testimonial-bubble-nutrition

Do I HAVE to eat if I’m not hungry?

Hi Ariane,
I wanted to ask you a nutrition-related questions. I know to keep our metabolism burning and to get into fat-burning mode, you need to eat 5 small meals a day (at least). But, what if you aren’t hungry or forget to eat?
My eating pattern is this:
I always have a Greens First Shake within an hour of waking (it’s the only green shake I like). I eat breakfast an hour later at work —  (usually an egg white whole wheat wrap with veggies and coffee) — and that keeps me full until my lunch time of 1230 or 1 PM.
My lunch is usually bigger than dinner as it’s my main meal of the day — for example, a sandwich (although not during boot camp when I am trying to be off sandwiches) or a turkey burger with mustard on greens with tomato.
I eat a snack around 3 or 4 — and in the past it’s been usually unhealthy: cookies, candy — JUNK — which I’m trying to eliminate.  My snacks this month have been hard boiled eggs, or a piece of fruit, or a snack pack of raw almonds.
And then I have dinner — which is usually lacking in any nutritional value and not huge since I don’t like going to bed feeling really full — makes me have crazy dreams!
So….. I don’t eat a ton of food during the day and sometimes find it hard to eat 5x during the day. I’m wondering if there is anything I should be doing differently to get my body into fat-burning mode.
I have been on thyroid medicine for years for Graves Disease. I  get my thyroid checked every 6 months and it’s been balanced for 2 years now.   So my thyroid can’t be blamed. . .  \
Thanks in advance for any guidance or direction you can offer.
See you tonight!
Tamara
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Hi Tamara,
your food schedule looks good. You eat within an hour of waking up, start your day with protein and end it with a small meal.
If you’re not hungry, then you don’t want to force yourself to eat, but the real answer lies in what happens if you don’t eat. If you go for long hours without eating (longer than 4 hours), then your blood sugar drops and you end up feeling ravenous, tired, cranky and with low blood sugar. Sugar and junk food cravings in the afternoon are a signal of low blood sugar.You crave sugar because that’s what skyrockets your blood sugar up quickly. If you give in, the bad news is you’re hungry quickly thereafter and you put your body in fat storage mode, so not a good solution given your fat loss goals.
It’s a much better approach to eat regularly to avoid sugar cravings. In fact one of the best signs that your blood sugar is regulated is that you’re not hungry. You don’t have to eat a full meal, but having a protein shake or 10 nuts or perhaps just a few veggie snacks would do the trick.
Low thyroid function can slow your metabolism, but you cannot blame it for lack of fat loss as even those with low thyroid can still lose fat with the proper diet. I’m glad you’re not blaming your thyroid for it, especially because it’s regulated with meds.
I suggest you look at your breakfast – the egg white wrap. You need about 6 egg whites to get 20 grams of protein, which is your ideal amount 5x a day. Wraps are often loaded with carbs, so find out how many you’re eating. If you’re eating little protein and lots of carbs, then you are spiking your blood sugar, which would explain the afternoon junk food cravings. If you want to figure out energy fluctuations in your day, always look back at the last meal you had before you experience an energy low. It will tell you a lot about your food sensitivities.
See you tonight! Ariane