Day 5 calorie counting and I've had no appetite, what to do?

katemanning3
katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I have been counting calories for 5 days. 1260 a day and I am having the hardes time eating. I feel like Im never hungry. This is so unusual for me. I have always been the one that is starving the whole first two weeks of a diet but this time around I just dont have really any appetite to think of.

Yesterday for example, I had a slimfast shake for breakfast, a small cheese quesadilla for lunch and a salad for dinner and still had 400+ calories left, so I pretty much forced myself to eat some icecream but it was hours later. I dont know what has happend to my appetite. Its like I spent all this time eating up a storm and now my body has had it with food.

Anybody else suffer this and what did you do to get your body back into hungry mode? P.s exercise hasn't helped with appetite either like you would think it would.

Replies

  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
    This happened to me the first few days too...youre body will get used to it
  • jchester71
    jchester71 Posts: 124 Member
    When you are more aware of the calories going in, you can be reluctant to eat. Also as you restrict calories, you appetite will naturally decrease. I usually check my calories about 1.5 hours before bed time and if I need to (which happens a lot) I will eat a high protein bar and/or some fruit. You should be careful of using calorie dense but nutrient light foods (like ice cream) to make up calorie deficits. Not a good long term strategy.
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
    Yeah, I've done it twice now. The night before last by dinner I had 2017 calories to make up because I had been working extremely hard on my kitchen all day and wasn't hungry, didn't even think about eating. When I was done, I plugged in my exercise from it and that was my number. I freaked. How can you eat 2017 calories when there's only like 5 hours left in your day? So, I made chicken enchalada's for dinner thinking that had to work. I could only eat 660 calories worth before I was so stuffed I could puke. So I told myself then, "Im going to remember to eat and get hungry." Well yesterday came and no exercise, I remembered to eat some but didn't eat enough times or eat enough calories in one setting because I wasn't hungry and nothing really sounded good. So, ofcourse I ended up with extra again and went for the ice cream because I knew I could get alot of calories out of a little bit. I really hate candy and the protein bars are just like a candybar to me. I tried one of my husband's cookie dough ones and could only eat half of it before I was discussed with it.

    I could eat green veggies aLL day if I was hungry but those too dont have a ton of calories and Im not hungry.
    I just hope my body kicks in gear soon. and i completely understand the reluctant to eat thing once you start dropping cals. I know that is probably part of it and my mind is tricking itself to not be hungry but I dont know how to get out of that.
  • I'm having the same problem... So I hope people will post on this!

    It's after 7pm and it says I still have 1859 calories still to go... but I dont feel that I can eat anymore. I've been way under my calorie goal since I started this..
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
    Ive been under all but one day. It's so strange because before I started calorie counting I know my calorie intake was probably well over 2000 calories per day and now Im having trouble eating 1200?

    I know that part of mine is that I am afraid to eat too many calories early in the day as dinner is usually my main meal of the day normally. I have always been a dinner eater and love dinner, so I always want to have enough calories by dinner that I can enjoy it and not be hungry after. So, I think I have tricked my mind into thinking its not hungry through the first part of the day, so I always only have a shake but then it just ends up getting the best of me the rest of the day and I end up not hungry all day and get all these calories at the end of the day when I think I will for sure be hungry enough to eat enough calories but Im really not.
  • Quite possible because I'm doing something similar. Also I think I need to start concentrating on breakfast as a significant meal also. Because I either dont eat it or dont eat a lot.

    I mean it says it slows your metabolism and I DONT want that but the thought of eating more calories makes me feel sick lol. Guess small meals throughout the day??
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
    Yeah, putting more into breakfast could really help when I think about it. Usually when I eat a good breakfast I get really hungry just hours later. I guess I need to sit down and actually meal plan. As far as how many calories I need to eat at each meal and try to stick to it, but then what happens when you exercise later in the day vs the morning and your still stuck with a massive amount of calories.

    I think calorie counting is meant to be done with either no exercise or exercising first thing in the morning so that you can divide the calories up into all the meals.

    I think I will first start by dividing the calories I get to begin with and start eating my breakfast instead of drinking it and see if that changes anything.
  • shelleyfey
    shelleyfey Posts: 17 Member
    Perhaps you need to concentrate more on portions - making sure you eat proteins, carbs, fats and grains rather than concentrating on calories. Your metabolism is key in weight loss - you can count calories until you are blue in the face, but in the end it is your metabolism that will win your battle with weight loss, and maintaining your weight. I can't tell you what to eat and how much to eat, everyone is different, but you need protein, carbs, fats and grains in each meal, and you need to eat something every 3 hours. This will help to maintain your metabolism. I plan each day's meals the day before, then I know what I am eating and can take my snacks to work, I don't eat "bad" or zero foods (I call them zero because they have no nutritional value, like chips, crackers, cookies, candy). I also prepare my fresh fruits and veggies every 3-4 days so I don't have an excuse to NOT eat healthy, I make my own whole grain bread, this way I know I am getting nutritious food, not preservatives. And whatever you do, DO NOT eat within 3 hours of sleep - it only slows the digestion and you don't want that! Try a brisk walk about 1 hour before bed - doesn't have to be a long walk - 1/2 mile, but make it brisk. (it will help you sleep too)

    Also, interval training will help burn the fat faster. Hire a trainer for a short time, they will work with you on diet and exercise and jump start your weight loss. You don't need to do hours and hours of cardio a week, learn to exercise smart and a trainer will help you build lean muscle so your cardio time is more efficient.

    Add me if you like!

    Shelley
  • i had the same problem when i started. i hundreds of calories left at the end of the day, and had no appetite. so i started planning for the next day the night before. i always have 3 meals and 2 snacks. i try to have 200-300 cal every time i eat. if its a light workout day where i know i wont burn a crazy amount, its closer to 200. if i know have intense workout then its toward the 300 range. it just helps me not get overly hungry where i go on a binge. but i'm also not uncomfortably full all day either. its enough to keep me content and get me through the day. and i also set up time frames for when to eat. usually just an hour window to squeeze in each meal or snack. helps me not forget to eat. good luck!!
  • Indeed. I've been thinking about meal planning. I think that will help out a lot. Then I know in the morning what to eat and throughout the day instead of trying to decide.

    Hope it works out for you!! Email me if you think of some good breakfast ideas :)
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
    Well, back when I was at my thinest.. (which i just posted pics of on my profile for inspiration and its sad looking at my pics now compared to them) I used to eat a scrambled egg (made in microwave, you just fork beat an egg with a tiny bit of milk and plop in mic for one minute) with salt and peper and a little bit of cheese on a piece of toast (sourdough or wheat). That used to work back then and I was always hungry by lunch which was usually subway (on the go) or steamed rice with brummel and brown yogart (like butter) lime and a piece of forman grilled chicken (home) and then dinner was usually the same thing but I would add steamed broccoli with it and change the lime and butter to half sodium soy sauce.

    My exercise back then was a half mile walk up a steep hill in the morning. and everyother night or so I would do 10mins on the elipical, 10 mins on the bike and 10 mins on the tredmil with stretches, sit ups and push ups between each machine and then I would do my cool down in the pool, just a few laps.

    Just doing those things with that menu I managed to lose the freshman 15 I gained my first semester of college in just a few weeks and then I maintained for a long time until I moved away for a different college and got home sick and depressed and gained 30 lbs in six months. Moved back home, started to get it off with a workout and diet plan that consisted of clam chower twice a day with 2 pieces of toast and the egg toast breakfast I always ate and then I met my husband and it was all over... I got comfy. Right before I got pregnant with my son 2 years ago I went on weight watchers, lost 22 lbs the first month and then found out I was pregnant.

    So, I think I am going to go back to what I used to do when I was skinny. I was skinny for a reason, and Im sure that was it. lol. I ofcourse am going to still be counting calories I think I am just going to try to stick with foods that before I was hungry with all the time instead of these slimfast shakes that seem to be keeping me full all the time. Going grocery shopping tonight.

    One thing I used to do back then was I would pre-make a tub of steamed rice and put it in the fridge and I would make a whole pack of chicken and season the pieces differently for flavor variety and then I would put those in a tub also in the fridge, so I could grab and go. I would suggest not making the whole weeks worth because if you decide to eat other food between, your pre-made stuff will go bad and after days and days of re-warming you might feel like all you get is left overs. So, like 2 or 3 days worth at a time is plenty. That's what I am going to try. and I always had cut broccoli in the fridge and yes with the broccoli I did eat full fat ranch but with the exercise and stuff it didn't seem to make a difference.

    So, this is my plan. I will start with the breakfast tomorrow! Hope it works and I start getting hungry!
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    I forgot to eat today, so I just finished dinner and have 546 calories left. So typical for me. What you have to do is make sure you eat all your meals and your snacks. That's the secret. When I have my breakfast and my morning snack, my body gets in the groove of eating. When I miss those two meals, I find tend to forget to eat, I'm so busy, and then it's 5 pm and I still haven't eaten.

    It's a bad habit. Even if your snack is a 100 calorie something, or an apple, it helps to get that eating groove in.
  • jchester71
    jchester71 Posts: 124 Member
    I'm having the same problem... So I hope people will post on this!

    It's after 7pm and it says I still have 1859 calories still to go... but I dont feel that I can eat anymore. I've been way under my calorie goal since I started this..

    I am always under my calories too. If you are trying to lose weight, don't worry about too much about eating back all of your exercise calories.
  • mamamudbug
    mamamudbug Posts: 572 Member
    Since supper is your largest meal and you want to save calories for it, log it in the morning. That way you can plan the rest of your day accordingly.
  • I've always thought the cardinal rule is: if you're hungry, eat. If not, don't. The problem arises when people eat when they're not hungry.

    Drinking a lot of water helps me feel full, too.
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