I feel so silly even asking this... is feeling hungry a good thing? I don't know if I am brainwashed by hearing ads that say "never feel hungry" or what. A couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to hear my tummy growl, but now I am wondering if I should be getting hungry before every meal. Then again, I have always heard that I should not eat unless I am hungry (not that I ever really listened to that before). Gosh ~ am I screwed up or what?! I should get hungry, right? I am not starving and I feel full after my meals, but by the time the next mealtime rolls around, I am really ready for it. Is that where I want to be? How long should I feel hungry before I eat? I mean, is it okay to start feeling hungry an hour or so before your next meal... nothing tremendous, but looking forward to that next meal? Can you tell that I am hungry now? LOL!

LOL i know what u mean, i get confused whether i'm supposed to eat when i'm hungry or whether to have set times to eat a meal. But usually, i have a set time for each meal (breakfast lunch & dinner) so that there's less chance of having unhealthy snacks. It's normal that you feel a little bit hungry because you're obviously cutting down on the callories, but it's nothing to worry about.

it's nothing to worry about. just make sure you dont binge out because your so hungry. I have school and I have to wait 5 hours for lunch. I cant even pay attention in lunch period! its crazy, but I try to get something nutritious. A sandwhich, apple and carrots actually fills you up more then a slice of pizza and fries. Being hungry is a good thing. Your body wants you to eat, not your mind

I don't know, Water. My doctor at the weight loss clinic told me that 40% + of binges occur because we're hungry.

I guess it all depends on how "together" you are in organizing your meals. When I'm hungry and I DON'T have a meal prepared/planned, it's then that I'll start grabbing any and every food.

Now that I'm dedicated to eating three meals and three snacks a day, I never feel that terrible pang of hunger. And that's what works for me.

I didn't have a good breakfast yesterday, and I missed my mid-morning snack. By mid-afternoon I was "starving", and I started binging. So today I'll make sure I'm fully fueled.

I wish I could remember the name of a book I read ... hmm ... it talked about levels of hunger. No it was fullness! 0 was starving, rumbling tummy hunger and 10 was that overstuffed Thanksgiving Day feeling. The author said that we should never eat when we feel less than 5 (I think) and even if we are at 0, a fist sized amount of food would set us right.

I'll see if the book is where I think I left it and get back to you on that.

Editted because there are a few things wrong with that post
Of course you should eat when you are less than 5!!! it's over 5 that's the problem. The book is "Thin Within" by Judy Halliday.

(((Ellis))) I am so sorry that you had a bad day yesterday! HUGS!

I guess I am okay, because I am not really starving - just hungry before the next mealtime. I am only eating 3 meals per day (snacking and sugar are my downfalls and I cannot control them). If I get terribly hungry before mealtime, I will drink a V8 and that will hold me until my next meal. I think I am doing pretty well on my planning. I have basically the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday and then my dinners are from a menu service that I subscribe to (you get a new menu with recipes each week). That makes the planning and shopping part pretty easy. I checked with FitDay this morning and it seems that I am getting enough of everything that I should be each day, so I think that I must be okay.

I just want so badly for this to be a true LIFESTYLE change and I want to make sure that I am making the right decisions! I am still not quite sure of my descisions. Thanks for the support!

water--
The longer I that I am on my planned eating schedule, I'm finding that I don't get hungry as soon. When it's time to eat, I'm definitely hungry! And I think this is a wonderful sign! It means that It truly is time to eat, my body needs the food, and I've done what I'm supposed to by not eating between meals. Sometimes I have days when I'm hungry way before a meal time. That's when I use some tools. First I think back to my last meal for a clue if I didn't eat correctly. Then, I say my abstinence prayer. Then I find something else to do that will keep me busy and get my mind off it. If I need to, I pick up literature to read or make a phone call. Drinking a big glass of water helps too.
Have I recommended the book "Overeater Anonymous" to you yet? It's not the same book as the 12 steps and traditions. It's a collection of OAer's personal stories in the program. The appendixes explain how it's a disease of the mind, disease of the body, and a disease of the spirit.
ISBN 1-889681-02-4 Look for the second edition used on amazon. It's a wonderful book!! It has helped me a lot.

I think it's great that you're questioning your decisions, and you're right... the bottom line is that whichever way you go, it has to work for YOU. We're all so different.
Thanks for the hugs, Water. Back at you...

i hate feeling hungry, never know what to do when i am, its so tempting to reach for a choccy bar more then fruit, i noticed someone said try drinking water, guess i'll have to give that a go lol

Thank you all so much! I don't know how I would be getting through this without your support

Water-
that's part of the strength of the program: you aren't alone, you don't have to do it alone, from experience you can't do it alone. :-)
I'm so very thankful for this forum as well.