No Appetite, No Problem (your body still needs food)

Hi friends! This blog post is a contribution from my intern, Jennie. She is a current dietetic intern at the Massachusetts General Hospital finishing up her rotations to become a registered dietitian. Thank you, Jennie!

Our world has a new norm. So far, 2020 has been entirely revolutionary with seemingly one gut wrenching headline after another. Our worlds have flipped and we are home more, around friends less, and alone with our thoughts for longer. Our nervous systems have been put through the ringer, with many of us cycling in and out of fight/flight/freeze mode in response to the tumultuous events around us. There is fear, uncertainty, and frustration, not to mention the huge change in routine for many who have the privilege of working from home. 

This likely contributes to increased cortisol, our body’s stress hormone, which under normal circumstances is always circulating at low levels. Under times of stress (like the majority of 2020 so far), our cortisol levels are elevated, which can cause normal hunger and fullness cues to be suppressed or muted (to our primitive brains, running from a proverbial tiger means that eating isn’t a top priority). 

I feel the effects of these changes in my own routine, as well as in friends’ and families’ around me. How can we recreate the norm  (or illusion of such) when the current ~norm~ is so foreign? How can we maintain our progress and confidence with eating and our bodies when the rest of our lives seem to be changing? How can I eat if I am not hungry at my usual mealtimes?

For those in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating, routine and consistency is key. Maintaining recovery and preventing relapse now includes new challenges and obstacles. Hang in there. Take a deep breath. You are not alone.

Everyone is experiencing new challenges and changes, and lucky for us, adaptation is one of humans’ many skills. Albeit uncomfortable and new, we’ve got this.

Something I have been hearing from multiple friends and family members is a lack of appetite during a time that, in any other life, would be a typical mealtime. Perhaps you don’t experience the same amount of hunger, or perhaps hunger approaches you differently while working in a different environment—that is a-okay! There is no wrong way to feel. What does remain constant, however, is that our bodies need a lot of food (more than we may realize). 

Our bodies are machines that, regardless of  what we do each day, run on energy. That energy can’t come from caffeine or water or even sleep- it comes from food: our smoothies, our pizza, our salad, our ice cream. Without this energy, our bodies struggle to perform all the incredible things bodies do—create and maintain cells, fuel the brain, move blood, breathe, and the list goes on….

We’ve said it before, and we will say it again for the people in the back:

there is no such thing as perfect eating, and you don’t have to be a “perfect” eater

That’s right. Pizza is not “bad” or “good” in comparison to a kale salad—they’re just different. Also meaning that not feeling hungry isn’t “good” or “bad,” it is simply a message from our bodies indicating that they need fuel.

That said, sometimes hunger is quiet or hard to interpret, as there is a lot of nuance with these cues. For some, a rumbling stomach may be the last sign of hunger when they are borderline “hangry”.

Some other signs of hunger may include:

• Irritability / short fuse caused by low blood sugar

• Thinking about food/ distracting food thoughts

• Difficulty concentrating

• Energy dip or fatigue

Even if you aren’t hungry, your body still needs food. If you are stressed, anxious, busy, preoccupied with work, or experiencing some other uncomfortable emotion, it is quite normal for typical hunger cues to be muted. Your body’s need for food hasn’t changed, however, and not eating is more likely to make those things feel worse and harder to deal with.

SO, remember that you and your body are on the same side, and when we eat, our bodies work with us. They allow us to keep keeping on, to keep getting our work and lives in order despite the newness of it all, to keep us happy and healthy. 

Perhaps our meals look different from our usual preferences or composition. Or perhaps we add an extra snack because eating three large meals with a few snacks does not sound as good as eating 2 meals and 4-5 snacks. There are no rules, just that you are eating enough! Just remember, even if the same feeling of hunger isn’t there, our bodies are still working hard to keep us moving and breathing and conquering the challenges thrown our way.

Some strategies and suggestions for low appetite days:

• Eat something in the morning

  • You don’t need to eat a full English breakfast at 7am if you don’t feel up to it, but try to find something that sounds fitting to your usual needs and comfort level

  • And remember, coffee is NOT a meal (yes, even if it contains cream, butter or sugar) 

• Include a protein and a carbohydrate, if possible, to provide longer lasting energy and satiety. Some examples: 

  • Smoothie (include any combination of fruit, milk, yogurt, nut/seed butter, flax, chia seeds, etc)

  • Fruit + Peanut/Almond Butter

  • Toast + Egg (toss in some avocado to get some delicious healthy fat, if you feel up to it!)

  • Cheese quesadilla and salsa 

  • Yogurt + granola

• Keep it simple and make it easy on yourself! 

  • Eating doesn’t need to be complicated

  • Grocery delivery 

  • Meal delivery kits can be a convenient way to cook and eat 

  • Take out- take a break from cooking and get something from your favorite restaurant 

  • Frozen meals - no shame in the frozen meal game! Just be aware of the fact that you may need more food than what is in the meal (portions are often small!) 

• Processed foods are your friend (Yes, you heard that right!) 

  • If you have very little appetite for food and have no desire to cook- processed and boxed/canned foods can be a godsend! 

  • Lean into those convenience foods- food is not bad for you! 

• Check in with yourself to prevent long stretches between eating: aim for food every 2-4 hours

  • Depending on what you are used to, consider the guideline of 3s

    • 3 meals, 2-3 snacks, every 2-3 hours 

  • Going too long without food, with or without noticeable feelings of hunger, can contribute to low energy, irritability, digestive issues, or the feeling of being ‘hangry’

• Eat foods that you genuinely enjoy! What would your inner child want? 

  • Tortilla chips and guac

  • Cheese and crackers

  • Chocolate 

  • Cereal and milk

  • Whatever YOU like!

• Be kind to yourself

  • Things are weird and if you feel waves of discomfort in your life, that is totally normal!

  • Eat foods that make you feel good, or remind you of good experiences 

  • Let go of some of the expectations of what meals and snacks “should” look like (stop “shoulding” all over yourself!)

Let yourself feel all your emotions and all your transitions, but despite all the changes, remember that our bodies still need food. So grab a yummy snack, take a deep breath, and let yourself just be. We are going to get through this!