Is it a bad idea to let myself feel a little hungry?

YoU could be if you're not eating enough, your metabolism slows down (starvation mode) try to aim for a weight loss goal of 2 lbs a week and see what the recommended calorie intake is and stick to it. If u exercise you can eat a bit more. And drink lots of water!

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!! You need food! You HAVE to eat to lose weight. I know it sounds kind of phony, but your body really does go into starvation mode if you aren't getting enough cals. It will store anything you put in because it doesn't know when there will be more coming. More importantly, if you cut down too much, you are going to lose valuable nutrients that your body needs. Think you have no energy now??? Keep going without enough fuel and you're gonna CRASH!!

Good luck! I know the feeling of wanting something so badly. I'm there with ya!

If you are talking about skipping meals to lose weight then yes, you will sabbotage yourself. If you deny yourself meals and/or are not consistent with eating proper meals then your body goes what is considered starvation mode and what that means is over time it will start to store food as fat because it doesn't know when it will get nutrients again. You also run the risk of slowing your metabolism down, If you want to lose weight safely and effectively you need to be patient. Exercise and proper nutrition ( regular healthy meals) are key! I fell victim to the "not eating diet plan" many years ago and al I got out of that was fainting spells, moodiness and lack of energy! I understand the need for quick results but "quick" isn't usually healthy.

Take care and good luck. You can do it

no look it up i am full right now and my stomach is growling it's not always hunger it can also mean your food is digesting.I don't get it either but it's true

Vitamins don't boost your metabolism, plus they need to be eaten with food for your body to absorb them. Otherwise, you'll probably just lose them in urine.

Eating well can be more expensive, but frozen veggies aren't too bad. Buy lean chicken and other meats on sale. Buy fruits in season. Cook dried beans and brown rice. Search Google for "eating healthy cheap" and you'll come up with tons of results.

It really, really is best to keep eating regularly. If you let yourself get too hungry, before long you're very likely to binge, and that can have disastrous effects (especially if you've already slowed your metabolism from not eating regularly for a long time).

Hi there, here are some tips I put together that I found useful on my weight loss journey.

Important ones are eating lots of small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, instead of a few heavy meals. This will help you with your feelings of hunger and keep your metabolism burning fat. Also try and drink 8 glasses of water a day, as water is essential to wash away the broken down fat and will help you feel full during the day.

Here's my tips:

1. Weigh yourself the first morning before starting and before breakfast, then weigh yourself in 7 days at the same time.

2. Don't weigh yourself every day - your weight will fluctuate over the week and it's the results over a longer period of time that are the most important.

3. Eat healthy foods like fruit, vegetables and salads, these can be prepared to taste nice and you will literally FEEL better after eating healthier for a week. (You will notice the improvement when you go to the toilet for a number two.)

4. Eat lots (around 6) small meals a day instead of a lower number of large meals. This will keep your metabolism going throughout the day burning fat. It also keeps your energy up.

5. If you can afford it, consider trying Lite 'n Easy. It's around $130 a week for 5 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. This gives you 2 days to practise eating healthy on the weekends. I use them myself, so speaking from personal experience, they are fantastic!

6. I'm sure you could see it coming... EXERCISE! For half an hour at least 3 times a week. It doesn't have to be a chore, exercising can be a fun and rewarding experience. I dreaded the thought before I started my programme, but once I actually did it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your body releases the feel good chemical, endorphines before and after exercising which leaves you feeling great after a workout (and proud of yourself, too.)

7. Replace any of your regular household groceries with a light alternative if there is one. Things such as milk, margarine and cheese etc. This isn't a great way to lose weight, but every little bit helps.

8. Avoid salty foods as large amounts of salt in the body will make you retain a lot of water. This could add a couple of kilos of water weight and overdosing on salt is generally not a good idea anyway.

9. Throw out your junk food! It's a hard thing to do, but if it's not there tempting you, it will be a whole lot easier to resist. I know you paid good money for it, but would you rather it on your hips or in the bin? Cut your losses and make a clean break! There are plenty of recipes and food ideas just a Google away!

Hope that helps!

If you are talking about skipping meals to lose weight then yes, you will sabbotage yourself. If you deny yourself meals and/or are not consistent with eating proper meals then your body goes what is considered starvation mode and what that means is over time it will start to store food as fat because it doesn't know when it will get nutrients again. You also run the risk of slowing your metabolism down, If you want to lose weight safely and effectively you need to be patient. Exercise and proper nutrition ( regular healthy meals) are key! I fell victim to the "not eating diet plan" many years ago and al I got out of that was fainting spells, moodiness and lack of energy! I understand the need for quick results but "quick" isn't usually healthy.

Take care and good luck. You can do it

At the end of the day it is really about calories in and calories out. It doesn't really matter if you take in your calories in one meal or in 6.
Also, starvation mode will only start happening if your body fat is below 6%. That's extreme malnutrition, which is just not the case at the OP's starting weight. Also, as people get lighter they will need fewer calories to maintain weight, because even in a resting state their BMR will not be as high as someone who is weighing more. That is not "starvation mode" and your body somehow knowing something, but a function of changed body composition and metabolism. That's the case for everyone who was overweight and reduced weight.

feeling a little hungry is ok. Most people do not realize that half the time they are not really hungry. it is just habit so they eat.

I also feel like there is a lot of misbelief with 'starvation mode'. This term gets thrown around SO MUCH on these websites, but really it would take a lot for one to go into starvation mode.... if you skip one meal, nothing is going to happen. Sometimes it is not such a bad thing to feel real hunger, and give your digestive system a break.

At the end of the day it is really about calories in and calories out. It doesn't really matter if you take in your calories in one meal or in 6.
Also, starvation mode will only start happening if your body fat is below 6%. That's extreme malnutrition, which is just not the case at the OP's starting weight. Also, as people get lighter they will need fewer calories to maintain weight, because even in a resting state their BMR will not be as high as someone who is weighing more. That is not "starvation mode" and your body somehow knowing something, but a function of changed body composition and metabolism. That's the case for everyone who was overweight and reduced weight.

True, but it's better (and recommended by health experts) to eat more smaller meals, rather than few larger ones. It will help with hunger and burn more calories as well.

That used to be the received wisdom, but not anymore. My eating pattern isn't standard (advance warning): I'm fasting for 20 out of 24 hours daily: during my fasting hours I have very little hunger, because my blood sugar level and insulin level are stable. In my case, eating more, but smaller meals would cause the hunger, because every time i would have an insulin response to the glucose spike. So, for me, the effect would be I'd go hungry 6 times a day.

There is increasing evidence that keeping yourself fed all day is not the only (or the only recommended) way. Also the assumption about more frequent meals that "stoke" your metabolism doesn't seem to be based in fact.

Disagree about eating all your calories in 1 meal or 6. I know people who eat once a day and they are fat.
overloading your digestive system so much by consuming 1500 plus calories in one sitting is ridiculous.

The reason why grazing is so promoted is to let your digestion have a break by only having to have to work thru a small meal at a time.

think about how you feel after eating a turkey dinner... you probably just want to lie down as your body goes into haywire overtime trying to figure out what to do w all that food.

I totally agree with you. it's not very smart to eat 1 enormous meal or 3 huge meals. it should be common sense to eat a little something when you're hungry, but it seems that common sense has gone to the wayside....

I don't worry about being hungry, as long as I know I'm eating enough overall.

It's funny - I often get very hungry, an hour or so before eating my lunch at work. On days where my normal routine is thrown out of sync (a meeting, a day spent out the office, whatever), I can follow exactly the same eating patterns and not feel hungry at all. I'm sure a lot of it's in my head :laugh: