Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So, I'm a little concerned... should I be?

I've been "paleo-ish" for about 6 mos, very few gaffs & I exercise 5-ish days a week (1-2 hrs each workout). I tend to be hungry w/in an hour or so of working out (as I tend to be in fasting mode or at least several hours since a last meal). I next to never feel hungry anymore. I've noticed this the past several weeks. I'm not light headed, not dizzy or feeling sluggish, just not hungry. But I end up eating something out of concern/worry (protein/fat or just veg w/butter).
I don't feel ill, I'm getting enough sleep, not super stressed... just not hungry! Health note: I still have 10-15 lbs to lose, so I'm not in danger of wasting away. Just concerned mostly re: nutrition

flag	asked Dec 23 2011 at 2:36 SuZQ 527●3●8

Nance · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-23 02:50:19Z UTC

It's good to be aware of what's going on but I agree it doesn't sound like anything scary is happening. Some folks--and I'm one sometimes--can temporarily lose interest in food when we are frequently in ketosis.

Just a suggestion: Once per week, set up a rough plan of how much you'd like to eat each day. It's fine to eat a little more or a little less, but make a mental note not to eat TOO much less. There are times when my IF intervals seem to get longer and longer. That's okay for a while, I even let myself skip eating food one day per week if I feel like it, but if it starts to go too far I fix a nice tasty meal even if I'm not hungry. I usually find that after the first bite or two I start to savor the flavors and I usually finish what I fixed. The flip side is that I may now be hungrier than usual, and I try to use the same approach--a little more food than usual is fine, but not TOO much more.

meret · Answer 2 · 2011-12-23 03:07:37Z UTC

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sometimes loss of appetite can be a sign of over-training. just keep an eye on it and if you notice you're losing your desire to be active or you're not sleeping well, you may want to make sure that you're not overtraining. if you are, ignore it at your own risk: you can get away with it for a while, but it catches up with you (clearly, i've been there...)

answered Dec 23 2011 at 3:07

meret
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	Nance has good points but this is a good one as well. I like to workout but do sometimes lose my appetite when I've gotten a little too tired and sore. You might take an extra rest day and even tinker with fasting some or conciously trying to eat less those days. Once your body feels more rested you might be surprised how hungry you really are. – Tom R. Dec 23 2011 at 3:41
	@Tom R, I agree! If rest results in better appetite then over-training is probably the issue. – Nance Dec 23 2011 at 4:04

Tom · Answer 3 · 2011-12-23 06:14:45Z UTC

Nothing to worry about IMHO. Your body is thanking you for the great nutrient-dense food you're giving it, and rather than keeping you slave to your crashing blood glucose, is contentedly recognising that it has all the stores it needs and you don't need to be eating all the time.

Also probably something to do with ketosis which you will be in and out of (probably in more than out). It often diminishes your interest in food, although can occasionally border on a slightly nauseated feeling. No big deal.

legup · Answer 4 · 2011-12-23 04:24:01Z UTC

I like this question, because I have been wondering how much meat I would really be eating if I were living in paleo. times. Certainly not every day, 2-3 times! I think there would have been lots of short fasting periods when food just wasn't available in large quantities, and folks had to snack on roots or nuts or leaves, twigs, etc. Maybe your body is getting enough nourishment from the paleo diet you've been following, and it simply doesn't need any more. I wonder- Is the weight melting off or are you losing slowly?

legup · Answer 5 · 2011-12-23 04:50:10Z UTC

I like this question, because I have been wondering how much meat I would really be eating if I were living in paleo. times. Certainly not every day, 2-3 times! I think there would have been lots of short fasting periods when meat just wasn't available in large quantities, and folks had to snack on roots or nuts or leaves, twigs, etc. Maybe your body is getting enough nourishment from the paleo diet you've been following, and it simply doesn't need any more. I wonder- Is the weight melting off or are you losing slowly?

Losing Appetite

5 Answers