[biochick]

this might sound like a dumb question, but are you the type of person that eats even if you are not hungry or only eat when you are hungry?

i'm sure you may know someone, or it can even be yourself, that only eats when they are hungry...but i really dont understand that.

for myself, i would always make sure i eat my 2-3 meals a day (lunch and dinner for sure, but sometimes i dont have time for breakfast) regardless if im hungry at that time or not.

i find it crazy that there are some girls out there that can eat a 'huge' lunch and then not eat dinner because they are still full from their lunch!

i know that eating less helps with maintaining weight (but i also think that it screws up your metabolism) but i also know that eating regularly (like 5 mini meals a day) is even better for weight control....

but what are your eating patterns like?

[i_wona]

Yes, I'm very much like you - I think I'm a creature of routine. I have to eat lunch and dinner (preferably hot meals) even if I'm not hungry. I find that I'll roam around the house listlessly if we've had a big lunch and no one wants dinner. I start making it anyway and pick at the food while I'm cooking LOL.

And I find it hard to fall asleep without having a snack first. I often looks for snacks when I'm not hungry just for something to do - I can't help it anymore - it's habit!

Like you, I often skip breakfast, which is really bad, but I find my appetite is much better from about 10am onwards. Dinner is always my biggest meal and has to be hot - I can't do cereal or a sandwich for dinner!

[laloki]

When I am at home I will always eat breakfast (toast & coffee), try to skip lunch and will sometimes skip dinner (if I have eaten lunch). Eating does tend to become a routine when I am at home or work.

When I travel I find that I really only eat if I am hungry....which is usually a snack around mid morning and then dinner.

[kbell]

I try to maintain 3 meals a day with the occasional snack in between.
I am hardly ever truly hungry in the am so have to force breakfast because I know this is better for metabolism.

During the week I have a more rigid schedule because of work.
Weekdays I usually do - breakfast, lunch, dinner (maybe a snack in between meals like an apple or cereal bar) If I eat heavy at lunch which is rare I find dinner not as appealing & eat much less at that time. I try hard not to snack at all after dinner.
If I want something I'll drink a lot of water.

Weekends I get up a lot later and will do breakfast or 'brunch'/lunch but not both because I'm not hungry for a 2nd meal. Maybe a snack later then dinner.

[Jahpson]

I eat when I'm hungry. I am definitely one of those folks where if they had a big breakfast, I skip out on lunch and head straight to dinner.

I eat to live, not live to eat

[LVCRAZED]

I eat 5-6 lil meals a day...(Usually 6). Every 2 hrs. LOL, now I sound like a newborn! HAHA!

[LisaG719]

I tend to eat when I am hungry. However, now that I am back on my regular work schedule I am really trying to focus on eating something on every break and lunch.

Typical Week Day:

5am - Slim Fast Shake
8am - Granola Bar
11am - Light Lunch (ie. Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.)
2pm - Light Snack (ie. Fat Free Wheat Thins)
4pm - Cereal or just a glass of 1% Milk
6:30pm - Dinner (ranges between good and horrible)

I also cut out Starbucks and Soft Drinks. I rely on Milk, Water, and Crystal Light.

[cosmogrl5]

I eat when I am hungry, but even if I am not, I never skip a meal. I always need to eat breakfast. For some reason though, even if I eat a late breakfast, I always want lunch at 12 on the dot. My tummy must have some kind of time clock.

[biochick]

hum....but isnt it somewhat necessary to eat even if you aren't hungry? like your body requires energy and nutrients throughout the day and i just dont think that eating when you are hungry makes up for the engery/nutrients

are there people that have one eating habit and changed to another for diets and what not??

also, i had a friend once that i invited out for dinner and a hour before we were to meet, she texted me that she wasnt hungry and she doesnt think that she would eat that much if she did come (we were going for an all you can eat). she came anyways and afterwards she said that after she started eating, she started to eat more because i guess once she started eating, it opened up her appetite....

[Miss 2 A]

I eat when I'm hungry, very hungry mostly... I know it's not too good but I sometimes have to be reminded

When I do eat in a routine, with family or when others are around, it's usually shortly after getting up, whenever that is and then sometime in the late afternoon.

[IntlSet]

On weekdays I only eat one meal per day: dinner. People say it's terrible for your metabolism, etc., etc., but common sense (and my own body) seems to tell me that hey, fewer calories = no risk of getting fat!

I'm just not hungry during the day, so this works for me.

[missmustard]

I only eat regularly because of my work schedule. I try to eat breakfast daily but sometimes I'll skip it because I have such an early start. Then my lunch hour comes at noon, so I eat. Then by the time I get home, I'll be hungry again and have dinner. Sometimes I'll have a double lunch when the cafeteria food isn't too good and I eat very little there.

[AnimalCrackers]

I eat several small meals a day. I'm guessing it's good for my metabolism, because I'm usually hungry before my typical 2 hrs has passed. This becomes a problem for a working lady like myself.

[nauticalstar]

I have a strange metabolism. I have to eat about every 3 hours. usually on a workday I will eat at 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, and 7. Almost always healthy foods. Then I try to go without a snack at night, but I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of my own stomach growling!

At work they tease me because a lot of days I have to buy lunch. Not because I didn't pack one but because I ate the whole thing before lunchtime. Haha. They say I should weigh twice what I do.

[stacmck]

I'm working on eating better.

Before I would never eat breakfast..now I'm trying to eat at least something for breakfast to rev up my metabolism for the day.

I'm also working on only eating when I'm hungry...I know I eat just because food is there quite often.

Also trying to work on eating late at night, but sometimes when my dinner is not enough I get hungry.