do I -need- to eat dinner?

[kibskix]

everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
do I really need to eat dinner if i'm not hungry?
I try really hard to eat balanced meals, with veggies fats and meat in them all.
My calories so far today seem ok at 1400 and my %s seem pretty good
70%fat 28%protein 2% carbs. Ideally I think I need a few more carbs, ive had only 8, 7 if you count net carbs.

Its kind of late already and I hate eating past a certain time too. I'm not really hungry, but should I let it go or go snack on something before it gets later?

[guekjian]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Although I totally understand where you're coming from, you need to eat. To keep your metabolism up, to make sure your body doesn't think you are starving. Smaller meals (or snacks) no more than 4 hours apart to keep the body burning continually. GOod luck!

[Sheepie]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

This is a little late, but yes you need to eat dinner. Yes you need more carbs. I don't remember how many hours you can go w/o eating, but you're supposed to eat every few hours and skipping dinner will be too many hours w/o eating. At 218lbs, 1400cal seems too few, although we're not really counting, are we? At least eat a salad or some bell pepper with dip. You need more carbs and probably more fiber too. Bon appetit!

[plsmachic]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

how do you manage 70% fat?? can you post a typical day menu?? plz.

[kibskix]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Just for the record I went downstairs and snacked on a couple deviled eggs after I posted this. I also ate lunch around 3 or 4, so I wasn't too long around dinner time without food, since I got up at 10:30 and I didnt eat breakfast till noon!

getting enough fats are sometimes a problem, but my calories always seem to be too low unless I eat all day long. Maybe thats how I should do it from now on lol.

plsmachic- Heres what I ate today

Breakfast- Salad! and I got lots of fats out of it too.
1 cup of lettuce
1-2 tbsp mayo mixed with garlic salt, onion powder and paprika
1oz feta cheese
2 beef patties cooked in EVOO
just chop up the patties and toss everything together in a bowl. Its SO good. I dont particularly care for plain mayo all the time, spicing it up with some other things makes it easier to eat.

Lunch- tuna/shrimp salad on romaine lettuce
1 can of tuna and pre cooked shrimp into a pan with some green and red peppers, salt and pepper
same mayo as breakfast
2-3 long romaine lettuce leaves
just mixed the mayo and tuna salad and spread them on the lettuce. I admittedly didnt eat all of it, I ate 1 then just kind of picked all the shrimp off the rest and ate it lol

Dinner
Normally for dinner i'll eat just chicken and a side of broccoli, or something to that effect. Tonight though as above I just ate some deviled eggs.

Oh I also had like 6oz of chai tea w/ cream, no sugar or spenda. I found that I actually almost like it better without the sweetness.

[Outback Jess]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Kib, sounds like you are in Ketosis, based on the lack of appetite. That's great, but there does come a point where you will get hungry, and if you eat every 6 hrs like the book suggests you might not fall prey to that very "crazed place" some people get them selves stuck in...a little meal if you are not hungry is very important for all the reasons above...
Have you got the DANDR book, it can never be said enough, "knowledge is power" and as you read, you will get fresh understanding!

[Evermind]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Yes. Because otherwise, you won't lose weight. It's just that simple.

I'm like you, and my appetite is next to nil for most of the day. I have to prepack all of my foods for the day up until dinner time, and schedule time to eat them on weekends, when I don't have a real schedule, because otherwise I'd forget.

For the record, my fat percentage is usually in the 70s. It's because I don't eat a lot of meat.

[kibskix]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

i remember the first time I did atkins I had to force myself to eat cause I never felt hungry, which I knew was a good thing. so I just did it on autopilot and stopped associating eating with hunger. when I fell off the wagon I got in the very bad habit of doing the same thing, just eating when I wanted to taste something not when I was hungry. oopsie lol.

Yep pretty sure i got into ketosis yesterday, cause my mouth tasted weird.

Ugh, woke up with a tummy ache this morning, I think I need to go buy some flax!

[plsmachic]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Just for the record I went downstairs and snacked on a couple deviled eggs after I posted this.

Just wanted to let you know as soon as I read that I literally said out loud: "OoH! Deviled eggs..." and got up and put them in water on the stove... lol - I haven't ate dinner yet and that was the perfect idea...

AND! I think I'm going to go test my ketosis because I've just realized I've ate practically nothing today and I'm not hungry!!!

THAT can only mean one thing right?!?!?!

WOHOO!!
Here I go... drumroll please...

[plsmachic]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

Meh... it turned the slightest bit, hardly enough to count it... I'll try again in the morning.

I was so excited... lol

[mommagoose]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

OOOHHH now I understand whats going on . I have not been hungry at all. I have had to force myself to eat the last few days. I know I am in kytosis because I tested my urine and it said I was in moderate kytosis. I had no idea that it makes you not want to eat. I was wondering though. Does kytosis make your muscles feel weak or is something else going on ?

Linda

[kibskix]

Re: do I -need- to eat dinner?

that might just be from lack O sugar if you just started, or working out if you are (and we should be)
Ugh... every time ive tried atkins induction flu has been different. first time I had none. second time I had a week long headache. this time i'm SO tired, I have literally been sleeping 10-12 hours a night the last 3 nights, and around 5 I always want a nap even though I don't take one cause i'm afraid if I do I wont sleep well lol.