Hi Everyone - I started following Atkins recently (on day 26 of Induction) and have been going great - until yesterday. I am really happy with my weight (16lbs) and inch loss(c:1"/w:4"/h:1") so far.

Today however, I have an almost complete loss of appetite and I know these past 2 days I have barely gotten 12 carbs down far less 20.

I normally can eat breakfast - usually an egg with either half a roasted tomato or a few grilled mushrooms. By lunch, I pick at my salad. I can barely eat it. Last night I had to force myself to cook and eat my dinner.

My Meal plan for today should have been (Net carbs in brackets)
- please note I weigh my food in grams and found this list on another Atkin's forum (I find it helps to really make sure i've covered actual carbs!). My only beverage of choice is water.

Breakfast (Eaten in full):
1 boiled egg (0.6)
100g Mushrooms (2.18)

Lunch (Have only managed to eat 1/3):
1 poached chicken breast (0)
100g Arugula Leaves (2.05)
50g Tomato (1.36)
50g Red Sweet Peppers (1.97)
My homemade Dressing (approx 2 carbs)

Afternoon "Tea":
100 g Cucumber sticks (3.13)
1oz Swiss Cheese (1.55)

Dinner:
6 oz Turkey Breast (0)
100g Broccoli (4.04)
1oz Mozzarella (0.6)

Total Carbs: 19.50 approx.

I'm really hoping someone on here can help me - I'm trying to stay on target - eating high carb veggies (cucumber/tomato/artichoke hearts) to really hit the minimum veggie limit but this has been really hard. esp today.

Thanks,
Emma

Well, my appetite dropped a lot the first month or so I was on Atkins (all three times) but it did come back after about a month. As long as you feel well, I wouldn't worry about it. JerseyGrl may have better, more specific advice for you.

Thanks so much DC!

I really don't want to sabotage any of this hard work I have put in so far.

How about a measuring out some nuts? that would boost your carbs a bit and calories giving you what you need. Whats nice is you can eat them on the run.

If she's still on Induction (as am I, now entering my tenth month), nuts aren't yet permitted. If she's in OWL they are.

Hi Emma,

The same thing has happened to me, and so I was just searching Google to see what I could find. (The Internet is awesome!)

I have been dieting for 27 days now and have lost 18 pounds, but so far on two occasions my appetite vanished enough to give me pause.

Both times (red arrow on graph) my weight loss stopped, and so I guessed that my body must have been going into starvation mode - just guessing.

What I did was increase protein for about the same calories. My appetite came back and I started losing weight again. I also stopped the minor exercising that I was doing.

Latter I reduced calories even more while maintaining the same protein (blue arrow on graph).

It's only been few days, but I think (and I'm hoping) that I can just stick to this meal plan for the duration. It's small enough that I'm losing weight, but I'm getting significant protein and I'm pretty hungry at mealtime. And I've restarted my minor exercises (not cardio, just a couple minutes of weight lifting to remind my body not to take the weight from my arms/chest/shoulders).

My current meal plan is:

(breakfast)
* 1 hard-boiled egg
* 1/2 of a protein drink
* 1-1/2 cups mixed (organic) vegetables

(lunch)
* 2 ham slices around 1 cheese stick
* 1 small apple

(dinner)
* 1-1/2 cups mixed (organic) vegetables
* 1/2 turkey burger patty

I don't know the answer, but at least we know this same thing has happened to other people.

Jeff

Hi JerseyGyrl,

I'm probably doing something close, but I do not have the Atkins book.

For myself, I've found that protein and fat are what keep me from getting hungry for a while after I eat. Carbs don't satisfy me for long. So I'm limiting myself to protein and vegetables to lose weight.

I use vegetables as bulk to fill my stomach. I buy the organic ones just so I don't get too much pesticides/herbicides from eating so much vegetables. As my stomach has shrunken, now I don't need as much vegetables to feel full. I started at 6 cups a day and now I'm down to 3.

So I think that is close to the Atkins diet - but the reason I posted here is that I was searching for loss of appetite while dieting and I found Emma's post.

I did find one more quote about loss of appetite - which agrees with my thought that my appetite loss was due to eating too little.

I found it here, and I attached a screen shot:
http://www.herbs2000.com/disorders/appetite_loss.htm

I don't know for sure, but my loss of appetite was so dramatic that I didn't want to continue doing the same thing I was.

My appetite may have returned either way - I don't know - but after finding the above quote, I'm happy I increased my protein intake.

Any thoughts or comments you have are welcome,

Jeff

Hi Jeff - My weight loss has not stalled at all - 6.6lbs lost last week alone. Friday Snack was not eaten and only a very small amount from Dinner Fri. There was not much change to the pattern Sat/Sun.

I'm still plodding along - we will see where this takes me. If I continue to loose weight - then I guess it's good?

Not sure if related - but yesterday I was extremely thirsty - I drank 4 1.5ltr bottles by myself - It was hot but still? Today I feel a tad bit brain-drained - but I still feel like I could go exercise now.

No headaches/just not hungry at all.

Hi Emma, this is Jeff,

After reading more references to appetite loss, it sounds pretty common. I read a few times that you should make sure you eat at least a minimum amount. No one really thought it was a bad thing.

If my appetite stops again, I'll just keep eating the same amount and see what happens.

It sounds like we have been dieting for about the same amount of time and we have lost about the same amount of weight. I wish us both luck!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff - Good Luck!

My main concern is how Atkins will be affected if I can't get the right amount of carbs in - still noting what I eat plus my morning weigh in.
Today I am bone dead tired. I know it's related to the lack of appetite - but lord - At least i still love tomatoes!

Make sure you are taking a good vitamin and drinking your water Good luck !!

.

Thanks - been drinking lots of water and taking my vitamins daily!