Low Carb diet, and my appetite is gone. How much to eat?

[Anonymous]

I have been low carb for about 5 weeks now, and I'm happy with my weight loss.

I'm not super low carb, I've been around 50 carbs on the days that I've checked, because I've still been eating fruit. Most days I don't check, I just make the choices that seem obviously lower carb.

I am shocked how much my appetite has disappeared. Tonight, for example, I've eaten probably 700 calories, with maybe 10 of that carbs, and I could eat, or I could go to bed without eating again.

I have heard that your metabolism slows down if you eat too little, so I should eat the salad I had planned for dinner. Plus, I haven't had much veggies or any fruit today, so i feel like I"m not getting enough nutrition. I also worry that I'll wake up starving tomorrow. So, I've been eating dinner even when I'm not hungry, but I wonder. If your goal was weight loss, would you stop when you weren't hungry, or would you eat 3 meals?

[Anonymous]

And you discussed this eating plan with a qualified, credentialed registered dietitian who fully endorsed what you're doing.... oh... wait....

[Anonymous]

Don't ever eat when you aren't hungry. Eat when you are. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't ever eat when you aren't hungry. Eat when you are. That's it.

Corollary: If a diet designed to reduce appetite (this includes both keto and IF) reduces your appetite too much, then it's not a good diet for you.

[Anonymous]

Once in awhile.is not bad but you won't get necessary nutrients at 700 calories a day, or even most days so it is not a long term, sustainable way of eating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't ever eat when you aren't hungry. Eat when you are. That's it.

OP here, that sounds really good in theory. In reality it doesn't always work. I'm a teacher and I coach after school. During the school year, I know that there are 3 times when I can eat during the day. Before school (7:00 a.m.), on my lunch break (10:45 or 11:00) and after practice (6:30 or later). I guess I could also eat right before bed, but I have problems with reflux so I don't. So, often I'll make sure to eat something at 10:45 or 11:00, even if I'm not particularly hungry, because I know that otherwise I'll be starving and 6:30, and that's no fun, and doesn't lead to great choices.

My question is whether I should do the same thing at 6:30, if I'm not hungry. My guess is yes, but I wanted to check.

For those of you who have jobs where you can stop whenever you want, that's great, but some of us do need to eat on a schedule.

I should clarify that by "not hungry", I'm not referring to "Oh, I'm so full" or "Ugh, I can't think of eating". I wouldn't ignore those cues, but I'm talking about times when I could take it or leave it.

I should add that I went ahead and ate a salad last night, so I can't tell you if skipping it led to more hunger the next days.

[Anonymous]

Make sure you're getting enough protein, possibly supplementing with fish oil or some other way to get your omega 3's, and taking a multi-vitamin at least.

If you're steadily losing .5-1.5 pounds/week, then I wouldn't worry.

If you're losing much more, maybe supplement with protein shakes or something so you don't lose too fast.

[Anonymous]

Eat your dinner.
Plan your meals in advance, and follow that schedule, not your appetite. It would be better for weight loss in the long run, slow and steady.

[Anonymous]

How old are you? I am 50 and my doctor told me 800/day to lose weight and 100 to maintain.

Not sure how 700 is so shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? I am 50 and my doctor told me 800/day to lose weight and 100 to maintain.

Not sure how 700 is so shocking.

Sorry 1000 to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? I am 50 and my doctor told me 800/day to lose weight and 100 to maintain.

Not sure how 700 is so shocking.

I'm 49, I'm guessing I'm larger than you are because my doctor, and the NIH calculator both agree that I should be eating somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories to lose weight.

The 700 was shocking, only because before I started on my diet, if I'd eaten 700 calories for breakfast and lunch, I still would have been hungry at dinner.

Yesterday, when I posted that, I had eaten the following:

Breakfast:

A couple scrambled eggs with butter
A caramel sea salt and almond kind bar

Lunch:

The filling of a sandwich, without lettuce instead of bread.

Now, if I'd had eggs and pancakes, and the same sandwich with bread, and nothing else, I would have been hungry at dinner time. Not starving, but not posting on DCUM to crowdsource whether I should dinner. To me, the difference in my appetite is quite remarkable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? I am 50 and my doctor told me 800/day to lose weight and 100 to maintain.

Not sure how 700 is so shocking.

I'm 49, I'm guessing I'm larger than you are because my doctor, and the NIH calculator both agree that I should be eating somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories to lose weight.

The 700 was shocking, only because before I started on my diet, if I'd eaten 700 calories for breakfast and lunch, I still would have been hungry at dinner.

Yesterday, when I posted that, I had eaten the following:

Breakfast:

A couple scrambled eggs with butter
A caramel sea salt and almond kind bar

Lunch:

The filling of a sandwich, without lettuce instead of bread.

Now, if I'd had eggs and pancakes, and the same sandwich with bread, and nothing else, I would have been hungry at dinner time. Not starving, but not posting on DCUM to crowdsource whether I should dinner. To me, the difference in my appetite is quite remarkable.

Can you link the NIH calculator.

I am 5'8" I am 162.

I literally can't eat bread or I go up to 168 overnight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? I am 50 and my doctor told me 800/day to lose weight and 100 to maintain.

Not sure how 700 is so shocking.

I'm 49, I'm guessing I'm larger than you are because my doctor, and the NIH calculator both agree that I should be eating somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories to lose weight.

The 700 was shocking, only because before I started on my diet, if I'd eaten 700 calories for breakfast and lunch, I still would have been hungry at dinner.

Yesterday, when I posted that, I had eaten the following:

Breakfast:

A couple scrambled eggs with butter
A caramel sea salt and almond kind bar

Lunch:

The filling of a sandwich, without lettuce instead of bread.

Now, if I'd had eggs and pancakes, and the same sandwich with bread, and nothing else, I would have been hungry at dinner time. Not starving, but not posting on DCUM to crowdsource whether I should dinner. To me, the difference in my appetite is quite remarkable.

Can you link the NIH calculator.

I am 5'8" I am 162.

I literally can't eat bread or I go up to 168 overnight.

Because carbs absorb water. It’s just water weight, not fat.

[Anonymous]

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/body-weight-planner