No Appetite

Eat foods high in calories, so you don't have to eat as much.

Doesnt that kinda defeat my goal of losing weight.

You said you weren't hungry. So this is a perfectly good solution.

You have to eat. Or learn the hard way....

Breakfast is - 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs and some cheese

Lunch is Salad, with mixed veggies and tuna

Snack - is usually either an apple or homemade beef jerky

Dinner - usually fish, chicken, lean beef and salad..

and I am below my calorie goal

Add some full fat dressing or a handful of nuts, or some avocado to that salad, add some butter to those veggies, add more cheese to your eggs.

I'm surprised! I get hungrier after exercising.

You're supposed to eat before you are hungry..
If you feel hungry then you're already entering starvation mode.

I wasn't hungry ever either.. but I also wasn't eating. Still struggle with it.
If you are eating enough and working out and you feel full and satisfied then you are fine.

If you forget to eat and still are not hungry then you have my problem.. you do not want my problem.

No.

I understand not having an appetite after working out. Most nights, eating is more like a chore ... something that must be done, whether I want to do it or not. Don't get me wrong, I love food. But it's hard for me to eat after a tough workout. Nevertheless, I would never follow the "don't eat if you're not hungry" mantra. You need a certain number of calories per day, based on your TDEE. Having no appetite doesn't change your body's needs.

I might suggest adding more smoothies or protein shakes to your diet if you don't want to eat. It might make it physically and psychologically easier to get all your calories in.

You're supposed to eat before you are hungry..
If you feel hungry then you're already entering starvation mode.

:huh: and:noway:

Breakfast is - 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs and some cheese

Lunch is Salad, with mixed veggies and tuna

Snack - is usually either an apple or homemade beef jerky

Dinner - usually fish, chicken, lean beef and salad..

and I am below my calorie goal

You are also missing out on key nutrients. Why are you only eating protein and produce? Where are the minerals, fibre and healthy fats? Eat the recommended servings from all the food groups or be sure you are eating more from different food groups to make up the nutrients. At present you are listing no grains, no beans, no lentils, no nuts, no seeds, little fruit, likely not the full rainbow of colours of produce, little dairy, little overall variety.

You don't need to be hungry to eat, that is a sign your have failed to give your body the nutrients it needs not an early earning system for mealtimes. Those signals can be confused by poor eating habits (over or undereating), illness or stress. If you are struggling to face food or have really lost your appetite that could be a sign the restrictive diet plus exercise is putting your body into a state of stress which is unhealthy. If you cannot eat right cut back on your exercise.

What you say in your profile is totally at odds with this thread: in your profile you say you want to be healthy and not lose weight, hear you appear to be focussed on your weights, unwilling to consider eating healthy fats and instead having a highly restrictive diet. That is how disordered eating starts, please don't go down that path.

Very good points - I was just thinking I need to add some carbs. I am doing the first stages of atkins but am thinking that thats the wrong way to go.

Why are you doing Atkins? Is Atkins supposed to be low fat? I didn't think it was, just low carb. Reread your own profile, you sound like you had a very healthy attitude to food and your body when you joined MFP, what happened?

So I see that you are friends with "helloitsdan" and I assume that you have run your numbers using the road map. Those are extrememly good decisions. I'm sure being a cancer survivor (so happy for you!) you are very conscious of eating healthy and exercise. As far as appetite goes, it's a big catch 22. The less you eat - the less hungry you become. Yet your body is still striving to feed itself to keep body functions (lungs, heart, etc) going and fuel whatever exercise and daily activities you do. The best advice I can give you is to do your best to meet your calorie requirements every day. As long as you are eating at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. I also like being able to eat all kinds of food (carbs, etc.) so I just make healthy choices and don't cut out certain foods.

I hope you can figure your path out and that you are successful in this. You've over come som much and you're so young - I know you are very careful with your health!

Jan

I am going to run the numbers tonight and figure out a new game plan....

Awesome!