Why you should eat when you aren't hungry!

[KristyRusi]

So... i'm here on week 17, and approaching my first mini goal. Which was to be under or at least close to being under 200lbs by May 10th/11th (my friends wedding).
This morning I weighed 204.9lbs (i'm on that TOM) and i've been experiencing a new "symptom" of the Atkins diet, for about a week now. Which is hair loss. I have long blonde hair to my rear, and have for a long time, it's not "thick" but not really fine either. But over the past week when i brush my hair instead of the usually rat knot or 2 it's been coming out in handfulls. I called my aunt who is a nurse, and she asked me about my diet. She said that if you don't eat enough calories your body will send your folicles into shock because it's using calories for other things, like normal function. (i love my aunt,... but she is just a nurse...so...) i went to the doctor this morning (starting week 2 of experiencing hand full after hand full of hair... and he basically said the same thing. He said "you are taking a vitamin, so it can't be low iron.. which is a usual suspect... you are eating lots of protein which is what hair is mostly made of, so it's not what your eating... it's what you aren't eating, which is enough calories for your body to actually think hair is important...".. i told him its strange the hair i want to keep, (on my head) is falling out... but the hair on my face that i've started experiencing when i first went to atkins, and the color change in hair on my arms is what i don't want. He basically said, it's great for weight loss, but eventually you need to add back in other foods like fruit. (which i really wanna do but don't wanna mess up the plan, when i'm so close to under 200lbs).. in addition though i'm losing weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs a week, and he said that is fine.. but i really need to eat even if i'm not hungry at least 1000 calories a day or parts of my body will suffer, the easiest being hair loss, the worst being things like kidney's liver etc... so i thought i would share this, as who wants to be skinny and bald?

A lot of people also say they look different when they lose weight this way that they look smaller at the weight of xlbs than they did the first time they got that low... i agree... however i'm very "flappy" and i think that's part of the thinning look.. which again.. not so grand.. also i have more stretchmarks than i've ever had in my life before.. it's pretty gross a sight seeing me naked.. it's like my fat was keeping me lookin' young..

I'm still forging ahead... but i'm not happy right now... i'm not even amused to be frank.. it's just one of those phases/stages where i feel this was all a joke, and what difference does it make?.. i have a husband, we could both be fat and happy together.. i am not in any better "shape" as i'm still out of breath takin' out the trash.. i've lost all my strength actually, i'm just a shell, with a flappy outter layer. I required no "exercise" to get this small, and as a result i regret it. I should have exercised the entire time, for those beginners.. YES you can lose loads of weight NOT exercising.. but if you think you are gonna look like a "sexy" before and after photo.. i'm sorry it's just not true.. it'll take plastic surgery for my body to ever look right again.. and i'm only down 47lbs, never had children, (and still weigh over 200lbs, and had hoped this would actually help me get pregnant at least i'd have a reason to have such a busted body.) so i gag to think at what a turkey i will look like at goal weight...

It's time to buck up and face reality.. Eat more, possibly up the carbs, and DEFINITELY EXERCISE!... *sigh*....

[Nancy LC]

Read this, it should make you feel better.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/hair-loss-and-kimkins/

So, the take home message is that if you lost a lot of hair during your time on Kimkins (or any other diet), don’t sweat it. It will come back. If it doesn’t, then you’ve got something more going on than telogen effluvium, and you need to pay a visit to your doctor. But usually if you look closely at your scalp (or have someone look for you), you’ll see little hairs growing back in. If you’re a female and have long hair, it will take a long time for your hair to grow back to its full length, but it will.

Is their anything you can do to hurry it along? Just make sure you get plenty of good quality protein and essential fats. And don’t worry about it.

For some reason I don't have this issue even on very low calorie diets. Genetics, I suppose.

[LilyB]

Can you remember if you were under a lot of stress say three months ago? Because, as I recall, the hair you lose stopped growing three months ago...

[Kirsteen]

Hi there,

You're obviously feeling a bit discouraged, but I'm sure that soon you'll be feeling better.

You can do a low-carb plan, including Atkins and keep an eye on the calories to ensure that you're getting enough of them. That's what I do.. I log my calories and experiment to see if I can find an optimal level.

It is absolute nonsense for your doctor to suggest that you need to add fruit. Use the Atkins plan, and move through the OWL stages towards berries instead. I live in the UK, and in nature the only fruits that would have been available until relatively recently were berries and autumn fruit, which was small and sour until it was bred for it's sweetness. In terms of the stretch marks, they'd have been there before, but possibly you are only noticing them now. Boosting up vegetables which contain vitamin C, such as tomatoes and red peppers will help your skin to recover more quickly.

Rapid weight-loss, and changing your diet is a stress to your body, and a lot of people notice that they lose hair as a result. I lost some hair when I went onto Atkins, but I lost hair again when I fell off the low-carb wagon for a month. Atkins was not the problem - the dietary change was the problem.

The Atkins plan is flexible, to allow for our different physiologies. It is not all or nothing, so stick with the diet and try advancing further along the OWL road..

Boosting your vegetable carbs a little, along the lines of Dr. Atkins' 5g increments per week will help to increase your calories.. and that'll give you more energy.

Finally, I think your doctor was unwise to give you the advice he did. At 250lbs you were not healthy, and you'd probably have continued to gain weight. You have arrested your weight-gain, which is a very positive outcome. You just need to find a happy medium.

[livinright]

I lost a ton of hair back in the day doing low fat/low cal. So I understand your frustration.
And like you, I'll likely need surgery if I want to look good naked. But I'd rather deal with a little loose skin than the challenges caused by being obese.
When I'm not hungry, I generally focus on adding in more veggies. If you're still doing the induction list. Tomato, sauteed onion, pumpkin and probably a few more I can't think of are a little higher in carbs and require less volume to increase intake.
Greek yogurt, cashews, berries or melon can help increase carbs if you've you've made it that far.
And while carrots are listed on the Atkins site as phase 3, I've never had a problem with them and they are a good way for me to get more carbs without cravings. YMMV

I'll also make my plate, eat what I can, set it aside for an hour or so, and then give it another try if I know I haven't eaten enough.

And while whole foods are always best. If you make a protein shake using high calorie ingredients like PB or cream, you can get a lot of calories in by drinking about 2 cups of liquid. Perfect for "I don't want to eat" days.

[Liz53]

Today sounds like a great day to begin exercising. You have lost a significant amount of weight and are less likely to injure your joints than you would have been if you'd started at the same time as your eating plan. You've got the incentive to work hard at it. You're young and are likely to gain muscle quickly. Don't forget too that it takes a while for your skin to adjust to quick weight loss.

Congratulations on coming so close to your first mini-goal. I know you've had some real doubts during this process, but you stuck to it and have done well. No one but you will know that you didn't quite make it (though with Atkins you are likely smaller than you would have been at the same weight had you lost on a low fat diet). Enjoy the compliments you will no doubt receive from folks who haven't seen you during the course of your weight loss.

[IndyJess]

Do you take Biotin? I take (2) 5g capsules a day and find that it helps with my hair loss/growth immensely. My hair is ultra fine and falls out easily. I use Nioxin products and like those too. I'm real gentle with my hair and try to only wash it every other day. My stylist said my scalp was real dry, so I've been putting coconut oil on my scalp/hair once a week.

[zeph317]

i agree with everyone else. the hair loss is a normal reaction to weight loss that some people experience. so far i haven't included exercise into my regimen and have plenty of energy. are you getting enough protein and fats? staying away from processed foods? i'm surprised you are so low on energy because eating low carb always gives me tons! hope you start feeling better soon.

[Kirsteen]

I've just looked at your before and after pictures, and there's a big difference. You look very attractive, and you shouldn't be so self-critical. Like you say, it's a good thing to exercise - maybe you could find a dance class you'd enjoy, or get out with your husband to do something together.

[Seejay]

What do you find boring and gag-worthy in your food choices? would it help to go up the carb ladder ? (I see your plan is Atkins)

Your blood sugar crashes could be because not only are you not having carbs, but you have no source of glucose whatsoever. The body needs SOME glucose from somewhere. If you aren't getting it from extra protein, nor from fat, and breaking down your muscle is too slow, then crash city. I hate that feeling! PS fat burning only contributes tiny amounts of the necessary glucose. a well-constructed super low carb program like Atkins induction provides the glucose from eating extra protein. If you're not eating the extra protein - oops.

Did you know HOW you slow down your metabolism by too-few calories? your thyroid thinks it's famine time and dials your "run rate" for energy, way way down. But if there are enough calories, the engine starts up again and you can paradoxically burn more.

If the 1-2 pounds of weight you're losing is MUSCLE as well as fat, you will be tired easily too.

PS I wouldn't exercise until I DID have energy. Putting more energy demands on a broken system that isn't producing energy, it just makes things worse. More dialing down of thyroid, more muscle loss. maybe. depends on where your body is of course.

If you feel great you know your stored fat is available for burning and everything is ticking along, when you feel so great you want to go singin in the rain.

[JordanS]

Up your fat. Itll probably help the weight loss, and help to keep your hair.

[WereBear]

Were you not hungry? Were you cutting back on your food for that wedding? What was your fat and protein intake like?

By all means, look at what is going on with an eye for improvement, but I wouldn't just accept what the doctor says. Nurses are actually the "ones in the trenches" and see what's going on better than doctors can.

"Authority" got us into this mess. It won't get us out.