Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

Have you tried eating more for breakfast? What you are suggesting as being satisfying meals are not really a lot of calories or protein. Honestly, try adding some cottage cheese to up your protein and oatmeal and see if you feel better. Personally, if I can get ahead of my hunger in the morning I don't hit that hangry point.

3eggs, plus 1 tsp oil +broccoli, +apple+collagen and unsweetened almond milk creamer in my coffee =445 calories (not my everyday breakfast, but most days). It does have a balance of protein fat and fiber. I feel like I’m eating a lot! My sister in law would be the one having an English muffin and fine until lunch. I would rather save some of my calories for dinner with my family, but I could see about adding in some cottage cheese

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I eat a boiled egg, one bowl of oatmeal with a banana and pecans in it for breakfast.

For lunch and dinner, 30 minutes before - eat a large bowl of 1/3 cucumber, 1/4 lettuce, handful of mixed greens, 5-6 grapes, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 carrot, 1/3 apple - drizzle with chaat masala and lemon juice before every meal. Then I drink 1/2 glass of inulin water with 1 tsp chia seed in it. After that 1/2 cup of spiced buttermilk. Everything is organic. After that I eat whatever I want to eat. Burger and fries? Sure. Cheesecake? Absolutely. However, my portions become very small because my stomach is so fun.

I love salads but you lost me at inulin water and chia seeds. With all that salad, which is great, there is absolutely no need for additional supplementary fiber unless you have a medical condition requiring it (which you might so I sincerely mean that).

Don't get me wrong, I eat a ton of salads and often huge ones, but I would lose my mind eating this much volume in such a regimented way. It is OK to eat a burger or cheesecake sometimes without forcing yourself to eat 4 other healthy things first either out of routine or because you feel you have to moderate portions with it.

You are wrong - I take chia for its superfood qualities and as source of stable energy throughout the day. I take inulin as a prebiotic for my gut biome and to keep my blood sugar stable throughout the day. I also replenish my gut bacteria with the homemade prebiotic buttermilk drink that I drink. That is why I do not have more than 4 ounces of each drink. So, lots of veggies, fluids, fiber, probiotics. No need to eat HUGE quantities of anything. You have to be balanced in your approach. Most importantly, I am not using any processed salad dressings which are mostly unhealthy. Sticking to spices and lemon juice makes my food more alkaline too.

I don't find that regimented because I can actually eat any food that I want, eat out with friends etc without feeling starved or unnecessarily feel bloated with fiber. That may be because of cultivating good gut biome with my food choices. The bonus is that many of my minor skin issues like dryness, flakiness, acne has disappeared. I have a glowing complexion and thick, healthy and glossy hair.

Of course, everyone is free to eat whatever they want. What works for me may not work for others, But, this is the main diet tweak that has significantly changed my health, energy level and physical appearance in a few short months.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

Have you tried eating more for breakfast? What you are suggesting as being satisfying meals are not really a lot of calories or protein. Honestly, try adding some cottage cheese to up your protein and oatmeal and see if you feel better. Personally, if I can get ahead of my hunger in the morning I don't hit that hangry point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

Distract yourself with something else, so you aren’t thinking about eating.

I am a teacher: so my brain is very VERY much occupied between breakfast and lunch. I drink coffee, tea, water, etc. this isn’t something I’m obsessing over, I’m legitimately hungry.

OP, if I dropped you on a deserted island then came back a month later to get you, I guarantee that you’d weigh much, much less.

I have anecdotal input here, but it's very good anecdotal stuff so humor me.

I am an ICU nurse and as such, I've taken care of several hundred people in their final year of life. Some are 54 but others are 93. The pattern that I see over and over again is that the really-healthy-until-that-one-thing-that-made-me-not-healthy-at-age-91 patients ***do tend to have regimented eating.*** They roll in from the assisted living place with a UTI-turned-sepsis, and they're fundamentally healthy people with no co-morbidities so they _recover_ and they're eating/drinking again while still in the ICU awaiting a downgrade to the med/surge floor.

And damn if they aren't all careful about meal times and meal portions. They study the hospital menu and deliberately select a well-rounded meal and ask me to confirm that the meal "will be there by 11, correct? Because that's when I generally have lunch."

You might say well, that's an old people thing, duh. And I would respond that haha, early bird special, but **what if these many many people grew to be SO OLD precisely becuase they were careful and deliberate and SENSIBLE about their food intake for the last 92 years?***
ie, the Cheetos-and-drive-thru crowd died in their home, of a stroke, at age 62. Or they were brought to my ICU after that stroke, obese with out of control diabetes, and they're not going to order a hospital tray with me because they're never going to get extubated.

That is the years-long pattern I have observed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

Distract yourself with something else, so you aren’t thinking about eating.

You are judging what your co-worker eats just by one meal at work? I hardly eat anything at work, either, because I’m busy and don’t want to pack a lot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

This is terrible advice. The only people on planet earth who can universally eat based on their “needs” are athletes and even those people have structured eating habits. The reason why multi-faceted, but at least one reason is because you might not want to vomit all over your bike while you are trying to take in 100g of carbs per hour.

The remaining 95% of the population does not have variably energy needs day to day because even their exercise is a metabolic rounding error. That’s why structured eating makes sense if your goal is health and weight maintenance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

If you can't understand why people eat what they eat it probably means you have never experienced what those people experience. So maybe think about your limited experience before tossing out your admonishing advice that is not based on dealing with what others have struggled with.

Yes, counting calories is tiring. But if I don't do it, I overeat. Every single day. Because my body says eat more even though I've already consumed the number of calories I need to maintain my weight. Do you not understand how that works? Of course not, you don't have the same stressors and body that I have, so you have a hard time imagining anyone different from yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

Congratulations for good metabolism and a smaller than normal appetite and a bit of a holier than thou attitude about the foods you crave?

Counterpoint: if I don’t eat at regular intervals and wait until I am very hungry, I will make terrible food choices, opting for the easy to eat/high sugar/high fat/ high calorie option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

If you are over 30 you need to eat less unless you are working out 5 days a a week