A strange thing happened to me yesterday morning… I couldn’t finish my breakfast.
It was at about that point that my stomach decided it couldn’t handle another bite, leaving me sitting there in a daze, a spoon in my hand and a look of bewilderment on my face. Not finishing breakfast? Hath hell frozen over?!
And yes, before you ask, I have a specific system when it comes to eating my oats. I like to lump all my toppings into different areas of my bowl so that I can grab a spoon of AB oats, or a spoon of yogurt oats, or a spoon of jammy oats, depending on whatever feeling strikes me. I’ve pretty much got it down to a science at this point.
But I digress. The point is, I found myself in a completely unfamiliar situation yesterday morning and I wasn’t too sure how to handle it. Eat? Don’t eat? Get up and dance a jig? Eventually I abandoned the idea of finishing breakfast and went on with business as usual
Truth be told, my appetite’s been way off lately; and by way off, I mean basically non-existant. I’ve found myself having to eat according to the clock rather than hunger cues because my stomach has been feeling a little wonky and hasn’t exactly been telling me that it’s time for food. The exception to this being dessert – I never seem to have trouble finding room for something sweet…
But I can’t exactly survive off of banana bread and cookies, can I? Especially since my appetite’s been mostly MIA for a couple of weeks now. Don’t worry, I’ve still been eating well, but it’s definitely a lot more mechanical than I’d like it to be.
To be honest, I’m not quite sure what to make of this whole thing. I didn’t care too much at first because my appetite’s always been up and down, but I don’t remember it being down for this long of a stretch. Is it time to file a missing person’s report? Put up “lost appetite – reward” posters? Plaster its face all over milk cartons? Be patient and hope it comes back home on its own? I’m very much at a loss and in need of advice at this point. Has anyone experienced the same thing?
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Do you always finish everything on your plate?
How do you handle an extended lack-of-appetite period?
Lately I haven’t really been hungry too. I get really sick on Saturday my temperature was in the 100s. I felt dizzy and the smell of food made me sick. I had to force myself to eat and when I did I threw up. Now I haven’t really gotten a appetite. In the mornings I have to force myself to eat breakfast even though I feel completely fine. I don’t even have a appetite for sweets! or fatty foods or anything ;( I always was a picky eater once I got older but these is definitley not me! I am obsessed with food but just can’t eat it 🙁
i adore your little topping piles. i do the same thing when i put lots of fixings on top. i usually finish what’s on my plate, if i love what i’m eating, which is often.
it’s something i think about when i follow weight watchers. do i finish something because i’ve already accounted for it? usually i’ll just change the # i’ve given it.
lol it’s so funny I have such a specific way I eat my breakfasts sometimes to, it’s like my little science experiment too. I find myself having to force myself to eat more once the weather starts getting nice and sometimes nothing seems appetizing. But then other days I am a plate cleaner all the way. It’s so weird but it is good you are noticing your body and trying to keep it balanced! Just try to not stress about it and eat stuff you are use to eating that won’t kill your stomach. Some days I want nothing to do with any kind of fruit, other days it’s all I want to eat! Goodluck!
I have gone through that before! Then, it is usually followed by days that I could eat everything in sight! Just honor your hunger cues. Your body is smart. It knows what it needs.
Oh no! I have no idea what it could be. My appetite definitely goes up and down, like normal with times of the month and activity level, etc. But it’s never been MIA for too long. And always comes back with a vengeance. I hope everything’s ok!
I’m not sure where you live, but I know I’ve heard that in the summer months, when it starts to warm up outside, sometimes the heat can suppress the appetite. I find that to be true with me at times! Just an idea!
This is so weird because I’ve been having the same thing going on! Yesterday’s breakfast was a smoothie, and lunch was an orange, crackers, and hummus, and dinner was the normal. No snacks. That never. happens. I think my appetite ran away with yours haha!
I wouldn’t worry doll, you’re appetite is bound to show it’s pretty little oats and almond butter loving face soon enough! I say just roll with it for the time being…I know for me, a lot of times my appetite can change with the seasons/temperatures. With it getting warmer around here lately, I started to notice my appetite changing too…and I’ve been wanting ice cream a LOT! Lol
I used to finish *everything* on my plate because I’d pre-determined my calorie allowances to a ‘T.’ There was no question about what or how much was going to pass my lips; I’d already planned it hours earlier! It simply didn’t matter if I wanted more or less. And truth be told, I never really knew if I was hungry or not.
These days I DO feel hunger and satiety, but I still typically finish everything on my plate—full or not. What’s changed is the speed at which I eat. Through my GI trials, I’ve learned that my body digests food much better when I eat slowly—and I mean super slowly. Sometimes it takes me an hour to finish my meals (I know), but I’ve found my stomach is much less likely to act up when I take my time. If I’m in a rush, or eating with others, I’ll usually package up the rest of my meal and eat the rest later. 🙂
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, Amanda! <3 xoxo
Oh no!!!! Wasted food… not good, not good! I am usually ALWAYS hungry.. even if I’m sick!
My appetite has been WAYY off lately too. I have found myself eating WAYY too many sweets, which then make me feel sick and I don’t eat “good” food. It’s a terrible cycle that I am just now getting out of, becasue I refuse to make anymore sweets for a few weeks! HAHA. I figure it will all balance out eventually..until then!
I’ve been trying to replace baking with cooking lately too, but… baking is just so much more enticing because the end product is so much tastier!!
I don’t know if I’ve ever not finished breakfast, but I have not finished lunch/dinner. I think it’s usually if I eat when I’m not super hungry or had more snacks than usual throughout the day. My stomach decides it can only handle so much (which is a bummer because my mouth can always handle more 😉 )! It definitely doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I fell lost like you did since it is such a foreign experience. I wouldn’t worry about it too much though. Give it a few days, and I’m sure your appetite will be back! I definitely find that I’m ravenous on the days following times of less hunger!
I rarely lose my appetite though it has happened before! Although never with breakfast, it tends to occur later in the day, dinner time usually. There are some days that I am wayyyy hungrier than usual but as far as not hungry? Few and far between. That’s probably a good thing for me right now because I do in fact need moreeee food 🙂 You are so much further with your healthy relationship with food and it sounds like you are listening to your hunger cues, which is something I am certainly striving to perfect!
Totally normal! My appetite actually seems to ebb and flow on a multi-week basis. I’ll go 2-3 weeks with not really feeling like eating. I’ll eat anyway of course, but then all of a sudden, BOOM! 2-3 weeks where I’m like a bottomless pit. At first this used to confused me, and then I was like “why do I care so much about how hungry I am? there are more important things to think about!” and I came to realize, like you often say, it all balances out in the end! Ooh, another factor though – what’s the weather like up in Alberta? I know whenever summer rolls around and the heat/humidity set in, it’s nearly impossible for me to eat. No appetite and everything that’s not fruit, juice, or smoothies actually turns my stomach. Maybe it’s just the change in weather – your body doesn’t have to work as hard to keep warm, so you’re not as hungry? In any case, I think eating anyway by the clock is a good way to deal. You do need the food, but I mean, don’t stuff yourself – just eat what feels okay and eventually the ol appetite will come around – and then you’ll probably be a hunger monster for a few days!
It’s actually been pretty warm, so that probably has a great deal to do with it. And you’re right about the overthinking… I know I should really care or try to overanalyze it, but it’s just the first time it’s happened and lasted this long, so it feels goofy.
In the morning, I don’t eat breakfast right away. I wait ’til I get hungry that’s when I’ll grab breakfast or else I wouldn’t have the appetite to eat if I force it.
I actually think my appetite has decreased too – and I’m wondering if it might be because I’m not working out as often or as intensely as I used to at this time last year. Like I find that sometimes I’m not hungry for snacks in the afternoon or I’m not hungry for lunch until later than usual. I almost always still clean my plate though unless I’m eating something I really don’t like haha.
i’m definitely a member of the clean plate club! usually, i’ll eat what’s in front of me until it’s all gone, regardless of whether i’m hungry or not. i was raised to finish my plate, since there are others less fortunate. that’s why i’m learning about portion controlling and doling out enough to be satisfied, but not overly stuffed just because it’s lunch time.
I think the best course of action is to not worry about it too much…a few weeks ago my appetite was really off too, for at least a week or two. Then this last week? Bottomless.pit. Cannot get enough food. There’s a lot of reasons why your appetite could be off…stress, hormones, weather…but your body is smart, it’ll figure out what it needs to do 😉
I don’t think I’ve ever lost my appetite. Well, okay, so in the depths of my ED, somehow I would be able to manage my hunger and embrace it while nowadays if I’m even the slightest bit hungry I go a little nuts until I eat something. But I typically don’t have much of an appetite the first half of the day (when I’m actually running around doing stuff), and then it always kicks in towards the end of the day, especially because I tend to under-eat for the first half. As for days without an appetite? All I can say is, I would actually welcome that because I still sometimes feel like I get hungry way more than most people and it gets a little annoying! 😀
I very rarely loose my appetite for an extended period of time. About a year ago I got a weird stomach flu where I never actually vomited but had no appetite for almost a week. It was the type though where even deserts seemed inedible. Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with a lost appetite in a long time though. Hopefully yours comes back soon, perhaps it is just taking a nap 🙂
Hah, I don’t think this has ever truly happened to me. I only get short multiple-day period losses in appetite and it’s always a direct result of eating WAY too much beforehand.