Why does this happen?

  • Why is it that some days (like yesterday) I am so ravenously hungry that I eat 2,100 calories....and then other days (like today) I just am not interested in eating a bunch. My calories for the day equal 1268...which for me is pretty low.

    I wish every day was a 1268 day!
  • I think it depends on how active you are, and sometimes our bodies just require more. I find I eat more when I don't get enough sleep. It also just equals out to 1600 per day, which is good. Another thing I've read a lot about is when you alternate your calories (lots one day, less another), it keeps your body guessing and you lose MORE weight! So it's a GOOD thing!

    -Aimee
  • I agree, I tend to eat more when I do not get enough sleep, I guess it's to keep me awake or something. My oldest daughter is not sleeping well and I end up being up 4+ times every night so I never get a lot of sleep. I find that because of this I also get less of a workout because I am so sleepy all day.

    I also tend to be like that when I am stressed. I feel super starved all day. But if I'm rexaxed, I may eat very little. It's all your body and what your eating triggers are. If you journal your feelings when you eat, like what kind of day your having, or what is going on around the time you are eating, you may be able to figgure your trigger if you do not already know.

    Good luck,
  • Thanks bella, that is a good idea. I know that part of my problem yesterday was waiting too long to get something to eat. I should have had a healthy snack at some point in the mid-afternoon....but didn't take time away from work to do that. The result was when I got home I was STARVING and a little dizzy from low blood sugar. So, I used that as an excuse to eat a bunch of cheezits and a bowl of ice cream--not a good thing. I need to listen to my body more often--if I"m hungry, eat...but choose something healthy and don't let it go so far that I don't care what I eat as long as I eat something!
  • I hear you about the low blood sugar and eating anything and everything! Before I recommitted to the diet, I was eating large amounts of food, but not with any regularity. I'd get that shakey feeling and just dive on in hoping to make that feeling go away. Now I tend to graze throughout the day and I don't bottom out any more. That's been a welcome change.
  • Gardenwife,

    I think eating smaller meals, more frequently (or snacks or whatever you want to call them) definitely helps me regulate my blood sugar. I'm not hypoglycemic (or at least have not be diagnosed as such) but do occassionally get 'the shakes' from low blood sugar. This week when it happened was actually the first time in a long time. I really hate that feeling of having no control, like you are going to pass out.
  • Quote: I hear you about the low blood sugar and eating anything and everything! Before I recommitted to the diet, I was eating large amounts of food, but not with any regularity. I'd get that shakey feeling and just dive on in hoping to make that feeling go away. Now I tend to graze throughout the day and I don't bottom out any more. That's been a welcome change.

    this was me too. I eat the three snacks and three meals like the JC program and I don't get that anymore. My stomach's used to having much smaller meals now, so I get full faster. I actually hate that shaky hunger feeling, so I'm glad it's gone.
  • I think a big part of it is also what kinds of food you're getting your calories from. I could eat 20 apples a day (at almost 100 calories each=close to 2000 calories) and still feel VERY hungry. However, I could also eat 1300 calories-worth of chicken to last me a whole day and be fine. I love fruit, and I know it's good for you, but sometimes I can't help but feeling it's a waste of calories because I know I'll just be hungry again in 30 minutes or so, which makes me more likely to just grab whatever's nearby and filling
  • I think the variances in appetite are just how the body works. Sometimes you need more calories, other times you need less. I'm fascinated with my 1-year-old's eating habits because he hasn't screwed up his natural hunger cues. Some days he eats constantly, other days he barely eats anything, some days he eats a lot at meals, other days he grazes throughout the day.
  • I've learned that if I have days where I want more food, I will eat it and eat healthy choices. Then the next day I'm not as hungry and will naturally eat less. It's when I let those days of eating lots of food add up that I worry.
  • This is so interesting a thread. I'll tell you another thing I notice since eating less at a time. I almost never have IBS problems. Used to be I'd eat a meal and within 20 minutes have to run to the bathroom. Eating less fat and eating less at one time has almost eliminated it (no pun intended,LOL).

    The fruit isn't really a waste of calories when you consider the fiber and vitamins you get from it. I know I'm preaching to the choir about that. I'm just really happy Howie and I love fruits and veggies.