I want my hunger pangs back :(

Hi all :)
JUst need to ask a question and stuff, I really miss the normal hunger pangs you used to get before you had an ed...Like when your stomach would rumble pleasantly before lunchtime when you were in class...I don't mean the sickening starving hunger pangs I got during my restricting, I just mean the APPETITE if you know what I mean.

It's gradually coming back, but any advice on ANYTHING I can do to help it come back? When I'm sitting about i do a kind of ab exercise, like holding in my stomach and pushing it out and holding it etc, it might help build up a bit of muscle in my horrible stomach and also it does make me slightly hungrier.

I've read on here about mechanical eating and stuff and I really should give it a try, but I have a weird thing where I Feel i have to be ENJOYING my food, like I have to have earned it kinda thing :/ Like I have to sit down and appreciate it etc.

Any tips? ^_^
(Sorry if this has been posted before but I couldnt find it)

xxxx

Being healthy is more important then enjoying every mouth full of food at this point.

It is great to enjoy food but it could harm your recovery if you eat less because you can’t get what you enjoy

If you are in a rush for example and have to eat slightly faster, or in the car, then you will not be able to sit down and enjoy a meal like you would like to but you need to compromise and stop giving excuses as to why you missed an opportunity to eat - if you don’t like rushing a meal or having something out side your plan then tough, recovery is much more important then getting your own way all the time with food

I also love to enjoy my food, seriously, I have to sit down and enjoy each mouthful and I ALSO have to be reading something I enjoy like a magazine or checking emails, OR watching something good, I really enjoy concentrating on the taste while relaxing with things I enjoy doing BUT if you have a choice between eating in a way you don’t enjoy as much as usual, or NOT eating, your must eat.

I have read some of your posts on the weight gain page and I think that to get your hunger pangs back to need to eat much more, you are doing so well and deserve a lot of credit for how strong you have been BUT, you actually need to eat enough for your metabolism to rev up to the point where you feel hungry!

Basically, once you start eating more, you will get more hungry!

I have actually read a lot of your posts and all I can say is, come on really push yourself and make your actions as strong as your words - telling you ED to get stuffed and feeling so determined to beat it needs to be matched with the food you eat!

When I was under eating for 6 months, my hunger pangs went away completely. I kind of miss that actually. But once I started eating a normal amount of food, ohhh my goodness are they back. :) So once you come out of your ED, and start eating more, they'll definately return. You haven't lost them for good, they're just hiding out.

Some good things I found help me to boost calories were cashews. So find your "snack" to bring those hunger pangs back!

Thanks guys :) My mum's making me go on complan for a while D:
I guess this means Im really not gaining fast enough :/

So Im going to try eat more, whether im hungry or not. Just snack more spontaneously and frequently. if I go into the kitchen, see cake, i should jhust take a slice rather than worry about how it might affect my hunger for next meal or wahtever. Gahh im so bloated right now! lol

xxxx

 Never fear; your hunger pangs will return eventually, so long as you keep up your amazing efforts.  Hang in there.  For now though, you'll have to practise mechanical eating.  Even if you don't feel hungry, you need to eat. 

If you're feeling too bloated and full, try high-cal but non-filling things like nuts--I think you're the Nutella fan?--full-fat cheeses etc.  And everyone seems to be a fan of peanut butter, so perhaps try that too--I honestly am not a fan, and am not a fan of nuts in general, although cashews and pecans are OK.  Space out your snacks too, making them little and often.  Graze away, hon!

I really sympathise with you, because I feel like I'm too full to enjoy my food at times, and thus want to wait until I'm hungry so I'll enjoy eating.  But no, I haven't given in to ED and am continuing to chomp my way to health.

Had hot chips today, then for dessert a caramel sundae from Macca's, then for afternoon tea, had a caramel tart and a coffee.  Spot the caramel addict. 

Am yet to have dinner and my evening snack, but whatever I wind up having I plan to enjoy.  Whether ED likes it or not.

Keep up the great work, Dolly.  Take care, and please do see a doctor, if you can.

Mel. xox

mel - aww you're so lovely :)

So I should basically be eating snacks or meals every couple of hours? I LOVE nutella, so maybe Nutella's on ryvitas should become more of a regular snacking thing... Teehee yeah, I probably shouldn't eat nuts because I have braces and you're not meant to eat really hard foods but oh well, I have an excuse!

Same, I hate not being able to feel Im enjoying my food cos of the bloatyness, because it kinda distorts my views of the food, Im like "maybe I made the portion too big if i feel too full..." even when its probbaly just a normal portion.

Wow Im glad you're a caramel addict =) Thats got to be good for gaining right? :) Im not a big caramel fan myself but I LOVE chocolate and stuff.

Im sure we'll both get through this and enjoy our way to recovery :')

Mariaxxx

Hi Maria,

Yes, that's the idea.  You should go no longer than 4 hours between meals and snacks while awake, according to my doctor.

Bring on those Ryvitas and Nutella, say I!  Today I ate Subway, and I got parmesan and oregano bread--take that cheesy goodness, ED!  Then I had a muffin from Muffin Break for dessert.  Then I had an ice cream for my afternoon snack.  I'm yet to have dinner, but I'm going to make pasta or maybe rice and veges.  Also I bought some white chocolate mousse for dessert.  Hmm, maybe not a balanced diet, but at least I'm enjoying it! 

I'm going for 7000 cals extra again this week ie. 3000 per day.  I really should up seeing as I haven't gained yet.  Next week, I promise.  My parents are visiting on Oct 29, and I want to be 55 kg/121 lbs by then at least.  Time to get my butt in gear, or should I say my mouth?

Keep up the fantastic work!  I'm with you all the way.

Mel. xox

it takes a while for the cues to come back.  i have been eating well and increasing for 4 moths and mine are not back yet...

rely on the clock and on a number of cals for now as much as it sucks.

yes-now you NEED to eat mechanically-it does NOT matter if youre not hungry-EAT.

also, yes, my hunger cues are returning as well as the ability to hear food cravings and go along w/ them and eat it.  it took a while but i think it comes w/ actual weight gain.

I read somewhere that taking zinc can help improve appetite...so I tried it when I started about 2 months ago and it really helped. I am not sure if this is a placebo effect, but I do know that after I started taking it I have had a much better appetite. I still get those "bloaty days", but there's no way out of those--no pain no gain, literally :)

I take about 25 mg/day...might want to try it--it can't hurt either way, because it also helps your immune system! Keep up the great work..and if you try this, be prepared to eat a lot!

Yeah I recently heard that if I manage to up my cals to 3000 (Im at around 1800 just now) I could maintain on 3000 in the future! Imagine how cool that would be? :]

So Im pretty motivated to start upping and eating more frequently now anyway.

Mel - That's great and sounds sooo yummy ^^ In my opinion, we starved ourselves long enough so recovery should be enjoyable right? Eat what you want! Don't worry too much about nutritional value and stuff :P And try up to 3000, Im going to do it I think :)

I take Multivitamins & Iron, and Vitamin C tablets... Will they have any affect on my hunger levels? I started taking them both before ED because Ive been a veggie all my life and my mum thought it would just help me in general, like my immune system and stuffs.

xxx

Hey Maria,

I upped to 3000 last week with no gain, so try it and see.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, after all.  Bad pun, I know.  I really should up another 500 cals, but next week, I promise, if nothing comes of this week.  I'm still feeling a bit scared about going up to 3500, or higher.  Still, I want to gain to 55 kg/121 lbs by November 29, when my folks visit, so I'm just going to have to do it.  No excuses.

Vitamins shouldn't affect your hunger levels.  Actually I read in an article that zinc helps with weight gain, but whether that means it makes you hungry, or just helps you to absorb cals, I don't know. 

You're doing so well.  I know you can up to 3000.  And believe me, you'll feel much better.  It gives you so much energy, and strength to beat ED can only be good.  The more support, the better.

Keep it up!

Mel.  xox