Should you eat even if you're not hungry?

I eat when I'm hungry. I've tried eating on a schedule and I couldn't uphold it. I like to eat bigger meals too- I get more satisfaction. If I don't snack (which doesn't bother me) then I get those extra calories for my meals. Keeping within cal goal= weight loss.

Well, I can guarantee two things: medical opinion on this will change in the next 10 years.... everyone will have a different opinion on this!

My suggestion is do what works best for you... SO LONG AS IT IS WORKING. However, I imagine that sometimes you think you don't feel hungry until you start eating.

Qualifier: If, however, you have any medical conditions that necessitates eating regularly, then what you FEEL like doing may not be as important in the long haul.

For me, I am Syndrome X. If I do not eat before bed or right when I get up... then I can have sugar crashes. By eating at good intervals I am doing MY body a justice. Do you need this,... only you and your doctor know. The key for me is keeping everything as level as possible.

I have read, however, and I think it tends to be relatively correct... that eating a balanced breakfast (not a sugar/carb fest) will lower the odds you will overeat at lunch.

I'm already eating at a sufficient calorie deficit to obtain my weight loss results so I eat back all of my calories. If I have extra calories but I'm not hungry, I"ll then enjoy a treat that I like. Always room for ice cream. I feel most people (including myself) are less likely to binge and quit a diet if I can enjoy myself once in a while.

Another thought, I don't always eat back all of my daily calories because I want to save some calories for a nice dinner or for some fun time during the weekend. You want you can focus more on a weekly goal and save some calories daily to have fun on the weekend. If you are not eating back everything save some for later.

Eat when you're hungry. Eating when I was not hungry is what caused me to get fat.

I usually eat when I'm hungry, but I find that I'm hungry around my scheduled eating times. I think it just works out of habit for some people. I do think that having a breakfast is important though. For me, it prevents me from overeating later in the day. Sometimes I just get these major, insatiable hunger trips when I don't have breakfast. Of course if it's late in the morning...it's obviously brunch time!

Meal timing doens't really matter - as long as you're staying within your calorie goal, you will lose weight.

But it's not just about weight loss IMHO, it's also about healthy. You need to make sure you're eating at least 1200 NET calories per day (or on average over the week) and eating a good balance of macros (carbs, fat, protein) so your body is getting the nutrition it needs.

I don't eat when I'm not hungry, so some days I only eat 700 to 1000 calories. I know this isn't ideal but it's been working for me so I'm sticking with it.

Define working. Of course you are losing weight, you're in a huge deficit, that doesn't make it healthy or sustainable. OP Try to reach your calorie GOAL each day, it doesn't matter what time you eat your calories

OK folks, I'm taking a consensus from people with successful weight loss and maintenance. Do you eat only when you're hungry or do you eat on a schedule?

I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day but some days I'm just not hungry until 11 -11:30 AM. Some days I want to eat my largest meal at 3:30-4PM and then have a light snack at 7PM. Is it so wrong to just listen to my body's hunger clock? Just wondering....

Who says breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

Eat when you are hungry.

One of the reasons of the obesity problem in America is because people think they need to eat a big breakfast, then a big lunch, and top it off with a big dinner. If we just ate when we were truly hungry then we all would be better off.

But......there are billions to be made by many people to keep people believing they need all this food.

I do not eat on a schedule, no.

I don't force food down my throat just because of the number on the clock.

If you don't have a medical need to eat on a schedule, then I say just wait to eat until you're hungry. I try to eat on a schedule to keep my blood glucose level from spiking or dropping. For me, that means eating on a timetable--roughly 8 a.m., 2 p.m., 8 p.m. and a snack right before bedtime.

HOWEVER . . .

If you're not eating all of the calories you need to consume (at least your BMR or minimum by another standard), then I would say that you need to eat as much as you can toward that goal, even if you're not hungry. If that means putting yourself on a schedule so that your body develops a "pattern" for eating or having a high-calorie snack before bedtime, maybe that's what you need to do to stay healthy. You might think it's "working" now, but eating at too great a deficit will have a terrible effect on your health in the long run.

I'm fairly sure that dessert is the most important meal of the day actually.

I'm fairly sure that dessert is the most important meal of the day actually.

Only if it consists of chocolate or caramel. Otherwise, it's optional.

Who says breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

I think it's the cereal industry!

I've never been a breakfast eater. I remember my mother INSISTING that I eat something before I went off to school and usually it was toast with cinnamon and sugar. I really didn't want anything else. (In fairness to Mom, all 5 of us are now in our late 50s/early 60s and healthy and of normal weight, so it's not like she was always forcing us to eat- I'm sure they told her in Home Ec class that you HAD to have a good breakfast.) Anyway, I've been up for 2 hours and so far I've had a slice of plain toast, a banana, a handful of DH's homemade granola, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

I try not to eat when I'm not hungry. It's hardest for me when we're having dinner and something delicious that DH made is still left in the serving dish after I know I've had enough. I back away from the table and put it in the refrigerator or freezer. Portion control is really important with me.

I tried to do multiple small meals through out the day and it never worked for me I now only do 3 meals a day and have had much more success with that

I'm fairly sure that dessert is the most important meal of the day actually.

Only if it consists of chocolate or caramel. Otherwise, it's optional.

^^This. I was having trouble meeting my iron requirement until I started working in dark chocolate again.