Any tips on increasing appetite?

emgracewrites

Anyone have any tips on increasing appetite? Mine just isn’t here lately. Like I felt really full today and thought I did really well in terms of eating enough calories. Turns out it was less than 1200, and MFP suggests my goal should be 1800 per day.

There’s no way I can cram 600 more calories into my body today, but how can I fix this in the future? Should I maybe add more exercise? It might increase my appetite but I’m also scared of adding too much and losing any healthy fat I’ve actually managed to put on.

Feeling a little defeated tonight. Any help would be appreciated.

penguinmama87

If it's just one day, I really wouldn't worry about it too much. It's undereating as a pattern that is necessary to avoid.

Since you were surprised at end of day, would it help to prelog your food beforehand? I usually do and even if I have to make a few changes it helps me stay pretty close.

AnnPT77

I agree about not worrying about a single day. If it becomes a consistent thing, think of changing your eating patterns to make it possible to reach your calorie goal, or near to it. Which things will be higher in calories but less filling can be individual, but some common things would be nuts or nut butters, seeds, a little more oil in cooking, full-fat rather than non-fat dairy foods if you eat dairy, a bit fattier cuts of meat or fattier fish, etc. Some people find calories they drink less filling, so maybe fruit juice, a smoothie or shake, something like that. If overall nutrition is in good shape, even eating a small treat (that doesn't spike appetite) would be OK to reach a reasonable number of calories.

emgracewrites

Unfortunately underrating is sort of a habit with me - largely because I don’t have an appetite and forcing myself to eat even when I’m not hungry only works to a certain extent before I just feel miserable.

Thanks for the suggestions about pre-logging and drinking calories though.

penguinmama87

Maybe it will work best to try to work in calories around what you're already eating. Your diary isn't public now, but if you change it temporarily that might give some more directed feedback.

You can try reversing a lot of the typical advice for weight loss to get calories - use oil, butter, or animal fat in a cooking pan instead of spray. Use whole fat dairy products (you can even cook and bake with half and half or cream instead of milk.) Be generous with condiments, dressings, and dips. Let yourself have treats if you don't already. Nuts and seeds are packed with calories (and micronutrients) but take up very little volume. One of my children probably gets more than half her calories everyday from peanut butter. I'm not a smoothie or shake person (except the occasional extra luxurious ice cream variety) but if I fall a little short of where I'd like to on any given day, I have a glass of milk with lunch or dinner. Put cheese on things. Or bacon. Or both!

You could also try eating more frequently. If you're a three-meal-per-day person, add in a snack between lunch and dinner, or something small before bed (or both.)

(Obviously, many of these solutions won't work if you eat only plants. This is the kind of stuff I've done with kids who are reluctant eaters, and also with myself when I restricted myself too hard to only "healthy" things in the beginning stages of weight loss. It was so reassuring to know I didn't have to - and shouldn't, really - completely give up fatty things to lose weight, just be a bit more careful about how I measured it.)

AnnPT77

emgracewrites wrote: »

Unfortunately underrating is sort of a habit with me - largely because I don’t have an appetite and forcing myself to eat even when I’m not hungry only works to a certain extent before I just feel miserable.

Thanks for the suggestions about pre-logging and drinking calories though.

If you tend to head toward underweight, or tend toward undereating when trying to lose weight because of the "diet" eating patterns, I'd encourage you to continue working at getting enough calories. Calories (as fuel) are important in themselves, and they bring useful nutrition with them.

Undereating is not a path to long-term thriving and best odds of continuing good health. Most of us want those things, right? Creeping along at minimum calories is not thriving. Being underweight IMU is actually a larger health risk (at the level of population statistics) than being slightly overweight.

Try to find routine eating habits that let you eat adequate calories. Chip away at that gradually, if necessary.

Best wishes!

AnnPT77

Afterthought:

I think what most of us are suggesting is not so much to increase your appetite, which is one kind of subjective sensation, one that's hard to manipulate directly.

I think we're suggesting trying to find ways to decrease your satiation (fullness) by changing your eating patterns so you can eat more, a different subjective sensation.

Same goal, different framing.

If you've ever in your past had social or other influences that implied eating heavily was a bad thing, or that gaining weight was a bad thing, that could have a psychological impact, too.