Not hungry...what should I do?

Stuntguy1981
Stuntguy1981 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I get these days where I am not even hungry. The other day I ate small items throughout the day and for dinner, I had Salmon and Zucchini. I had an intake of 973 calories for the day. Now I didn't even realize I hadn't eaten enough at least for what MFP suggests until the end of the day. Normally, this doesn't happen but I notice it happens on occasion. To get to the point...do I just force myself to eat more on those on-the-go days? Any feedback would be great!

Replies

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    On occasion is fine. You don't need to force yourself to eat if it doesn't happen often. Bank those extra calories to use later when you go out or something. If it starts happening consistently, then you need to do something about it and introduce more calorie-dense foods to your diet.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    You could keep a few high calorie things on hand to get a good chunk of calories quickly without much volume. Peanut butter or another nut butter, cheese, dried fruit, and avocado are all nutritious choices that are still very calorie dense. If I'm low on calories (which doesn't happen super often but still occasionally) a glass of milk often does the trick, but they say it helps you sleep. I don't know if it works but it tastes good!

    Do you track the calories in any oils, butter etc you might use for cooking? If you normally steam veggies you could try roasting or sauteing on low calorie days, which would add a little bit more.

    Another thing I do, if I notice I have a few hundred calories left over for whatever reason, is to just enjoy a not-particularly-nutritious treat.

    I find meal planning and prelogging helps avoid both undereating and overeating.
  • OnceAndFutureAthlete
    OnceAndFutureAthlete Posts: 192 Member
    I just go with it and don't eat anything else that day. I don't force myself to eat more just to meet minimum calories.
    I know we get the "warning" from MFP when we close out the day if our calories are too low. IANAD, but I don't think one day here or there is a problem. (I also know there are days when my body won't shut up and I'm going to end up a little over, so the "under" days give me some leeway.)

    Part of getting on track with healthy eating is learning to listen to what our bodies are telling us.
  • Stuntguy1981
    Stuntguy1981 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for all the feedback...kind of freaked out for a bit, but I will get some calorie-dense snacks for those types of days.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Stuntguy1981 wrote: »
    Thanks for all the feedback...kind of freaked out for a bit, but I will get some calorie-dense snacks for those types of days.

    No need to be freaked out. This is actually normal if it doesn't happen often. It's normal to have days when you're less or more hungry. Everyone experiences days of undereating that are balanced out by days of overeating, even people who don't need to watch their weight. You could snack your way to target if you prefer a consistent intake every day, but you could also save the extra calories for days when you're more hungry or know you'll be eating more.

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