Not eating = No appetite?

Ddsb11
Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
edited March 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
I’m curious what your experience is when it comes to hunger and losing weight. I find the more I lose, and the smaller I get, I have very little to no appetite:

The less I eat, the smaller I get, the less I want to eat.

The more I eat, the more I weigh, the hungrier I am.

Does this make sense? Why does it seem like this is backwards? Anyone similar? Or are most of you affected inversely?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    The smaller you get the less calories your body needs to maintain your weight.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    That makes sense to me. That's why I rarely do cheat days, even on holidays. While a day of a lot of food means I will physically be less hungry over another day or two, my appetite goes crazy. It's no fun going back to normal. Everyone's weight loss experience differs.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited March 2019
    This happens to me sometimes. My appetite seems to go with the flow. When I am trying to gain, at first I struggle but the more I feed and more regularly I eat, the more my appetite catches up (this usually takes weeks and not just after a few days) and then when I have to cut down again I usually spend some time at maintenance to get used to lower calories again. In a deficit I get used to lower calories pretty easily. For me I feel it's just my body adjusting to its intake. Mind you I never cut my calories ultra low so that could be a factor. If I am losing too fast, I always make sure I am fueling adequately and use calorie dense food when I need to.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    I always thought it was due to the amount your stomach comes to expect. I was always told to eat a reasonable sized lunch if I was going out for a big dinner - otherwise your stomach shrinks and you're full up after the first course in the evening. Probably far too simplistic, but my guess is there's an element of truth in it.
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,775 Member
    Strudders67 wrote: »
    I always thought it was due to the amount your stomach comes to expect. I was always told to eat a reasonable sized lunch if I was going out for a big dinner - otherwise your stomach shrinks and you're full up after the first course in the evening. Probably far too simplistic, but my guess is there's an element of truth in it.

    I think you are exactly right. Our stomachs shrink a little bit when we’ve not eaten as much for a few days, so our appetites are less as we get thinner.

    Of course, those couple days of transition from porking out on The Weekend to getting back down to regular size are LONG days of feeling peckish! This too shall pass!
  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    oh my gawd i wish. no i'm still hungry and can still eat a ton. i mean, i'm not physically honestly HUNGRY all the time as i eat enough but i absolutely 100% could eat tons more.

    Thanks for saying that. I was starting to feel alone :joy:

    all these posts about not being able to reach the goal or not being hungry. yeah no. at no step in this journey have i been like "oh man i'm full i can't possibly eat" LOL

    This is what I expected! But yah, not eating much makes me lose my appetite. The more I eat the more I want to eat. It seriously seems counterintuitive to me.
  • grace42c
    grace42c Posts: 71 Member
    The more I exercise, for example long hikes or skiing, the less I can eat. I think it has something to do with the sympathetic nervous system response. My body is ready to exercise so it inhibits appetite. But I am small and don’t have a great appetite on a normal day.
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 494 Member
    grace42c wrote: »
    The more I exercise, for example long hikes or skiing, the less I can eat.

    When I'm hungry, if I can get outside and take a long walk my appetite usually diminishes. Brisk walking is what I'm talking about. But if I do something extremely vigorous, my appetite sometimes increases. For some reason the long walk hits a sweet spot for me as far as controlling appetite.

  • angie_wow
    angie_wow Posts: 6 Member
    durhammfp wrote: »
    grace42c wrote: »
    The more I exercise, for example long hikes or skiing, the less I can eat.

    When I'm hungry, if I can get outside and take a long walk my appetite usually diminishes. Brisk walking is what I'm talking about. But if I do something extremely vigorous, my appetite sometimes increases. For some reason the long walk hits a sweet spot for me as far as controlling appetite.

    I totally agree. I used to overeat after swimming. But long walks regulates my appetite. I don't overeat after walking.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    msalicia07 wrote: »
    I find the more I lose, and the smaller I get, I have very little to no appetite:

    The less I eat, the smaller I get, the less I want to eat.

    The more I eat, the more I weigh, the hungrier I am.

    I have this exact experience. Exact.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    edited August 2019
    Me too! The less I eat the less I want to eat to the point that I just don’t bother sometimes.

    The stomach is a muscle like any other in the body and will shrink when not pushed to a limit. Which is why, if you’ve ever used a meal replacement system like the old Cambridge or Slimfast plans (and I’m talking 30+ years ago) where they didn’t advocate one balanced meal per day alongside the plan, but that you just had the shakes/soups🤮/bars 3 per day, they put dire warnings on the literature about starting very slowly to introduce actual solid food once you’d done with the plan. Believe me...the pain was real if you ignored that advice!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    No, I am not like that. Not even a little bit. While I'm able to feel satisfied and not hungry (most of the time) on a reasonable calorie level, my appetite or ability to eat food has not decreased. It would take very little time for me to regain 50 pounds if I ate ad libitum, without monitoring/managing my eating.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    No, I am not like that. Not even a little bit. While I'm able to feel satisfied and not hungry (most of the time) on a reasonable calorie level, my appetite or ability to eat food has not decreased. It would take very little time for me to regain 50 pounds if I ate ad libitum, without monitoring/managing my eating.

    Same. Food is good. Calorie dense food is REALLY good. And my husband is an amazing cook. Never have I ever struggled to eat enough calories.

    And walking just makes me hungrier. As does lifting, and rowing, and yoga, and, and, and... :tongue:
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    Can't honestly say I've had a minute in my life when I wouldn't have been happy to have more food, and that includes the minute after dinner. I guess that's why I'm here LOL I'm baffled by people who diet and then aren't hungry anymore. The most I can do is overpower my desire for food with discipline and learning to postpone short term rewards for longer term bigger rewards, and I have to be actively engaged with that challenge all the time.

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