Should I force myself to eat?

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milk_bottle
milk_bottle Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm not hungry a lot these days and struggling to get to 1200 a day, should I force myself or is it alright to just leave it? I'm not underweight but I'm worried that it'll mess up my metabolism and when my appetite returns I'll gain weight like crazy

Help!

Replies

  • phildawson75
    phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
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    What's your current goal are you trying to gain weight? Or are you trying to lose?

    If you are not feeling that hungry I'd say when you eat choose some cal dense foods. Nuts and seeds, peanut butter, dark choc, cheese, raisins, dried apricots, avocados etc Fruit juice (grape, pineapple, orange) is full of cals. This is what comes to mind but if you do some research you can find lots like this. Most fast food will be high call and is fine in moderation.
    Basically so if your not eating much your still packing the energy your body needs. If you fail to hit 1200 the only thing that'll happen in the short term is you'll feel like crap.
  • milk_bottle
    milk_bottle Posts: 22 Member
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    Trying to lose! But I know it's not good to eat below 1200. I don't like eating crap either. So I had two tablespoons of peanut butter and a handful of raisins, but then got peckish around 8.45 so I ate dinner in the end, just managed 1200 today. Phew! But it's not dangerous to eat 700/800 if you're not starving is it? I really don't know what to do because I hate eating when I'm not hungry!
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    Your body has adjusted to surviving on abnormally low levels of calories, that's why you think you're not hungry... Sorry, 700/800 calories is not healthy for anyone. There are some very small/short women who are here losing weight on 1200 calories, VERY occasionally about 1100, but you won't really see anyone healthily losing here on less than that.

    We can't see your diary, but the usual advice is to eat more things dense in calories... meats, protein, nuts, avocados, etc. Peanut butter is a good start! I'm 5'6", and I eat 1700 when I don't exercise -- even more when I do. And I'm losing weight while eating that many calories.

    I think if you ate closer to 1200 every day, you would find after a few weeks (maybe a month or two) that you're more energetic and have no problem eating that much
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Trying to lose! But I know it's not good to eat below 1200. I don't like eating crap either. So I had two tablespoons of peanut butter and a handful of raisins, but then got peckish around 8.45 so I ate dinner in the end, just managed 1200 today. Phew! But it's not dangerous to eat 700/800 if you're not starving is it? I really don't know what to do because I hate eating when I'm not hungry!

    "Starving" has nothing to do with whether you feel hungry or not. Actually, if you are "starving" you body will slow metabolism and flood your body with leptin...leptin in turn signals your brain that you aren't hungry. This is all a natural defense mechanism for starvation and the discomforts thereof.

    It is most definitely dangerous to be only getting 700 or 800 calories...that's probably about 1/2 of what your body needs just for proper organ function (BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate). When you eat below your BMR for a time, your body will do everything I just mentioned above to protect itself. Your body is not getting the nutrition it needs nor the calories it needs just for basic functions...ergo, you are starving.
  • KendraElmendorf
    KendraElmendorf Posts: 837 Member
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    Bumping this for some people on my FL
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
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    "Starving" has nothing to do with whether you feel hungry or not. Actually, if you are "starving" you body will slow metabolism and flood your body with leptin...leptin in turn signals your brain that you aren't hungry. This is all a natural defense mechanism for starvation and the discomforts thereof.

    QFT

    You should at minimum eat your BMR (minimum calories your bodies needs to function). If you are not feeling hungry have more calorie dense foods like nuts, avocados, well marbled meats, etc. Your body needs the food to survive, so even if you don't feel hungry it doesn't mean your body doesn't need it.
  • milk_bottle
    milk_bottle Posts: 22 Member
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    I was eating 1400 (my bmr) for a while but the past 10 days/fortnight my appetites really slacked. So the consensus is force myself yeah? I've just eaten more to get me up to bmr but it feels horrible. Ugh hopefully it'll pass! I'm not lacking in energy or anything though I don't feel tired or worn out or anything. It's odd but I guess it'll be gone soon
  • phildawson75
    phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
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    Yeah you need to tackle the bigger picture of why you dont feel hungry rather than just a quick solution or trying to justify living on 1200 or fewer cals as "ok". Living in a state of trying to reach 1200 cals can't be good for both your mind and body.

    As you're trying to lose, I assume you must have been eating more than your TDEE to originally get to the position of needing to lose. I think you maybe subconsciously trying to do this yourself at the moment or your wanting it all gone as far as possible and think severely reducing your cals is the way to achieve it.

    It's rarely this simple and I don't know the reason it's impossible to really guess over the internet, but I think it's best trying to figure this out, to get out of the loop of not eating enough and back to a normal intake and life. You body is always going to be wanting your TDEE so its your brain thats blocking eating.

    You havent mentioned how long you've been in this situation of not feeling hungry, but making this thread shows you are aware of not eating enough which is a positive start. If you can make a few changes now you can switch your perspective now before it turns into a longer running issue and potential eating disorder.

    Just be careful on what you read on forums, there's only been a few posts in this thread and already loads of misinformation.

    Good luck
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
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    I don't believe in forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry, same as I don't believe someone should starve if they are hungry.

    If for some reason you're not able to eat within a reasonable calorie amount, find out if there is any medical problem you could be having that is making this situation for you, so that you are able to get to the root of the cause of this issue.

    If you generally just need to up your calories a couple hundred more a day, that in theory should be easy to do. If you eat salads you can add a higher calorie dressing. You can put honey in your tea, or drink more juices. Things like peanut butter & avocado & cheese can be relatively high in calories & still healthy for you.
    A simple healthy grilled cheese can be 500+ cals: 2 slices of bread (100cals each), 2-3 slices of cheese (200cals), butter etc (80 cals), add avocado (100-200cals).
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I was eating 1400 (my bmr) for a while but the past 10 days/fortnight my appetites really slacked. So the consensus is force myself yeah? I've just eaten more to get me up to bmr but it feels horrible. Ugh hopefully it'll pass! I'm not lacking in energy or anything though I don't feel tired or worn out or anything. It's odd but I guess it'll be gone soon
    "Forcing yourself" makes it sound like you have to shovel piles and piles of food down your throat. You don't. Just aim for more calorie dense foods. This problem is not uncommon when people decide to stop "eating crap". They can get into the mindset that anything that is high in calories is unhealthy. I don't personally believe in polarising foods into "good" and "bad" (or "crap") - I think the overall balance of your whole diet is more important. However - each to their own. You can still get calorie-dense foods that are generally considered "healthy". Just remember that fats are good for you. Aim for things like avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters, full fat dairy, eggs, olive oil (added to salad/add a bit of oil to cooking). If you currently eat things labelled as "low fat" or "lite" - then stop. You can drink your calories too, which is sometimes easier, in milk, nut milks, smoothies and protein shakes. If you make a smoothie, it's easy to ramp up the calories with a few extra additions.

    You don't have to eat a massive volume of food to reach your calorie goal. If you eat more calorie dense foods, you shouldn't feel bloated or over-full. You should also find that when you eat more, your appetite returns. If you still feel "horrible", it might be worth considering that the issue is at least partly psychological. Which is not uncommon round here either. :flowerforyou:
  • milk_bottle
    milk_bottle Posts: 22 Member
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    Thanks! Its true like I don't want to be eating super high calorie meals because I don't want to gain and naturally if my body's not wanting food then I feel a bit strange saying have it anyway. I'll try adding oils and stuff that seems pretty healthy :)
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Thanks! Its true like I don't want to be eating super high calorie meals because I don't want to gain and naturally if my body's not wanting food then I feel a bit strange saying have it anyway. I'll try adding oils and stuff that seems pretty healthy :)
    You won't gain unless you eat over your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), which is a number way above the calorie goal MFP has given you.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    there's no magic to the number 1200.

    figure out your true BMR. that's the number that you want to eat above. consistently eating below your BMR (remember to use the Harris-Benedict activity multiplier to adjust your BMR number) can lead to metabolic slowdown and malnutrition.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    "Forcing yourself" makes it sound like you have to shovel piles and piles of food down your throat. You don't. Just aim for more calorie dense foods. This problem is not uncommon when people decide to stop "eating crap". They can get into the mindset that anything that is high in calories is unhealthy. I don't personally believe in polarising foods into "good" and "bad" (or "crap") - I think the overall balance of your whole diet is more important. However - each to their own. You can still get calorie-dense foods that are generally considered "healthy". Just remember that fats are good for you. Aim for things like avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters, full fat dairy, eggs, olive oil (added to salad/add a bit of oil to cooking). If you currently eat things labelled as "low fat" or "lite" - then stop. You can drink your calories too, which is sometimes easier, in milk, nut milks, smoothies and protein shakes. If you make a smoothie, it's easy to ramp up the calories with a few extra additions.

    You don't have to eat a massive volume of food to reach your calorie goal. If you eat more calorie dense foods, you shouldn't feel bloated or over-full. You should also find that when you eat more, your appetite returns. If you still feel "horrible", it might be worth considering that the issue is at least partly psychological. Which is not uncommon round here either. :flowerforyou:

    Every word of this.

    The food diary is a great tool to help you out here. Plan your day in advance. If you're falling short, see where you can add a little extra to each meal and snack, rather than trying to "stuff yourself" at the end of the day.

    I'm at about 2300 calories to maintain. At first, that seemed like a LOT of food, but planning my day, I have no problem reaching that. An extra slice of cheese on a sandwich or just as a snack, an extra ounce or two of chicken (I typically have 6 ounces instead of 4), one extra ravioli, a cup of fruit, a glass of chocolate milk at bedtime, protein bars that taste like dessert. And I don't shy away from foods I love, like pizza, pasta, potatoes, rice, garlic bread, etc.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Thanks! Its true like I don't want to be eating super high calorie meals because I don't want to gain and naturally if my body's not wanting food then I feel a bit strange saying have it anyway. I'll try adding oils and stuff that seems pretty healthy :)

    There are numerous ways to increase your calories without actually eating more. If you are doing skim or non-fat milk, do 1% or 2%. In fact, if you're doing non fat everything, you should stop...your body needs healthy fats; most people who go no fat have a hard time meeting calorie goals. Just do 1% or 2%, you don't necessarily have to go full fat.

    Also, rather than steaming veggies or eating them raw all of the time, put a little olive oil on them and roast in the oven...they're delicious...same serving size, but the calories have been increased with the yummy and very heart healthy olive oil.

    Eat some nuts...one little Oz of nuts has 160+ calories...it's literally like a small handful of nuts. I have some that were roasted in olive oil and they have 260 calories per Oz...they are my go to when I really need a calorie boost and I'm searching for a quick way to do it without stuffing my face. Nuts are chalked full of nutrients, including a nice dose of heart healthy fats that help your body fend off heart disease.

    Have a couple of Tbsp of peanut butter...anywhere from 120-160 calories per 2 Tbsp...very small amount. I like to dip my apple slices in peanut butter and enjoy the occasional PB sandwich.

    Avocado is another very nutrient dense and calorie dense food. These are loaded with all sorts of essential vitamins and minerals as well as good, heart healthy fats. I probably eat 3 or 4 per week.

    There are a lot of options out there to get good nutrition as well as calories. Just remember that calories themselves aren't inherently evil...and no particular macro is inherently evil...it's over consumption (and under consumption) that causes problems. I can guarantee you that netting to 1,200 calories is well below your TDEE...probably an 800-1,000 calorie deficit from maintenance in that number.
  • jsiricos
    jsiricos Posts: 338 Member
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    I am under on Calories most days, I got into really bad habits of not eating, or drinking much while working in a "big box" garden center, because I did not want to have to try and get thru plumbing and appliances where people pounce on you!

    So while I do watch my sugar and carbs (newly diagnosed diabetic) I try and snack my way into at least 1200, some days I make it, some I dont. Its works for me.
    I can tell you, I feel like crap on days I dont push it past 700 ish

    Lots of good advice in this thread, snack on nuts, healthy stuff, it'll come :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Thanks! Its true like I don't want to be eating super high calorie meals because I don't want to gain and naturally if my body's not wanting food then I feel a bit strange saying have it anyway. I'll try adding oils and stuff that seems pretty healthy :)

    I eat 500-800 calorie meals and I still lose weight. It's better to feed your body than starve your body. It's ok once in a while but too long will cause long term weight loss issues and a metabolism that adapts.

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