Do you eat even if you aren't hungry?

2

Replies

  • theCarlton
    theCarlton Posts: 1,344 Member
    If I'm not hungry, I don't eat. But if by the end of the day I'm under 1200 calories still, I make myself eat up to that at least.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Yes, if I need to in order to hit my goals for the day.

    I see days in your diary where you're running huge deficits by eating <1000 calories while getting hundreds of calories from exercise.

    Don't do that. Eat those calories. Doesn't matter if you're hungry. Meet your nutrition goals.

    Meal timing doesn't matter, but the totals for your day DO matter. If it's 9 PM and you're 500 under your calorie goal, EAT.

    I normally don't have those days where I am <1000....there were a few over the weekend, but I wasn't feeling all that well....I'm not asking because I'm trying to eat less. I'm just curious, lately sometimes I won't be hungry at lunch or dinner (I don't know what is going on...its like my appetite isn't there...)

    You want to eat less than you were eating before, but you also don't want to eat too little.

    Those MFP numbers on your food diary are there for a reason. Use them, or you're wasting your time and damaging your body.

    None of us are here because we're so darn good at listening to our bodies. We're here because we're not good at it. You don't conquer your overeating issues by developing undereating issues.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I'm always hungry so I cannot answer this question. lol
  • aikasm
    aikasm Posts: 63
    the point of eating is to satiate hunger.. why would you eat if not hungry
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 628 Member
    I only eat when I'm hungry... If I'm not hungery I don't eat... That's how I got FAT in the first place! LOL... Eating when I wasn't hungry!
  • kbeaumont88
    kbeaumont88 Posts: 35 Member
    I have started eating 2 snacks throughout the day even though I am not that hungry... I think it is helping with my weightloss because I wasn't losing much last week because I was only averaging 1000 calories a day instead of the 1200 minimum I should have. I now have breakfast around 8, snack at 10, lunch at 11:30, snack at 3:30, and dinner around 6:30 (sometimes not until 8 when I have boot camp)... I notice that I am usually not very hungry at each meal so I never worry about going over calories. By planning out my meals this way I get my 1200 minimum and never feel hungry or stuffed, just satisfied.
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 345 Member
    It's more of I forget my snacks if I am not hungry...
  • efirkey
    efirkey Posts: 298 Member
    I don't know how you could possibly be hungry if you are eating 5+ times a day. Better question is do you stop eating when you are full. I think that is a bigger issue for most.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    No. No point in forcing yourself to eat if you're not hungry
  • turkeyhunter60
    turkeyhunter60 Posts: 319 Member
    yes, but probably light.
  • shaunaruiz
    shaunaruiz Posts: 19 Member
    If you're not hungry but need to reach a calorie goal so you don't have too little you should try eating a small high protein high calorie snack like almonds, sunflower seeds, even a spoonful of peanut butter. It will provide you with good healthy fat and protein that your body needs yet won't stuff you like most other higher volume lower calorie foods would. Just my suggestion. Hope it's helpful.
  • Shawnzgirl78
    Shawnzgirl78 Posts: 148 Member
    Absolutely NOT
  • 4_Lisa
    4_Lisa Posts: 362 Member
    Yes I always eat on my schedule whether I'm hungry or not. I don't eat back my exercise calories though as everyone tells you too, but I do ensure that I don't eat crap either, and high protein. I find if I wait til I'm hungry, that is when I make poor decisions on food.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    The reason to eat even if you're not hungry is because there are an incredible array of psychological and physical processes going on that motivate us to eat or not eat. We mostly want to lose weight, so we're in "exercise and eat less!" mode, so that inclines us not to eat. Combined with the fact that we all got here in the first place because we're not very good at understanding what our bodies want or need and you have a hotbed of issues that can easily lead us to, say, eating 700 calories a day that we exercise for an hour because "oh I don't feel hungry" which in reality might be "I feel like I shouldn't eat" but you can't tell the difference.

    The numbers are real. The numbers don't lie to us like our tummies and bodies and brains do.

    Follow the numbers. Eat your calories.



    I agree with this.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Yesterday I only ate 1150, want hungry due to stress. This isn't a regular problem for me not getting my calories in. (1400-1600) looking back this week you have 700 and 900 calorie dais which doesn't seem nearly enough. Introduce some calorie dense foods like a few handfuls of nuts per day to get yourself to a more sensible amount. Today I'm really hungry so may end up having extra!

    Zara.
  • TangledUp_InBlue
    TangledUp_InBlue Posts: 397 Member
    I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry
    And the moonshine don't kill me, I'll live til I die
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I've found hunger is a terrible guideline for eating. I can eat a 2000 calorie pizza and still be hungry afterwards. Some days if I'm really busy I can find myself 1000 calories from my goal by nighttime. If I look at a box of cookies I magically get "hungry". The mind/body is a funny thing.

    Personally, I just eat to reach my goal intake for the day. That's it. I don't go by perceptions of hunger, that's how I got fat in the first place.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I don't worry about eating at certain times of the day though, just when I'm hungry. I'll have a more calorie dense night time snack if my calories are low.

    Zara
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    I think that if you're asking for an opinion to get advice on what YOU should do, it really just depends on the person. I for one, am a definate food addict. I used to go all day without eating, but later on I'd be so hungry all of a sudden, that I would overeat, and not care about what I was eating, because I was so hungry, and my body would crave foods high in fat, to feel more satiated. Not to say I never skip lunch, especially if I sleep late, I'll eat breakfast, but skip lunch occasionally. However if you are not that type of person, then you could probably get away with skipping a meal. Also, it will make it hard to get all your calories in if you're skipping meals. I know several people though, that will go all day without eating, and then gorge later on, so it's your choice, but if you're like this then I wouldn't skip. :happy:
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Yes. If I only ate when I'm hungry, I'd eat about 1000 calories a day and nothing more. And I'd be weak and tired and skinny-fat. I have a small but strong, muscular, active body. It needs a lot of food, whether my stomach is growling or not.
  • luckyshilling
    luckyshilling Posts: 229
    If I am not hungry then I typically eat just a snack this helps me to not be extremely hungry when I do get hungry. This helps me because I do not have much self control when I get super hungry and thus make poor food decisions.

    Ditto here. I am never hungry for my afternoon (3pm) snack. BUT when I don't eat it, I end up starving at dinner time and lack energy and focus for my after work (4pm) workout. So I make myself eat that one, cuz it is fuel I need to have a kick @ss workout. I guess sometimes your brain knows better than your stomach.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    I just ate 666 lunch cals and Im already thinking of my 666 dinner cals. The mind is an evil thing....
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    i've never had this problem which is why i'm on here. :bigsmile:
  • Toddahlie
    Toddahlie Posts: 116 Member
    Yes I eat, but a little portion
  • aberc
    aberc Posts: 98
    If I am below my calorie intake for the day, I will, but Ill try to eat something more calorie dense.

    For example, if it's around 9pm and I still need to eat 300 more calories, Ill load up on some peanut butter/greek yogurt or almonds.
    If it's just mid-day and Im not hungry, I won't eat. I dont want to get into the habit of eating when Im not hungry.

    I normally don't have this problem though because I get hungry every 3 hours lol.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Yesterday I only ate 1150, want hungry due to stress. This isn't a regular problem for me not getting my calories in. (1400-1600) looking back this week you have 700 and 900 calorie dais which doesn't seem nearly enough. Introduce some calorie dense foods like a few handfuls of nuts per day to get yourself to a more sensible amount. Today I'm really hungry so may end up having extra!

    Zara.

    This reminded me of another point. You may not be very hungry one day, and may undereat, but then the next day you may find yourself extremely hungry, and overeat to make up for it. :)
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    the point of eating is to satiate hunger.. why would you eat if not hungry

    No, the point of eating is to fuel your body.

    People who have never had to lose more than a few vanity pounds can probably follow their hunger, people who are obese, or were obese and have not fixed their relationships with food and their body, need to follow the plan.
  • mduverne1
    mduverne1 Posts: 4 Member
    Yes, only when I need to reach my calorie intake for the day!!! :smooched:
  • likepepsicola
    likepepsicola Posts: 117 Member
    No.
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Yes, if I need to in order to hit my goals for the day.


    ^^This

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