No appetite

(Lisa) #1

First I want to thank everyone who contributes to this amazing forum, I read everyday but don’t always post, but I have certainly learned quite a bit!

A few things to get out of the way first:

Female 53
6ft
178 lbs
Post menopausal

I’m starting week 5, and I’m not really hungry, about 5 days out of the week I am only eating OMAD. From my reading it’s my understanding you should eat when your hungry. But I also read that it’s not good to not eat when you first start out. I’m a boring person who can eat the same thing every day for a week and be fine. Last week my typical OMAD was a 2 egg cheese omelet, 3 pieces of bacon, and half a avocado and I’m full and content till my next meal around 3pm the next day. I’ve lost 9 pounds to date but the NSV are much better. I’m feeling better than ever and can never imagine going back to a SAD way of life. Should I be eating more, even if I’m not hungry?

#2

Deliberate calorie restriction before you’re fully fat adapted can cause issues but if you’re simply not hungry then I wouldn’t force anything. Appetites will wax & wane, particularly in the early stages, so I’d just do what makes you feel best.

If you’re worried about getting sufficient nutrients you could try mixing your meals up a bit & eating a wider range of foods - that might improve your appetite. Again though, in the earlier stages our appetites can just be a bit weird.

(Carl Keller) #3

I support @anon54735292’s advice. Understanding and responding appropriately to hunger is a big part of losing weight in a healthy manner. We need to learn how to manage and trust it.

I know it sounds like a crazy concept because we all came from a SAD diet where carbs made us hungry all the time, but if you eat the right things, your hunger will learn how to behave like it is supposed to. It was truly a strange feeling to me when I first went a whole day without eating and without hunger and felt great. It’s happened to me when I’ve been sick but never when I was healthy.

#4

When I first went keto I noticed a lack of desire to eat. So I had that question too.

The answer is if you are hungry eat. If you are not hungry then don’t eat.

But by far the most important macro is protein - it is simply vital. Somewhere in the day we need protein.

There are also essential fatty oils like omega3, vitamins and minerals. Of course we need our daily sodium and water intake …

Otherwise it’s perfectly OK to skip meals or eat once a day or … I think the “3 square meals idea” is a modern invention to go alone with the relatively modern concept of eating carbs and sugar.

I have brunch at about 11, and dinner at about 7. Coffee at start up

(Justin S) #5

I support all of the above but will add that there are hormonal changes to insulin and leptin/ghrelin that could be at work. If you were pushing insulin resistance, then your leptin production may have been ramped up far beyond normal levels, and ghrelin production suppressed. Leptin promotes satiety, and insulin inhibits that function. If the insulin drops, the leptin may not, leading to a complete lack of hunger for days. Combine that with low ghrelin production and you just won’t feel like eating at all.

I believe this is what I experienced, as I could barely eat for about 6 days, and very little for the following week or two. I found out about these hormonal roles and their antagonistic relationship over a month later and had an Ah Ha! Moment.

I will say that I kept to my macro ratios, sometimes having to eat a spoonful of straight coconut oil for “dinner”, along with electrolytes in my water all the time (pink salt or Lite-Salt) and magnesium. Pushing through that period of no appetite felt like forever, but the weight kept dropping, so just stick to your macros and eat again when you do get hungry more often. It should pass.

(Allie) #6

This is the most important thing, it’s deliberate calorie restriction that causes the problems. You’ll maybe want to experiment with more variety over time though, both from a nutrient point of view and long term sustainability.

(Marius the butter craving dude) #7

As long as you get all the essential macro and micro nutrients I guess hunger will not be an issue. The body can not signal you in direct and precise form that you are missing this vitamin or that mineral so what it dose is give you hunger; and we in proper SAD manner give the body more of the food it already has enough.
I also do Omad, I think a proper Omad is the one in witch you make sure you get all micro nutrients and minerals in that one meal. For me the hunger starts 2 hours before my meal and persists one hour after I eat; I feel hunger only once a day.

(Lisa) #8

Thanks for all the feedback, I will KCKO and continue just eating when I’m hungry. I have complete faith in this WOE and will trust the process and listen to my body.