Do you eat when you’re hungry?

[PashunFroot]

Even after you’ve already eaten a substantial meal?

im slowly getting over an eating disorder and have joined slimming world which I’m finding really helpful, but I’m also calorie counting as I’m breastfeeding and want to make sure I’m getting enough.

i feel I’ve eaten quite a lot for dinner though, but I’m feeling hungry. Do normal people let themselves feel hungry? Or should I eat. I’ve already eaten my calorie allowance for the day. I am planning on doing a workout too.

aibu to ask what you do if you’re a healthy weight?

Are you genuinely hungry or bored? Would something like a banana or plain cracker satisfy you or are you craving chocolate and crisps? Or have a drink of water and then see how you feel?

I would probably eat, but I can’t say I’m ever really hungry after having eaten a full meal tbh.

I’ve had a litre of water since dinner (I drink a lot!) and I’ve waited an hour since first feeling peckish but now I actually feel fully hungry.

for dinner I had 2 small salmon fillets, cous cous and mixed veg and a yoghurt for after.

In that case I would eat. That sounds like a good, nutritious dinner, but it doesn't sound that filling and if you're waited an hour and are still hungry it sounds like your body needs more.

If I've had a substantial meal, and know that it is balanced and 'big' enough, I try to think about whether I am actually hungry, or if I fancy biscuits because they are tasty, I love food and think about it a lot, so most of the time I don't actually need anything. I leave it a bit of time, maybe an hour, and if I still really do feel pretty hungry, I have something. Yogurt or fruit for something light, yogurt and granola or an omelette for something medium, or instant noodles for something larger. Especially on days where I exercise I try and be more concious of eating well.

I am lucky to have an ok relationship with food.

I would def eat if hungry. Especially if irs been an hour since you ate so its not just that thing where eating makes you feel hungry.

Sorry, missed this reply. I agree with PP, if you feel genuinely hungry, have waited, drank water... I would suggest you listen to your bodies signals.

I would always eat if I'm feeling hungry especially when pregnant or breastfeeding. But since you are trying to lose weight as well as recovering from an eating disorder maybe the answer is not as simple. For what it's worth your dinner sounds quite light.

Yeah, there are different types of hunger feelings. There's

"dizzy weak ratty tummy rumbling drooling at the half-cooked brussel sprouts" type hunger
vs.
"Not sure what I fancy?" hungry speculation, where all appealing options are high sugar/fat/salt

I don't enjoy food if I have to eat in a rush so I will let myself get pretty hungry if I can't stop long enough to eat and peace any sooner. I can forget to eat & only realise I need to because of feeling weak.

If my stomach is rumbling yes. Otherwise it's just cravings.

I know you said you're enjoying SW but please don't take it too seriously. It does seem to work but I've seen time and time again how unsustainable it is and I think a lot of the snacks they promote are full of sugar. I hate the word "syns" too. I eat when I'm peckish or hungry, I try to stick to 1,600 calories per day but a bit more at the weekend because I walk, run and cycle enough to get away with it. I've lost 2 stone in 18 months by doing this slowly and steadily (as opposed to "I've lost 9lbs in one week" etc) and no food is off limits as long as you have say a smaller dinner to balance it out. I've got loads of staple recipes now that satisfy me even though they don't contain bread / pasta and I also make my own "mayonnaise" which is just bloody lovely!

Breastfeeding made me the hungriest I've ever been, I had lots of snacks as well as substantial meals.
If you can eat do, you need energy to look after the baby and yourself. I know it's not that simple but honestly the hunger will go back to normal levels. If you want a perspective your dinner sounds quite small to me.

Well done on having grown a baby and now feeding too.

No, I wouldn't eat again if I knew I'd had my calories for the day.

I'm very used to being hungry though. I used to be morbidly obese (now a size 8) so I know I can't trust my hunger signals!

My signals are 100% faulty, I've accepted that to maintain my weight I can't trust my body sadly, so I track my calories. Sometimes hunger isn't hunger- can be boredom/thirst/emotional/cravings.

If I ate every time I was hungry, I'd be obese (again).

I’m lucky I didn’t eat my baby while breastfeeding 😂I was hungry all the time! I grazed all day long and was always thirsty.

If I’m not breastfeeding and feel hungry after a main meal, I’ll have a bowl of cereal, some toast, a yoghurt maybe. Things like that or a cup of tea and some biscuits.

If I'm still feeling hungry immediately after eating, I'll wait 20-30 minutes. If I'm still hungry after that time, then I'll eat a piece of fruit or some plain yoghurt with berries. I very rarely am still hungry after 20-30 minutes though. I try to make sure I have a balanced plate of 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs, 1/2 vegetables & a small amount of healthy fat in my meals.

MN is renowned for competitive under eating. I don't think it is in good place for you if you are trying to recover from an eating disorder.

I also don't think that following two diets simultaneously is going to aid your eating disorder recovery either.

You are breast feeding which is known to increase the appetite. For the love of God, just eat!

Sorry @PashunFroot- why are you doing Slimming World if you are recovering from an eating disorder? Do you actually need to lose weight?

Definitely eat if hungry- you are working out and breastfeeding and need energy. Listen to your body and what you need.

Never

I will actually gag if I do.

I eat if I’m hungry to the extent that it distracts me. Otherwise I try not to (but I don’t beat myself up if I do). My weight has always been healthy and I stop eating (usually) once I’m full.

Generally I listen to my body, especially when EBF.
I tend to know when I’m genuinely hungry as I think about eating and not a specific food, whereas when I fancy a chocolate biscuit/other snacks food it’s not genuine hunger.

Slimming world had a weird effect on me- I’ll have just eaten but I’ll almost feel hollow I’d be hungry until I’ve eaten some nuts or something with fat in it.

@BettyCake yes I have 5 stone to lose. I’ve found slimming world really helpful and it’s the first time in 15 years I’ve gone longer than a few weeks without making myself sick after binging.

I think if you are getting over an eating disorder you need to run away from all slimming clubs and diets. If you need nutritional guidance, which it sounds like you do, seek a nutritionist.

thats because they aren’t trained nutritionists and haven’t a clue how to keep people full for long periods.

Does your consultant know you have a history of eating disorders? Because they should be advising you NOT to go if you ticked that box on the form?