Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 From a biological standpoint, it isn't good to go more than 4 hours or so in between snacks or meals. Even if you aren't feeling ravenous at this point, your blood sugar levels will dip too low and your brain may be sending out signals to EAT that are contributing to the bingeing issues you face after dinner. It's possible, too, that your body is giving you signals that you are hungry and you aren't noticing...maybe not a gnawing feeling in your stomach but something more subtle like light-headedness, jitteriness, crankiness or low energy levels. I think having a snack at 3PM sounds like a good idea, but I wouldn't skip lunch...I would maybe eat lunch a bit earlier than you usually would, then have a light snack in between lunch and dinner. See how that affects your evening bingeing...you might find you only want a snack in the evening and no longer feel compelled to eat whatever you can get your hands on. > > I am new to the group and love reading the posts and love the kindness shown in your answers. I am pleased to be a member of the group after spending more years than I care to count being on some or other diet. > > My question regards hunger. Possible because of the many years of dieting I have a hard time knowing when I'm hungry. I eat breakfast shortly after getting up. Then by lunch time, I eat although I could probably wait another before I'm a bit hungry. My issue is that our dinner has always been at 5:30 and that's when my husband expects to eat. I could skip lunch and have a snack around 3:00 which would hold me till dinner but I'm afraid I would not get the nutrition I need. > > My issue with eating has always been binging after dinner - which has nothing to do with being hungry. Other than that issue, I've always been a healthy eater. > > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 From a biological standpoint, it isn't good to go more than 4 hours or so in between snacks or meals. Even if you aren't feeling ravenous at this point, your blood sugar levels will dip too low and your brain may be sending out signals to EAT that are contributing to the bingeing issues you face after dinner. It's possible, too, that your body is giving you signals that you are hungry and you aren't noticing...maybe not a gnawing feeling in your stomach but something more subtle like light-headedness, jitteriness, crankiness or low energy levels. I think having a snack at 3PM sounds like a good idea, but I wouldn't skip lunch...I would maybe eat lunch a bit earlier than you usually would, then have a light snack in between lunch and dinner. See how that affects your evening bingeing...you might find you only want a snack in the evening and no longer feel compelled to eat whatever you can get your hands on. > > I am new to the group and love reading the posts and love the kindness shown in your answers. I am pleased to be a member of the group after spending more years than I care to count being on some or other diet. > > My question regards hunger. Possible because of the many years of dieting I have a hard time knowing when I'm hungry. I eat breakfast shortly after getting up. Then by lunch time, I eat although I could probably wait another before I'm a bit hungry. My issue is that our dinner has always been at 5:30 and that's when my husband expects to eat. I could skip lunch and have a snack around 3:00 which would hold me till dinner but I'm afraid I would not get the nutrition I need. > > My issue with eating has always been binging after dinner - which has nothing to do with being hungry. Other than that issue, I've always been a healthy eater. > > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 From a biological standpoint, it isn't good to go more than 4 hours or so in between snacks or meals. Even if you aren't feeling ravenous at this point, your blood sugar levels will dip too low and your brain may be sending out signals to EAT that are contributing to the bingeing issues you face after dinner. It's possible, too, that your body is giving you signals that you are hungry and you aren't noticing...maybe not a gnawing feeling in your stomach but something more subtle like light-headedness, jitteriness, crankiness or low energy levels. I think having a snack at 3PM sounds like a good idea, but I wouldn't skip lunch...I would maybe eat lunch a bit earlier than you usually would, then have a light snack in between lunch and dinner. See how that affects your evening bingeing...you might find you only want a snack in the evening and no longer feel compelled to eat whatever you can get your hands on. > > I am new to the group and love reading the posts and love the kindness shown in your answers. I am pleased to be a member of the group after spending more years than I care to count being on some or other diet. > > My question regards hunger. Possible because of the many years of dieting I have a hard time knowing when I'm hungry. I eat breakfast shortly after getting up. Then by lunch time, I eat although I could probably wait another before I'm a bit hungry. My issue is that our dinner has always been at 5:30 and that's when my husband expects to eat. I could skip lunch and have a snack around 3:00 which would hold me till dinner but I'm afraid I would not get the nutrition I need. > > My issue with eating has always been binging after dinner - which has nothing to do with being hungry. Other than that issue, I've always been a healthy eater. > > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 What a great point! What is hunger? What is Intuitive Eating? I certainly couldn't say what it is exactly; I imagine that it is different for different people. One thing I have learned is to eat so that I am not hungry or really hungry. I know that I need, nutritionally (great point about blood sugar!), food throughout the day and if I don't eat it throughout the day then I will be hungry, really hungry, and these are the times that I am more likely to eat something I don't want or need. So I think there must be something about getting to know yourself and when you are likely to get hungry and having a diet (which only means everything you eat or drink) that helps you to eat what you need. It is eating enough, not too little or too much. For me this isn't about only eating when I am hungry but eating for nutrician. It means knowing myself and my habits and what I need, and when to eat throughout the day to feel satisfied and not starving. So for me it is having an apple or a piece of fruit between breakfast and lunch and a healthy snack when I get home from work so that I am not so hungry that I eat something I don't need. Which is even more important if you are having to adapt your food intake to someone else. I will also have a healthy snack after dinner, sometimes just a drink, to help that habit of having to have something after dinner. xx To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Tuesday, 24 January 2012, 13:40Subject: Hunger I am new to the group and love reading the posts and love the kindness shown in your answers. I am pleased to be a member of the group after spending more years than I care to count being on some or other diet.My question regards hunger. Possible because of the many years of dieting I have a hard time knowing when I'm hungry. I eat breakfast shortly after getting up. Then by lunch time, I eat although I could probably wait another before I'm a bit hungry. My issue is that our dinner has always been at 5:30 and that's when my husband expects to eat. I could skip lunch and have a snack around 3:00 which would hold me till dinner but I'm afraid I would not get the nutrition I need.My issue with eating has always been binging after dinner - which has nothing to do with being hungry. Other than that issue, I've always been a healthy eater. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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