To thinking skipping meals is fine?

[Socialcarenope]

Not all the time obviously, but if you aren't hungry?

Today I woke up late so didn't have breakfast, we had lunch at 1.30 (quiche, salad & coleslaw) and then I spent the afternoon painting. At 4pm I finished, was a bit hungry so had a crumpet. We had a family movie night, so the kids had pizza and we each had a small bag of popcorn. DH went to do some work and I put the kids to bed and I've not eaten dinner, I'm just not hungry. I then spoke to my mum and she asked if we'd eaten or not (you know, usual chatter) and when I said I probably wouldn't (it was nearly 9pm) she almost had a fit and said how unhealthy it was.

I personally think eating when you aren't hungry is more unhealthy! Admittedly I've probably not had my 5 (or 9) a day today but I do usually.

AIBU to think it isn't unhealthy?

There is a lot of competitive over eating / under eating / disordered eating on threads like this on MN. None of it healthy for those reading it.

And @LemonSwan you are living in calorie cuckoo land.

@LemonSwan thats for four chunks. If you ate the whole thing its over 4500 calories.

Dairy Milk Chocolate:
Each 30 g (5 chunks) contains
Energy 668kJ 160kcal

@BitOutOfPractice
@MaxNormal

Haha thanks both! I was a bit perplexed myself.

I ate a whole giant family bar

Well thats my calories complete then!

@XenoBitch
So I have no idea now OP. I struggle to understand how people are eating more than 2000 on a regular basis

Maybe they are also completely misreading the calorie content in foods 🤔 😂

@LemonSwan that's some going

I'm quite disappointed, I was hoping it was somehow magical low calorie chocolate that I didn't know about hence googling.

Maybe they are also completely misreading the calorie content in foods 🤔 😂

Yes quite likely haha

@MaxNormal Sorry! That is a disappointment. I was quite impressed though. Liquidise it and it wasnt even a challenge! No way I could eat a whole bar in solid format.

I always skip meals now. But, weirdly I’m a lot fatter than when I didn’t!

It’s fine, if you’ve got energy but you’re not hungry then don’t eat.

@LemonSwan

I only eat one meal a day. So YANBU about that. But that does sound like too small a meal for me.

Weirdly my dinner tonight was similar but quite a bit more on there - half a quiche, half a pack of ham, a ball of mozarella, two tomatoes, third bag of bistro salad, half a cucumber, a jacket potato, w/ cheddar cheese and a tin of baked beans.

I was feeling like a treat so I melted a whole giant bar of Dairymilk into a bowl and ate it with two apples for pudding

I never count calories but assumed that wouldnt be far off 2000. But just checked and thats only 1148 and a giant bar of dairy milk is only 133cal!

So I have no idea now OP. I struggle to understand how people are eating more than 2000 on a regular basis :S Because that is a big meal and I would challenge anyone to eat the above and not feel stuffed.

A 200gr bar of dairy milk is 533calories

@LemonSwan

I only eat one meal a day. So YANBU about that. But that does sound like too small a meal for me.

Weirdly my dinner tonight was similar but quite a bit more on there - half a quiche, half a pack of ham, a ball of mozarella, two tomatoes, third bag of bistro salad, half a cucumber, a jacket potato, w/ cheddar cheese and a tin of baked beans.

I was feeling like a treat so I melted a whole giant bar of Dairymilk into a bowl and ate it with two apples for pudding

I never count calories but assumed that wouldnt be far off 2000. But just checked and thats only 1148 and a giant bar of dairy milk is only 133cal!

So I have no idea now OP. I struggle to understand how people are eating more than 2000 on a regular basis :S Because that is a big meal and I would challenge anyone to eat the above and not feel stuffed.

A giant bar of diary milk is a lot more than 133 calories.

That’s a huge meal / amount to eat at one sitting, but most people eat 3 or 4 times a day

I am generally a three meals, no snacks person. Since WFH that has changed a bit. Depending on my work day I often bring my laptop to bed in the morning, then have a shower at lunchtime, so don’t even think about eating breakfast. If I have a morning call, I am showered, dressed, makeup/hair, and had porridge beforehand - it’s like there is some psychological switch being flicked!

On weekends we usually have something like a bacon sandwich about midday, no breakfast beforehand, or go out for brunch.

YANBU OP

I've always eaten when I'm hungry, rather than eating because the clock says 'it's mealtime'.

The only exception is at work when the rota says I need to have lunch at a certain time. I try (if I'm not hungry) to eat something because otherwise I'll be starving an hour later and unable to eat.

But I was brought up with Irish parents and my mum would normally have a pot of stew or similar on the back burner, so we'd take some when we felt hungry enough.

I haven't eaten breakfast since I was about 9 or 10 years old, because I'm just not hungry until lunchtime.

Does the ketone breath not bother you? I can't stand the smell of a body trying to digest itself so I try hard to not skip meals.

I never eat breakfast. Its not like I deliberately skip a meal, I'm just not hungry. I will grab a few cups of tea in the morning but that is generally my busiest time of the day and I just don't want it! Nothing wrong with skipping a meal if you are not hungry/don't have time to eat.

There's nearly 95 calories in a Fredo Frog, LemonSwan. But you may perhaps be a Borrower and your whole giant bar of chocolate may seem awfully big to you.

YANBU!! I have never been a big eater and constantly feel judged by partner/ family! It’s like I’m this weird person because I don’t enjoy takeaways/ eating to excess! I actually feel nervous when going out for food - certain people don’t mind finishing my meal though

I’m going to sound really horrible and obviously I have a completely different mindset but some people are just greedy, and no ones body is designed for that level of greed! They’ve developed it themselves!

@LemonSwan

I only eat one meal a day. So YANBU about that. But that does sound like too small a meal for me.

Weirdly my dinner tonight was similar but quite a bit more on there - half a quiche, half a pack of ham, a ball of mozarella, two tomatoes, third bag of bistro salad, half a cucumber, a jacket potato, w/ cheddar cheese and a tin of baked beans.

I was feeling like a treat so I melted a whole giant bar of Dairymilk into a bowl and ate it with two apples for pudding

I never count calories but assumed that wouldnt be far off 2000. But just checked and thats only 1148 and a giant bar of dairy milk is only 133cal!

So I have no idea now OP. I struggle to understand how people are eating more than 2000 on a regular basis :S Because that is a big meal and I would challenge anyone to eat the above and not feel stuffed.

That is a truly remarkable amount of food to eat in one sitting. Can I ask why you do this, as opposed to multiple meals?

I don't eat breakfast, usually starving when I get my lunch around half two, so have a 'proper meal'.

This means that I often can't be arsed with dinner, and I don't really snack.

Other days I will get an earlier lunch and end up eating two full meals in a day. Eat when you are hungry, and fill up with the good stuff first.

@MeSanniesareBrannies

Its just how I have always eaten.

I cant stand food in the morning - not a morning person at all!

I don't even start to get hungry until late afternoon - by which point I am breaking a fast essentially. And I find I cant break a fast with a standard lunch because it needs to be fully balanced with fibre, protein, carbs, etc. So even a sandwich lunch would also need crisps or pasta, fruit, salad and some kind of pudding.

I could eat at 2-3pm but then it would either be my big meal (replacement for dinner) which isn't really practical at work and I would be lethargic for the afternoon; or it would be quite a large 'sandwich lunch', but still not sufficient for all days calories/ requirements and I wouldn't be hungry later.

So I just wait & eat dinner properly.

@LemonSwan I don’t understand the logic. Based on what you’ve said, you could just have a normal well balanced lunch (doesn’t need to involve sandwiches) at 2pm and then a normal sized well balanced dinner, surely? And why would crisps (no nutritional value) or pasta (negligible nutritional value, sauce dependent) be required accompaniments to a sandwich for a balanced diet?

I mean, if it works for you, that’s grand. I’m just having difficulty getting my head around it.

There is nothing wrong with skipping a meal if you are not hungry. But the very low amount you have eaten today alongside your mother's concern does make me wonder if you have disordered eating and are underweight.
I know someone who had her children taken into care of because she has severely disordered eating and was basically half-starving them. She is very thin, but not enough for forced medical intervention. So she insists she is fine and that her mum is just a fuss whenever her mum tries to talk to her about eating more healthily aka eating enough.

But if you genuinely do weigh enough, then skipping a meal is fine.

@MeSanniesareBrannies

Not really sure tbh; as I said I dont really calorie count and am not an expert on nutrition. Its just normal to me so theres not much logic in it.

All I know is if I have just a sandwich I wouldnt feel right. So I need to have a proper meal - which is more difficult at lunch. So I just have a dinner.

I often do, and as I live alone don't stick to specific meal times either. Today I had a late breakfast, one (high calorie) main meal and one snack.

My mum always says you shouldn't go to bed hungry and tries to tell me to eat an evening snack at 10pm 🙄 She usually has something like a yoghurt or bread but I'm not hungry at all later on like that.