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Eating when not hungry

IanBish

Well-Known Member
I sometimes (often, but less often now) find that after eating a meal, and not feeling hungry, that I'll eat something. Nothing carb-heavy, just some nuts and dark chocolate, for example. Maybe it's just a remnant from years of doing this. I know I'm not hungry, but sometimes I just feel like I have to "have something".

Have people experienced this, and, if so, how did you overcome it?
 
I’m almost 15 years in and fight this on a daily basis, I feel your pain, I win most days but still succumb on occasions, I do have an eating disorder and also a hormone in balance due to PCOS that gives me a massive appetite. I find factoring in the “end of meal treat” into my meal helps - so if I’m have chocolate like I did tonight I count the carbs as part of my meal and alter my main meal accordingly
 
@lovinglife I know you have an eating disorder, and not to make light of it, but if gluttony was a disorder, then I would have suffered from it.

@MissMuffett I'm not sure the timing would help, but if I get distracted then the feeling seems to go. So it's just my stupid brain, conditioned from years of doing it.

Thanks for the replies. It's a case of re-programming I guess.
 
There's a thread here that will help you keep yourself accountable

‘Stop Eating After 7pm’ Challenge

Who will join me? I intend to do this for the rest of January- 10 days and hopefully I’ll have broken the habit by then and carry on. I‘m not hungry, I suspect I’m bored and it’s becoming a habit. So I thought if there were a few of us that struggle with this it would be good to record our...
www.diabetes.co.uk
 
Thanks. I thought that the idea of that thread was mainly to improve sleep, and to improve the next morning's blood glucose. I didn't realise it was to stop eating after eating, if you see what I mean. I'll take another look at it. In the meantime, I'll just have to stop and ask myself, "am I really hungry?" I shouldn't have to, but after years of ignoring my appetite, I think I need to.
 
I think most of it is in our heads , how many times do we actually eat because we are hungry ? I would say for me not very often at all it's just for the share enjoyment of eating , same with drinking , I don't drink them two pints of lager because i'me thirsty , I think we just have to do it all in moderation , gluttony is after all a sin and I think we all see the concsequences of doing that don't we ?
 
I set up the challenge to stop me from mindless snacking in the evenings as it was getting worse for me! It’s definitely helped, you wouldn’t think by looking at the clock and seeing it’s past 7pm that that would stop me but it has.
 
Oh yes, often. Try no too and look at what I am eating. I am not a snack person as such. Don't buy snacks except Biltong. It is pretty much a daily battle. Think that is why I have a short eating window for 4 days a week not for the other two or three. Feel better when not eating. For much of my life have had a problem with 'Night ' eating. Still there but not too often now. I am afraid my will power is pretty awful. Carbs or not. I just buy more smoked salmon so if I fail the damage isn't too bad.
 
I'm not perfect by any means ! but some small guidelines help me.
For example tonight I had hm lc pizza. I had been looking forward to it for weeks as the dough was in the freezer. But when I cooked it and halfway through eating I felt full, oh so full, but I kept eating because I knew it wouldn't keep and I had waited sooo looong waiting for it...
However I'm compensating for my over indulgence by making sure no food passes my lips tonight or even unto an extended fast tomorrow.
Aka giving my body chance to get over the amount and my glucose time to reset
I've found the stop after 18:30 relatively easy to implement. The "I fancy that" not so easy, but it certainly doesn't happen after 18:30.
We each have to find a way, for life, that suits us.
Hope you find yours
 
I am more likely to snack if I’m bored or stressed. I will snack on fruit which will put my blood sugars up. Strawberries, raspberries and the worst are grapes. I can sit and pluck those little balls of sugar from the little twiglets until such time a stop. I then I have to burn those carbs off so I exercise. If I’m absorbed in something I forget to eat. So boredom is my downfall.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I no longer eat through boredom, I don't eat between meals; I just tend to eat more after a meal, when I'm not even hungry.

I guess there are no easy answers. I just need to resist until my brain catches up with my appetite.
 
I think, while it sounds innocent, to have something after having a normal serving is an entry for overeating.
Especially while/after some stress, it's easier to throw in way more than you think you usually do.
My workaround is that when I'm about to do it, opt for a big glass of water and chug it up. Then I just can't put anything more inside me.
If you maintain your daily water norm, you shouldn't have any problem with that at all.
 
I wish it was the same for me - makes no difference at all if I haven't eaten and seems to make me hungrier if I have. We are all different.
 
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