bloodaxe's Journal, 24 August 2012

I know the feeling! I don't know if this will help but I heard it's the fat that curbs hunger, so maybe eating leaner proteins, like chicken/fish will help. I have to choke down food sometimes to make my RDI. 

Hi Bloodaxe - hang in there. First let me say that you have been a superstar dieter, an amazing weightloss in a very short period of time. It is a real testament to your motivation thus far. Fantastic job. I have a couple thoughts to consider or rubish as you see fit: I've noticed that you have been worried about hitting a plateau before it has actually happened. Today you lost weight and your journal started with "Sadly" in anticipation of an unfavorable drop tomorrow. Perhaps you have a bit of subconcious fear about the scale not moving downward at the velocity you are used to. Also, I am not familiar with the principles of your diet program but it seems to me your calories are on the low side. Could it be that your metabolism has dialed downward and therefore you are less hungry. Could it be that your low calorie level and rapid weightloss is impacting brain and emotional hormone levels? Combine that with a possible overconcern about the scale and, for me - I start doing crazy stuff like too little calories and it always fails. In my opinion, successful weightloss and maintenance is like a long distance marathon and you need a healthy metabolism for the last third of the race, December thru January. You've been running a superfast sprint strategy, useful to get into those pants, but likely to lead to burnout before you get to goal. One of the reasons you wanted to lose weight was to set an example for your patients. I'm curious - what would you advise them to do?  

Rory is wise and we should both take her statements to heart, I think. Metabolism health seems so elusive to me. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle on that front. 

Good points all. One way or another, it's all in my head. Either I'm psyching myself out, preparing myself for the 'inevitable failure' and self-sabotaging so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, or else I'm falling into obsession. (Well, or as you also suggest, I may have screwed up my ghrelin and orexin production, but knowing my own history, I think the self-sabotage more likely.) I think it's time to pick up my copy of Siddhartha again, and spend time thinking about something else. 

Excellent. Very low calorie/rapid weightloss is like a drug, you want it more and more and it becomes less and less effective over time. Relax, set a comfortable pace, think long distance and don't be afraid. You will get there. 

Aurora, I hear exacly what you are saying. I told bloodaxe in his past journal entries, that having a low calorie count is not the real solution to weight loss. Bloodaxe I know that you might be seeing extrem weight lost now, but if you do continu this way, you will have multiple health problems. In the past I had a pore diet and I developed a B-12 deficiency. Even if you take a multi vitamine, it is still not enof to feed your body. The diet you are following is realy not good for your health. I would go see a dietitian if I was you. There are more healthy choices that you could make that will give you the same results. If you are trying to give your patients a good example I would do it by making healther choices, Not by starving your self. I think the reason why you are not feeling hungry is because you are brain washing your self. You want to lose the weight so bad that your brain is telling your body that's its not hungry, just like a anorexic. Mabe you will not like what I am saying, but that is how that illness starts. I would realy think of seeing a doctor. Good luck my friend! :) 

I am definitely not an expert, but I would say you are not eating enough. It seems you are at half or less of what you should eat. The less you eat, the less you want, until you just don't want anything. Been there, done that. Break out of your comfort zone and have a slice of pizza or a fast food taco. That will bring back your appetite. 

By the way Bloodaxe, I don't neccessarily think it is all in your head. From a medical education standpoint, I think you've gotten a small taste of the biochemical seduction of starvation. It doesn't hurt and you're not hungry - you get depressed and a starved brain doesn't think clearly, the lean tissue in every cell membrane is being compromised and eventually the heart electrical system shuts down - but you are not hungry. Ok, I'm done, have a nice break. 

It's not that the body is starving and getting biochemically addicted to it, at least not in my case. If I go back to eating high carb foods, my appetite returns full force. Unless you have tried a low carb, high fat diet, you really can't understand how much that curbs the appetite. Chill out people!