Frustrating Times of Day

Every afternoon I face the same dilemma: the desire to eat without actually being physically hungry. By this point in the day I have usually been awake, active, and eating for hours. (And by "eating" I mean meals, not binges.) While sleeping through the afternoon can be helpful, I have been told that this implies that I do not get adequate sleep at night. And yet, even with 8 hours under my belt, I am still perfectly capable of sleeping during this time of the day. So should I, if only for the sake of "protecting" future calories from unnecessary consumption? To be clear, I eat around 2000 calories a day, just enough to maintain my present weight. And also, do you regularly find yourself prone to thinking about (or eating) food without need at a certain time of the day? If so, how do you over come it (if you can)?

Edit: After a discussion with another member, I have decided to increase my calorie intake based on my current level of activity. My new target is around 2200.

You're a young man....   Average adult (over 21) male needs 2500 cals a day just to keep body and soul together.  Under 21 and that rises to 2800.

According to one post of yours I read you're 17, 5'4" and 108lbs.  I appreciate that you're in recovery from anorexia and you've probably struggled to get this far....  but you're still in the underweight/danger zone... you need to get up to a BMI of 20 minimum rather than maintain.  And http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html  this site will advise you that you're using anything between 2560 - 3010 cals a day just to maintain your weight.... not 2000.   Forget target heart-rates... if you're  a 'high energy person', moving around all day long you're burning a lot of energy and it counts as activity.  Also, your body still has another 4 years of growth and development to get through ... that also burns energy.  Are your parents 5'4"?

The logical conclusion is that you're hungry because you undereat to the tune of 500-1000 cals  a day ..... You might not have physical hunger-pangs, you may not think you are hungry and you might even not want to be hungry but when that point comes in the afternoon when you get a 'desire to eat' then it is genuinely because you need food.   Working definition of hunger is 'a desire to eat'. 

I was the person who responded about your sleep/hunger issue and, whilst I mentioned that you might not be getting adequate sleep at night, I also mentioned that you might not be getting enough energy/nutrition from your diet.   Sleep is what happens to people who have run out of energy or they're sick in some way.   Sleeping all day and all night is not a good sign in a young person.  You need more energy, more calories, more nutrition, more food.  Listen to your body because how you overcome this problem is to feed yourself.  Very simple.

Original Post by gi-jane:

You're a young man....   Average adult (over 21) male needs 2500 cals a day just to keep body and soul together.  Under 21 and that rises to 2800.

According to one post of yours I read you're 17, 5'4" and 108lbs.  I appreciate that you're in recovery from anorexia and you've probably struggled to get this far....  but you're still in the underweight/danger zone... you need to get up to a BMI of 20 minimum rather than maintain.  And http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html  this site will advise you that you're using anything between 2560 - 3010 cals a day just to maintain your weight.... not 2000.   Forget target heart-rates... if you're  a 'high energy person', moving around all day long you're burning a lot of energy and it counts as activity.  Also, your body still has another 4 years of growth and development to get through ... that also burns energy.  Are your parents 5'4"?

The logical conclusion is that you're hungry because you undereat to the tune of 500-1000 cals  a day ..... You might not have physical hunger-pangs, you may not think you are hungry and you might even not want to be hungry but when that point comes in the afternoon when you get a 'desire to eat' then it is genuinely because you need food.   Working definition of hunger is 'a desire to eat'. 

I was the person who responded about your sleep/hunger issue and, whilst I mentioned that you might not be getting adequate sleep at night, I also mentioned that you might not be getting enough energy/nutrition from your diet.   Sleep is what happens to people who have run out of energy or they're sick in some way.   Sleeping all day and all night is not a good sign in a young person.  You need more energy, more calories, more nutrition, more food.  Listen to your body because how you overcome this problem is to feed yourself.  Very simple.

 

My name is deceiving. I am a girl, not a dude. Sorry for the confusion. And, I recently discovered that I am not 5'4", but 5'3" (I was measured inaccurately at school).

My mistake!   But, nevertheless, have you ever considered forgetting the calorie-counting and just eating when you feel like eating for a while?... Going with the flow?....  Even at 5'3" you're still underweight for an anorexia recoverer... you could afford to gain 7 - 10lbs to get out of the danger-zone. 

Original Post by gi-jane:

My mistake!   But, nevertheless, have you ever considered forgetting the calorie-counting and just eating when you feel like eating for a while?... Going with the flow?....  Even at 5'3" you're still underweight for an anorexia recoverer... you could afford to gain 7 - 10lbs to get out of the danger-zone. 

I think I would put myself at greater risk if I decided to stop calorie-counting. Believe it or not, when I was at my worst in terms of having an eating disorder I did NOT count calories. As a matter of fact, I was really very ignorant about the whole concept of calorie-counting. I just ate a lot less. Now that I know what I need, I can guarantee that I take in that amount by having the numbers to guide me. Especially now that I have decided to start trying to improve my level of fitness, which could easily become a very slippery slope if I ceased to keep track of calorie needs, and in turn, my calorie intake. That's just how I look at it, anyway. As for gaining more, that is probably not a terrible idea, but I don't want to have to buy new clothes. I'm rather miserly (and so is my family). Plus, I loathe shopping for clothes (I shop in the boy's section, which my mom HATES).