Should I eat when not hungry?

Weekly average close to goal is fine. A rare day now and then quite a bit under goal is fine. Consistently under-eating (too far below maintenance calories, even if trying to lose weight) . . . that would be a bad plan, IMO.

This is MFP and, over the years, I've witnessed some "shopping" for permission. Totally not saying that this is THAT situation. But it is a widely worded question. And someone else reading this discussion may take it as permission to do what they (ought to) know they shouldn't be doing!

So: BOTH daily and weekly matter.

If your TDEE is 2500 Cal a day and you're aiming for a fairly aggressive (but within the general parameters of sane and acceptable) 20% = 500 Cal a day deficit, you will be aiming to intake 2000 Cal a day. Or 14000 Cal a week.

As long as you come close to these numbers... things will work out in terms of your weight loss goals of about a lb of weight lost per week.

So say that on Tuesday you eat 1750 Cal and on Wednesday you eat 2200 Cal and on Thursday you eat 2050 Cal. No big deal. You're still averaging 2000 Cal intake a day as compared to your 2500 Cal a day TDEE, and you will be balancing out over the week with an intake of 14,000 and an expenditure of 17500 and a loss of about 1lb.

And if you're 100 Cal over or 100 Cal under or even 2, 3, or 500 Cal over or under on a particular day or a particular week... no biggie. Just keep on keeping on and you will see results over time.

But say that from Sunday to Thursday you eat 1000 Cal a day and on Friday and Saturday you reach for a six pack of Rockstar Vodkas (440 Cal x 6 = 2640 Cal) and a large pepperoni pizza (2175 Cal) on each of the two weekend days..... I mean come on: what's the big deal about a six pack and a pizza? I sure as *kittens* put away my fair share of six packs and pizza(s) in my 20s!!!

Sure. You can turn one of the 6 packs into a 5 pack to make the numbers work out closer. Or you could reduce your 1000 Cal days to 900 Cal days. Or give a slice of the pizza to the dog, or use paper towels to absorb some of the fat off the pepperoni to cut down your totals to "exactly" 14000 Cal for the week.

But you know what? The fact that the numbers will work out to 14,000 Cal STILL doesn't make this plan either a good idea or something that is likely to succeed. Especially when it comes to succeeding longer term.

It IS absolutely and totally JUST the numbers.
And it is also totally and absolutely NOT JUST the numbers!

Corina1143 wrote: »

I find if I don't eat lunch and dinner today cause I'm not hungry, tomorrow I'll eat everything in the house, then go to the grocery store to stock up, eat it all and go for fast food.
You don't have to eat all your calories, but feed your body even if your appetite isn't hungry.

Yup. That's exactly what happened to m e with intermittent fasting. "Saving calories" can work for some people, but for me, nope.