Anyone else forcing themselves to eat every 3-4 hours?

[MoreStylish]

Here is my "problem." I HAVE NO HUNGER WHATSOEVER. None, zip, nada, zilch. And i'm not exaggerating. While some will look at this like a blessing, I am somewhat worried. I know that if I dont eat enough, my body will go into starvation mode. I do not want that. I also have read (over and over) and saw on The Biggest Loser, that the best way to lose weight and keep your metabolism going is to eat every 3-4 hours. So every 3-4 hours, I try to have something small (mozzarella stick or half can of tuna or half cup of sunflower seeds ...etc). And every time I have that small snack or eat lunch or dinner, i'm literally forcing myself to eat the food.

[Simona]

Im glad someone else is experiencing this. Im doing the same thing...not every 3-4 hrs., but I try not to go those 6 hrs. without anything...like the book says. It's hard because if Im not hungry, I dont want to force myself to eat.

I will say...this is a VERY odd feeling. Normally I would eat everything in sight and never be full or satisfied.

On my desk I have half my breakfast, half my lunch. I'll bring it home and have it for dinner.

[Elizellen]

On Atkins there is no instruction to eat every 3-4 hours, but not to go more than 6 hours without eating 'something', so if eating that frequently is a problem, then stick to the 'no more than 6 hours' rule instead.

When we experience the appetite suppressance effect of being in ketosis we need to plan what we do eat more carefully by choosing more nutrient rich foods to make sure we are getting enough.

So make sure you are not 'wasting' the little appetite you have on non-nutritious foods and make sure you take whatever supplements you need to get enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.

The snacks you mention seem a good choice - or would be if you were not still on induction (suflower seeds are an OWL rung 3 addition)

[MoreStylish]

Originally Posted by Elizellen

On Atkins there is no instruction to eat every 3-4 hours, but not to go more than 6 hours without eating 'something', so if eating that frequently is a problem, then stick to the 'no more than 6 hours' rule instead.

When we experience the appetite suppressance effect of being in ketosis we need to plan what we do eat more carefully by choosing more nutrient rich foods to make sure we are getting enough.

So make sure you are not 'wasting' the little appetite you have on non-nutritious foods and make sure you take whatever supplements you need to get enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.

The snacks you mention seem a good choice - or would be if you were not still on induction (suflower seeds are an OWL rung 3 addition)

I feel like Dr. Atkins nailed it 99%, but I think because the book is years old it leaves out a few things. Just like he revised his first book and came out with the new book (Dr Atkins NEW Diet Revolution), I feel like he would come out with an even more revised one if he was still alive. For example, the 3-4 hour situation. Most of the diets available, say not to go more than 4 hours without eating SOMETHING to keep your metabolism going. And when I read the research behind it, it makes perfect sense.

Also, if I waited 6 hours before eating when I wasn't hungry, I'd be eating only about 600 calories a day.

[EverLosing]

Do keep in mind, on induction and while relatively new to this WOE, feeling hungry is a rare thing. Enjoy it while it lasts!! When you move up the rungs and slightly decrease your fat intake it may change. I feel hunger now. That's when I eat! I believed in the eat many small meals per day to keep your metabolism going too. Until....my weight loss really slowed down. Then I decided to only eat when I was hungry. Weight began to drop quickly. I wasn't starving. I used fitday and made sure I was getting at least 1,500 calories per day. The entire journey is full of lessons you have to learn about yourself (mentally) and your body. It's trial and error, hit and miss sometimes but that's what makes the journaling and fitday sooooo important. I'd rather be on top of it and know what works best for me and my body than to just think I'm on plan and be at the mercy of the results on the scale and tape measure.

On a side note...the sunflower seeds are off limits until OWL Rung 3. Elizellen is right! They can truly affect your results. It's important to follow the rungs in the proper order. I absolutely LOVE almonds. I can eat them as long as I don't want optimal pounds lost. I've given them up for awhile.

So, don't fret. The no hunger feeling will end soon enough. Enjoy it while it lasts!!

[pluorvee]

i eat every 4 hours or so because i cant eat very much at one time. Another reason is if i dont eat that often then i dont get in enough cals for the day and my body goes into starvation.

[Fizgig]

There are different philosophical camps on this issue. There's the 5-6 meals a day people who want to keep the metabolism ramped up, and there's even the intermittent fasting camp which says depriving the body of food for short periods will help you live longer (same effect as lifetime calorie restriction, even if you eat twice the food on "eating" days).

I honestly don't worry about how little or how much I eat in a single day. Some days I'm content with 1100 cal, other days I need 2200 to be comfortable. It all evens out. I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm not.

It's only been a few weeks on induction for you. When you start introducing new vegetables I guarantee that your appetite will wake up.

[Diver Down]

I say experiment with your body to see what works best. If you wish to wait until you're hungry to eat, try it, and see how it works for you. You may find your body is content to live off fat in long stretches. Alternately, try eating frequently throughout the day and see how effective that is. There are basic principles to follow on Atkins, but we need to realize that we have unique biological needs when it gets down to issues such as these.