20 Jul Why Not Being Hungry Is Bad
If you’re giving yourself a high five for not being hungry until 5pm, you better put that hand down. Not being hungry is not a good thing + it can actually show something is up in the body. We need fuel to live that includes the internal things, such as our cellular processes, and that also includes being able to exercise and have good energy throughout the day.
The “calories in and calories out” thinking has some merit, but undereating is a real issue in women. We have many clients say “I’m not losing weight and I don’t eat a lot because I’m not hungry! This should be working!”
Guess what, your body isn’t getting the fuel it needs to run your metabolism! The less you eat, the lower your metabolism goes. Period.
Reasons Why You Might Not Be Hungry
- Anxiety + Depression + Stressed – If you’re feeling stressed and anxious, your stress hormones are going to be slowing down your digestion + your hunger cues will tank.
- Sick – If you aren’t feeling well and hunger isn’t on top of mind, this is usually super temporary as your body shifts to fighting off an illness. This is okay short-term + not the issue we’re talking about here!
- Medications – Major side effects of medications are low appetite. Make sure you are getting familiar with the medications you are taking, so you can see where you can decrease or take out (with your doctor’s help! Don’t do this by yourself!)
- Aging – As you get older, your digestion slows + your appetite can slow too. Don’t forget about hormone changes, but you can get your hunger back regardless with the right diet + lifestyle habits + exercise.
There is also a connection that having low ghrelin levels (this is your hunger hormone that makes your tummy rumble!) is connected to having insulin resistance.
Hunger Cues Help Us Eat To Fuel Our Metabolism
When our body has the ability to tell us that we’re hungry, we eat, we fuel up, + we feel good! If you aren’t eating your first meal until late in the day and you say “But I wasn’t hungry” – this is a RED FLAG. A lot of women that work with us have awesome goals + what’s holding them back from their goals is eating enough + throughout the day.
If you decide to track some of your food even just for a week and you simply let your hunger cues guide you when and what to eat, if you are an adult woman and falling below 1500 calories naturally, this means that your hunger cues are unreliable right now. This doesn’t mean that it’s FOREVER. But, you need to shift your focus on slowly increasing what your food intake and metabolism and your hunger cues can come back into something you trust.
If you are eating enough + you aren’t struggling with hunger cues, you might be hitting right where your body needs to be! Now that I can give you a high five too! 😉 This is the goal!
Side note: If you realize on your more sedentary days, your hunger cues are lower. That’s perfectly normal. As activity decreases, your body tells you you need less that day + vice versa. This is NOT the situation I’m talking about here.
Work with our team of dietitians to help you understand your body, fuel your body, so you can truly start living your best life! Head over to this page and fill out the form to request your free appointment!
