Almost ready for refeed but not hungry?

[Hayley23]

Hi everyone,

I am getting very close to refeed now. I'm at the lower end of my goal range and feeling great but this poses the question....why am I not at all hungry?

I understand that by this time, people are usually so ravenous that they are ready to start knawing their elbows??! I am consistently NEVER hungry. Lately I have even been spacing my meals out more too. One of the best things about Cohen's, for me, has been no hunger or cravings for sweet things (previously I had never known a life without hankering for sweets) but I am just wondering if there is anyone else who has been particularely un-hungry at the time of their refeed? Any ideas people?

Thanks.

xx

[shell]

Goal range is just that, a range not set in concrete.
Some are ready a bit before some lower.
By your ticker you still have just over 1kg to go, the hunger could set in when you get closer to it.

Just listen to your body and you will know when you are ready.
Well done and good luck!
Shell

[Kohinoor]

Hi Hayley,

I am just wondering if there is anyone else who has been particularely un-hungry at the time of their refeed?

One that sticks with me is SMS (SundayMorningStaple) - but then, his previous life seemed centred around ONE meal a day - I guess he'd practiced somewhat Check his Diary.

As you say, most feel the hunger approaching the goal weight. One or two can go below - but it doesn't seem overly common. Maybe you are one of the "one or two"

One thing that does seem to hold - your body WILL tell you (and it may not always be hunger). Listen to it, and go with it. Who knows, Hayley - maybe PCOS might "change the rules" a little bit.

Hmm, now I'm guessing - but then, I always did look for those "outside the square" things,

Koh

[Hayley23]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

Shell - I am actually at the bottom end of my goal range suggested by Dr Cohen which was 56-59kg. I changed my ticker to 55kg as my goal as I thought I could go a bit lower given the fact I feel fine and am anything but hungry. I can afford to go to about 54kg still scraping through in a healthy weight for my height, but any lower and that would make me underweight. I guess I'll just have to see what happens.

Koh - Funny you mention the 'one meal a day thing.' I actually used to do that quite a bit myself. Its very naughty I know! I had somewhat given up and trying to do the right thing for my body as I had the 'nothing works for me anyway - whoa is me' attitude for a long time.

Hmmm I guess its a matter of taking it a day at a time. I was just also a little concerned as I was having a flick through my program and it states:
The refeeding program is only effective once your body has reached it's metabolic equilibrium. - So if i'm not hungry, does that mean my body isnt at it's metabolic equilibrium?

I wouldnt want to do refeed at the wrong time and have it not be effective for me. I'm already terrified of the food amounts on refeed as my consultant says its about 5 times as much as program amounts - well towards the end anyway. Geez - i'm wondering how I wont gain weight??!

[Kohinoor]

Hi Hayley,

So if i'm not hungry, does that mean my body isnt at it's metabolic equilibrium?

I'd say that's probably right - if it is not hurting you to keep on, then keep on.

As I understand it, "you're ready" shows itself when the time is right. Meanwhile, I'll call on a higher power - so watch out for a reply from Asy. If anyone knows, she does !!

Koh

[Hayley23]

Ok great thanks Koh.

I guess i'm jumping the gun a bit but was wondering what to do if I get the lowest possible 'healthy' weight and am still not at all hungry? Guess we'll see.

[Kohinoor]

was wondering what to do if I get the lowest possible 'healthy' weight and am still not at all hungry?

Well, you're quite a few Kgs away from that right now (BMI of 18.5 is the "crossover" between Underweight and Normal) so no immediate issue.
I just checked - even down to under 50Kg, you're still Normal. Below 49.65Kg, you are entering Underweight. So, for now, you're still 6Kg away from that.

The other thing that I've seen regularly on here - that someone is "on song" and happy, and, in a matter of days, they are suddenly hungry, fretting, and ready for refeed.

It might be 5Kg away for you, or it might be 500g - whichever is "equilibrium for you" I reckon. For now, I'd say keep on you little champ

Koh

[Hayley23]

Ohhh all very useful information thanks Koh.

Last time I talked to my consultant she wanted to order my refeed for me but I stressed to her I wasnt hungry. She said she wouldnt want me going much lower then the bottom range calculated by Dr Cohen.

I guess I thought a BMI under 20 was underweight? And that anything under 18 was emaciated? Unless this is what the doctors say in New Zealand (not that I have any faith in them anymore).

Ok if there are others that have gone a bit lower and adament that I should be knocked off my feet by hunger then I will see what happens.

I even wondered if perhaps I'm not hungry because I STILL have not found work and am lacking mental stimulation? Hmmm maybe...

Thanks.

[Shanara]

HI Hayley,

I can remember that AJ was not hungry when she started her refeed. You may like to peruse her diary - particularly towards the end of the diary. Aj is much older than you so that should be born in mind. Her consultant did say that some people - a small number don't get hunger symptoms. but there are other signs so maybe you want to check that out.

I am sure you will know when you no longer feel great.

Keep up your great work,
Shanara

[Hayley23]

Ok I will check that diary out - thanks Shanara. Every little bit of info helps!

I have followed Cohens to an absolute T and want to make sure I complete the other phases the same way. I am quite amazed at my stickability, I must say. I guess the real test for me will be refeed and maintenance though. I just still can't beleive I'm at the stage I can wear tight clothing again! I actually feel like I can dress my age once more!!

Thanks for your advice everyone.

xx

[asy]

Hiya Hayley,

What Koh's said is, as usual, absolutely right

The other thing to remember is that starting refeed is another one of my "two out of three" rules things... So long as you are any two of:

Really hungry...
At goal weight (as described by Dr C)...
and/or
Seeing NO more fat reserves to lose...

Then you're there.

So, if you're at goal weight and have "nuded up" and checked yourself HONESTLY in the mirror, and see no more fat reserves, then you're probably fine to start, but you can make the decision. If you're hungry and at goal weight, however, you need to start.

Please remember these three can ONLY be accurately measured if you're sticking to the programme 100%.

Anyway, If you aren't hungry, and want to get a bit smaller, then go for it.

Also, have a read of kageisen's diary, she went a few kg under her goal weight before she started refeed and has kept it off fine.

asy.

[Hayley23]

Hi Asy,

Thanks so much for posting.

If I have to honestly describe my body. I store EVERYTHING in my thighs. I can probably afford to go a couple of kg lower as I definately still visibly have some weight on my thighs. But I am the type of person who will end up with a ridiculously small waist and skinny arms if my thighs were to be virtually fat free. I am very slim from the waist up but there is a little to go from the waist down.

I think I will go a little lower for now and just take it day by day. I had a look through AJ's diary yesterday, as Shanara suggested, and I am the same as she described herself. Prior to Cohen's I could easily skip a meal and not be hungry etc. and have never had much of an appetite at all. Bugger all really. Its just me I guess. If I had to survive on minimal food I could quite easily do so.

Trust me, I have stuck to the program 100%, of that you can be sure. I will have a look through that diary also.....

Cheers.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hayley,

Maybe I should poke my nose in here for a moment just to give you something that occurred to me during another of these discussions at some point last year.

You mentioned that you also had a tendency to do the 1 meal a day thing. I did it all the time as I only ate when I got hungry which was usually late at night (8:-9:30 or so).
I did this for so long that I never even thought about food, per se, during the day. No breakfast (Other than a cup of tea with condensed mile), no lunch and rarely any snacks unless an employee was bringing around some goodies they carted to the office.

What I am trying to say is you, like myself, my not be able to recognize hunger as we are so accustomed to ignoring hunger that our minds now block out the symptoms as it knows it will not get a reaction from our conscious self. It's only a guess but it does make some sort of logical sense. I got the the bottom of goal, and started refeed. I only lost 800 g during refeed and settled on my finish weight eventually at bottom of my goal.

In ten days from today I will be finished refeed for exactly 1 year. My final weight was 69kg and my weight today is 70.2kg and normally remains in a range from 69 to 70.5 but have gone as low as 68 and as high as 71. I don't find I have any problems either. However, you would need to read my maintenance diary for information as to how I approached the whole thing. I could have probably gone on down to 67kg but why? I was happy with what I saw in the mirror. I love my 31" Levi's!

[Hayley23]

Hi SMS,

Yes I have been guilty of the 1 meal a day thing but really I was just a very erratic eater. The last couple of years I ate quite irregularely and I very seldom felt much hunger at all, I guess I just thought I had a slow metabolism due to PCOS and therefore my body didn't get hungry 3 times a day like most others.

What I am trying to say is you, like myself, my not be able to recognize hunger as we are so accustomed to ignoring hunger that our minds now block out the symptoms as it knows it will not get a reaction from our conscious self.

I have actually thought about this! But then when I really get my head inside my gutt, I really am not that hungry at all. I may get a bit peckish now and again but I never have true hunger pangs and definately not the intense hunger others describe when approaching refeed.

So were you not hungry at the bottom of your goal range either? I am kind of in two minds about what to do. I get the feeling my consultant wants to hurry me into refeed. I even thought maybe I am not hungry as I havent worked in 3 months and maybe the lack of mental stimulation has something to do with it all as our brains use a fair amount of calories.

Ok I will have a look at your maintenance diary. Thank you for shedding some light on this for me and a big congratulations on maintaining for a year.

[Nat]

Hi Hayley23,

Some people do not get hungry when they hit refeed.

I was one of them but I did have other symptoms.

My symptoms was getting depressed, light headed and also very cold all the time, and looking pale and had no energy.

My consultants said I was well and truely ready for refeed - so you may want to watch out for these other symptoms.

nat

[Hayley23]

Hi Nat,

Thanks for your reply thats very interesting given we have a little in common already. I havent seemed to lack energy yet but I know that this is to do with the 'sedentry' lifestyle I am living at the moment (not being able to find work etc). I'm used to being busy and active. I am definately cold all the time though but i've been that way for a years. It is a little worse after losing 12kg but I guess I expected that.

I am going to ring my consultant next week and have a chat with her I think.

Thanks.

[FlaMie]

Ok all you experts on refeed listen up to my symptoms and tell me if I'm ready for it? Not entirely filled up after my main meal, hungry after an hr after my meal, so tired that I fall asleep on my comp table, still have visible fats on thighs and arms, getting headaches constantly, feeling cold, backache all the time but damn I'm still 3.7kg above top range of my proposed weight range! Help any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!!

[fornight]

BUMP!!!

Originally Posted by asy

Hiya Hayley,

What Koh's said is, as usual, absolutely right

The other thing to remember is that starting refeed is another one of my "two out of three" rules things... So long as you are any two of:

Really hungry...
At goal weight (as described by Dr C)...
and/or
Seeing NO more fat reserves to lose...

Then you're there.

So, if you're at goal weight and have "nuded up" and checked yourself HONESTLY in the mirror, and see no more fat reserves, then you're probably fine to start, but you can make the decision. If you're hungry and at goal weight, however, you need to start.

Please remember these three can ONLY be accurately measured if you're sticking to the programme 100%.

Anyway, If you aren't hungry, and want to get a bit smaller, then go for it.

Also, have a read of kageisen's diary, she went a few kg under her goal weight before she started refeed and has kept it off fine.

asy.

[littlemiss]

Hayley, I know you're enjoying life in maintenance land and likely not to be checking this forum any longer but thank you for posting what I was thinking!

Currently on my high range of my goal weight (57.[something-damn-analogue-scale]kg finally hit that this morning!) and I am NOT hungry, nor having the other symptoms as listed above. (Although I am kinda depressed over certain issues but I don't think it's the [lack of] food talking). Like you, I have a similar body frame - slim upper body but fuller thighs.

Funny that we had the same amount of weight to lose as well! Apparently my lowest weight range is also 53 kg so perhaps will wait it out till I hit that.

[Kohinoor]

Well worth a bump - it has been too long in the wilderness.

If you have any questions re refeed, go back to the start of the thread, and take special note of Asy's post #11, and Nat's post #15. Some good clues in there....