Is it safe to not eat unless hungry?

i_love_vinegar
i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
For a while I was eating around 3000 calories per day, simply due to factors such as boredom, taste, stress, etc.

When I realized my weight gain had gotten out of control (I gained around 20 pounds in a few months, and I am VERY short), I decided to start dieting. I lost 8 pounds within a week, and since joining MFP went from 112 to 107 today...

The thing is, I decided to start eating only when I am hungry. I still force myself to eat breakfast, and eat throughout the day a bit due to boredom, but if only eating based on hunger, I would never make my 1,200 calorie daily goal -- I would most likely eat around 600 calories per day.

Assuming I am eating a wide variety of healthy foods, is it safe to only eat when hungry? I am wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation.

Thank you!
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Replies

  • allysabee
    allysabee Posts: 123
    If you don't feel hungry often, I would suggest eating bulkier foods, or food that are a little higher in calories because you should be eating nothing less than 1200 a day. If that means only a few times throughout the day, try to fill your meals up with enough calories to balance to that number! It could be unhealthy for you to eat any less than that.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Well, you would say that "listening to your body" would be foolish if it told you to eat 5 donuts, right? So listening when it tells you to eat 600 cals is just as foolish. Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works
  • Crooks0204
    Crooks0204 Posts: 189
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    Thank you for the links. I believe I have a high metabolism, but I will check this out. :)

    Also thank you Alyssabee as well!

    (Moderator note: Sorry, I wasn't trying to edit the post, just clicked the wrong button! lol
    Ladyhawk00)
  • Inspiredtobe
    Inspiredtobe Posts: 53 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!

    Trust me, that is a totally reasonable question~ I am 4'9" The only reason I don't advertise it is because I used to be 4'11" since I was 13 up until around 1/2 a year ago. Somehow being sick for a few months, I became shorter. It is a little odd, as I am not sure if my height is consistent anymore. :smile:
  • borisda
    borisda Posts: 122 Member
    in my opinion it is best to eat little and often, 5-6 meals a day . So break the necessary calories into for example 5 meals, so 1200 divde by 5 equals 240 cals per meal give or take. so aim to eat these amounts of calories every 3-4 hours. I hope this helps : ))
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    Thank you for the links. I believe I have a high metabolism, but I will check this out. :)

    Also thank you Alyssabee as well!

    Well, if you have a high metabolism, your appetite will be high as well....and it would mean that fueling it sufficiently would be even MORE important. So undereating would have an even greater negative effect on you if your metabolism is high.
  • mleipe
    mleipe Posts: 54
    Well, you would say that "listening to your body" would be foolish if it told you to eat 5 donuts, right? So listening when it tells you to eat 600 cals is just as foolish. Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    This is great - thanks!

    And I love your quotes for sure.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!

    Trust me, that is a totally reasonable question~ I am 4'9" The only reason I don't advertise it is because I used to be 4'11" since I was 13 up until around 1/2 a year ago. Somehow being sick for a few months, I became shorter. It is a little odd, as I am not sure if my height is consistent anymore. :smile:

    Have you asked a doc about this? The only way to get shorter is through loss of bone mass - which would mean some very serious problems.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol
  • ajl2
    ajl2 Posts: 40 Member
    exactly how short are you? You already weight an insanely low amount. how could it be healthy for you to weigh even less?
  • ritafay2011
    ritafay2011 Posts: 85
    I would think eating when hungry isn't enough for you considering your health,we need our daily limits to be healthy..eating when hungry when over weight is bad for me!!!!...I don't have your problem ,but i have under active thyroid...Maybe you have hyperactive,but i'm not a doctor ...Just try to get your cals and carbs in look at other diary's this should help and keep you at the weight you need to be...If not go to doc and get a blood draw and you will know what you are dealing with...good luck!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!

    Trust me, that is a totally reasonable question~ I am 4'9" The only reason I don't advertise it is because I used to be 4'11" since I was 13 up until around 1/2 a year ago. Somehow being sick for a few months, I became shorter. It is a little odd, as I am not sure if my height is consistent anymore. :smile:

    Have you asked a doc about this? The only way to get shorter is through loss of bone mass - which would mean some very serious problems.

    Yes. I have been to the doctors many times since. I am healthy, but I come from an odd family so...I'm not too worried something like this would happen. There are many things in my family that have no explanation, but have caused no detriment. LOL. I'm hoping this is the same. Thank you for the concern :)
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!

    Trust me, that is a totally reasonable question~ I am 4'9" The only reason I don't advertise it is because I used to be 4'11" since I was 13 up until around 1/2 a year ago. Somehow being sick for a few months, I became shorter. It is a little odd, as I am not sure if my height is consistent anymore. :smile:

    Have you asked a doc about this? The only way to get shorter is through loss of bone mass - which would mean some very serious problems.

    Yes. I have been to the doctors many times since. I am healthy, but I come from an odd family so...I'm not too worried something like this would happen. There are many things in my family that have no explanation, but have caused no detriment. LOL. I'm hoping this is the same. Thank you for the concern :)
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Well, you would say that "listening to your body" would be foolish if it told you to eat 5 donuts, right? So listening when it tells you to eat 600 cals is just as foolish. Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    This is great - thanks!

    And I love your quotes for sure.

    Quite welcome, and thank you :wink:
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
    THANKS ladyhawk00!!! I was about to freak out after I hear you are gonna eat only 600 calories per day. :-D
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    *****Not being judgmental.......I AM JUST ASKING!!!!*******

    How "short" (as you said) are you that 85-90 pounds will be a healthy weight for you. I am only asking b/c this is what my adult sister weighs and it is not healthy for her. As I said, just asking!!!

    Trust me, that is a totally reasonable question~ I am 4'9" The only reason I don't advertise it is because I used to be 4'11" since I was 13 up until around 1/2 a year ago. Somehow being sick for a few months, I became shorter. It is a little odd, as I am not sure if my height is consistent anymore. :smile:

    Have you asked a doc about this? The only way to get shorter is through loss of bone mass - which would mean some very serious problems.

    Yes. I have been to the doctors many times since. I am healthy, but I come from an odd family so...I'm not too worried something like this would happen. There are many things in my family that have no explanation, but have caused no detriment. LOL. I'm hoping this is the same. Thank you for the concern :)

    Okey dokey, just wondered :smile:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    I would think eating when hungry isn't enough for you considering your health,we need our daily limits to be healthy..eating when hungry when over weight is bad for me!!!!...I don't have your problem ,but i have under active thyroid...Maybe you have hyperactive,but i'm not a doctor ...Just try to get your cals and carbs in look at other diary's this should help and keep you at the weight you need to be...If not go to doc and get a blood draw and you will know what you are dealing with...good luck!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:

    Thank you. I had my thyroid checked a few months ago, because I also thought the same thing. My thyroid is fine, but I will look at other diarys. That is a good idea. :smile:
  • garysgirl719
    garysgirl719 Posts: 235 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    You are correct that losing muscle is extremely unhealthy. Just a thought, the line "I am not hungry" is a very common one used by anorexics. Have you talked to a nutritionist about the fuel you are giving your body?
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
    Well, you would say that "listening to your body" would be foolish if it told you to eat 5 donuts, right? So listening when it tells you to eat 600 cals is just as foolish. Chronic lack of appetite can be a signal of severely decreased metabolism. A couple of threads that may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/175241-a-personal-view-on-exercise-cals-and-underfeeding

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    Thanks, saved me the time. Good post.
  • Inspiredtobe
    Inspiredtobe Posts: 53 Member
    ignore this post LOL
  • Inspiredtobe
    Inspiredtobe Posts: 53 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Yea it's fine if you don't want to tone your muscles, you could just do cardio exercises to burn fat. But in my opinion, toning muscles looks good especially in a bikini. LOL. (one of my goals) But you should at least do some exercises. It could be video exercises if you're more of an indoor person or you could go out and swim, hike, tennis, biking, etc. You could even clean, do some lawn work, wash your car, etc. Anything to get your heart rate up and keeping it constant will burn calories! Working out feels great and a good way to reach your goal faster. As much as I hated working out, it grows on ya. xD
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    You are correct that losing muscle is extremely unhealthy. Just a thought, the line "I am not hungry" is a very common one used by anorexics. Have you talked to a nutritionist about the fuel you are giving your body?

    I gained muscle through a past job, and am hoping to take it off. i haven't spoken with a nutritionist about this, but what I eat is extremely healthy. I live in a very health conscious city (most grocery stores are health-food stores), so I typically eat very low calorie foods simply by preference. I am positive I am not anorexic, as I used to be very thin until some stressful situations in my life caused me to overeat...:/
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    You are correct that losing muscle is extremely unhealthy. Just a thought, the line "I am not hungry" is a very common one used by anorexics. Have you talked to a nutritionist about the fuel you are giving your body?

    Agreed - It's really concerning to hear someone say they "don't want any muscle". Muscles are vital to have a healthy body. People with weak muscles are more likely to have frequent injuries, poor bone health, etc. It sounds like your goal weight isn't completely unrealistic given your short size (though I'm certainly not qualified to make that assessment), but you're going to be asking for trouble if you don't pay attention to your muscle mass - at that low of a weight you really need a healthy lean muscle mass. The last thing you want is to be "skinny-fat" at that low of a weight and experience problems due to weak muscles.
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
    I know this is a random question, but do you really like pigeons?
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
    1200 is not a hard and fast rule, although many people will treat it like that. The 1200 calorie rule comes into play because it is generally considered to be the lowest amount of calories you could probably ingest and have a balanced diet complete with all of the nutrients needed for health. If you are smaller, you could need less, however, I wouldn't advise doing this without a doctor or nutritionist's approval and plan. 600, though, is probably too low for anyone on a consistent basis. Every now and again, it will not hurt anyone.
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    You NEED to eat at least 1,200 calories a day or more. At least between 1,200-1,300 for weight loss, depending on your weight. If you eat any where below 1,200, your body with signal itself to starvation mode and it's very unhealthy. You will gain weight EASIER if you eat under 1,200 calories. You will lose muscles instead of fat. You won't be losing any inches. You need at least 1,200 calories a day, you need the energy. 600 calories is waay too low and extremely unhealthy. So start eating at least 1,200 or more, exercise, and you will get to your goal weight in no time!
    Stay healthy and never give up. (:

    Thank you for the kind post. :) I actually don't want any muscle, so I don't exercise much. I am guessing it is unhealthy, but if I don't want muscle tone, would this actually be ideal then? Sorry I'm so stubborn lol

    Yea it's fine if you don't want to tone your muscles, you could just do cardio exercises to burn fat. But in my opinion, toning muscles looks good especially in a bikini. LOL. (one of my goals) But you should at least do some exercises. It could be video exercises if you're more of an indoor person or you could go out and swim, hike, tennis, biking, etc. You could even clean, do some lawn work, wash your car, etc. Anything to get your heart rate up and keeping it constant will burn calories! Working out feels great and a good way to reach your goal faster. As much as I hated working out, it grows on ya. xD

    Oh thank you for the ideas...I didnt think of cleaning haha! xD I think I look rather odd with muscle, which is why I don't want it :/ I like being pale, and pale with a six pack looks really odd on me lol. ^.^
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    I know this is a random question, but do you really like pigeons?

    That...is random haha. I love pigeons. I have a pet pigeon I saved off the streets (can't survive in the wild), but he is staying at a friends until I graduate college. :smile:
  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    1200 is not a hard and fast rule, although many people will treat it like that. The 1200 calorie rule comes into play because it is generally considered to be the lowest amount of calories you could probably ingest and have a balanced diet complete with all of the nutrients needed for health. If you are smaller, you could need less, however, I wouldn't advise doing this without a doctor or nutritionist's approval and plan. 600, though, is probably too low for anyone on a consistent basis. Every now and again, it will not hurt anyone.

    Thank you. I am interested in seeing a nutritionist...but I'm not sure if it would work out right now, as I will be leaving the country for the year and the food/lifestyle will be different there...I will ask my doctor, however, what she thinks of the calories I consume since I have an appointment with her next month :smile: Thank you everyone.
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