Have you all noticed a loss of appetite while on south beach?

Don't get me wrong I love ALL food. But in the past the big triggers for my overeating were carbs. I love potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, you name it! Also there was a huge weakness with anything with alot of sugar.

Now that my cravings have broken for these I realize that I hardly enjoy eating anymore. Which is great because I used to live to eat, not eat to live. Its not that I don't enjoy the food I eat... but I don't crave it, you know?

Is this normal? Did anyone experience anything like this or was I just so much of a carbohydrate and sugar junkie that this is how it affects me?

I'm having a hard time putting the feeling into words, but could a loss of appetite simply be a lack of *cravings*? Cravings are so annoying because they're always, well, *there*.
This afternoon at knitting, I actually felt like the most normal person there. There were some delectible goodies and fruit. No one touched the fruit, but everyone pretty much inhaled the choc/pb concoction. One gal was stressed, and made it very clear that it was just what she needed-eating 4 or 5. Then they moved to the kitchen to do all the tasting for a big pot of au gratin potatoes. It just didn't bug me because I wasn't hungry. I had a great OP lunch, brought my own snack and was 100% ok with not eating anything.
To me, lack of hunger is simply a great reward for sticking to plan. I find the longer I'm following SBD WOE, the easier it gets to eat more for sustaining my body rather than feeding the empty hole in my belly.

I experienced that, Katybug, and I think I actually went through a period of mourning when I was at your stage. I would get so psyched for my Friday wine and potato chip regime, and once I started SB I knew that that combo wouldn't work and wouldn't make me feel better. The best way I can compare it is to look back to when I was taking Chantix to quit smoking and had to give up the idea that I would get a physical high from smoking.

In so many ways, the chemical reaction of blood sugar acts on us unconsciously. When your sugar dips, you really look for something to get you back up there (and we all know what works: crappy food) and when you eat that particular food, you are satiated and experience a physical and metal sense of relief, but you may not know that process is occurring. Am I making sense???? So your lack of hunger may actually be a lack of craving, as Lexiss said. Maybe someone else can explain this better!

I felt the same Katybug.

Part of it may have been cravings, but part of it was that I wasn't used to eating regular, well balanced meals and snacks. I was used to getting up on work days and grabbing a quick cup of tea. By morning break time I was pretty hungry. At break I'd have a quick snacky thing, maybe a bag of pretzels or a 100 calorie pack of cookies so by the time lunch rolled around I was really hungry again..... and so my days went.

When I started eating protein packed, nutritious snacks and meals and ate on a regular schedule I was always surprised that it was time to eat again already - I never felt hungry enough.

Now that I've been eating well for 4 and a half months I enjoy my meals and snacks but I can't say I'm ever terribly hungry....

I agree that for me, it was about cravings and the habit of thinking I should eat. Not about hunger. So I didn't probably lose my appetite per se. I still ate at meals and my snacks. Now I will admit that sometimes I made dishes that were very "unappetizing" themselves. Boring. I just can't get exciting to eat veggies and protein. (I am doing better now at picking good recipes that are tastier.)

I just wasn't hungry either. At certain points in both Ph1 and Ph2, I just know when I feel full and I stop eating. Amazing but true.

In Ph1 there is a lot of gas and bloating (even with all my water) and so that's another feeling of being "full."

Do a search of the threads. I know we've discussed this before!

I won't say I have a loss of appetite, but if I stick to my 3 meals plus snacks, I don't feel hungry between meals.

I'm not sure if this is what you were talking about, but I will say that I do think eating this way takes some of the "fun" out of eating. And not in a bad way. I still enjoy my meals, but when I'm done, I'm done. If I was snacking on doritos, or chips and dip etc... before, I think I'd overeat because it's crunchy and "fun". Carrots and cucumbers make me just as happy to eat and I feel good when I am done, but I can't say I look forward to the meal like I might have looked forward to cracking open a new bag of chips. Does that make sense? For me, this is a great thing. I eat, it tastes good, and I am full and content.

thanks girls. I do think it was just the cravings thing. Used to be, whenever I craved something I just ate it (as long as it was within reach). Now I never crave anything, I just eat when I'm hungry.

Thanks for all your help, it helped me understand the way I was feeling!

I'm so glad you asked this...I have been feeling this way and think its the cravings that are going away. When I was grocery shopping yesterday the fresh vegetables were calling my name instead of the chocolate cookies.
It is a weird feeling to me, but worth it!

I can kind of understand what you mean. i eat now because my body feels like it needs to be refueled and not like before when there was something I desperately wanted to eat. I'm cooking a lot and making things that taste great but I'll never be overly excited about protein and veggies.

It is a good change and sad. My big craving yesterday was for blueberries when a week ago it would have been chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. I hope I can find a way to make delicious healthy things that I enjoy eating again but if not that's okay too. I'd rather be thin and healthy than excited about meal time.