I have been eating a diet of only natural foods for about two months (nothing out of a package for the most part, and if it is it has less than 5 ingredients and only if I know what those ingredients are), but I have not been cutting carbs, measuring stuff, etc. I casually track my calories on an app I downloaded but I'm not super strict about it. I have been successful in losing weight pretty consistantly with this program.

I am not staying on an "eating schedule ". I have been eating when my stomach feels hungry and then eat enough to satisfy my hunger. No more, no less. I also only allow myself to have fruit and/or veggies for snacks and then have whatver I want for meals, as long as it's a natural food. When I do track my calories on this app, I always fall far below what this app recommends. I never feel deprived or anything though so my question is this, is this okay to fall below what calories are recommended and listen to my body instead? Or should I just be eating more calories and more often even when I don't feel hungry?

There are days where I struggle to eat 800 calories, and days where I have to white-knuckle through hunger to stay under 1200 calories...if you're feeling satisfied, that's what matters. normally I'm okay eating around 800-1000 calories a day, but lately I've been ravenous, and I've been brushing up against 1200 for the past few days (I think it's hormonal...ToM is upon me and I am craving just about everything).

It seems like your plan is working for you! If you start to stall frequently, then maybe take a closer look at the calories and double check measurements and such, but if you're comfortable with what you're doing, that's what counts!

Honestly I would say that it depends WHAT you are eating and how many calories you are eating to determine if it is a problem.

How many calories are you allotted and what are you getting to? And what is your average daily meal plan.

I would recommend staying above 1200 minimum on the majority of days. You also need to make sure you are eating plenty of protein so your body doesn't cannabilize your muscles. Being full is wonderful, but if I ate veggies for every meal I would be full and loose quite well but it still wouldn't be healthy.

If you want to up your calories you don't have to stuff yourself or eat when you aren't hungry. Add some calorie dense foods like avocado, peanut butter, or nuts to your meals. An apple with a table spoon of peanut butter is a great snack, still completely natural depending on brand, and will add a quick +/-100 calories, healthy fats, and protein to your snack without being a ton of food

I also follow a diet of 'real food' that is simple and unprocessed. I also struggle to meet my calories every day because I stay full, but I also make sure that I'm completely nourished. I choose foods that are nutrient dense to make sure that I get everything I need. And like you, I also don't follow a regular eating schedule I use a nutrition program that tracks about 40 nutrients, and I meet or exceed the RDA in everything - even with minimal calories. I lost a lot of weight with this plan and maintained high energy levels.

Regarding eating more even if you aren't hungry, I would suggest it if you haven't met your daily requirement of nutrients or if you lack energy. Also keep in mind that most apps are not very accurate when it comes to suggested calorie ranges, so it may be asking you to eat more than you need. However, if you can eat the suggested amount and still lose weight, then you should stick with it