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?

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

If she is lifting weights, she will need to factor that in too, she is probably burning a days worth of calories over the week, which is why she is still losing ?

No carbs or fun food. I'd be miserable.

Counting out the exact number of nuts is disordered eating.

As someone who is doing no exercise, virtually, Im not an expert here, but I didnt think it burns that many calories anyway?

Good for heart health etc but not that instrumental in whether you gain or lose weight?

If you're lifting every day you need some carbs with your protein to help your body take it on (and absorb nutrients).

If you have low GI carbs it shouldn't impact your diabetes risk. You could add wholegrain basmati rice, or spelt, or (sweet) potato to your lunch/dinner examples.

No I wouldn't still be hungry.
I eat similar tbh but then again I eat jacket potatoes, rice, pasta.
Fage Total 5% Greek yoghurt, sometimes whole milk on cereal.
I think you just need to up the carbs and Avocados as another poster said.
Lots of good fats.
Don't start down the cake route. I know for me now that cake, chocolate and so on just sap my energy.

Counting calories when you're underweight (to see if you're eating enough) is disordered, but counting calories when you're overweight (to see if you're eating too much) is normal and fine?

C'mon. If something's going on with your weight you need to figure out what, and calorie counting is the first place to start. If it turned out OP was eating plenty but still losing weight she'd need to get to a GP pronto.

@bellac11 weight lifting builds muscle which increased metabolism which increases base calories burned every day before you do any exercise

You need some carbs. Pasta or rice. They'll give you more calories which you can obviously use.

I’d be starving if I only ate that! What you’ve done is choose healthy options (plenty of veg) but for some bizarre reason missed out the rest of the diet. Why are you nibbling rye crispbreads for breakfast?? Eat wholemeal sourgrain bread and/or porridge or wholegrain cereal. Eat couscous or pasta or potatoes with your lunch.

Your eating is weird - not the veg part of it, but the tiny amount of carbs when you have a low BMI, and the nut-counting. Look up orthorexia.

You mention your HbA1C. Eating too few carbs contributes to insulin resistance (because the body thinks it’s starving) so you’re not helping it function at its best. What you’re eating isn’t a whole food diet. It’s a restricted diet with too few calories.

As someone who is doing no exercise, virtually, Im not an expert here, but I didnt think it burns that many calories anyway?

Me either however I did google it and it suggests that someone lifting weights for 30 mins can burn up to 250 calories, I doubt OP is at that rate, she hasn't mentioned what level of weight she is lifting and reps etc, but even the lowest level would mean burning approx 100 calories each session and she doesn't want to lose weight, so she either needs to increase her calories to cover that expenditure or stop weights.

I weigh roughly the same as you, OP, and eat a similar diet (although more carbs than you). I have absolutely no idea how many calories I eat each day, but I am fit and happy.

But what jumps out at me here is stuff like '6 walnuts'. Are you really counting them? That sounds like disordered eating.

I think you're full from lots of fibre, btw, not full from protein or fats or "nutrients".

Before I RTFT:
Everything depends on the portion size of the fatty items, the olive oil, cream cheese, feta, chocolate, how much fat the lentils were fried in. I love most of those foods, so I'd be very satisfied on flavour front. Not sure about so much meat, but maybe ok.

My age is mid50s & if living sedentary, that would be way too much food for me, if those portion sizes are what I suspect. Maybe not if the portion sizes on the fatty foods were skimpy, but then the nuts are very filling...

Possibly about right amount of calories if my usual level of activity (lots).

.....

having read OP's update

Protein 72g x 4 = 288 kcal
Carbs 109g (fibre 26g) * 5 = 545 kcal
Fat 64g x 9 = 36 + 540 = 576 kcal
Total = 1409

So that's spot on for me, enough calories if I'm sedentary since the fat portions must be small, not enough if active.

You may start (or are already) losing muscle mass if you keep losing weight, because your body needs to survive somehow and even though you are eating, it seems like it's not enough as you are losing weight albeit slowly.

Your A1c is quite high, though. That could be caused by a number of things, not necessarily eating high carbs. Vit B12 or iron deficiencies can cause it, or not making enough red blood cells for example.

It's also possible to psychologically turn off your hunger to some degree, I have experienced it and it's not good because then you don't want to eat and end up losing more weight. You are concerned and I think you have reason to be as you know there's something amiss.

I suggest using Cronometer to monitor what nutrients you are getting, as well as calories. It may provide insight into what you are missing.

https://cronometer.com/

My diet is similar to yours and I also do weights with the lovely Caroline Girvan. However, I estimate - when I can be bothered - that I eat at least 1500 calories a day.

Looking at the photo of your lunch: that's a very small portion! So it maybe not just a question of what you eat, but how much. As someone has already said, you may be bulking up on fibre, thus not leaving enough room for nutrient dense food like protein and carbs.

If you are working out with weights 5x a week, you probably need way more protein. Some people suggest as much as 1g protein per lb of bodyweight, though personally I think that's excessive.

So, I'd suggest upping the protein, definitely, but also increasing complex carbs (lentils, quinoa etc) and healthy fats. Shame you don't like eggs, avocados, yoghurt, but can you eat more meat/fish and nuts?

If this doesn't work I'd see a dietitian.

That's more than I eat in a day, and I run around 30 miles a week, do abs and weight routines 3 times a week, plus a 30 minute jump rope routine.

Seems very healthy to me. As someone mentioned. Carbs would be a good addition if working out.

@lljkk

Protein 72g x 4 = 288 kcal
Carbs 109g (fibre 26g) * 5 = 545 kcal
Fat 64g x 9 = 36 + 540 = 576 kcal
Total = 1409

Can you explain your working out ?

As you build muscle, over time, your metabolism changes and you naturally burn more body fat in addition to what you're actually doing

If it's of any help OP I fell in love with basic rope skipping about 15 years ago and although I don't do regularly it is something I fall back on to get my system working again from time to time.

When I was doing it regularly it really improved my stamina, which is why I did it. (Was doing martial arts at the time and wanted more stamina.)

(And the leaders always went on about the importance of carbs too!)

It might be a healthy diet for some of you on here, but OP is underweight and concerned that she is continuing to lose weight. She doesn't want to lose more weight, she is struggling to even maintain.

As you build muscle, over time, your metabolism changes and you naturally burn more body fat in addition to what you're actually doing

@Ikeameatballlunch what happens if you don't have much body fat ?

I get 1260 kcal using cronometer

I would be, although, I'm active at work, walk everywhere, go on bike rides and do an exercise class.

I deliberately lost weight last year and more came off than I intended, so I suspect I got down to the same bmi as you. Put on a couple of pounds since and I'm eating way more than you.

Your diet certainly sounds healthy. Changes I would make, if I'm eating nuts, it'll be more like 25 in a go. Hard cheese has fat and protein providing a decent number of calories, and can be eaten as a snack or alongside salad, as a topping or in sandwich or on toast - taking of which, could you manage some carbs? So a sandwich, toast, jacket potato, even a small amount of rice, coucous or quinoa with your evening meal? Maybe have a yogurt for dessert.

If you make yourself eat a bit more for a week or two, you're body will get used to it.

Yeah it’s the satiating combo of protein and fats. I struggle to eat after I e had one of my omelettes for breakfast which always contain feta smoked salmon and fried broccoli. On those days I struggle to get over 1000cals and I’m technically overweight

I’d add an avocado to the mix or maybe an egg.

One scoop of mashed root veg with dinner or swapping the crackers for bread at breakfast time would do it. Or just slightly upping the portion size of lentils, bulgur, beans whatever.

I eat quite similarly to you but I maintain.

As the weather gets colder you may need a bit more, crumble is good.