Anyone eat through listening to their bodies hunger cues?

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2

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  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    I was a pretty intuitive eater before various life circumstances sent things off the rails a few years ago. I suspect that I'll go back to that once the weight-loss process is done, but I expect that to be another year at least. Like @cwolfman13 said above, logging has taught me a lot about nutrition and satiation and portion sizes. The primary reason I want to keep logging for now is that my diet varies a lot day-to-day, so it's important to me to make sure I'm staying in a deficit week-to-week.
  • WanderingRivers
    WanderingRivers Posts: 612 Member
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    Nope. Im often hungry after meals but suck it up since I still have weight to lose.
  • PeakLiving17
    PeakLiving17 Posts: 27 Member
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    KurumiSophia wrote: »
    Nope. Im often hungry after meals but suck it up since I still have weight to lose.

    How many calories are you eating in a day?
  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 596 Member
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    I take a medication that makes me insatiably hungry. I can eat an entire Chipotle burrito and five minutes later down another one. I have no sense of being satisfied ever. If I don't count calories I'll balloon up pretty quickly.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Counting calories during weightloss, and nine months into maintenance, has given me enough confidence and experience to be able to eat without the help of the food diary. I'm down 50 pounds and approaching 3 years maintaining a healthy weight, pretty effortlessly, but I'm always learning, always facing new challenges.

    I make my eating decisions based on a combination of common sense (I have an idea of how appropriate meals looks like); regular, structured meals (was 4, now 3), no eating between meals; flexible meal planning which becomes logging as I eat (I use a spreadsheet; I do weigh and count most items, not primarily for the calories, but to get the right number of portions and be able to plan shopping; I also like looking back for ideas for next week's meals); hunger drives me to eat; appetite leads me to choose from what's available (I enjoy the predictability planning provides, so I always look forward to whatever is on my plan); natural breaks from whatever I'm doing that day besides eating; and feedback from weighing myself every morning.

    If I were to eat "whatever", I too could easily eat 5000 calories per day. But I base my intake on balanced meals, often home cooked from real food ingredients, and treats only occasionally. I actually feel a lot less "restricted" now; I used to "try" to not eat so much, but it was futile - now, I feel like I eat what want, how much I want, when I want. My idea of "what and how much I want" has changed; I still like the same things as before, I just eat some more often and others more rarely. I'm not worried about fluctuations or cravings anymore, I know I won't gain weight unless I start to consistenly overeat again. I eat, move and think like a normal weight person.

    I don't even exercise; normal daily activity is enough for my need and desire.
  • Heart_Fit
    Heart_Fit Posts: 63 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.
  • Heart_Fit
    Heart_Fit Posts: 63 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    It depends for me. So previously my hunger cues were insane and completely off. I've dealt with binge eating for years so I don't have very good hunger cues.

    However, when I changed what I eat - not in binges, but every day regular meals - and I upped my protein and fibre intake my hunger cues are much more normal. I still binge, but when I think about it I wasn't actually hungry . . . there was a lot of other things going on. So for me, my hunger cues do work now pending that a binge isn't starting . . .although a binge actually never starts, for me, with feeling hungry anyways.
  • Heart_Fit
    Heart_Fit Posts: 63 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Heart_Fit wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.

    I'm a nutrition and fitness junky...there's a lot more going on here than just calorie counting. I was also very successful in the process and have been very successful in 4+ years of maintenance so I like to share the knowledge that I have...I also like to learn and there are a plethora of knowledgeable posters here. I also just like talking about fitness and nutrition.

    Nice job!
  • PeakLiving17
    PeakLiving17 Posts: 27 Member
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    Heart_Fit wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Heart_Fit wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.

    I'm a nutrition and fitness junky...there's a lot more going on here than just calorie counting. I was also very successful in the process and have been very successful in 4+ years of maintenance so I like to share the knowledge that I have...I also like to learn and there are a plethora of knowledgeable posters here. I also just like talking about fitness and nutrition.

    Nice job!

    Sounds you had a different answer in mind lol. The man enjoys his fitness :wink:
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
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    I don't think I would manage 5000+ if I were really paying attention to hunger no but I could definitely end up over eating. I'm still trying to learn proper portion sizes and compensating larger meals with small (or vice versa) so I don't really feel confident that I could stop logging my food right now. One day maybe :)
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I used to. That was how I became fat and prediabetic. Never again will I do that.
  • PeakLiving17
    PeakLiving17 Posts: 27 Member
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    scarlett_k wrote: »
    I don't think I would manage 5000+ if I were really paying attention to hunger no but I could definitely end up over eating. I'm still trying to learn proper portion sizes and compensating larger meals with small (or vice versa) so I don't really feel confident that I could stop logging my food right now. One day maybe :)

    Definitely continue tracking. Keep downloading that knowledge :smile:
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    OliveGirl128 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Heart_Fit wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.

    I'm a nutrition and fitness junky...there's a lot more going on here than just calorie counting. I was also very successful in the process and have been very successful in 4+ years of maintenance so I like to share the knowledge that I have...I also like to learn and there are a plethora of knowledgeable posters here. I also just like talking about fitness and nutrition.

    Yep, there's a few of us here who don't track, but are here for other reasons. The biggie for me is that MFP is the only forum I've found that has an active group of maintainers. Doesn't make me feel so alone :)

    I've never posted in the maintainers forum, but I do drift over to lurk from time to time. It seems like a nice community. Hopefully it'll still be there for me to hang out in come 2019!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    OliveGirl128 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Heart_Fit wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I haven't logged in years...pretty healthy and fit...

    Just curious, why are you on this site if you arent logging? Not trying to be rude.

    I'm a nutrition and fitness junky...there's a lot more going on here than just calorie counting. I was also very successful in the process and have been very successful in 4+ years of maintenance so I like to share the knowledge that I have...I also like to learn and there are a plethora of knowledgeable posters here. I also just like talking about fitness and nutrition.

    Yep, there's a few of us here who don't track, but are here for other reasons. The biggie for me is that MFP is the only forum I've found that has an active group of maintainers. Doesn't make me feel so alone :)

    Exactly. Also there is the fact that mfp is basically Myfitnesspal, so the focus is not purely on logging, weight loss and calorie intake, if one is to go by the site's name. There are plenty of people here, thank goodness, who remain or join to offer advice and knowledge and who simply enjoy the community. The forums can be quite addictive if one has an interest in nutrition and fitness.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Another long time maintainer here, 7+ years.
    I logged when I was losing, but at the end of the day. My hunger cues have always been good so as soon as I returned to my normal weight, and had established maintenance, I could stop logging without any gain. That was 2010.

    I have never been overweight (top of normal BMI scale the highest), and never been unhealthy (no med probs). I have been over fat and unfit though.

    Hanging out in the forums helps me glean knowledge, and share knowledge.

    It also helps me keep exercising.
    Who would have ever thought a little Sloth like me would try so many things, and lift a full 45lbs barbell and more?

    I say the barbell because I saw a post from Jan 2015 where I said I could never imagine lifting a barbell that was almost half my weight. A little encouragement and I do it on the regular now.

    There are folks like me, @cwolfman13, and @OliveGirl128, and more, who don't need to track, but there are a lots of people who know they may have to for years, and some for life.

    Neither is good or bad, either can be optimal for the individual.

    Cheers, h.

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