Newbie here with a question.

Hi Robyn, I do understand your dilemma..it's very hard to eat when you don't feel like it but if you want your weight to reduce then you have to do something to get things ticking over.
What about trying 5 snacks a day instead of one meal and two snacks?

Robyn - I was in the same boat - many health issues, couldn't even walk - yet I only ate once a day (dinner) no appetite, etc.. Started off weighing 348lbs when began my journey end of January/beginning of February 2013. I thought Good heavens, if I weigh this only eating once day what will I be like eating at least 3 times a day. Welllll - a year later (and some days it's still hard to get in all of my calories - and I watch my carbs a bit more than I do my calories) I am down 80 pounds. My diary is open - I eat anything I want. I don't just eat healthy, diet type foods. But I do try and choose the "healthier" options of the junk I do eat.

I eat toast in the morning with butter (butter is high calories), or a banana, I love quest and luna bars (so when I don't feel like eating I grab one of those - high in calories yetttt I get my protein). If I have salad I try and have chicken (usually from Wendy's). I haven't cooked in 10 years so mine will be mostly fast foods. But it works for me

Good LUCK!!!!

If you're having difficulty getting enough calories, I would recommend eating more calorie-dense foods. Make sure any dairy food you eat (yogurt, milk, cheese) is full-fat. Look into adding a little bit of olive oil or similar to any vegetables or meat that you cook. Fruits that are more calorie-dense are avocados, dates, and bananas. These will help you add calories that help add good micronutrients as well, without much added bulk.

You will be surprised at how fast the calories can add up if you keep them readily available. If you eat eggs, keep some hard boiled in your fridge. Nuts are healthy fats, and quick calories. Bananas or apples and peanut butter are easy to throw together. A bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter...depending on what you have your calories set at, just a few of those snacks can do it. If you eat meat and cheese, keeping some string cheese and lunch meat around can make for a quick high protein snack. It may take awhile to get used to eating often, but frequent small meals are probably easier to tolerate while you are getting your body used to it again. The exercise is harder, especially when you have limitations. But if you have been forcibly sedentary for awhile, everything is exercise, so eve just trying to increase movement around the house by a few minutes a day can help.

Hunger is controlled by hormones. Hormones are affected by diet. When you eat too little, your appetite is suppressed.

If it is too much to jump up fast to a higher goal, then gradually keep adding 100 calories more per day. Log ahead to figure out what to eat tomorrow that will have enough calories. Use a food scale, so you are sure you are eating the amount you think you are eating.

The thing is that you don't need diet foods is you are struggling to meet calorie minimums. A taco can be quite healthy. If you were 270 on one meal a day, I can (almost) guarantee that you were getting more than 1200 calories. The almost is because there are medical conditions that can cause something like that. I'm sure that your doctor is ruling them out.

I'm not saying eat cookies until you meet your goal (though that's not necessarily bad) but this is not the time to fuss about whether you should be eating low-fat salad dressing.

Also, never underestimate the power of 8-10 hours of goood, solid sleep. Increasing your time in deep REM sleep increases Leptin production which helps the body deal with and flush out unnecessary fats.

It sounds like you are having some anxiety around increasing your caloric intake as well, which is natural, but give it at least a month of 3 balanced meals plus snack with an emphasis on unprocessed foods (think eggs, lean fish, chicken, get carbs from whole grains and nuts, and lots and lots of fruits and veggies as snacks). With the stress of a major life style overhaul, I find half an hour of quiet mediation with relaxing music (there's a lot of guided meditation on YouTube, just search it!!!!) does wonders. If you have mobility issues, use this meditative half hour as a time to do some basic stretches, this helps get your body prepped for low-impact exercise and helps release Lactic acid that builds up in muscles and makes you more stiff and sore.

Good luck, and may your efforts be met with success. Don't give up!