Blog

2

I'm struggling in a major way! I feel good on the paleo diet (and have for 4 weeks since I took it on) but my appetite has declined significantly and I'm a bit concerned. I've been forcing myself to eat because I know I can't live off 600 calories, but it's painful to eat.

My body-fat % has gone from 21-24% and my digestion is at a stand still. I can't figure out what's happening.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup berries, egg whites, chia seeds, 3 tbsp coconut butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil Lunch: salmon + cucumber, peppers, and celery Dinner: roasted vegetables with 2-3 tbsp coconut oil, 4oz chicken

And that's on a good day where I'm actually able to eat that much.

Any info you guys can give me would be awesome. I want to do this diet, because I believe in the benefits, I'm just not having much luck.

flag
If your body fat % is 20 to start out with, you're not overweight, so why would you go so extremely low-carb? Unless your carb burning apparatus is deranged (i.e. you have metabolic syndrome) there's no reason not to use them in reasonable amounts for fuel. Sweet potatoes, bananas and other fruit are extremely good for you. A bit of that might keep you out of ketosis. – gydle Dec 6 2011 at 9:34

7 Answers

8

Don't force yourself to eat. When your body is ready for more food, you will know. It's perfectly OK. Really. Also, eat the whole egg. The yolk is where the nutrition is.

link|flag
Normally I would agree that this is true, but ketosis throws a wrench into appetite big time. You can pass out before "knowing" you have to eat. I did! – January Dec 6 2011 at 4:07
6

I wouldn't find the menu you listed appetizing. I mean no criticism at all, but my appetite doesn't like "diet" meals and that's what your list sounded like to me.

You might try simplifying your menu. Think 2 foods per meal, with at least one a high-fat food, and you can't do anything to reduce the fat content. Eat the high-fat food first, and it's okay if you don't eat the veggie if you feel full. Just make sure you start with the fat in a natural format rather than as an additive.

For example:

Breakfast = bacon and eggs (3 of each)
Lunch = chicken leg with skin (leg is thigh and drumstick) with a small sweet potato or
1/2 of a large one. Put 1 tbsp butter on the sweet potato.
Dinner = 6-8 oz of fatty beef such as chuck with visible fat, with carrots. Put butter on the carrots.

Repeat every day for a week with similar menus and see what happens.

link|flag
3

If your calories and carbs are that low, you're likely in ketosis. Ketosis will suppress your appetite, and the deeper the ketosis, the stronger the appetite suppression. You're probably hungrier than you realize.

When I first went on Atkins (before Paleo), I accidentally ate so little due to ketosis that eventually I passed out on the sidewalk. When I plugged my diet into Fitday, I realized I was hitting maybe 900 calories a day, and it caught up with me (I also work out several times a week, so it was totally unsustainable).

I added sweet potatoes to bring my carb consumption up out of the basement, and was able to feel my appetite again. My weight loss stall also broke, not surprisingly, since my body was no longer in starvation/keep everything mode.

Add a little more fat, too, to ease constipation. And as others have said, eat the whole egg! There's nothing in the white except protein. The yolks are where the action is. :)

link|flag
0

are you soaking the chia seeds before you eat them? speaking of soaking, how are your fluids? last quesstion; what was your appetite like 4 weeks ago and what were you eating then?

link|flag
yes, soaking the chia seeds overnight. I'm having about 2500mL/day (about 2.6quarts) My appetite was ravenous before! Breakfast: 2 cups mixed berries, protein powder, 1 cup almond milk Snack: Muffin with 1 tbsp nut butter Lunch: 1 cup grain with vegetables and 1/2 cup beans Snack: Vegetables and hummus with hard boiled egg Dinner: Bison/Chicken with starchy veg like squash or potato Snack: 2 tbsp nut butter or handful of flax seeds – Leanne Dec 5 2011 at 22:37
1 
Yeah, Chia seeds turn my digestion into sludge, which is funny since they are supposed to move thing along. I'd ditch them and the large amount of coconut products. I do eat some coconut, but I find that coconut can mess up my stomach and also make my appetite weird. Try fattier cuts of meat instead. – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Dec 6 2011 at 2:22
0

How are you measuring body fat? I'd be suspicious of a 3% change in 4 weeks, but on the other hand I'd expect most measurements to vary by at least that from day to day.

I'd also tend to more protein at breakfast time in any case, that's what leaps out from your example.

Aside from that, try not to fall into fixed mechanical thinking. Just because you're not hungry now doesn't you're doomed to eat 600 calories every day for the rest of your life. Try giving your digestion a rest, you'll know soon enough if you want to eat more. And if you stick to prioritising the nutritionally strong foods then appetite should be a good guide. Of course you can try and get things moving by having a really intense workout and not being afraid to feast afterwards.

link|flag
0

How much of the lack of appetite do you think is the fact that you're constipated? It's hard to feel hungry when you're full of s---. I'd focus on trying to get things moving - magnesium, probiotics and/or fermented foods, and more spoonfuls of coconut oil.

link|flag
0

Are you working out at all?

If your not START!

not only will this help build muscle which will in turn burn fat, and improve body composition. But it may help with you appetite as well.

link|flag

Your Answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.