# Do you ever intentionally skip meals?



## biev (Mar 19, 2006)

It's a bad habit, but I get self-conscious when my husband eats less than I do, so on his work days I tend to skip lunch. By dinner time, I feel so miserable. He sometimes doesn't eat his dinner before 3 in the morning, if at all. If I don't eat every four hours, I start to feel faint.


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## Michelemarie (Mar 19, 2006)

Between everything I want to get done and keeping busy with a toddler, I find myself skipping meals-not on purpose but I just run out of time. I usually keep dried fruit and pretzels in my purse. It is a horrible habit, and it is probably reeking havoc on my metabolism.


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## corazon (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm like MicheleMarie.  Between the 2 year old and the newborn, I simply forget to eat.  At the end of the day, I find myself very irritable, until I realize I hadn't eaten since the morning.  As soon as I get some food in my system, I'm happier and more fun to be around.


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## grumblebee (Mar 20, 2006)

Biev- It is important to eat regular meals throughout the day. You shouldnt feel bad or guilty if your husband eats less than you sometimes. I can understand though because a lot of females feel this way with their guys, I think. It's sort of like a cultural thing.. woman are expected to be delicate and pick at their food, whereas guys are supposed to be feral, "hungry men."   This cultural belief is lame though - don't buy into it! You are only hurting your body by not giving it what it needs when it needs it. You deserve proper meals at regular times and if your husband has strange hours and meal schedules it doesn't mean you have to follow it too! 

Anyway, I dont want to sound bossy or condescending.. I just want you to be happy and healthy.


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## middie (Mar 20, 2006)

Skip meals ? Yes... intentionally ? No


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## texasgirl (Mar 20, 2006)

I will skip lunch if I know that I'm eating a big dinner. It's not very often though. Mostly around the holidays or if there is a party of some kind with my family.
biev, you can't let what your husband eats decide what and when you eat. If you do that, you will kill yourself or at the least, get sick from malnutrition. Eat little, a salad or a sandwich, just eat something.


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## Constance (Mar 20, 2006)

I don't have anything for breakfast except iced tea. I may nibble on a couple of soda crackers later on if I feel hungry. Then I have a light lunch, and a good meal at supperime. 
If I eat when I get up in the morning, I get sleepy and just want to go back to bed.


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## pdswife (Mar 20, 2006)

I don't do breakfast either on most days...just coffee.
food first thing after I wake up just doesn't make me feel good.

I get busy and miss meals once in awhile but... I only skip them if like TG said there's a party or big dinner that night.


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## Constance (Mar 20, 2006)

If there's a party going on, I make sure to eat something, even if it's only a glass of milk and a cheese fold-over. (1 slice bread, 1 slice cheese, fold over and eat)


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## Robo410 (Mar 20, 2006)

I eat a fruit and grain breakfast except once a week when I do a traditional farmers brunch.  I eat veggies and salad lunches sometimes with a light soup on most days and a light dinner so I can indulge when I'm out or cooking for friends.  But my meals are fresh and homemade.  When I eat breads they are from a bakery and of real food value.


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## SierraCook (Mar 20, 2006)

During the summer I don't sit down for a traditional lunch.  What I do is pack foods in my lunch box that I can grab and eat throughout the day.  I actually find that my body functions better eating this way.  A big lunch at noon just makes me want to take a nap.  Meals should never be totally skipped.  Don't forget that your body needs fuel to work properly.  Always eat something even if it is a piece of fruit or a carton of yogurt.  Also, don't forget to drink plenty of fluids, preferably water.


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## Rob Babcock (Mar 21, 2006)

I find skipping meals altogether is a bad idea, at least for me.  I tend to get so hungry then that I'm not careful about what I eat.  Going 12-14 waking hours without eating often leads to eating something I shouldn't simply because I'm too hungry to care.


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## urmaniac13 (Mar 21, 2006)

I never really had a habit of eating proper "lunch", or any midday meal.  I like my breakfast and late dinner, but during the day, I just nibble on something like yogurt, fruit, crackers and cheese, ice cream etc. as I feel like them, I don't really cook or sit down properly (I mean not in front of the PC) to eat.  I just don't get in a mood for "meals" during the day.
When I was working full time too, I only had a little something to snack on, I prefered to wait until I get off work, then relax and enjoy my food at home.  It's been working fine for me for years this way, but then again maybe my biological system doesn't belong to the majority, just like my sleeping habits...


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## Jikoni (Mar 21, 2006)

The only days I skip my meals is wednesday and at lunch time unintentionally. This is because I am very busy and forget to get myself something to eat. I pick up the kids and prepare lunch for them, when they are eating, I get their after school activities' outfits ready, and before I know it, it's time to get running again for drop off, or if I am lucky, they will have left something for me which would be cold. Last wednesday, I put the leftovers in the microwave to heat up and forgot it until the evening when I was cleaning the microwave after dinner.


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## biev (Mar 21, 2006)

I know that when I skip meals I feel faint and tired and moody. I also tend to chew on my fingers, fingernails or lips a lot. And you're right about getting too hungry and starting to snack on just about anything... like pickles, or preserves out of the jar. I think I'm always battling some kind of eating disorder. When I work I have a hard time eating at all. I sit in front of my lunch and stare at it until my break is over. Come to think of it, I did that all my childhood at dinner time


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## texasgirl (Mar 21, 2006)

biev said:
			
		

> I know that when I skip meals I feel faint and tired and moody. I also tend to chew on my fingers, fingernails or lips a lot. And you're right about getting too hungry and starting to snack on just about anything... like pickles, or preserves out of the jar. I think I'm always battling some kind of eating disorder. When I work I have a hard time eating at all. I sit in front of my lunch and stare at it until my break is over. Come to think of it, I did that all my childhood at dinner time


 
If you feel that you have a disorder, talk to a doctor and a dietician so that they can help you understand your fears about eating and help you with a diet that you can handle without the anxiety. Don't want to see you get sick. Take care!!


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## SizzlininIN (Mar 21, 2006)

I'm not a big fan of breakfast.  But every now and then I get a hankering for it.  Its not that I intentionally skip it I just don't think about it.  As far as the rest of the meals there are times when I am so busy that it curbs my hunger and I don't realize I haven't eaten.  I tend to only eat when I'm hungry so if the hunger pains are curbed by my working around the house then I don't think about it.  But get me in front of the t.v. and a cooking show is on my hunger pains go into overdrive.


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## biev (Mar 21, 2006)

texasgirl said:
			
		

> If you feel that you have a disorder, talk to a doctor and a dietician so that they can help you understand your fears about eating and help you with a diet that you can handle without the anxiety. Don't want to see you get sick. Take care!!



I don't feel like spending that kind of money to have someone tell me not to skip meals... It's not so bad right now, I work at home for the moment so I have time to cook. I think I've got this thing under control for now.


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## urmaniac13 (Mar 22, 2006)

biev said:
			
		

> I don't feel like spending that kind of money to have someone tell me not to skip meals... It's not so bad right now, I work at home for the moment so I have time to cook. I think I've got this thing under control for now.


 
But biev, if there is a suspicion of eating disorder, what you CAN'T afford is risking of ruinning your health. Your problem may extend far beyond the matter of simply skipping a meal or not, but it is the way of life and how you treat it.  If you don't feel comfortable going to the doctor, try to do some research and read about this problem and solutions and educate yourself first.  Talk to your hubby and get his support.  The positive thing is that you recognise the problem now, it is time to look at it straight on, and seek for a way to get out of this.  I am sure you can do this... and don't be afraid to talk about it, the support is one thing you will never lack here... best wishes, and think about what yummy treat you will have for the dinner!!


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## Claire (Mar 31, 2006)

I've been where you are, and it is so bad for you.  Eating every four hours is fine.  We've become a nation of eating disorders and diabetics because we tend to not eat for too long, then eat too much, or eat garbage.  I didn't have periods for over a year; believe me, I understand eating disorders, and you're headed that way.  Your husband is the one with problems, not you.  Eat good food every four hours.  

Don't get me wrong; I do occasionally skip a meal because I'm simply not hungry, so don't think about it (most often, breakfast).  

But you are trying to mold your body's natural needs to someone whose body's needs are definitely different from yours (supper at 3 a.m.?).  Sometimes to make a marriage work you need to agree to disagree.  Please eat when you need to eat.  You can always sit with husband at 3 a.m. and keep him company with a few bites.  Trust me, 3 a.m. is not a normal time to eat dinner, and if your body wants food at noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., then feed yourself good food at those times.


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## biev (Mar 31, 2006)

Claire said:
			
		

> But you are trying to mold your body's natural needs to someone whose body's needs are definitely different from yours (supper at 3 a.m.?).  Sometimes to make a marriage work you need to agree to disagree.  Please eat when you need to eat.  You can always sit with husband at 3 a.m. and keep him company with a few bites.  Trust me, 3 a.m. is not a normal time to eat dinner, and if your body wants food at noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., then feed yourself good food at those times.



Well, I tried eating when he eats for a couple days, and I felt sick, so I stopped doing it.

I should have said that we both work nights. We usually wake up at 3pm and go to bed around 7 am. I get hungry every four hours (precise as a clock) but not hungry for a lot of food. I think it's also harder for me to eat when I'm stressed, so I tend to just take a few bites of something. But I've been careful not to completely skip meals.

(edit) Also I forgot to say that  going without food for 12 hours isn't his preference (breakfast at 3pm, dinner at 3am) but he works a harsh schedule, 6pm to 6am in a corrections facility and that is when he gets his dinner break most of the time. It's a hard job for sure...


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