Eating only when you feel hungry

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Is it better to eat the 3 meals of the day or listen your body and eat when it feels hungry which for me means eating something in mid afternoon. I have a coffee with sugar and tea in the morning though.

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  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I eat three a day, but when I am hungry. Breakfast is not first thing in the morning, and lunch is later in the afternoon. Dinner is also a bit later than most people.
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
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    Everyone is different. I tend to eat every 2 hours. If I wait until I'm hungry, I usually end up binge eating.
  • redperphexion
    redperphexion Posts: 193 Member
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    I'm trying to eat when I'm truly hungry (3 to 4/5) in order to avoid a binge, but eating at least something 3 times a day, (7am, noon and ~6pm) in order to get back into eating 3 meals a day after the holiday grazing.
  • daz2270
    daz2270 Posts: 73 Member
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    Whichever works best for you. It's down to personal preference. I like 3 small meals + small snacks in between. Others like fewer bigger meals. Choose whichever suits you best.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    Whatever makes sticking to your calorie goal easier.

    This. Personally, I do a combination of listening to hunger signals and setting up however many meals works best for my daily schedule.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I eat only when I am hungry most days. However, if I have a fitness class or a big workout planned for the day, I will eat an hour before to fuel that workout if I have not eaten recently. If I do not eat before, I am ravenous after and tend to want to over eat.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
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    Do what fits your lifestyle and will help you stay within your calorie goals.
    I usually have 2 meals a day with a snack or two. I rarely eat breakfast because I'm usually not hungry in the morning. I have my coffee and that's it until lunch. I usually have a small snack in the afternoon and then a large dinner around 8pm.
    This sort of eating pattern doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me and helps me stay in my calorie goals especially now that I'm in maintenance. Unless your schedule makes it so that you need to eat even when you're not hungry (because perhaps you can't eat at work), I generally don't see the point in doing so. To me it's a waste of calories.