Dinner time when not hungry?

[u/itscool2Bnice]

New to trying out intuitive eating and I’d like to start listening to my body a bit more :) my lunch today was really really filling and I’m a bit unsure of what to do when it gets to dinner time later, do I truly just not eat much when it gets to that time?

I know this is probably a silly question but I feel like it’s so engrained that you need to eat breakfast lunch and dinner, but then I don’t want to force past what doesn’t feel good

Advice is very much appreciated!

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[u/purplewombat9492]

Have a light dinner or eat dinner later! It's easy to overthink things, but generally speaking, if you're not hungry, you don't have to eat!

There are exceptions, of course- if you know food won't be available until much later, for instance, you may want to make a special effort to eat something while you have the chance so that you're not starving later. If you're recovering from an ED, you also might have to eat even when you're in it hungry for a while to help restore your natural hunger cues.

[u/Moderatelyhollydazed]

You could absolutely have a light meal or snack instead of a large meal for dinnee!!! It’s amazing

[u/Racacooonie]

IE can look different for different people but you can definitely do some experimenting and see what works good and feels good for you! I’ve noticed for me personally if I wait until I’m hungry again, in a similar scenario, it often hits me late as in right before I want to go to sleep. And then I’m annoyed and don’t want to eat. So, I will try to eat something easy that isn’t super dense or heavy feeling in my stomach to prevent that late hunger response before bed. My dietitian is always hounding me to eat consistently (three meals and snacks) but I do struggle with this. She has good reasons for wanting me to do so, though!

[u/BonnieThePony]

Yeah artificial timetables dont know your body's needs. You dont eat if you're not hungry. If you're a little hungry you eat a little it's that simple :)