In 2025, social networks are full of wellness challenges and “healthy” routines. Among them, one rule took over: eat only when you are hungry, even if it means skipping a meal if your stomach is not growling. Presented as a modern way of listening to your body, this habit appeals to fans of intermittent fasting as well as people taking GLP-1 treatments which suppress the appetite. On paper, the instructions seem logical: limit snacking, stop eating out of boredom or stress, simplify your food intake. However, several nutritionists warn against this very strict version. Behind the well-being mantra, the body’s signals remain more misleading than we think.
Eat only when you are hungry, yes or no?
Questioned by the HuffPost USdietician Nikki Fata reminds us that our internal signals are not perfect measuring instruments: “many factors influence hunger and fullness signals: mood, anxiety, medications and more“, she explains. In the tumult of work, stress or a treatment that suppresses the appetite, waiting for hunger can therefore amount to eating too little without even realizing it.
Nikki Fata points out that this strategy often leads to insufficient intake during the day, then to a very copious evening meal, taken in a hurry. The body suddenly recovers what it was missing, at the cost of fatigue and more difficult digestion. Hence his reminder: “your body has nutritional needs, whether you feel a hunger signal or not“.
Skipping a meal, a vicious circle for the body
Same observation for Alexandra Murcier, dietician-nutritionist interviewed in a previous article. According to her, voluntarily skipping a meal to “compensate“an excess or because we are not very hungry mainly maintains the food yoyo:”When we skip a meal, we tend to be very hungry and eat a large plate again and it’s a vicious circle. Ultimately, it is not effective in the long term, especially for weight loss purposes.“, she explains. She also specifies that “when our body is deprived, it tends to store more in preparation for future deprivation. Skipping a meal is therefore a bad habit to forget“.
The routine recommended by experts
In another previous article, American nutritionist Lena Bakovic recalls that lunch remains as important as other meals. She recommends taking it about four to five hours after breakfast, such as between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. if you ate around 8 a.m., to maintain energy and avoid afternoon cravings.
For her, regular schedules helping to align with sleep stabilize hunger and satiety. Structured meals, perhaps with a snack, are still safer than the strict rule of waiting until hungry.