No appetite

Options
Walrozz
Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I have a problem where I forget to eat because I'm not hungry, and this has been going on for a couple of years now. I usually have 1 meal a day and sometimes an odd snack. Today I haven't eaten anything because I've not been hungry at all - it's 22:34, and I've not had breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any snacks. I looked at what I had in the cupboard at midday, but I wasn't hungry and the thought of eating repulsed me.
What's wrong with me? Has anyone else experienced this? And do you know of anything that can stimulate appetite?
«1

Replies

  • KeepGood
    KeepGood Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    With you saying 'but I wasn't hungry and the thought of eating repulsed me' it sounds like you may have an eating disorder. Speak to your doctor about how you think about eating and see what they say.

    That being said, I can sympathise with the forgetting to eat. I ate very little for years, eventually your body stops giving you hunger cues. I can easily go 24 hours without eating anything and it doesn't bother me at all. I don't really enjoy food or eating for that matter but I know it has to be done. For me, food is strictly for nutrition. At the end of the day, we have to eat, you know where you'll end up if you don't eat so it has to be done. Try setting alarms on your phone to remind you to eat something and always remember, you must eat or you WILL end up in a bad state.

    As long as you are willing to eat you don't need something to stimulate your appetite, you just have to do it, whether you like it or not. It's not a case of what you want to do, it's something you have to do.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    Options
    Eat something first thing in the day to stimulate the appetite. In your case, make it carby with a lot of calories. Cereal probably. Fasting isn't hard to do if you get used to eating nothing till dinner.
  • Walrozz
    Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    I don't think I meet the criteria for any kind of eating disorder because I'm not purposefully restricting my calorific intake to lose weight. It's just that my appetite is gone, and the thought of eating repulsed me in a similar way that you would be repulsed by the idea of food if you were full.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    Repulsed by food is a major red flag!!
  • Walrozz
    Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    It's the same kind of repulsion you feel if you're so hungry that you feel a bit sick. But I just don't feel hungry. (or maybe I do but my brain just doesn't recognise it)
  • Walrozz
    Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    For about 2 years. I haven't lost any weight, which is surprising. I'm not here to gain weight - I'm happy with my weight - I just thought this would be the best part of the forum to find people who have experienced similar.

  • Walrozz
    Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    I probably will go see a doctor if I can't sort it out myself, but I'm just looking to see if I can find out what it is and what can help me fix it first. I always like to go to the doctor with some idea of what is wrong.
  • Walrozz
    Walrozz Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    I was just wondering if anyone knew what could be the cause, or any foods or lifestyle habits that might stimulate appetite. Thanks for your time!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    When my daughter was pregnant she experienced nausea nearly every day. People eat to live. You want to live, I am sure. Try what my daughter did and have a few dry crackers for breakfast to start. She carried a package of soda crackers with her everywhere.

    And talk to someone about a possible eating disorder.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    Walrozz wrote: »
    It's the same kind of repulsion you feel if you're so hungry that you feel a bit sick. But I just don't feel hungry. (or maybe I do but my brain just doesn't recognise it)

    It's not, though. You have to realize when you're too full and the thought of food disgusts you, this is a chemical reaction happening in your body. Your stomach, brain, neurons and chemicals are telling your body "I'm full do not eat food - feel bloated, sick, etc". If you're not getting enough calories and food disgusts you there is probably a more underlying cause.
  • KeepGood
    KeepGood Posts: 386 Member
    Options
    Walrozz wrote: »
    I was just wondering if anyone knew what could be the cause, or any foods or lifestyle habits that might stimulate appetite. Thanks for your time!
    Once you lose your hunger cues getting them back is really just eating at the right times. I know it's not easy when you don't feel like eating, the feeling of force feeding yourself isn't pleasant. That's why I use alarms on my phone, it's just for the reminder that the stomach is supposed to be giving. Once you are eating regularly again for a while the hunger feeling will come back.
    _DaniC wrote: »
    It sounds exactly like an eating disorder. Keep in mind an eating disorder does not equal anorexia.
    This :smile:
  • RedWolf09
    RedWolf09 Posts: 90 Member
    Options

    KeepGood wrote: »
    Walrozz wrote: »
    I was just wondering if anyone knew what could be the cause, or any foods or lifestyle habits that might stimulate appetite. Thanks for your time!
    Once you lose your hunger cues getting them back is really just eating at the right times. I know it's not easy when you don't feel like eating, the feeling of force feeding yourself isn't pleasant. That's why I use alarms on my phone, it's just for the reminder that the stomach is supposed to be giving. Once you are eating regularly again for a while the hunger feeling will come back.

    I agree with this. It's all mental. Don't waste money on a doctor until you try the discipline of eating on a schedule; hungry or not. Remember why you're doing this.
  • gothic_soph
    gothic_soph Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I understand the whole forgetting to eat thing. Maybe your too busy in the day to even think about food let alone eat it.
  • TrailBlazzinMN
    TrailBlazzinMN Posts: 509 Member
    edited September 2015
    Options
    The body will adapt to your lifestyle one way or another. The more you eat, the easier it is for you to be hungry. If you eat less, the body can adapt to your low calorie intake. This is called adaptive thermogenesis. It's also the reason why you can eat so few calories and not drop weight like crazy.

    Try to find the strength (discipline) to eat sometime. Make it your main priority in life if you need to.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    It is interesting that the one person not seeing an issue with the OP's pattern is the one with a profile saying they are 109 years old ... so with something obviously amiss.

    Repulsion caused by food is not normal, even when full. No appetite for two years is not normal. See a doctor.

Categories