Little appetite

[Deleted]

Thread started by Casimira --

In the last couple of years, maybe more, there are days when I have absolutely NO appetite whatsoever!!
I never know when it's going to occur and it's not like I'm in any kind of discomfort about it but, there are occasions when I am invited to lunch, as in today, where without eating anything all morning, come time to meet my hostess at a very nice restaurant on her dime as a belated birthday gift, found myself only able to eat, and with effort, a bowl of shrimp bisque and a piece of French bread with butter.
Gratefully, my friend knows somewhat of this whatever "condition" and knows that I have a "birdlike" appetite and only eat one meal a day with some little snacks such as cheese or the like every once in a while.

Has anyone else encountered this?
Any suggestions are welcome please.

[kerouac2]

I can go all day without eating anything with absolutely no discomfort. Hunger inevitably arrives at the end of the day, however.

In social circumstances, I can still eat just about any meal even if I am not hungry.

Not the same situation as you, casimira.

[questa]

Loss of appetite can occur as we get less active and don't need as many kilojoules as we used to. It can also indicate other medical issues like thyroid or digestion conditions. Information about eating disorders sell women's magazines but not enough real science is available as this needs specialist handling.

Do you have an annual checkup where your doctor has blood tests done to make sure your body chemistry is OK? It would be a smart move to see your doctor and eliminate anything that could be upsetting your appetite. As you find you are eating less, make sure you are at least eat well balanced, nutritious meals even if in small amounts. Some people benefit by frequent very small snacks of food normally eaten as a meal.

Have you lost weight since you have changed your eating pattern? Where are you on the Body mass index...has this changed over the months.

Eating less is not usually a problem in itself, but what is causing it and where it may lead should be discussed with your Doctor.

[Deleted]

Thank you Questa for your sage and informative response. Most of it I am aware of and when I had my last annual physical I broached the subject with my personal doctor.
Blood work, thyroid panel etc.showed nothing awry.
She didn't/couldn't offer much more advice than that.
I am due for an annual check up in a couple of months and will pursue it some more.

My body weight remains fairly consistent with a five pound fluctuation but, that has always been the case.

No other glaring indicators of anything that I can pinpoint.
I have ruled out stress, depression (sometimes a factor), hormonal changes and level of physical activity which has diminished to some degree and even when I was super active this "condition" existed.
One thing I need to explore some more is the possibility of a side effect of one or two of the medications I am taking but, I believe that I was taking the same medication before this all started.

[questa]

Of course...I forgot the side effects of medications...google the drugs and look for side effects singly or together.
I also forgot to mention the work that dietitians do, although you probably know this. Now that your doc has checked and you are not wasting away and are healthy...go for it. Think of all the women who are needing 'stomach stapling' to achieve what you have for free

[lagatta]

For some time I've had little appetite. At the outset, I was glad to lose some more weight, and am pretty much at my normal weight.
But there were some days when I ate absolutely nothing. I made some fresh chicken broth, and consumed it with the meat from the broth, some vegetables and a bit of orzo (pasta that looks like grains). I managed to eat a bowl of it, then had some salad for supper.

For me, this is a most unusual problem. I don't note any health problems otherwise except a bit of (normal) dizziness after not eating anything. Has anyone else experienced such a problem? I'm sure that anxiety is playing a part.

[casimira]

Because I was the person who started this thread, I do know of what you speak Lagatta.
It was really inexplicable to me at that time other than the fact I was very stressed. I then attributed it to a side effect of a medication I was taking.
Ironically, I am having the total opposite experience at present.
I have gained 6 lbs. since the early Spring.
Some of it is being less active due to Covid restrictions and the other is most definitely from a medication I am taking right now.
Thyroid issues are the most common causes for these metabolic changes.

[kerouac2]

(Just for the record, Lagatta had started a new thread and I remembered the older one. So I merged them but kept the new title.)

[casimira]

Yes, it does get confusing with all the threads and posts with Deleted. I know which ones are mine and can usually figure out in fairly short order who the others are by writing styles and other little things.
We could almost have a thread in The Arcade, Name This Poster.

[lagatta]

Yes, I had no problem sorting out which posts were yours and which were the other poster's. Yes, I usually have annual medical check-ups and nothing wrong last year except still being a little overweight - I had lost considerable weight a couple of years back when I had a UTI and could scarcely eat anything. Now my body mass is just about perfect. I do have a bit of arthritis, but if I cycle enough that relieves it.

I hate snacking. For me meals are meals, even though for some years now they are in a tapas dish or small plate or "soup plate". I guess this is family discipline; no "grazing" except for a bit of fruit. Today I'm off to buy some wild blueberries.

I wouldn't mind having something on hand like an "energy bar" if I could find one that is no or very low sugar, just in case I feel lightheaded (which makes me fear cycling, and I very much need the exercise).

Thanks to all. I know that a lot of this is months of bottled-up anxiety.

[lagatta]

I have been eating a little now, and the strange taste sensations in my mouth (everything too sweet, too salty etc) have abated a bit. I still eat very little but make sure that I do get some protein sources and vegetables. I would like to try half an Asian bbq duck, but have to make sure I'll eat it. Since the Covid, the two Vietnamese shops near me have been bundling bean sprout shoots into "family sized" packages, and I'd never be able to eat such a thing before it turned brown and nasty. Idem the greens.

[cheerypeabrain]

I have only lost my appetite once, when I had an acute inner ear infection. I lost 17lbs in 2 weeks and could only eat dry crackers. I was permanently dizzy...like the worst sort of hangover where the bed moves and my doctor really wanted to admit me to hospital. I wouldn't go because Jeff was abroad and I had 2 small children to look after. In the end my Mother took over...thank goodness.

Aside from that I have the opposite problem really, I'm greedy and struggle to control my eating. Doesnt help that I'm a reasonably good cook. With coronavirus, type 2 diabetes and joint problems a very scary prospect I do realise that I need to curb my appetite.

[lagatta]

I'm a very good cook but what I have cooked has gone pretty much straight into the freezer compartment, in small portions (the supermarket label says "snack containers" but there is plenty for a portion for me. However today I'm eating wild blueberries from farther north in Québec in slightly diluted Greek goat's milk yoghourt, and the blueberries taste as delicious as normal.

Cheery, have you tried eating out of smaller dishes? I usually eat my supper out of a tapas dish or small soup plate. I prefer limiting portions to eating low-fat frankenfoods. But you have to find what works for you.

I had a UTI a couple of years ago and became completely anorexic for a while.

[bixaorellana]

Aug 21, 2020 14:41:49 GMT lagatta said:

I wouldn't mind having something on hand like an "energy bar" if I could find one that is no or very low sugar,

LaGatta, google "low or no sugar energy balls". You will find lots of recipes for no-cook, naturally sweetened energy balls, complete with nutrition breakdowns.

[lagatta]

Thanks!

[lagatta]

I actually ate half a portion (and had devised a meal I could finish in the morning. A chicken leg and a very small portion of bbq pork - perhaps the Southeast Asian version of chicharron? Atop fresh beansprouts (washed and soaked, but raw) with a finely chopped shallot, which I did cook a bit in a little saucepan). I ate at least half of this and put the rest back in the fridge. The main improvement is that I could taste the flavour of each individual food. Before food had become (horribly)sweet, bitter, salty or the rest of them.

It is so strange, and frightening, to have no appetite.

[lagatta]

I've been forcing myself to eat a bit of nutritious food (mostly greens and seafood). For the moment I no longer have horrible tastes and odours around food, except when wearing the mask, which magnifies everything. I made a pseudo Tom Yum soup (relying on half a box of pre-made, vegetables and prawns) and ate a small bowl of that.

[bixaorellana]

Based on my experience with the aftermath of the terrible intestinal whatever-it-was that I had in London, I suggest not even bothering to try to eat real food for the time being.

Instead, just concentrate on very plain things that might appeal to you and that preferably don't have to be prepared so you can pick at them at will. Think things like soda crackers or oyster crackers, maybe hard boil two or three eggs to have on hand if you think you could handle that. I know you have problems with dairy, but maybe plain goat yogurt? Ice cream is good, too, simply because it's friendly and you could probably use the calories at this point. Sparkling water or club soda is also nice to have around and if you can lay your hands on some ginger cordial to mix with the club soda, that would make it a stomach-soothing treat.

This is all just to keep you alive as you ease your way back into actually wanting to eat.

[lagatta]

I've actually recovered my appetite a bit, and it was about time - fat loss is well and good, but my thighs felt a bit less rock-hard than usual, which they were from cycling daily and also walking a lot. That scared me shitless, as I have a friend a bit older who has lost much of her lower-body muscle tone (dangerous for falls and other balance issues, and recovering muscle tone). I was to no extent in such a situation, but have always been proud of my muscle tone, even when I was somewhat overweight.

I actually have a bit of an appetite. Yes, I'd bought a dozen organic eggs before this started, and have to use them up. Thinking of making an egg and potato salad with some of the balcony herbs I have to use up. I also have some very good frozen shrimp, but I don't want to cook them and waste them.

I'll continue to eat small portions, as that has been the best weight control strategy for me, but must be careful to increase my protein intake a bit.

[lagatta]

Practically NO appetite for the last few days. Have made a dish of pennette and ate a bit of it (with soya cream (don't laugh; I'd much prefer real cream, but am taking no chances with allergies) and a bit of romano cheese. No tomato. Running errands now, and will try to eat some more when I return.

Crackers are problematic for me as I find them far too dry and have dry mouth from lack of liquids. Yes, of course I'm sipping water and some green or white tea. I've dropped two full jeans sizes.