I went to a party recently and met a very interesting man. We got talking about lots of random things, as you do at parties, and we somehow broached the conversation topic of food and eating. Perhaps because we were all in post Christmas food binge period, I swear the whole world feels full right now. Well most of the world…
We were talking about food, and eating and blah blah, and he made the most astounding statement to me.
“I only eat when I am hungry.”
He does not conform to breakfast lunch or dinner and simply eats when his body feels like it needs food. What a concept!!! What a shift! What a brilliant idea! I know this sounds crazy, but how often do we eat at set meal times just because it is our routine, habit, because everyone else is, or just because we would feel like we were missing out on something!?
This year I plan to work on eating only when I am hungry. Simple and effective. Move away from the forced pressure of meal times and instead do what feels more natural and responsive and necessary for my body’s needs.
Apparently many years ago we only ate twice a day. The third meal of the day was introduced by the wealthy English, hence the term “tea time”. Only the wealthiest could afford to prepare the third meal of the day, as they were the ones who had electricity to generate the ability to prepare the meal.
When you think about it, in the western world we all are guilty of over eating. We eat because we can, it tastes good, it is available, it is yummy, we feel like it, it’s social, and lastly because we are hungry. When was the last time you felt really famishly starving hungry? I imagine that is a rare feeling.
So for me, I am going to work on eating less, and eating only when I really feel the need for it. Hopefully that might shed some crazy post Christmas fatty fat fat too!!
What a crazy concept right? Eat when you are hungry. Simple!
Anita xx
Do you have an unusual eating routine you would like to tell me about? I am all ears. And stomach… 😉
Live Your Truth 
I have definitely been guilty of eating when I was not hungry! All the time. Usually due to family-planned meals. I will say, though, if left to my own devices I tend to lean more towards only eating when I am hungry. I’m usually just plain too busy to even think about it! Around 3 pm my stomach reminds me by feeling like it is eating itself. Ha! I think it is a shame we have to stop and feed ourselves so many times a day!
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I’m terrible for forgetting to eat. I don’t seem to feel hunger when I’m busy so I don’t get the signal to take a break and eat. I, therefore, have a dreadful habit of only eating the evening meal because I’m feeding my kids. I’m, therefore, trying to work at eating twice a day in order to improve my metabolism.
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I think it is great to be so consumed by life that you forget to eat! Don’t worry too much about it, I think its important to eat when you are hungry. We all won’t starve!! Maybe have a protein drink in the morning to kick start your metabolism!? Thanks for commenting 🙂 xx
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So true Ginny! My Mum used to get really annoyed about eating, she just used to think it was a waste of time. And so was sleeping. She used to say, ‘imagine if we didnt have to sleep, how much more productive we could all be!?’ Quite true, and imagine how tired we would be too!! Well eat when you are hungry and I think you are onto something! Eating can be a drag thats for sure, I just eat what I like now too, fresh fruit, and berries and fresh juices. So many good healthy options, and not so healthy too! Have a great day 🙂
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That’s true about eating when hungry but it also means I only eat in the evening which is the worst time to eat – especially because I tend to eat too big a portion because I’m famished by that point. I’m also overweight and part of the challenge I have losing weight is that I chronically under eat. I didn’t appreciate that until I started logging my calories. So I need to get into a healthier pattern of eating. I can’t eat breakfast because I have IBS and eating early in the day makes me unwell so I need to build in lunch and eventually healthy snacks.
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Maybe it is also more about exercising? And getting your calories to burn? Maybe try incorporate exercise into your routines and see how that goes xx
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I exercise moderately but have been told that anything more than that puts me further into calorie deficit and “starvation mode” so it’s about improving my eating habits and upping my (healthy) calorie and then upping my exercise as that improves. I basically need to jump start my metabolism again and at 40 that’s proving harder than it did at 30.
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Tell me about it!! Lol! Enjoy your day xx
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You too!
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I am at the beach! Its bliss!
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