When do you eat?

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WendelinTheWeird
WendelinTheWeird Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My husband and I disagree on this, and I'm finding conflicting information on the internet. I'm just curious as to the responses I'll get here. My husband seems to think that if it's "time to eat" then I should eat. I think that if I "feel hungry" then I should eat. The other night, I wasn't feeling well, so I went to bed before dinner. He thought I was just laying down for a bit, and got really frustrated with me when I told him I wasn't hungry, so I wasn't going to eat. I know I have trouble eating enough calories every day, but should I really force myself to eat if I don't feel the need?

Do you eat when it is time to eat, or do you eat when you're hungry?

Replies

  • kaleynichol
    kaleynichol Posts: 14 Member
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    I've seen a lot of different opinions on this, too. The bottom line is, if you feel sick/simply not hungry, you shouldn't have to force yourself. I'm a low-carber, so for the most part, my body requires several small meals per day and I feel famished between each "feeding," (<-- as my loving boyfriend puts it, lol)... however sometimes I am just not hungry. And there's no reason to make myself eat. Especially in your case, if you're just going to bed because you don't feel well.

    Now, if you are purposely trying not to eat or using "I don't feel well" as a crutch/excuse not to eat, then that's not ok and not healthy for you. If you're prone to feeling badly late at night, maybe you could work on making sure you DO consume a healthy amount of calories when you ARE hungry throughout the rest of the day.

    Also, your husband shouldn't get mad at you for not eating. Unless you're not disclosing something that he knows that you didn't say here (your prerogative, of course), then he doesn't need to mother you to death and make you feel guilty. You know your body better than anyone!
  • isislight
    isislight Posts: 1 Member
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    I disagree - I think you need to force yourself to eat to begin with if weight loss is your goal. I used to get up every day and not eat... I was never hungry until late afternoon. Then I would eat, and eat, and eat. I think not being hungry is our metabolism playing tricks on us.

    It wouldn't hurt to test your own body... try eating 5 small meals every day for 2 weeks, then go back to only eating 'when you feel hungry'... and see if you are more hungry at more regular times, or if you still just aren't hungry...

    Now that I am really back on track with eating and working out 4 times a week, my trainer tells me I am still not getting enough calories every day, and that is stalling my weight loss. CRAZY! I feel like all I do is eat, I have to remind myself to force myself to eat even though I'm nowhere near hungry most of the time, and it's true... it works for me... I eat more... I lose weight. It's so bizarre....

    My trainer also talks about 'fasting' as a weight loss tool... but only once you are really really ready for it and your metabolism is really high already... I'm nowhere near that point yet! His theory is never let your body get used to any one way of doing things... you have to constantly change things up, meals, exercise, etc. Your body then has to constantly work to keep up!

    That being said I am eating mostly protein which is a huge shift away from any kind of carbs. The only time I am "allowed" carbs is the first meal after a workout, thankfully my first meal after a workout 4 days a week is dinner so I don't have to make a special meal for myself vs the rest of the family. And by carbs, I mean healthy starches, ww bread, ww pasta, brown rice, etc. in regulated portions (1/2 cup).

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