Appetite and ASD

[SusanLR]

Something I have been wondering about is hunger or lack of it.

The Aspies I know, self included, doesn't seem to have the need or craving for the amount
of food most other people want.

I see people eating large meals in restaurants.
Snacking all day.
Large breakfasts.
And even talking about what they are going to have for dinner as soon as they finish lunch.

But I don't have much of an appetite and thinking about food all day isn't of concern.
Nor do I ever feel very hungry.
I don't snack or eat in between meals.
Neither do I care much for candy or sweets.

I was wondering if this is an Aspie thing or just a coincidence.
How do you feel about the need to feed?
Eating healthy is important but how much do you think about food or even feel hungry?

Also do you crave sweets like candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes and such,
or rarely eat them?

 

[Bolletje]

I'm hungry quite often and don't really experience the feeling of satiety: I wolf down my food and easily go from hungry to completely stuffed, then quickly back to hunger again. It's quite easy for me to gain weight, as you can imagine. It takes a lot of effort and concentration for me to stop eating the minute I stop feeling hungry, and to keep myself from getting seconds when that feeling of fullness subsides.

I'm a bit of an emotional eater as well, when bored or agitated I tend to snack or binge. At the moment my eating habits are quite healthy and regular and I'm proud of that. I still think about food a lot.

Sweets are not really my thing, I rarely eat them. I do like snacking on savory things, which is why I refrain from buying them.

 

[Progster]

I don't feel very hungry very often (or I'm not aware that I'm hungry), I don't snack between meals and I don't have a sweet tooth/rarely crave sugery foods. I eat brunch rather than breakfast. My weight is fairly constant and if anything, I have a tendency to lose weight.

How hungry you are and how much you need to eat also depends on the amount of exercise one does. I have a desk job and don't exercise as much as I really should.

My lack of appetie is often linked to anxiety. When I get anxious, I tend not to feel hungry and want to eat, but I know that this isn't the case for everyone with anxiety.

 

[Suzanne]

I have no choice but eat properly, otherwise, I will get a sugar low, to the extent that I cannot function doing normal things.

I did not "cast a vote", because none matched me.

I go through spasms of not being very hungry, to being ravanous and currently, eating pretty normally; just about to have a couple of bacon "butties" as is commonly referred to in the uk. Bacon in bread or in my case, lightly fried in olive oil with homemade granery bread.

 

[WereBear]

What I eat turns out to be the most important factor. High nutrient density, with lots of protein and fat, and few carbs; that keeps me happy, energetic, and able to go long periods without eating.

I used to binge/starve; got over that, but yes, SUGAR IS A DRUG. It was literally the only mood changer I could afford

Also, I have become aware of the enormous importance of stress, cortisol, and how the combination makes me crazy hungry. When under enough stress, my endocrine system gets out of whack; that's when I am hungry but don't want to eat, and I'm vulnerable to eating junk food.

 

[watersprite]

I don't feel hungry often, and I probably eat less than most people most of the time. I also am one for whom anxiety takes away appetite. I have learned that during anxiety events I will feel better sooner, if I at least eat a piece of fruit or small meal at the usual intervals.

I do not eat junk food or drink soda.

While I like good food, my tendency is to cut or burn myself if I have several tasks going at once. I have, over time, decided that except for rare occasions purity and simplicity is preferable.

I do consume more if I have exercised. For ex., shoveling snow, jogging on a treadmill, etc.

 

[Gritches]

I think I ate a cup of yogurt and a handful of M&Ms yesterday. I felt run down and knew it was because I needed food, but I just wasn't hungry.

 

[Katleya]

It's complicated. I very strongly relate to the 1st part of Bolletje's reply, which is a very good description of how I approach meal time.

I'm hungry quite often and don't really experience the feeling of satiety: I wolf down my food and easily go from hungry to completely stuffed, then quickly back to hunger again. It's quite easy for me to gain weight, as you can imagine. It takes a lot of effort and concentration for me to stop eating the minute I stop feeling hungry, and to keep myself from getting seconds when that feeling of fullness subsides.

I have a very soft spot for starchy foods, so a normal plate of pasta, potatoes or rice for me is about twice the normal of regular people, and I'll very likely want 2nd servings. My boyfriend asks if I was a panther in a previous life. Male friends have expressed a sense of humiliation that I am able to eat more than them. Waiting staff at restaurant will look at tall, skinny me when I order and say "Are you sure? Because it's going to be a large plate/bowl". People in college not so inconspicuously checked if I wasn't going to the bathroom right after the meal to make myself throw up, because they said there was no way I could eat so much.

But on the other hand, sadness and anxiety take away my appetite. I can go a full day with just a tea, and then I'll wonder why I'm feeling so empty and low on energy. However, the cravings never go away (they might even increase when I'm not feeling good). Sweet, savory, doesn't matter. I'm as likely to be wolfing down the chocolate chip cookies I just made as a family-size bag of chips.

Since I spent a year pretty much on bedrest, I had to teach myself to eat waaaay smaller portions than I normally would to avoid gaining weight that would put me in more pain, and that was hard. It's been over 6 months and, to be honest, I can't wait till I'm active again so that I can resume eating my regular portions, and cook every day, because if I can't change the quantities I eat, I really need to control the quality of the food, and make sure it's as unprocessed and varied as can be.

 

[Flammie91]

Ive been into weight training for the past year so I require a high food/protein intake, before that I was on a whole bunch of drugs like anti psychotics and stuff, because of that my metabolism was really low and I kept weight on despite not eating a whole lot and exercising regularly, I ended up developing bulimia, I was bulimic for about three years. I weened myself off the drugs a year ago and started really watching what I ate and the weight training, I noticed a dramatic improvement in my physique, health, and even my mental state, Ive become really skeptical of all these medications Ive taken quite a few, Ive found a healthy lifestyle and forcing myself to do things to be much more helpful. Ive had a tendency to overeat and eat poorly most of my life up until lately. A bit all over the place with this but yeah. Ive read that it is quite common for people on the spectrum to overeat, they do have a higher rate of obesity than the general population,

 

[WereBear]

I weened myself off the drugs a year ago and started really watching what I ate and the weight training, I noticed a dramatic improvement in my physique, health, and even my mental state, Ive become really skeptical of all these medications Ive taken quite a few, Ive found a healthy lifestyle and forcing myself to do things to be much more helpful.

I was saved early on when my medication for shingles pain relieved my anxiety... but only for a couple of weeks. My diagnostician said that was very common for many Aspies. So psychiatric drugs are OFF MY TABLE.

 

[Sofi]

These days, I usually do feel quite hungry for food at most meal times. I wonder if this is due to my medication though. I used to hardly eat anything when I wasn't well and only ate one or two foods so things have improved as my lifestyle and mental health have improved. If I'm having a bad time, I won't eat nearly as much.

 

[vangelis]

I often have an "eyes bigger than belly" moment when it comes to food which is really annoying at times, particularly when I visit the US as you guys love big portions and have lovely food. I tend to snack on things during the day to get some sugar into me first thing and have a larger meal in the evening. I eat quite healthily generally as I like fruit quite a bit and am now quite close to where I need to be weight wise [11.5 stone]

 

[Katleya]

I often have an "eyes bigger than belly" moment when it comes to food which is really annoying at times, particularly when I visit the US as you guys love big portions and have lovely food.

Doggy bags, my friend, doggy bags. And if you're ever embarrassed about asking for your food to be put in a box, I find that telling staff that "the dish was so good I'd really love to have some to finish at home" works wonders.
Well, obviously, that might not work so well at restaurant chains, but smaller places react pretty well to the compliment. Chains couldn't care less and will put your leftovers in a box anyways.

 

[vangelis]

Doggy bags, my friend, doggy bags. And if you're ever embarrassed about asking for your food to be put in a box, I find that telling staff that "the dish was so good I'd really love to have some to finish at home" works wonder.
Well, obviously, that might not work so well at restaurant chains, but smaller places react pretty well to the compliment. Chains couldn't care less and will put your leftovers in a box anyways.

Yes I think that is the way to go for me. I am determined to have a Blooming Onion when I go back to Florida next month, even if I have to starve myself the day before

 

[Flinty]

I don't usually have that much of an appetite. But that is variable and dependent on how my bowels have been doing.

 

[SusanLR]

I don't usually have that much of an appetite. But that is variable and dependent on how my bowels have been doing.

I can relate, Flinty.
I have IBS and when anxious or stressed it flares and does affect my appetite. It causes a feeling of fullness and bloating.

Antidepressants caused weight gain for me.
They seemed to increase my appetite.
I haven't taken any for many years.

My appetite fell off again after stopping them.
But, the past four years I have slowly been gaining
weight despite eating very little and nothing physical
accounts for it. All the usual blood tests are OK.
I think the cortisol from being depressed caused weight gain. Then due to RA I stopped playing tennis
so exercise fell off too although I maintain exercise routines that aren't as hard on the knees as tennis.

 

[Gracey]

I'd always thought my lack of appetite was a result of anxiety.
(Digestion unnecessary for 'flight' )


Currently trying to ignore the physical symptoms my own mind creates when thinking of food and establish some sort of grazing pattern.

Distraction is sometimes helpful.
If I'm watching something on Netflix I go through the motions.
If my focus is busy working out a fictional plot on t.v I'm not thinking about the food I'm putting into my mouth, chewing and swallowing.

Effective in the short term but easy to fall into a habit.
Can't eat without the distraction.

I can prepare food and cook for others all day long but rarely want to eat it.

 

[Crossbreed]

When I am perseverating, I tend to ignore my hunger until I start to feel dizzy. Otherwise, my appetite varies with how intense my activities are. I get very hungry on trike days, but not as much on TV days.

 

[Siobhan]

I eat less at formal mealtimes than other people, about the same portion as children and elderly people, but I snack on chips/pretzels, pickles, candy, and carrot sticks like a black hole. Those are the only foods that don't fill me up after like 2 bites.

 

[Bolletje]

I haven't eaten a bite in three days and I'm still not hungry. This is incredibly rare for me, even when I'm ill.