How do you eat when you're not hungry?

I wish I had this problem. I'm a boredom eater.

it's simple! i don't.

I am having the exact same issues. Looking forward to seeing suggestions.

I don't eat when I'm not hungry.

Open mouth. Insert food. Chew. Swallow. That's how I do it! Seriously, you need to research some calorie-dense healthy foods - they do exist! Good luck!

I wish I had your problem. If I am bored, sick, depressed, by myself etc. I find myself looking for a snack. I mostly snack on healthy stuff - fruit, nuts etc.; however, they are full of calories and in the case of nuts - fat; but I am a living example that you can get fat eating right if you eat too much. I would LOVE to have your problem.

Pizza solves most all of lifes problems.

you don't eat when you are not hungry. Don't let your self get to the point where you are to hungry so you won't ever overeat.

There are plenty of good calorie dense healthy foods: nuts and nut butter (peanut butter is great, but also look for cashew and almond butter to mix it up), lean meat is pretty calorie dense and has lots of protein, eggs, full fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese, etc.).

I don't eat if I'm not hungry either, which usually works in my favor in the end.

Pizza solves most all of lifes problems.
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I deal with this all the time during the day. By late at night I am usually ready for something but all day long I'm just forcing whatever I can get down. I do what you're probably doing - reminding myself constantly that I "have" to eat and make sure that I have something, anything.

If you can be satisfied with one meal a day and still meet you calorie and macro goals, there is no reason at all to force yourself to eat throughout the day. Meal timing has no effect on weight loss. You can have one, nine or any number between or above, if you are meeting your macros, you will lose weight. The whole 5 small meals thing have absolutely no scientific support. It will not increase your metabolism, and eating less frequently will not slow your metabolism. Choose what works for you mentally so you can stay within your calorie goals.

yes...grab nuts, avocados, and dried fruit. Check your pantry...are you buying for flavor or for price? It took a couple months, but I started buying smaller volume of better quality food since I am eating better food, I need less of it. But when I cook it .... OH MY! what delicious aromas to whet the appetite. Cheap food smells cheap when you cook it. Your nose knows. BTW...after a couple months, I am spending less at the grocery store.

Well, not eating, is not the answer. I have this same problem and am finding it hard to eat back my calories. I am working much harder at that now, because It just doesn't seem to fit the saying, "Eat less, exercise more, lose weight." Our body def. needs the food to keep us up and active. I have started eating peanuts, popcorn, fruit, and animal crackers (low fat of course). I am very curious to see what happens this week, now that I am starting to eat more food. Good luck.

You are on the right track, and it's normal once you start eating cleaner that you don't have the cravings for starchy, processed foods that we associate with being "hungry". Good job!! That's the first step.

There is a bit of "forcing" yourself to eat that people go through in the next phase, as you're repairing your metabolism. I would start with breakfast. Make sure you are eating a high-protein breakfast & a sensible amount of carbs (different for everyone) and your metabolism will be burning hotter throughout the day, creating real hunger.

I can't view your diary, but I see you are a distance runner & I can't tell if you do any resistance training - that's the other side of the equation. Increasing your lean muscle mass by lifting weights or doing a program like P90X will start to tell your body that it's okay to start burning fat for fuel, as long as you're eating enough! Long, endurance-based cardio sessions (like training for a marathon) can start to burn up your muscle mass if you're not eating or resting enough and not doing resistance training as well.

You could also try setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to eat every 3-4 hours. It will get better, you'll feel hungry when you're supposed to, and soon you'll HAVE to eat that often!! Just keep with it.

And for those who are curious why you would eat when you're not hungry - most people do NOT have a metabolism that is functioning properly. The signals that we get from our brain about food are totally wired wrong, and it's an unraveling process to re-wire them & recognize hunger for what it is.

Here is a great article that talks about this more in depth from one of my favorite blogs: http://blog.metaboliceffect.com/2011/09/27/preemptive-eating-for-fat-loss/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preemptive-eating-for-fat-loss

Good luck!