Eating meals when I'm not hungry
 

Being a binger I have a hard time just keeping the inappropriate foods out of my mouth. But what about the appropriate foods. Sometimes I'm just not hungry when it's "time" to eat a meal. Last night I ate supper despite not being hungry.

It's all confusing to me. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food that I don't recognize normal from not normal behavior.


I'm doing a modified exchange program. I have 3-4 proteins, 4-5 vegetables, 2-3 fruits, 2-3 starches, 1-2 fats and 1 dairy servings. I try to break it up so I'm having B, L & D with 2-3 snacks. I also drink 2-3 low cal natural protein shakes for when a craving strikes, it seems to help keep my blood sugar regulated. My average calorie intake is 1200-1800 calories/day.

Right now I'm not hungry but I've been told time & time again to eat something for breakfast even if it's something small. But I'm just not hungry. If I wait until I'm actually hungry to eat it could be almost lunchtime, around 11:00).

Should I only eat when I'm hungry? Or is it more important to eat at established times even though I'm not hungry at those times?

I understand how you feel, because I'm often not hungry but my eating disorder clinic told me to eat at my meal times. They said my body was so warped by my eating habits it didn't recognize the natural patterns, so eat the 3 meals a day no matter what with your exchanges. It's really hard, I sympathize, but make it important. I think of it as taking your medicine.

I agree with racane. And me, being someone who binged as well, I found that eating a little something even when I am not hungry helps me from eating something really bad when I am. Hunger creeps up on you when you least expect it. At least for me it does. And when that happens, I tend to make really poor choices. I don't gorge on carrots.....I head to McD's or Taco Bell.

Originally Posted by racrane:
I understand how you feel, because I'm often not hungry but my eating disorder clinic told me to eat at my meal times. They said my body was so warped by my eating habits it didn't recognize the natural patterns, so eat the 3 meals a day no matter what with your exchanges. It's really hard, I sympathize, but make it important. I think of it as taking your medicine.

My nutritionist says the exact same thing, and the more you follow it, the more your body will expect food at the right times and be hungry at the right times. It has been almost one year since I started going to see a nutritionist after 17 years of disordered eating and I was on track within a few uncomfortable months.
Give it time, because it truly works.

From one binge eater to another, you should definitely establish eating times and stick too them. At first you may not be hungry at those times, but it will work itself out. Ideally, you should eat every 2-3 hours. That gives your body enough time to recognize that its hungry. I find when I stick to eating every couple hours, my tummy starts grumbling shortly before a scheduled time.

This is what I do:
8AM - breakfast
11AM - lunch
1PM - snack
4PM - snack
6 or 7PM - dinner

^^^^ I agree...stick to a schedule, eat every few hours, and your body will get used to it...and you won't wait so long in-between eating...because then all of a sudden you might be starving. I tend to binge when I am famished, so I don't ever let myself get to that point.

My schedule goes something like this:

6:45 Breakfast
9:30ish Snack
11:00 Lunch
2:00 Snack
4:00 Another Snack
6:00 Dinner

Thanks, you all. That definitely makes more sense now. It sounds like I'm on the right track. I try not to go more than 3 hours with out eating something.

I'm really enjoying this modified exchange program. It's so much easier than counting calories and it's less stressful too. I cant be on a plan that's too rigid or takes up too much time because it causes me to be obsessive. I think ultimately, I want to be free of thinking about food all the time. The exchanges are nice because all I have to do is make sure I eat one serving size of each exchange throughout the day and check it off my list. I can also write down specific foods if I want but just for now my focus is to check them off. I'm learning and doing things in baby steps...I didn't get this way overnight and I'm not going to heal overnight.

Thanks for all your information.

i noticed i'm less hungry in the morning when i've had a late night snack or dinner.

I agree about how important it is to eat in an established routine. I actually gauge how much food I need by how hungry I am before a meal. If I am hungry 1 hour or so before a meal, then I ate the right amount at the last meal. If I am not hungry, I ate too much. Since I do not eat after dinner, I am always hungry for breakfast!