What do you do when you're not hungry?

My biggest problem is that I'm often not hungry at meal times and have to force myself to eat something. This is especially true for breakfast. More often than not, I don't consumer enough calories in a day (so my body tries to hold on to everything I eat, making weight-loss difficult).

I don't want to just load up on the calories in the evening meal and snack, but that is what tends to happen (I'm usually up for six hours after dinner, so it's not like I'm going to bed on a full stomach).

How do others handle this? Anyone else out there who can't lose weight because they under-eat?
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Replies

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I don't eat
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited May 2016
    I eat to fuel my body, I don't wait until I'm hungry to eat or I would never eat.

    Curious do you weigh your food with digital food scale??

    Timing of when you eat doesn't matter, agree with Tavistocktoad.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    SeaAnita wrote: »
    My biggest problem is that I'm often not hungry at meal times and have to force myself to eat something. This is especially true for breakfast. More often than not, I don't consumer enough calories in a day (so my body tries to hold on to everything I eat, making weight-loss difficult).

    I don't want to just load up on the calories in the evening meal and snack, but that is what tends to happen (I'm usually up for six hours after dinner, so it's not like I'm going to bed on a full stomach).

    How do others handle this? Anyone else out there who can't lose weight because they under-eat?
    Eat higher calorie foods if you're not able to eat a great volume of foods. It doesn't matter when you eat, either, so eat when you feel like eating. Sometimes I don't eat for 6 hours after I wake because I'm simply not hungry. Some like to save most of their calories for dinner and right up to bed time (digestion never ever stops...)

    Oh, the body will never hold on to food or fat if you're not eating enough calories. Starvation mode is a complete debunked myth. Make sure you're weighing all the solid and semi solid foods in grams on a good scale to ensure accurate calorie counting.. If you're not losing, it is possible that eithe food calories have been underestimated, or exercise calories have been overestimated. Measuring cups/spoons and guessing portions is a guaranteed way to eat extra calories unintentionally. Weigh all foods, even nut butter/butter/mayo.

  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    hhazzouri wrote: »
    you can't not lose weight because you under eat. That's how weight loss works..

    That's not at all how weight loss works. Starvation mode is a myth. She could eat 400 calories a day and lose weight.

    I don't force myself to eat most of the time. With my work schedule though, there are times that if I don't eat at 12, I won't be able to eat until 3 or 4 so I'd rather eat beforehand. I would end up hungry at 1 or 2, but schedule wise I have to eat when I'm able. If it's happening often I would say you need to make sure to eat high calorie nutritious foods when you are hungry.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Guaranteed that you eat and drink more calories than you think.

    Start logging EVERYTHING you eat.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'm never not hungry. I've been at this for 5 years (lost the weight and in the process of keeping it off) and seriously, I can always eat.

    :laugh: very true!
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Oh, OP.... I'm hungrier when I've been working out, especially weights.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    You're not under eating, you only think you are. Use a scale to weigh whatever you do eat and log it. If you under ate and were at a caloric deficit you would be losing weight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    SeaAnita wrote: »
    My biggest problem is that I'm often not hungry at meal times and have to force myself to eat something. This is especially true for breakfast. More often than not, I don't consumer enough calories in a day (so my body tries to hold on to everything I eat, making weight-loss difficult).

    I don't want to just load up on the calories in the evening meal and snack, but that is what tends to happen (I'm usually up for six hours after dinner, so it's not like I'm going to bed on a full stomach).

    How do others handle this? Anyone else out there who can't lose weight because they under-eat?

    As other posters have mentioned and will continue to mention, you don't not lose weight from under eating. See the Minnesota Starvation Experiment - they all continued to lose weight.

    That said, I don't start eating in the AM until I'm hungry, which doesn't happen until I've had a bowel movement. I make my breakfast smoothie when I get up so that it is ready for me when I'm ready for it.

    I have a light lunch which is sometimes quite late, and get the bulk of my calories with dinner and bedtime snack. I lose weight as expected when I weigh all my food on a digital food scale and eat back some, but not all, of my exercise calories.
  • indiaalexis
    indiaalexis Posts: 13 Member
    I never eat when I'm not hungry and that includes working out fasted if that feels right. You can break your "holding onto weight" problem by adding weight training. Train heavy and build muscle. Your metabolism (and maybe your appetite) will rebound.
  • llbrixon
    llbrixon Posts: 964 Member
    Sometimes when I have a heavy lunch, I have no appetite for my evening meal, so I just eat really light...like small portion of ice-cream.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
    hhazzouri wrote: »
    brb_2013 wrote: »
    hhazzouri wrote: »
    you can't not lose weight because you under eat. That's how weight loss works..

    That's not at all how weight loss works. Starvation mode is a myth. She could eat 400 calories a day and lose weight.

    double negative threw you off ?

    haha! good one.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    I eat to fuel my body, I don't wait until I'm hungry to eat or I would never eat.

    Curious do you weigh your food with digital food scale??

    Timing of when you eat doesn't matter, agree with Tavistocktoad.

    That first sentence sounds like you never feel hunger, so you force yourself to eat.
    Is that what you're saying?

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    I eat to fuel my body, I don't wait until I'm hungry to eat or I would never eat.

    Curious do you weigh your food with digital food scale??

    Timing of when you eat doesn't matter, agree with Tavistocktoad.

    That first sentence sounds like you never feel hunger, so you force yourself to eat.
    Is that what you're saying?

    I guess what I'm mean when I have day/s that I'm not hungry, I make sure to hit my calorie goals. It doesn't happen often.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    If you're not hungry for breakfast, then don't eat breakfast. Eat your meals when you're hungry, no matter what time of day it is. As long as that by the end of the day you've reached your calorie goal, then you'll be fine with weight loss. Just make sure to weigh your food to make sure you're actually eating X amount of cals given to you by MFP.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    I eat to fuel my body, I don't wait until I'm hungry to eat or I would never eat.

    Curious do you weigh your food with digital food scale??

    Timing of when you eat doesn't matter, agree with Tavistocktoad.

    That first sentence sounds like you never feel hunger, so you force yourself to eat.
    Is that what you're saying?

    I guess what I'm mean when I have day/s that I'm not hungry, I make sure to hit my calorie goals. It doesn't happen often.

    Ah ok :smile:

    OP I never eat breakfast. I drink milky tea til lunchtime, then I have a protein shake. The majority of my calories come with dinner and dessert.
    If I'm not hungry then I don't force myself to eat. But there's no chance I ever undereat, it's not in my dna lol

    If you're not accurately weighing and logging your food, chances are you are not undereating. Because if you were you'd be losing weight.

  • SeaAnita
    SeaAnita Posts: 9 Member
    I should have mentioned, I'm diabetic, so not eating in the morning is not an option, otherwise, I would crash from low blood sugar (after taking my morning insulin).
  • SeaAnita
    SeaAnita Posts: 9 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    I eat to fuel my body, I don't wait until I'm hungry to eat or I would never eat.

    Curious do you weigh your food with digital food scale??

    Timing of when you eat doesn't matter, agree with Tavistocktoad.

    That first sentence sounds like you never feel hunger, so you force yourself to eat.
    Is that what you're saying?

    I force myself to eat breakfast, even if it's just a piece of toast. Since I'm diabetic, I have to eat something. Same with lunch...rarely hungry. For dinner, I'm lucky if I eat half of what's on my plate.
  • SeaAnita
    SeaAnita Posts: 9 Member
    You're not 'holding on to everything you eat' because you don't eat enough....

    If you don't want to eat breakfast, don't.

    From everything I have read, if you're not getting enough calories, it can prevent you from losing weight. Plus, my doctor has told me this in the past.
    http://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/why-undereating-works-against-you

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/why-undereating-wont-actually-help-you-lose-weight/

    http://www.stack.com/a/undereating

    I do measure/weight/log everything.