I'm never hungry?

LDPort13
LDPort13 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so I joined a bit ago, but I admit I fell out of habit using and documenting everything. But now I promise to carry on monitoring what I eat. :laugh: :laugh:

I'm 5ft 5" and currently weigh 13st. I'm desperately trying to lose weight so I can feel a lot better about myself and because I need to drop a couple of dress sizes as a friend is getting married in 2016 and wants me to be a bridesmaid. Right now, there is no way I would be comfortable in a dress. :cry:

According to MFP, I need to eat around 1200 calories a day, but I really struggle to hit this mark. Even without documenting it for a bit, I know I've been eating under that amount. :frown: I am rarely hungry and seem to feel like I'm forcing myself to eat as I already feel full, which isn't good. I love cooking and could do it everyday (or I try to) but I never want to eat it when I am done.

I am a student and have problems with my knees/back which make cardio exercise a problem. I am broad shoulder and strong though due to swimming/martial arts classes when I was younger - I seem to have retained this strength. When uni is over for the summer, I am hoping to go swimming a few times a week at least. I work part-time hours at weekends as a barmaid, so it is fairly active, but the hours are not regular. Sometimes I could do a 13 hr shift, then the week after only 4hrs. :huh:

I'm just wondering if there is any advice to try and get my appetite back or to start losing the weight I really need.
I'm not purposely starving myself, but I struggle to eat that much. Any help would be greatly appreciated.... :bigsmile:

*EDIT*
Someone commented on if I don't hit it, how did I get to the weight I am?
The answer is too little exercise and too much junk food through High School and College. About half-way through college, I wanted to try to lose weight (since I am the largest out of my friends) and I've struggled since then.

Replies

  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
    If you have trouble hitting 1200, how did you get fat?
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    Are you weighing everything you eat and inputting your own entries rather than using database entries? If you're not weighing/measuring then you're probably eating way more than you think. If you still have problems buy some mixed nuts or avocado or some good cheese and crackers. A couple handfuls of nuts is around 340-400 calories easy.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    This happens to me too when I trade out the junk foods I like for healthy foods day after day. Find more stuff you like. Nuts are high in calories and healthy if you don't go overboard.

    Are you taking appetite suppressants or stimulants, including mega-size coffees or caffeinated teas? That can reduce appetite, too. At least for awhile.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    you can hit your calorie goal if you choose to.

    Hunger is not the best indicator of what the body needs.

    If you are under 1200 you are not getting the micro or macro nutrients your body needs.

    As for getting calories in that is easy. Calorie dense food like...

    cooking with olive oil
    regular fat dairy
    avocadoes
    peanut butter
    nuts

    barring that...eat some treats..like ice cream or pizza or a burger.
  • rachelshonhart
    rachelshonhart Posts: 1
    I'm with you. I'm never hungry and I'm not losing weight. It's not uncommon for me to forget to eat for days at a time, especially during the summer when my kids usually are busy and we don't do as many family meals. I currently weigh 300 lbs and I have a desk job, working 10 or more hours a day on the computer. I try to be active by making housework and laundry a more energetic chore (hanging clothes on the line outside, etc) and I do try to walk my dogs whenever I have time. Sadly though, I know for a fact I do not consume enough calories and I'm imagining that's a big part of the problem. I don't drink sodas or sweetened drinks anymore and when I do eat I try to keep it to apples, celery, broccoli and the like. I wonder if age also plays a part of this but sadly everyone ASSUMES I'm fat because I eat all day and that's the farthest thing from the truth.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I'm with you. I'm never hungry and I'm not losing weight. It's not uncommon for me to forget to eat for days at a time, especially during the summer when my kids usually are busy and we don't do as many family meals. I currently weigh 300 lbs and I have a desk job, working 10 or more hours a day on the computer. I try to be active by making housework and laundry a more energetic chore (hanging clothes on the line outside, etc) and I do try to walk my dogs whenever I have time. Sadly though, I know for a fact I do not consume enough calories and I'm imagining that's a big part of the problem. I don't drink sodas or sweetened drinks anymore and when I do eat I try to keep it to apples, celery, broccoli and the like. I wonder if age also plays a part of this but sadly everyone ASSUMES I'm fat because I eat all day and that's the farthest thing from the truth.
    I'm sorry but if you are maintaining at 300 pounds-you are eating more than you think or want to admit. If you don't eat for days-there would be a loss. It could be you binge 1-2 a week and that's why you don't lose.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Someone commented on if I don't hit it, how did I get to the weight I am?
    The answer is too little exercise and too much junk food through High School and College. About half-way through college, I wanted to try to lose weight (since I am the largest out of my friends) and I've struggled since then.

    Were you hungry for the food you were eating then? Are you liking the food you are eating now? Are there different foods that you are hungry for now? Sometimes people go overboard and think they can't have anything they like or have to eat diet food, and you don't.

    I was eating less than I thought when I first started trying to lose weight and didn't feel hungry (this was because of an overly restrictive mix of food and I fixed it by adding back in more carbs and calorie dense foods, and even dessert when it fits and restaurant visits), but I wasn't not hungry at all--I was simply not hungry after dinner when I saw my calories were too low. Pre-logging some and planning better fixed that. Your issue seems a little different, like you aren't hungry at all, which suggests to me that you are probably either (a) trying to force yourself to eat foods you don't really like, (b) so intent on losing that you are telling yourself you aren't hungry and should not eat, which if so is something that you need to work on because it will interfere with your ability to succeed and could lead to an ED, or (c) have a medical issue you might want to check out. Not saying these are exhausive of all the possibilities, but just what immediately comes to mind.
  • janeames1
    janeames1 Posts: 4
    I don't have a problem not eating so I am far from knowing what your body is doing. However, I have been doing this my fitnesspal for about 4 days, and although I thought I was eating really good, noticed that my sodium level was double what it should be. Since I have reduced that intake, the puffiness around my body has decreased, significantly from my stomach. You may be having the same? Also the less calories your body has, the more your body shuts down and cortisol (the stress hormone goes up), putting bulk again onto the stomach. Suggest you try relaxation exercises, learn to meditate to reduce cortisol and go for walks and runs to wake your body up. Good luck guys, this is a change of lifestyle not a diet!!
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    Make sure the foods you do eat are highly nutritious and calorie dense. Log every single thing you eat, after weighing/ measuring it to ensure your portions are correct. Do this consistently for at least a couple of weeks and see what your true numbers are.

    You need to make sure you are getting enough protein and healthy fats, along with those fruits and veggies. It doesn't matter if you aren't hungry, if you've only eaten 500 calories for a day you need to eat something. You may want to add a multivitamin daily too.

    If you can't figure this out, you need to see your doctor to be checked for digestive track issues. There are medical problems, such as delayed gastric emptying, which leave you feeling full for extended periods of time.

Categories