1st 1lb loss from poor appetite,nausea - ideas please

[boozybirdtracy]

Not been on for a while been off work poorly for 6 weeks with a hip/back problems then also ended up withe suspected gallstones been very low and down in the dumps and had a poor appetite and my ratings has been shocking, weighed myself today for the first time in a few weeks and have lost 1st 1lb in total, I certainly don't want any weight to creep back on,in waiting for tests so still have the same nausea and lose appetite. Anyone any tips for what to eat when you feel like this? Xx

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Hi boozybirdtracy,

I'm kind of wondering if you've been overdoing the calorie deficit. Risk of gallstones is one of the reasons why Very Low Calorie Diets aren't a good idea and shouldn't be done except under medical supervision.

Weight loss should be kept to the order of 1 to 2 lbs a week on average, though you will often lose more than that in the first week or two. Fast weight loss is not agood idea, has health risks (including some serious ones) and almost always results in weight re-gain in the mid to longer term.

As for the risk of your weight re-gain, I would suggest you really don't worry about that. Get yourself well first. There's quite a real probability that your body will be focussing on the illness and won't be prioritising fat burn anyhow.

Given that you're at home and your activity levels are probably low with your hip/back problem, I would say to put yourself onto a sort of "maintenance" regime. If your weight goes slightly up by a pound or two, then what the heck?

Once you get yourself back 'on track' after this episode, that's not going to be an enormous problem.

More importantly is that you are getting in the full range of nutrients.

In terms of the nausea, you can get nausea suppressants from your doctor or pharmacist. Though I often, but not always, find dehydration salts help me to balance back my electolytes and ease nausea

As for the weight - without going back to the "bad" eating habits that made you overweight, up your calorie intake a tad. Avoid as much as is realistic, fatty, creamy, oily stuff and keep the portions under control. Perhaps, be a bit more focussed on the carbohydrate than you would do normally, to ensure your glycogen stores are not depleted. I'm talking pasta, rice, cereals and the likes, not bars of chocolate!

Try to ensure you have a good stock of sensible nutritious low to mid calorie things to snack with.

Beware of just how easy it is - when your're at home and unable to be very active - to get into comfort or boredom eating. So do keep your eating under control - without bashing yourself up about it - and notice everything that you do actually eat. If it helps, keep a food diary, so that your don't "forget" bits and pieces.

And no "mindless munching" in front of day-time tv! (I find most day-time tv quite mindless enough, anyhow!)

Without the framework of your work routine, you'll probably need to be a be more focussed on your eating regime.

Good luck with it.