Don't be afraid to switch up your plan
 

Hello all,

Just wanted to report that I've been having rotten luck recently with calorie counting. I visit a dietitian who wants me to eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day. So I was doing that and counting calories (around 1800). The hunger SUCKED. I was irritable, cold, lethargic, and just plain felt hungry all the time. I almost gave up. Then I decided that I'd try just eating three meals per day like I have for most of my life

~and~

Now I'm okay. I feel some hunger but it's not an emergency. I feel energized. I eat breakfast at 10am, lunch at 1pm, and dinner at 5pm. I don't eat at any other times so I'm in a fasted state for 4-5 hours in the morning and all night. So I just wanted to share that if you feel miserable know that that's a sign that you need to make some changes. Weight loss should be sustainable and not a punishment for being fat.

I'm with you Locke, there is no one pattern that works best for me, over time things shift and change and it's important to be open to it. I'm not very good with snacks, it makes me think about food all day long. However there are times that I just need a snack and I just go for it. Sometimes I can go for 7hrs without thinking about food at all. Other times I'm hungry 2hrs after a meal. Neither of these scenarios are emergencies, and neither of them signal that there is anything wrong with me or my WOE.

Following a plan blindly just makes you blind to your own needs. Glad you're getting things sorted.

Totally agree with you both on this. I've been fighting eating at night even though I'm hungry. Don't ask me why. I guess its engrained in my head not to eat after a certain time even though I know science now says it doesn't make a difference when you eat.

So I finally decided to have a nighttime snack of lean protein when I need it and not only do I feel better, but the scale is starting to move again.