HELP!!! What to do when you're just not hungry!?

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Heatherdawnxoxo
Heatherdawnxoxo Posts: 60 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I seem to be running into an issue as of late...
Sometimes I can eat one small meal in the middle of my day, and not be hungry enough to eat again for the rest of the day.
Like today, for example, I had a meal around noon hour that consisted of chicken breast, grapes, strawberries, and celery w/ all natural peanut butter ....and now I sit here at 11pm, making myself munch on a salad, even though I'm not terribly hungry, because I know I did not eat enough today. So I guess my main question is, should I be forcing myself to eat? Or if I'm not hungry should I just let it be?
Does this happen to you?
Anyone have any advice?
What should I doooooo

Replies

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    Try eating more calorie dense foods : nuts, peanut butter, etc.

    How far below your goal are you? What's your target intake?
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    If it happens once in a while-normal-don't force yourself to eat (although it never happens to me except if I'm sick or hung over).
    If it happens a lot then you have a physical or psychological issue that should be further looked into.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I would advice to try getting back on a set eating schedule.
    For example breakfast, lunch and dinner on a set time every day. Even if you just eat little portions.
    Your body will get used to eating at set times and start getting hungry because it is expecting food. Kind of like the paflov effect.

    I also second calorie dense food. There is a great list in the must read post at the top of this sub forum.
    A salad might be healthy, but is a large volume for few calories. If you need calories but are not hungry you need the opposite.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited August 2015
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    A day over or under isn't a big deal. Many of us find that we are more and less hungry on different days. If under eating is a regular thing, you have to make a change.

    Eat breakfast. Have a breakfast cereal. They aren't super-filling and usually have a good amount of calories. A lot of people say that breakfast kick-starts their hunger, too. They're hungrier at lunch when they've eaten breakfast. Many breakfast cereals have good amounts of iron and fiber, so bonus if you get one of those.

    When all else fails, juice is high-cal, healthy and not filling.

    If you find a lack of appetite is preventing you from nourishing yourself and you cannot eat enough even when you try, it's time to visit a doctor.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'm very rarely not hungry for ice cream or chocolate.

    But if I'm really not hungry, I save the calories for a day when I'll be hungrier.
  • Heatherdawnxoxo
    Heatherdawnxoxo Posts: 60 Member
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    Thanks for the comments everyone. I will be sure to give a few of your suggestions a try. My lack of hunger is not an everyday thing ....most days I can eat and eat and not get tired of it ..but the odd day I just don't feel like eating much of anything.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Heatherdawnxoxo wrote: »
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I will be sure to give a few of your suggestions a try. My lack of hunger is not an everyday thing ....most days I can eat and eat and not get tired of it ..but the odd day I just don't feel like eating much of anything.

    You might have this. You can eat those calories on Saturday :) I'm in maintenance and on Monday and Tuesday I was about 400 calories under goal-you bet I'm going to eat them at some point this week.
  • ShandaLeaS
    ShandaLeaS Posts: 136 Member
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    I'm NOT a breakfast person but if I skip it I'll eat 600 calories for the day and then overstuff myself right before bed just to get all of my cals in. I find forcing myself to eat even 200 cals in the morning really helps my body want more. So, I eat in the morning usually around 200 cals and I don't seem to have the issue the rest of the day. I also try to make sure I have 2 or 3 snacks a day.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Heatherdawnxoxo wrote: »
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I will be sure to give a few of your suggestions a try. My lack of hunger is not an everyday thing ....most days I can eat and eat and not get tired of it ..but the odd day I just don't feel like eating much of anything.

    So don't eat much then. It all balances out. I always save calories when I don't have much appetite, because I know it won't last, lol.
  • vlovell24
    vlovell24 Posts: 61 Member
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    I did this yesterday. I needed almost 400 more calories to get to my 1200, but I was not hungry. Soooo...I noticed my son's lemon crunch cake on the counter. 1/8 of the cake had over 300 calories. I cut that sucker into 8, and ate a piece. Boom....problem solved.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Heatherdawnxoxo wrote: »
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I will be sure to give a few of your suggestions a try. My lack of hunger is not an everyday thing ....most days I can eat and eat and not get tired of it ..but the odd day I just don't feel like eating much of anything.

    So don't eat much then. It all balances out. I always save calories when I don't have much appetite, because I know it won't last, lol.

    This. What are your concerns about not eating if you're not hungry? As mentioned above, It all balances out.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Heatherdawnxoxo wrote: »
    Thanks for the comments everyone. I will be sure to give a few of your suggestions a try. My lack of hunger is not an everyday thing ....most days I can eat and eat and not get tired of it ..but the odd day I just don't feel like eating much of anything.
    Personally, I think it makes more sense to follow your hunger. If you're under one day and over the next, who cares.

    Some days we are hungrier than others. It makes no sense to stuff yourself on Tuesday and then go to bed hungry on Thursday because you're eating to numbers instead of hunger.

    But it might make sense to someone else and everyone has to do what works for them. I look at my weekly and monthly averages and losses. :)
  • ForestFairy022
    ForestFairy022 Posts: 99 Member
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    I usually just save them for another day. I eat more than usual every 3 days or so on autopilot (mini binge I guess), so the ones I saved really provide some cushioning.

    2 days ago I only netted 800 cals for the day. And yesterday I overate by 500. so yeah. Mine all balance out by the end of the week.
  • irnz
    irnz Posts: 19 Member
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    I find that I am usually not as hungry on days after going over my goal. I think as long as your weekly averages of nutrients and calories average out to your goals, you should be fine!

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