Do you get hungry?

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mjbrenner
mjbrenner Posts: 222 Member
After a couple months, I have noticed a real pattern in that every week, I am getting less and less hungry. I don't mean, "Oh, the sugar cravings have died down." I mean, "I have eaten maybe 1000 calories today and I have no hunger-based desire to eat more."

I find that I need to plan dinners that are calorie-rich to keep myself above what I assume would be starvation-level. I know that those of us on a low or slow carb diet are generally not as worried about calorie counting as many others, but this still strikes me as odd. Should I be worrying that my normally-ravenous body now wants so little to eat, or should I just be happy and run with it?

Has the same thing happened to you when eating low or slow carb? How did it treat you in the long term?

My energy levels are solid - I have no complaints there. Fat is just pouring off my body, which I am quite pleased with. I am doing the 4 Hour Body "brand" of paleo-esque lifestyle (with individual modifications), which includes a weekly cheat day where simple carbs are allowed.

For reference, I am an obese 33 year old male weighing 303 lbs. I take a largedose of supplements, including Flax Seed Oil, Men's Daily Multiple, Policosanol, Alpha-lipoic acid, Green Tea Complex (for EGCG), Garlic, Calcium, Vitamin D, Cinnamon, Chromium, Biotin, Potassium, and Magnesium. My food diary is public.

Thanks for any replies with personal anecdotes or thoughts on my situation.

Replies

  • jsuaccounting
    jsuaccounting Posts: 193 Member
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    Perhaps your body just adjusted to using your own fat. Normally, if a dieter is losing appetite - I would think it is a sign of slowing metabolism. However, you say that you still have energy and are losing weight maybe it is ok for a few weeks. Things might be different for those on paleo. If it continues more than a week or so, you could try adding some sweet potato to your diet. As you noticed, carbs increase appetite.

    If the lack of appetite continues long term - consider talking to your doctor about it - he might want to check your blood levels just to make sure everything else is ok.

    Also, since you have a cheat day - you may be balancing out over the whole week - just a thought.

    Do you weight train?
  • jsv454
    jsv454 Posts: 30 Member
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    I have found the same thing happening to me. Several friends are concerned that I am "turning anorexic" because I really have to try to eat more than 1,000 calories. But I am Just. Not. Hungry. Have lots of energy, am losing weight, just like above. I have spent most of my life eating every 2-3 hours to stave off hunger and blood sugar drops, so it kinda freaks me out! I am a 31 yr old female, 5'9", 330.
  • inlander
    inlander Posts: 339 Member
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    Do you work out very often? I find that I can get by on the paleo lifestyle by eating very few calories some days, but those are always the days I'm sedentary. If I exercise, I eat more calories.
  • mjbrenner
    mjbrenner Posts: 222 Member
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    Good questions. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
    Also, since you have a cheat day - you may be balancing out over the whole week - just a thought.

    Do you weight train?

    I balance out over the whole week because I manage to plan calorie-rich dinners, so being maybe three hundred calories under every day is not a big deal. If I wasn't planning for such large dinners, I would probably be eating only 1000 calories a day, or 900 less than my goal.

    Other life factors have pulled me away from weight training for a bit, but I will be able to resume next week. Maybe that will pick up my appetite.
    Do you work out very often? I find that I can get by on the paleo lifestyle by eating very few calories some days, but those are always the days I'm sedentary. If I exercise, I eat more calories.

    Endurance exercise doesn't change my appetite at all, which probably isn't surprising, since I can burn fat that way. Maybe getting back into weight training will make a difference.

    The funny thing with all of this is that I have no problem eating. I sat down to a huge plate of carnitas tonight, and I loved every minute of it. It's not that I can't eat, it's that I feel no hunger-based urge to eat. Having spent most of my adult life constantly hungry from blood sugar fluctuations, this is a big change.
  • monkeydharma
    monkeydharma Posts: 599 Member
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    I had to chuckle.

    Here's all of us fatties *****ing about those thin-as-a-rail types who can eat anything they want but not get fat. You've managed to kickstart yourself into the 'zone' and you're worried? I should be so lucky. :)

    Enjoy it - once you reach the size that your body feels is optimal, your appetite will increase and your weight loss will stop.
  • Scheezo
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    I'm like you. I'm 3 1/2 weeks in to the slow carb diet and my cravings for bread and junk food have gone away. I feel like I'm not hungry between meals and don't feel the need to eat for about 7-8 hours after my last meal. I'm a fat burning machine and I feel great. I started at 226 and am about 214 now. I think you'll ride this wave a long time.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    I think the weight training will increase your appetite. That's what exercise does. Makes your body want to eat more. But if your appetite doesn't increase I wouldn't worry about it.

    If you have plenty of fat storage to dig into and your body has switched to fat-burning I believe you are good. Your body will let you know when it wants more.

    I did have my metabolism slow down on me but that was because I was at a normal weight and bf% when I wasn't eating that much - just wasn't hungry during the day. My body fat dropped to around 18% before it happened. I think it was just my body saying "I don't like this. I want more fat for storage." I had hit 110.6 at the end of August. The metabolism slowing really kicked in the sugar cravings and I battled it for a couple more months (in November I ballooned up 10lbs in two weeks!!). Had to really increase my fat to get rid of the cravings (cans of coconut milk helped increase my calories and fat). I am now hovering around 19%-20% without trying (113-115lbs). I slacked off on the weight training and the once a week sprints so I haven't been doing a lot of exercise. It's really interesting to see the scale say the same thing days in a row.

    Mark Sasson's newest Primal Blueprint book (maybe you have the newest book):

    "Eyes glazing over yet? Just get this: your body makes energy internally. Regular meals are overrated!"

    "You may find this scientifically interesting, but what are the real-life advantages of begin fat and keto-adapted? For one, you will no longer have an issue with storing excess body fat, and will easily arrive at and maintain your genetically ideal body composition. Second, you will experience less systemic inflammation, which is a disturbing by-product of being a sugar burner...Finally, your body will adapt to survive for the rest of your life on FEWER CALORIES - without an increase in your hunger or a decrease in your daily energy levels. You'll be less reliant and less hassled by the need to constantly find fuel to keep your brain and your engine running, and you will very likely extend your lifespan (and the quality of that lifespan), as this so-called "caloric efficiency" is strongly correlated with longevity in every living organism."