to think that we are addicted to never feeling hungry?

[Teetik]

Recently, for various reasons, I had to stick to a really limited diet of three small meals a day, no snacks, water for a drink and one glass of wine in the evening with no food to accompany it (that was optional of course). I also did a lot of being outdoors, walked everywhere at the same time.

Usually if I don't eat for say more than a couple of hours, I start to feel a bit shaky. If I don't get a cup of tea, I feel something's missing. For this 5-day period, I felt nothing like that, nothing whatsoever. I managed absolutely fine with a coffee in the morning and NO SNACKS.

It just made me think that perhaps the reason why I'm 2 stone overweight is that I've tricked myself into thinking that if I'm ever even a tiny bit hungry, then something's WRONG and I have to correct it immediately. Cheap food is everywhere and I think we're being massively brainwashed into thinking we need more than we actually do. AIBU?

If ever you are lucky enough to have a gastrscopy without being sedated you get a really interesting view of your stomach. The lining is in folds so that it can expand as needed. So yes when you don't eat as much for a while it does shrink as the folds kind of contract. For them to stretch gaain you just need to eat a few big meals though.

YANBU OP I recently spent two weeks nil by mouth in hospital. When I was able to start eating again my stomach was full very quickly. I would literally eat a yoghurt and maybe a couple of forkfuls of veg and feel full.

6 months on I still hardly snack between meals and I used to permanently have something nearby to nibble on.

Oh, and I think one of the reasons in France they don't yet have the obesity issue that you do in the UK is that people don't snack between meals. I was the exception, being a mad English woman. They won't open up a bag of crisps mid morning or anything like that.

It's an interesting issue. I am tiny to be completely honest, low weight, low blood pressure and iron levels (partly because I'm pg at the moment, but I'm just generally like this) so yes, if I'm feeling hungry I should be eating.

I doubt anyone is going to accuse me of snacking for the sake of it - but actually I do! I get more calories (and particularly protein) in and feel better if I have a big breakfast, 2 small lunches and a big dinner with dessert.

Probably because 'snacks' tend to be pretty low quality, and if I'd had lots of snacks I'll eat less at meal times.

You speak the truth. Therein lies the heart of the UK's obesity problem.

If you look at photographs of people only fifteen years ago everyone looks slimmer and I'm sure it's because there weren't coffee shops everywhere peddling frothy coffees and cookies everywhere.

I think it is a lot easier to eat big meals in several courses (ala traditional french style) than the way we seem to do it here aka a massive plate of food.

Good point Abra1d I haven't been back to the UK in four years but last time I went back I was pretty surprised at how accepted it is to snack in the street. And pretty surprised to see how much bigger everyone was since I left 12 years ago.

I'm going back again next month and shall be interested to see how much worse it has got since the cupcakes fashion which I think is pretty recent.

Another thing is it's amazing how many children are being raised to be unable to get from the supermarket door to the til without shovelling food in their mouths.

Or if they're bored/noisy/playing up...often the 'answer' is to give them a snack.

I doubt they'll ever cope with being hungry in the future.

I love coffee shops - remember how boring it was in the 70s and 80s without coffee? Just writing that makes me feel shallow and odd, but it's true.
However I've stopped going because, though you can get almost calorie-free coffee, you can't get anything healthy to eat beyond a cupful of fruit for £4 or whatever it is now That just annoys me.

It's a bit lazy to bring up old threads Worra, especially since lots of posters who said they allow their kids to eat at the supermarket, also said that they only felt it was appropriate in certain circumstances and ages. Not a carte blanche to eat whatever you want wherever you want or the number one way to stop a tantrum.

LaWeasel I have no idea which thread you think I'm bringing up (genuinely I don't) and the reason for that is, I'm not bring up a thread I'm making a point.

I truly feel (and always have done) that parents do their children no favours when they continually give them snacks to ease 'boredom' or to get them to behave or be quiet.

Now you can probably link that to many many threads on here but I can hardly help that can I?

In fact you could probably link most points of view to a certain thread if you went back far enough.

There was a long one the other week - but yes, you're right it something that comes up a lot. No offence intended.

Oh yes Abra1d! Such a good point. Those large lattes (with whole milk) are horrendously high in, essentially, empty calories.

Milk is hardly empty calories. Lots of good things in whole milk...

I went into a sainsburys cafe recently for a coffee and cake - it has a new menu with all the calorie content on it. I think a large latte was 600 cals and a muffin about the same. A full english breakfast was 1100 cals.

I had a black coffee and stared wistfully at the cakes.

Yes, and if you're used to boozing in the evenings, on the days that you don't you'll feel hungry and crave cake.

Booze calculator

Really interesting thread. I'm sitting here having my lunch now. Except I didn't need lunch because I had a late breakfast. However, in my head I hadn't had lunch and therefore needed it. I wasn't hungry.

I also get the low sugar shakes and, yes, am overweight.

Yes I know that LaWeasel - I'm saying that they are unnecessary calories. Especially if you don't count them (which many people don't do..thinking that "Oh it's just a hot drink")

YANBU. When I fast during Ramadan, my level of hunger diminishes and my portion sizes become smaller in the months following. Gradually, as I get used to eating whenever I want again I start feeling hungrier.

Also, in the morning, if I wake up and don't eat anything I won't feel hungry for about 5-6 hours. This is because I don't activate my metabolism, so my stomach doesn't ask for anything. However, if I eat something in the morning, then I'll be shaking for food by about 10-11am.

I think that calorific content should be printed on booze.

Yes I agree. I rarely feel hungry. And I really like it when I do. And really enjoy my food more

Most people eat by the clock not by how their body actually feels

True, I doubt most people need 600 calories (plus 100s in the cake) as a snack.

The phrase "empty calories" just annoys me! Very little food has no nutritional advantage whatsoever (though plenty of junk food has very little advantages)