Stuffing Myself Like A Turkey

weightlossyay123
weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
As the title suggests, every day I have to stuff myself silly to reach my caloric and nutritional needs. This usually happens at the end of the day, and it's driving me crazy. I'm not trying to lose any more weight, just maintain, but it's really difficult to get in the calories I need. The carbs too. The worst part is, I'm not even sure if I need this much. I rarely ever feel hungry. The only times I ever do are late at night and if I miss a meal by three or more hours (for instance, if I eat dinner at 4:00 on a regular day but have to wait until 7:00). I once went a week and only ate when I was hungry, and it wasn't good. I didn't feel starving, but I got at most 700 calories a day and was tired and lethargic all the time....so I imagine I needed more than that. Anyway, I really don't know what to do. I can't keep eating until I feel sick at night.

Replies

  • Morn66
    Morn66 Posts: 96
    Have you visited a doctor lately? Lack of appetite, especially in combination with lethargy, can be a warning sign of many different conditions, particularly digestive ones. Also emotional ones. Once you've eliminated pathological reasons for your problem, then you can figure things out from there.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Snack on some nuts/trail mix. Eat a banana. Have an ice cream cone. Put some dressing on your salad. Cheese and crackers.. etc..
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    I've never had an appetite. Like, ever. XD And I eat a TON of crackers. I'm utterly sick of them, homestly, which is why I asked for help. It's really frustrating having to eat five ritz,one serving of pretzels, an apple, and a cup of cereal all one right after the other. :( Just so you can get the calories in. It's crazy because I don't even need that much. Only about 1400 a day.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Well, I agree with Morn66's advice. Something either wrong with your system or (more likely) your head.

    A couple slices of cheese or some peanut butter on those crackers would provide more calories and a better macro balance than dry crackers, dry pretzels, an apple, and a cup of cereal (your entire meal). If you're intentionally avoiding calorie-dense options, stop doing that.
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    I'm not avoiding calorie dense things. And this wasn't my meal. I woke up late, so I had ritz crackers with some cream cheese for lunch and milk. Then I had a serving of mac and cheese for dinner, along with more milk. Factoring in my hour of exercise I'll be doing later today, that left me with a large amount of carbs and calories to get in. I think the carbs were somewhere around 70. :/
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I would definitely head to the doctor and get checked out. It sounds like you may have something that's impeding your appetite, which isn't a normal human response.



    Also, the title of this thread scared me because turkeys have the bulk of their stuffing stuffed up their..ummm....non-mouth side of the body. lol
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    Ha. Sorry to scare you there. I just meant I feel like I'm putting a lot of food into my body that I don't even need. :) I'll consider going to a doctor, but like I said, it's been this way my entire life. Thanks for all the helpful advice.
  • mags726
    mags726 Posts: 6 Member
    If there isn't a medical reason involved, why wait until the end of the day? Can you plan to have a few of the snacks you mentioned at other times of the day? I can understand not feeling hungry. I often go most of the day before realizing how little I have eaten (but then I crash and burn into junky food!) so I have to "force" myself to have snacks a few times a day to avoid bad choices later on.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    If you aren't hungry don't eat. I assume you are trying to gain weight, correct?
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    Yeah, I'm trying to do that. Even with having snacks though, I still find myself needing a lot more at the end of the day. Well not a lot, but all of our snacks are pretty low cal so it sure feels like a lot. XD I'll work harder at it though. Maybe add pudding or a banana to my lunch.
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    No, I'm at a healthy weight so I'd rather not gain. I'm trying to maintain. And I can't eat when I'm hungry. because I'm so rarely hungry. It wouldn't be enough.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    Perhaps you should pre-plan your meals so you aren't trying to stuff yourself late at night?

    I eat when I'm not hungry. If I don't, I can go 5-6 hours without even thinking about it and then suddenly I'm starving and I'll eat two days worth of calories in one evening. So I pre-plan my day and pretty much snack throughout.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    No, I'm at a healthy weight so I'd rather not gain. I'm trying to maintain. And I can't eat when I'm hungry. because I'm so rarely hungry. It wouldn't be enough.

    So did you lose weight at this low calorie level and now you want to know how to maintain?

    Don't worry about the carbs they'll take care of themselves have protein and fat you'll be fine
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    @MsEndomorph (great progress by the way :D) That actually sounds like a pretty good plan. I'll try that too.

    @Idrosphilia- I already know how to maintain, I'm just having trouble eating so much. Heck, I had trouble eating the calories to lose!
  • Morn66
    Morn66 Posts: 96
    No, I'm at a healthy weight so I'd rather not gain. I'm trying to maintain. And I can't eat when I'm hungry. because I'm so rarely hungry. It wouldn't be enough.

    OK, so you say that you have no appetite, are lethargic, that you've always been this way, that you work out for an hour (I'm assuming regularly), AND you say you can maintain your weight at 1400 calories or less? If all of this is true and you're not exaggerating...Unless you're abnormally tiny (like the size of an 8-year-old, maybe), then you should be losing weight at 1400 calories or less. If you are not, that says to me that you have a metabolic issue, especially if it's been lifelong or at least long-term. All of the above is really not normal. My first suspicion would be a (very) sluggish thyroid, but like I said it could be a lot of things. Including nasties like a slow-burning cancer. I would make an appointment with your doctor to have basic bloodwork done, especially a metabolic panel, as soon as possible. If all comes back normal, that's great. If not, then it's good that you found out before things get nastier because, trust me, you DO NOT want to deal with the long-term complications of a metabolic disorder.

    Eliminate the pathological possibilities first, then think about your diet would be my advice.
  • GODfidence
    GODfidence Posts: 249 Member
    1400 calories per day?
    How is that stuffing yourself ?
    Come on man. 3,500 calorie meals and your past that.
    Eat higher calorie stuff. Nuts, butters,McDonalds?
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    I'm not lethargic anymore. I was lethargic when I was only eating when hungry, and got in only 700 calories. And who knows, maybe I do need more calories. I just never feel hungry for them. @godfidence- it may seem like a small amount to you, but to me it's huge.
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    Plus eating a lot of butter and fast food doesn't exactly fit in with my new goal of eating healthy. Haha.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    I'm not lethargic anymore. I was lethargic when I was only eating when hungry, and got in only 700 calories. And who knows, maybe I do need more calories. I just never feel hungry for them. @godfidence- it may seem like a small amount to you, but to me it's huge.

    Your body can adapt to almost anything - it can even suppress hunger. People who struggle with anorexia don't feel hungry because the body has adapted.
    Point being, you could have a medical issue OR perhaps you just need to eat more to feel like eating more? It's definitely something I'd speak to your health care provider about.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,252 Member
    Sounds kinda pro ana to me.
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    Sounds kinda pro ana to me.
    Forcing myself to eat food so I eata healthy amount sounds "pro ana"? Since when?

    Anyway, Ms. Endomorph, going to a doctor seems to be something a lot of people are suggesting, so I guess it can't hurt. :D I'll take into mind the other advice too.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    Sounds kinda pro ana to me.
    Forcing myself to eat food so I eata healthy amount sounds "pro ana"? Since when?

    Anyway, Ms. Endomorph, going to a doctor seems to be something a lot of people are suggesting, so I guess it can't hurt. :D I'll take into mind the other advice too.

    I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't accusing you of having an ED...just using it as an example. :)

    Good luck to ya!
  • weightlossyay123
    weightlossyay123 Posts: 15 Member
    I know. Like everyone else, you were just giving me some very helpful advice. The comment went to the person saying it sounded pro ana. Good luck to you too!
  • JanMarie2BHealthy
    JanMarie2BHealthy Posts: 159
    Also I would suggest a 'head to toe' physical - plus a physical is a great baseline as you continue you quest for a healthier lifestyle. :)
    Would drinking calories help you - maybe some kind of shake or smoothie type beverage? I don't know about carbs though in a beverage. Good luck !!

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