterday was the first time I skipped lunch at work since I was not hungry. It wasn't really much of a conscious decision either, just a realization that others were getting lunch and I didn't feel the need. I think I am going to try to basically "skip" lunch now unless I am actually hungry.

I've also stopped bringing snacks to work because I don't need them anymore. The first week on Primal I was still eating my work snacks and eating lunch and now that I look back on it it may have been more out of habit than actual hunger. I was still losing though because I wasn't over-doing it and was eating better food/snacks.

Nu_Primal_Me

I have noticed a change in my eating patterns as well. I worry that my calorie total at the end of some days is too low. How low is to low? I've seen on some other posts where people have broken down percentages for carbs, protein, fat, etc. How did you figure that out?

I just use the My Fitness Pal site to give me an idea of what my nutritional intake looks like (protein, carbs, fat, etc.) but I'm not using it to necessarily guide my choices...more of a reference...