Should I still eat more calories even if I'm not hungry?

coconutgrl908
coconutgrl908 Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know if this is scientifically accurate, but I feel like I've trained my body to feel full on less calories. I measure out everything with measuring cups and spoons (except recipes, but I try my best to make those accurate), so I'm pretty sure my calories are accurate..

If I'm not hungry by the time it's 9:00pm, but I'm still supposed to eat 200 more calories to reach the bare minimum of 1200, I should (somewhat force) make myself eat something, right? I wasn't hungry when I ate a little cereal, milk, and banana.. But I needed those calories to reach 1200 kcal. Just for future knowledge, should I always eat at least 1200, even when I'm not hungry? Its not like I'm stuffed all the time, but I'm satisfied. I just don't want to shot my metabolism. Ive lost 15 lbs in the past 2 months, and am hoping to lose 10-15 more (by the end of the year). I'm 5"4, 19yo, and currently 140lbs. I have some muscle on me from playing tennis all four years of high school, but its covered in fat!

Replies

  • kingofcrunk
    kingofcrunk Posts: 372 Member
    I don't think you should have to eat if you're not hungry. I'm sure some days you'll be starving and go over what you're meant to eat. Yesterday I only managed to rack up 800 ish kcals because I was so busy and had a lot on (you can look at my diary if you want its open) - but I wasn't hungry at any point and I didn't see the point in eating the last 400 kcals just for the sake of it.
  • Nighthawk4
    Nighthawk4 Posts: 77 Member
    I wondered that.

    Yesterday I felt fine but was still well under my daily allowance. As people seem to think going too far below the allowance is a bad thing, I was looking around for some snacks I could eat to 'top up' the amount I had eaten and so use up some of those calories.

    I was thinking that this is crazy - I am trying to lose weight and I am snacking (my main failing in the past) just to eat more?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I don't really get hungry, so tend to eat at meal times. I wouldn't contemplate trying to catch up to a calorie target in the evening while trying to lose weight, I can't imagine there's any evidence that would be beneficial.
  • Jambe
    Jambe Posts: 58 Member
    Don't worry about it. Unless all of your calories were from carbs and fat and you completely avoided protein... :p Then you MIGHT have a problem...
  • Dad_of_3
    Dad_of_3 Posts: 517 Member
    I have wondered that too. I have gone under without being hungry and I was fine. A couple of times, without trying, I went WAY under, and I felt extremely tired and lethargic the next day, so I think you have to be careful not to go too far under, even if you are not hungry.
  • LizAWDavis
    LizAWDavis Posts: 45
    | think the whole reason people in general are overweight - myself included - is that we don't listen to our bodies and don't eat when we are just hungry - but do so out of bordem or enjoyment or just like the food!! In my opinion if you are not hungry don't eat just to get up to a number of cals. You might be more hungry tomorrow and go over 200 cals...... Listen to your body i'd say.
  • Lose_It_Leo
    Lose_It_Leo Posts: 91 Member
    Eat when you are hungry. Obey your body's call! If you're not hungry, leave it, your body doesn't need it, that's why you're not hungry!
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I Do - If I have calories left at the end of the day, I eat something I enjoy and try to get as close to my goal as possible.

    My calorie number is a target, not a limit.

    Most people don't just eat for nutrition or to stave off hunger, they also get pleasure from food. restricting your calories shouldn't mean denying yourself that pleasure.

    So if you have calories left, then why not have a little pleasure if it fits your macros?
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Well, it is in the database, so someone must have logged it !
  • coconutgrl908
    coconutgrl908 Posts: 10
    I'm glad I did end up eating that snack at 9, if I hadn't I would've had hunger pains by the time I went to sleep at 12! Thanks everyone for your input! :)

    From now on, I'm going to try my best to eat at least 1200 because I am burning at least 300 kcal a day.. You would think that id be hungrier! I think lots of protein and spacing out my meals help out a lot
  • pavingnewpaths
    pavingnewpaths Posts: 367 Member
    If you aren't hungry but want to meet your calorie goal you could eat empty calories, something that doesn't fill you up.
  • suzieqcookie
    suzieqcookie Posts: 314 Member
    i have mixed feelings on this one... i try to only eat when i'm hungry, it seems like eating when i'm not hungry is pushing negative reinforcement, BUT i notice the next day that i am hungry all day. I don't sweat it when it's under 200-300, but more than that i do try to eat something cause i know i'll pay for it the next day
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    A day or two a week under the minimum goal is not bad and will not result in issues. If this is a common thing, they you will need to plan your day better food wise. I do not suggest binge eating/starving at the end of a day to fix the caloric errors you made all day long.

    Do not fret, just try to get the next day right. :)
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    As long as you're not waaaay under regularly you'll be fine. You can even make up for it the next day, or on the weekend. Your body doesn't say "oh, it's 9:00, she hasn't eaten enough calories, let's screw around with her metabolism and make her fat!" You will be okay :) If you do run out of healthy snack ideas to get your calories up but not your carbs, sugar, and sodium, eggs, nuts, and fruit are great.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    Whether I feel like eating or not eating is irrelevant, just as whether I feel like exercising or not exercising doesn't really factor into it. Doing those things based on how I felt got me to being more than 100 lbs overweight. I may be hungry for nothing but chocolate cake and pizza. That doesn't mean I should do that.

    This is where intellect kicks in and you run your program. If you haven't eaten enough, then eat and eat what your body needs based on nutrients. You are retraining everything about your way of taking care of yourself. Feed the machine, not the feelings.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    | think the whole reason people in general are overweight - myself included - is that we don't listen to our bodies and don't eat when we are just hungry - but do so out of bordem or enjoyment or just like the food!! In my opinion if you are not hungry don't eat just to get up to a number of cals. You might be more hungry tomorrow and go over 200 cals...... Listen to your body i'd say.

    Same here.
  • bales84
    bales84 Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with Trelm246. Its about macro nutrients, it can be quite difficult to get what you need from too few calories. If i were to come up 2 or 4 hundred calories short by evening in theory i could have 2 pints of beer but that would be the worst thing i could do.
  • _Nicklebee
    _Nicklebee Posts: 42
    Are you sure you're not under estimating? Things like fruits and vegetables help keep you feeling full, longer. But i see people way under estimate the amount of calories. Apples can be upwards of 100 calories depending on the size. Listen to your body.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Honestly yes I would.

    Yesterday was an odd day for me...I ate a late breakfast of toast and cereal...got busy and wasn't hungry until supper time...had a huge slice of homemade pizza and was stuffed full....

    I was at 965 calories and very little protien...and I felt as weak as a kitten...

    I waited for 2hours still not hungry but was weak so I ate 2 greek yogurt and some chocolate to get my calories up to 1195...

    Guess what today I am still not feeling just right...weak and dizzy and no I am not sick and I am not pregnant...I just did not get enough into me yesterday...

    400 calories less than I normally eat...I will never do it again.
  • kofiannans_hitman
    kofiannans_hitman Posts: 18
    I know this thread is old. Since it already exists there is no need to start a new one. I need to weigh in here. (no pun intended) Again, yesterday I was under my calories for the day by 636. The only reason it was that low was because by 6pm I still had 1035 calories to go for the day and I had to FORCE myself to try and overcome that. I was most assuredly not even close to hungry. It is not a matter of underreporting my food diary either. I am meticulous. Hell now I am kinda anal about it. (sans the weekend) I feel bad forcing myself to eat because it seems so unnatural.
  • rayliz98
    rayliz98 Posts: 1
    The recommended 1,200 calories a day is the average amount of calories a healthy person eats a day. If you find yourself not hungry enough to eat all them, it's because your body didn't burn off enough calories to need them. Depending on the food that you're eating, it's usually pretty hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need out of 1,000 calories :ohwell: Try working out more, or harder if you don't have the time. You'll burn more calories and get hungrier, which will solve your problem :wink:
  • mr_mitch
    mr_mitch Posts: 176 Member
    The recommended 1,200 calories a day is the average amount of calories a healthy person eats a day. If you find yourself not hungry enough to eat all them, it's because your body didn't burn off enough calories to need them. Depending on the food that you're eating, it's usually pretty hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need out of 1,000 calories :ohwell: Try working out more, or harder if you don't have the time. You'll burn more calories and get hungrier, which will solve your problem :wink:

    re. BIB..... what the......?!
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    The recommended 1,200 calories a day is the average amount of calories a healthy person eats a day. If you find yourself not hungry enough to eat all them, it's because your body didn't burn off enough calories to need them. Depending on the food that you're eating, it's usually pretty hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need out of 1,000 calories :ohwell: Try working out more, or harder if you don't have the time. You'll burn more calories and get hungrier, which will solve your problem :wink:
    edited to bold the nonsense...

    Utter nonsense. The "recommended 1200 calories a day" is what a short, very inactive, middle-aged woman should have set as her bare minimum target calories in order to LOSE weight. The average person can and should eat much more than 1200 calories a day and still lose. Again, 1200 is for short, inactive, older women. Not men (inactive or not), not active people, not athletes.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    I wouldn't. Contrary to what some people say around here, I find our natural hunger cues to be quite wonderful in helping regulate weight, as long as you are healthy in mind and body. Note I said hunger, not cravings; you must learn to differentiate between the two before you can trust this approach.

    I maintained my weight for years the first go round by mainly paying attention to my hunger cues. Sometimes that mean eating a lot one day, and barely anything the next. But it kept my weight, and energy levels, well.

    I'm planning to maintain the same way this go round, with some IFing tossed in as a safety net.
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Good Question

    You should eat more calories if you NEED more calories, for example, building muscle

    You are however losing weight or maintaining, I wouldn't eat if I am not hungry.

    Less Calories are better for health and longevity as we are not actually meant to stuff our faces with food.
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