Not Hungry....which is a problem

breezer2288

Hiya,

Pretty shy here, just looking for advice. So I plugged in my numbers and what I eat, and I am pretty far below my caloric intake. Right now, my intake should be 1450, and usually I stay under 1000. Truth is, I'm not that hungry. I'm on an anti-depressant which suppresses my appetite as well, so hitting that 1450 mark is pretty hard, even on days I am hungrier than usual. Add in 447 calories burned when I work out on the elliptical and it is like I can never hit it. I only drink water and teas as well, so not getting calories from fluid.

Am I dooming my weight loss goals by not having an appetite? I'm losing weight now and I would like to keep it up, but I'm just not hungry. >.<

Advice would be appreciated!

Starbuck2020

This gives you a great opportunity to really focus in on nutrients. You can make sure you get everything you need a day by paying close attention to what is in your food and eating small frequent meals. Think of it as giving your body natural vitamins rather than just eating to eat and it might help you push for meals even when you aren't hungry.

mynameismita

I'm interested in the responses you get because this is something I've been struggling with daily. To make matters worse, I've been having terrible asthma attacks this past week due to a cold so I've been taking Bronkaid (pure ephedrine) daily to help with my breathing. I could honestly eat 200 calories a day and be completely full. To even come close to meeting my net calories, I've been eating nuts (almonds, brazil, macadamias, etc) and adding olive oil where I can. A handful or tablespoon, respectively, can add up to 200 extra cals.

MuddyEquestrian

I'm eager to see responses as well. I struggle with eating enough as well, usually due to being in pain from a chronic joint issue but in general im just not someone to eat a lot of food. Hope someone has some awesome advice!

Adina81

I am on board with this question as well!

I easily 'forget to eat' my stomach doesn't scream at me until late in the day.... I have been a little worried to start working out the way I used to because of it.

virichi08

I have been there. What helped was eating small 300 calorie meals every 2-3 hours or every 3-4 hours. That way you'll gt more fuel for you body. So you'd have to set an alarm. see if this helps.

TonkaDanteFriend

You'll keep losing weight even if you're under. Not sure how big you are, but I'm a 6'6" male and probably taking in about the same amount of calories you are due to a medical issue, haven't really had any adverse effects other than losing some muscle along with the fat, which is not really the end of the world as a lot of MFP'ers would have you believe.

"Starvation mode" won't cause you to gain weight, you just may burn fat a tiny bit slower. If you start to feel bad though, see a doctor.

jgm379

bump

LiftHuff

stop doing cardio so much. If anything, lift weights instead. It will help prevent your muscle from being catabolized by too excessive a deficit.

ciric2012

Pack as much nutrition into a small volume as you can. My husband has this problem and I make a smoothie of a little yogurt, bananas and frozen fruit but I add three large scoops of a protein powder mix. It works out to a third of his daily requirements but in only 12 ounces.

LiftHuff

also, seriously nutrient-dense foods. Avocado is a great one. Bananas are good. a few ounces of meat here and there. spinach is an amazingly good veggie.

jenillawafer

Try eating calorie dense foods, such as almonds or trail mix. It won't fill you up, but it packs a lot of nutrition!

Phaedra2014

Hiya,

Pretty shy here, just looking for advice. So I plugged in my numbers and what I eat, and I am pretty far below my caloric intake. Right now, my intake should be 1450, and usually I stay under 1000. Truth is, I'm not that hungry. I'm on an anti-depressant which suppresses my appetite as well, so hitting that 1450 mark is pretty hard, even on days I am hungrier than usual. Add in 447 calories burned when I work out on the elliptical and it is like I can never hit it. I only drink water and teas as well, so not getting calories from fluid.

Am I dooming my weight loss goals by not having an appetite? I'm losing weight now and I would like to keep it up, but I'm just not hungry. >.<

Advice would be appreciated!

In a short while you'll start feeling exhausted and bleah. Food is fuel. eating too few calories risks messing up your brain chemistry even further. Eat good food - add extra olive oil to salads, eat some nut butters, add a couple of tablespoons of hemp seed to your breakfast, some good salmon, a baked yam.

There are many foods you can eat that are healthy and will bump up your caloric intake.

ETA: Garbanzo beans, red kidney beans are also good and with a cup of beans you can hit 200 calories.

bella_babe_86

Up your protein, whether its a steak, nuts, peanut butter, or a protein shake. Make sure you are getting plenty of good fats, carbs etc. Take multi-vitamins. If you fuel your body with the things that it needs, eating at a lower calorie intake should not hurt you as much. If it really bothers you back off the cardio and focus more on weight training and heavy lifting.

seed_of_wonder

try making a protein shake/smoothie.
you can easily pack in 400 calories without having to eat a bunch

breezer2288

Thanks everyone! I'll look into the suggestions.

I feel fine, I just want to keep my body "fueled" enough to keep losing weight.

newmooon56

I admit I skimmed some of the responses -- I just wanted to offer this -- When I first started I was absolutely shocked to be able to say I cant hit 1200 calories most days. For some reason I wasnt hungry. Sounds ridiculous cuz somehow I crammed enough food in me once upon a time ago to end up on MFP...

I will tell you- it stops - if you are overweight, came here to lose weight are plugged in for 1200 or 1400 calories - Id say give it time, eat and act naturally and see if your appetite doesnt kick in soon. Mine did- I upped my calories myself (over riding MFP) to 1400 to be more in line for ME and how I live. I am losing at a fine rate - faster then MFP would say I would given the "high" calorie goal I gave myself.

In the period where I wasnt eating much- I rolled with it - occasionally eating and extra yogurt or half cup of Go Lean - something I enjoyed but never junk just to meet some quota my body was rebelling against.

magj0y

for everyone who is looking to see what help they may get in their answers, can you answer 3 questions for me?
which is your main meal? Breakfast, lunch or dinner

what is your favorite type of meal? Italian? Mexican?

what are you top 5 foods that are always in your pantry?

with these answers I can probably give you ideas that will be more realistic for you. been, there, done that, hated it.
Took me 3 years to go from 97lbs to 115lbs when I was sick. The reason it took me so long, even with the help of a dietician, I was doing it wrong because no one was working with me on my personal level. 1dzn donuts *a day* was not helping me gain weight!