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Loss of appetite.

Metalhead

Video game and movie addict.
V.I.P Member
I just realized I had consumed less than 500 calories a day every day for the last week. And I do not even feel hungry. I just do not feel like eating much of anything.

I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about, or maybe it is a temporary thing. I did lose a couple of pounds in the process, so I have that going for me at least.
 
When you don't eat your body uses ketones manufactured from your fat stores instead of glucose for energy. It is a natural process and the goal of a ketogenic diet. It is the Ketones that keep you from feeling hungry.
If you have a good store of energy in the form of body fat you aren't likely to miss eating much at all.

In the short term fasting can be beneficial by using up those fat stores and reversing insulin resistance. In the long term, however, you are missing out on vitamins and other neutrients your body needs by prolonged fasting.

I don't think you need to worry about it just yet. But try introducing another meal into your daily intake. If you absolutely don't want to eat you could try ensure or other nutrient dense drink. You also might look into treating depression as it is very common with addiction recovery.
 
At 500 calories a day, I am surprised you didn't lose more. That's about what a person with stomach stapling will eat. It isn't harmful to a person who is profoundly overweight as long as you don't keep it up once you've reached a medically good weight for yourself. Be sure to take a multivitamin and balance what you do eat between carbs, fats, and protein. Stay hydrated.

Humans are designed to survive short-term loss of food quite well. Anorexia doesn't kill in a matter of days, it is months to years. Now that you haven't eaten much for a while your stomach has shrunk and you won't feel a need to eat much. To get more food I'd suggest eating more often rather than bigger meals.

If you start to feel weak, (low blood sugar) you obviously need a source of quick carbs. I don't think you are a skinny person but I don't know. I don't know if you are diabetic or have some other physiologic disorder. I don't know if you exercise. I'm not a doctor. Tell your doctor about it ask them what a good weight for you might be and definitely don't lose weight beyond that point.
 
I am quite overweight and I could stand to lose 60 lbs to be at a decent weight for my height. Maybe I should buy some multivitamins and keep this up until I am down to a decent weight.
 
Is there anything different about things at present? Are you at work still? Did it happen since you got diagnosed with gout or before that? Are you depressed? Loss of appetite can be for lots of reasons, do you have a sense of what it is? 500 calories is not enough for a medium to tall guy to sensibly lose weight over time, though some people would maybe have that little on say 2 days per week. Check with the doctor if this is not temporary and for a reason you can easily work out.
 
I just realized I had consumed less than 500 calories a day every day for the last week. And I do not even feel hungry. I just do not feel like eating much of anything.

I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about, or maybe it is a temporary thing. I did lose a couple of pounds in the process, so I have that going for me at least.
If this is out of your norm (AND it continues for more than a week or two) it may be something to talk to a medical professional about. How are your energy levels? As some of the others here have asked, how are your stress levels? This is not a sustainable pattern.
 
You could look into whether you’re carbohydrate intolerant?

Having a super low calorie intake for too long might not be something to do without first researching the consequences.

You want to keep the muscles healthy because you need them, for health and they look good too.


survey

2 weeks
 
I’m sorry you’re going through this right now :( I’ve been really depressed lately too, and like we talked about in the jokes thread, I’ve been eating a lot of junk- but barely eating at all otherwise :(
I would bring it up to a doctor, like Flown suggested. It could be stress, depression (maybe seasonal depression too), or related to your medical issues.

I know you had a root canal recently too, that can cause pain and stress which may be contributing to a lack of appetite and low energy. I had some dental work done the other day and I haven’t been in the mood to eat “normal” stuff. Plus the pain from getting braces and the headaches it’s been causing have made me less interested in typical foods. I’m more motivated to eat candy and junk food because, well, it’s more appealing.

I’m fairly overweight too and while it does feel good to drop a few pounds from eating less, it’s not healthy or sustainable to eat under 1000 calories a day (for most people.)
I’d advise you to get in touch with your doctor or a nurse and ask approximately how many calories you should be eating in a day, and what may be an underlying cause of lack of appetite. I hope you start feeling better soon :)
 
It just now occurred to me that I have not had a single bite of food in the last 36 hours. And I do not feel the slightest bit hungry. I know this is not sustainable in the long run. I also know that my big fat belly could be burned off.
 
Well, the low grade fever I had since the root canal broke, so whatever that was about is over and I was able to eat a small meal earlier today. At least this taught me I need a lot fewer calories to function, so I think I will shoot for 1800 a day seeing as I stand well over six feet tall and I walk everywhere. My stomach struck somewhat over the last week, so I must not let it grow again.
 
Glad you are feeling able to eat again. Yes go for a sustainable amount of calories that allows healthy eating and helps you feel like taking exercise too. You can find calorie calculations that enable you to find approx what should work for you.

I am short and mine comes out at about 1370 a day to lose about a pound a week I think, though I am happy to lose a couple of pounds a month as long as I see it coming down steadily. It's done on your height and frame, though some people do have heavier bones!
 

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