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?

Yes hummus is quite calorie dense so you could add some of that to your salad.

A sustained period of lower calorie intake and substantial weight loss can mess up your hunger/feeling full cues. A couple of the things you've said have been slight red flags for eating disorder type behaviour as well. I think the idea the PP had of a (good) nutritionist is a good one.

You want to stop losing weight. You've identified your calorie count is too low.

Just gradually increase your calories either by gradually increasing portion size of things you already eat or by adding another small meal or adding some other food groups to your meals.

You just have to do it, or continue undereating (which is what you're doing, as you're eating fewer calories than you need).

I find it hard to believe you 'can't' force down a few extra squares of chocolate!

You don't give amounts for some items so it's hard to tell. I would swap out the chicken wings for thighs, and the nuts/nut butter for hard boiled eggs or skyr.

How controlling are you about counting the number of nuts in a portion? If you are spending a lot of time thinking about your food and checking that everything is ‘healthy’ then you could be veering towards orthorexia.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/other-eating-feeding-problems/orthorexia/

Op have you developed an eating disorder, deep down you know the answer to this,

the eating is very controlled, the counting the nuts for breakfast, one sq of dark chocolate. 2 chicken wings,

im not sure this is what you’re portraying it as, as in your so full after 1200 cals and can’t understand it. More it seems very controlled regimented eating and you’re scared to gain.

I wouldn't have the will power to eat like that.. but I am seriously over weight. I wouldn't be hungry if I at that, I know I eat far too much .. I live a very sedentary lifestyle and when I have lost weight successfully I know I can do it on around 1200 calories a day. I eat because I love food, not because I am hungry .
But if you don't want to lose any more weight you obviously do need to add more calories.

I wouldn't be hungry eating that because I be in ketosis.

If you are worried about your hab1c don't add carbs in, up your fats. Avocado is fantastic.

It looks very nutrient dense and therefore you probably wont feel hungry on it, I would try to double up on the small things that shouldnt make you feel overfull so that you can get it down, like the nuts or cream cheese, make sure everything is full fat.

Have you had WLS, this can be common, you cant fit enough food in (well I cant) and dont feel hungry anyway and if you change your diet like yours is its very satiating so you dont crave foods and sweet foods like you said, are off putting now

I dont need to worry at the moment as although Ive lost a lot of weight Im still obese!! And weight loss has slowed terribly but I know people in my group are still going down and down even if they dont want it to anymore.

That's more than I eat so yes I would be full. I'm aware that I seem to eat less than other people, though, for unknown reasons.

I would increase the amount of nuts you're having if you want to eat more. Double your nut snack as it's pretty small and you will have had an easy increase in calories.

I was listening to ultra processed people on audible and they discussed high protein diets - generally not sustainable.

I happened to listen to this yesterday - tim Spector - it's much more sustainable and healthier.

Iirc he eats a small amount of meat in the form of small fish but has a mostly plant diet with a lot of plant protein and the 30 plants a week thing, with a little dairy. Obviously everyone is different but that's the advice for menopausal women. Kombucha can be used instead of kefir etc

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001ngjx?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

To answer a few questions. There are a few foods suggested I really don't like. I find I can't eat yoghurt or really creamy/milky foods (maybe lactose intolerance), I don't like eggs unless cooked in something, not keen on avocado.

My height is 5'4" weight is 49kg.

On portion sizes a snack with peanut butter and apple would be approx 1 table spoon of nut butter.

This photo is a typical lunch portion plus I would have a bowl of strawberries and sq of dark chocolate. This lunch had lentils and rice for carbs, anchovies and feta for protein. Dressing with evoo, vinegar and mustard.

I only have been counting the nuts this week becuase I wanted to track my calories to see why I am loosing weight. Normally just have a handful.

How often are you going to lift weights? Maybe have a smoothies with nut butter after your workout. I think your diet sounds lovely and would try and just have more at each meal.

How much walking do you do? Maybe being a bit less seditary will improve your hunger.

That would be enough for me but if you’re still losing, it obviously isn’t for you. I’m 5’4 too and 54kg for reference. You could easily up your calories by adding more nuts, more feta (you’ve only got 7 small cubes there), more than 1 square of chocolate or another snack before bed.

I lift 5 days a week for 30 minutes. Doing caroline girvan iron at home. I find getting more than 6000 steps a day in hard time wise as busy with children plus sedentary part time job. Having said that I rarely sit down and am active around home doing things most of the day.

I had to re-read to understand what your actual concern was here.

You feel you struggle to eat more? And are worrying, possibly obsessing over food?

I'm sorry to say that the posts remind me of what I hear from my best friend who is a lifelong anorexic.

She, too, says she struggles to eat more and doesn't understand her low weight and also obsesses over amounts, when we can all see that she needs to eat more food.

You may want to consult with your doctor again about a possible eating disorder.

Okay so you are 7 and half stone - any lower and you couldn't give blood, for example.

Swap your breakfast crispbreads for a seeded wholegrain bread toasted and you'll be eating complex carbs with more calories.

When you cut the amount you eat your stomach shrinks so you will feel less hungry. It's good you've recognised you're still losing and need to stop. There's a lot of sugar from fruit in your diet overall as your macros show with the carbs figure. I wonder if seeing a dietician would help. Dieticians are properly qualified and can be employed by the NHS. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.

Given you are not hungry through the day, would first thing in the morning be the best time to have a little more?
Porridge, overnight oats, baked oats etc.

I got like this when young. Just felt full easily. Think I was drinking too much water before food. Staying hydrated is good but maybe don't drink too much an hour before meal times?

I was losing too much weight so I added in half a family size dairy milk per day. That soon sorted me out and now I'm back at a healthy weight I've cut it out and I'm finding it easier to maintain where I am currently.

When you say you are still losing, what is your BMI now ? Out of interest what was your goal when you started to lose weight, did you have an idea of what weight/BMI you wanted to be ?

37 is within the normal range for Hba1c test, there are other factors that can effect it, that you can't control such as genetics, so I wouldn't worry about it, this might be your perfectly normal and healthy reading.

You could easily increase your calories by increasing your portion sizes, as someone else said have two chicken thighs instead of wings, increase the peanut butter to two tablespoons, increase the amount of feta on your salad, include some pulses or grains with your salad, a nice Greek Spanakorizo ? increase the number of nuts you eat as a snack. Its quite simple really your body needs more calories than you are providing, to stop you losing weight.

If you can tolerate cooked eggs, what about quiche?

The quantities are plenty so I understand why you're feeling full, but it's all fairly low cal in general. If you don't want to increase portion sizes you'll have to make some higher calories swaps. PP's suggestion of swapping the crispbread for whole grain toast is a good one.

When I was struggling to maintain my weight I kept a snickers bar on me at all times, tried to eat one a day. Oat breakfast drinks were also useful (I liked the chocolate and vanilla ones, they weren't disgusting and I didn't feel totally gross after like I did when drinking a protein shake). The brand was Up&Go.

Or you could try doubling the cream cheese, should add calories without too much bulk? And add a bit more salmon in there as well.

You only need to fill 200ish calories, it will be remarkably easy to do once you find something you like and can fit in.

If you want to grow more muscle then you need to eat the correct amount of protein. You can use a protein calculator online for this.

you probably could increase your calories with some rice or potatoes

OP made it clear that hse knows that her calories are low and wondering why, given they are low, she doesnt feel hungry

The answer is straightforward her food is extremely nutrient dense so it is satiating.

I dont know why people are so keen to diagnose people with eating disorders on here, its an obsession.

She counted out what she had because she was interested in how many calories she was eating, otherwise she wouldnt know.

All she needs to do is add in some additions and she'll be maintaining.

@bellac11 I get annoyed too at online "diagnoses" but I'm just concerned, what I said about my best friend is true and I've heard years and years of this message about "struggles" to eat. You will note that I didn't say she is anorexic but just that she should consult with a doctor about it.

All she needs to do is add in some additions and she'll be maintaining.

Yeah, that's all my friend needs to do too but guess what? In over fifteen years of friendship she's never done it. They (anorexics) know that but that they say they can't, they're "struggling". I've heard it all before, over and over and over, as will any other poster who is the friend of someone with an eating disorder.