Would you be hungry if you ate the following?

[Autumnleaves257]

I have lost a lot of weight this year largely by switching to a whole foods diet. The problem is I got to quite a low bmi (18.5) and my weight is still going down albeit quite slowly now so I am starting to get a bit worried. I went to the gp and they were pretty dismissive as all blood tests came back clear. A1c for diabetes was 37 (which I thought seemed a little high given I don't eat much sugar).

I thought this was plenty but I added up the calories on an app and it is only 1200-1300. Calculators say I need 1500 to maintain. The problem is I really feel very full on this diet and struggle to eat more. I have added lots of fat (nuts, cheese, ev olive oil etc) and 2 snacks even when I am not hungry.

In a typical day I eat the following.

Breakfast
Black coffee X 2
6 Walnuts, 5 almonds
2 rye crackers with cream cheese and smoked salmon, tomatoes extra evoo

Snack
Peanut butter, apple

Lunch
2 chicken wings
Green salad with beetroot, feta, carrot, saukercrat, pea sprouts, nuts, olive oil dressing
Strawberries, sq dark chocolate

Snack
Mixed nuts (around 10)

Dinner
Fried Mackerel
Fried Lentils with tomatoes, onion and garlic
Steamed broad beans, french beans, peas
kiwi, sq dark chocolate

Do people think it is normal not to feel hungry eating the above? I have to remind myself to eat now as it is rare I even feel hunger.

I am also trying to maintain muscle mass through weights but fairly sedentary otherwise (5000 steps a day)

I tried reintroducing cake yesterday as a 'treat' but did not enjoy it and felt quite ill after. Another day I tried a protein powder but it just made me feel really bloated and made me want to eat even less so I am wondering what I should eat to gain more weight.

I hope the above doesn't offend anyone as I know many struggle to loose weight but it is equally worrying when you loose too much and feels very odd not to feel hunger anymore.

No-one has commented that I look too thin, my dh just thinks I need more muscle so maybe I shouldn't worry if the gp and others aren't?

It seems like a reasonable amount of food. I think I'd feel satisfied. Maybe add a few carbs to lunch and dinner.

I think I’d be really hungry on that - I’d definitely need some carbs to bulk it out.

I'd need a few more carbs especially if you.want to build muscle mass.

Oooh yum, my kind of eating and I genuinely love it. I prob eat more of the chocolate though!

I HAVE to eat some whole grain carbs in there. I recently avoided and lost far too much. And some dairy. My boss doesn't eat dairy and is a skinny as a rake.

Breakfast: In addition to nuts and a baby bel I have Oats in microwave with water to get the beta glucan out, Chuck in some frozen blue berries and cherries (they defrost in the porridge) add a dollop of either fat free or full fat thick and creamy yeo valley or kefir.

Add in some rye bread, brown rice, brown pasta.

Curries made with sweet potatoes and chick peas.

You're eating a lot of animal protein so would not be hungry. Output isn't huge. If you up your exercise and weights you will need to eat more carbs.

It depends on the portion sizes for the lunch and dinner. Can you add an extra 200/300 calories a day by increasing the amounts of good fat in your diet? More nuts, more olive oil etc? Could you have bread rather than crackers for breakfast?
I would be starving on those meals personally but then I am quite fat 😆

Me too. Particularly the 10 nuts as a snack, they'd be gone in one mouthful.

I'm not sure what the issue is though. It's a veg heavy, low calorie and carb diet. If you want to stop losing weight, eat more bread and pasta.

Depends on the portion sizes for lunch and dinner but yes, I'd probably be full on that.

I am underweight though, with a very low bmi (not through choice/dieting).

Thanks all, yes you are all probably right about the carbs. I lowered then originally becuase I was worried about my hba1c/blood glucose but I think if I up them and combine with exercise that should help.

I do sometimes have rye bread with the nut butter instead of apple and some days I have other grains and pulses. Unfortunately I don't like yoghurt/kefir so can't up my healthy fats that way and feel pretty maxed out on fats(nuts, olive oil, cheese) already.

Macros last week were
Protein 72g
Carbs 109g (fibre 26g)
Fat 64g

Is it the lack of carbs causing the lack of hunger?

it's all relative. are you very tall/active.

if you are of average height/moderately active - I would say swap the chicken wings for chicken thighs or some other protein that's a little more substantive.

if you are quite concerned. speak to a dietician. one session usually costs less than £100 and I found it very helpful for myself

The lunch would be too small for me - two chicken wings is a tiny amount of meat, though it would depend on how big the salad is.
I would add some rye crackers (if you're not eating normal bread) at lunch too and increase the snack size - for instance have the nuts plus yoghurt and something carby.

Oh cross post, you don't like yoghurt. Cheese then?

When I was losing weight unintentionally the doctor suggested adding creme fraiche and suchlike to my meals, that helped.

That wouldn’t be anywhere near enough food for me, anyone counting nuts is unlikely to be having adequate portions of anything else.

Is it the lack of carbs causing the lack of hunger?

You're quite sedentary imo so it's more likely to be that you're getting enough food.

You're probably eating things that keep your own blood sugar stable.

I don't weigh much and have days where I have to force my self to eat (or I go downhill.) when I upped activity considerably I got hungrier

I'd be really hungry on that.

I was going to suggest adding yoghurt as well. Is it the flavour you don't like? If yes and you're up for giving it another go, the two I buy specifically because they don't have that tang that yoghurt has are Fage strawberry and Tim's dairy kefir (honestly doesn't taste like kefir).

I'd definitely add some wholegrain carbs because they're so good for us. Rye sourdough crackers as a snack or you could add some wholewheat couscous or brown rice to your meals.

Other thing that springs to mind and also great for B vitamins would be eggs. You could add a hard boiled egg to your salads.

I can't answer your question re whether I'd be hungry eating your menu as I'm allergic to nuts so have no idea how filling they are! But the carb avoidance does stand out. It bothers me that carbs have been painted in a bad light generally as there's a lot that's good about them.

I would be hungry, I need carbs!

Are you actually diabetic OP?

You said you don't eat much sugar but you have an apple, strawberries and I'm not sure if you also have a kiwi or if that is a brand of chocolate.

I think if you want to up the calories a warm milky drink, maybe a hot chocolate, on an evening.

Olives are also good, easy to eat a few either as a snack or add them to a meal.

I don't eat a lot but I'd be very hungry with that. I need carbs to fill me up.

Same BMI here - around 18.5. I wouldn't be hungry eating that no, but I wouldn't be happy either as overly healthy

How much do you weigh? And what is your height?

That sounds ok to me although maybe your portions are too small?
My plates would be full, the cream cheese would be thickly spread, big portions of lentils and so on.

You don't say the portion sizes of the more filling foods (e.g. how much peanut butter, how much feta) but I think I'd be hungry unless it was quite a lot of those!

It's overall a very healthy and unprocessed diet, which is great, but there aren't a lot of calorie dense foods on there.

I would want more than 2 chicken wings with that lunch, or some carbs. Don't be afraid of carbs and fats - our bodies need them.

You are eating masses of protein, but few calories from other sources. That is why you have lost weight and continue to do so. If you want to stop losing weight now, just add a banana smoothie and the odd flapjack.

Or a snickers . You just aren't eating enough calories.

Are you doing the Zoe diet OP? That’s a very Zoe friendly menu!

I eat similarly to you but I’m at the top of a healthy BMI and struggling to lose weight. Thinking about what I do differently I definitely eat more cheese, half an avocado a day and so hummus and veg as a snack. I think a few more calorie dense foods added into your diet would easily find you the extra calories

how about adding an avocado to your lunch.. it's very healthy and has a decent number of calories