Any ideas on how to get my appetite back?

[punkprincess19]

I'm really struggling at the moment with my anxiety and as a result I have lost my appetite. I've been like this for 18 months now and have lost weight due it. I'm skinny anyway but now I look awful! My ribs are clearly visible and my boobs have pretty much disappeared. I am desperate to put weight back on but find it extremely difficult to eat much!

Has anyone been through this and found a way to get past it or know how I could put weight on? Thanks x

[allergyphobia]

Hi Punk,

As my name suggests I have/had a phobia of an allergic reaction to food and this resulted in me eating only bread and drinking water both of which were a struggle, this resulted me in losing nearly 2 stone, my clothes hanging off me and aches and pains all over my body.

I had CBT which was a lifesaver with this website...and also continue to have acupuncture, but i have to say what saved me in combination with the support i had was hard hard work and determination, and acting on challenges i had set myself. i broke down challenges to make them more achieveable, first have a tiny bit of biscuit, then two bites, then three etc. distraction was key, after eating i would get in intense conversations or come on here in the chat room, another trick was to eat whilst watching one of my fave programmes and i wouldn't even realise i had finished...

slowly but surely my confidence grew. a lot of people on here mentioned to me build up shakes, which you could try if solids etc are too hard. but for me it was my mothers soups and stews, her not letting me get away with it and then ultimately ME not letting me get away with it, realising i felt so rotten through lack of food, rationalising with myself, educating myself with books about anxiety and phobia...

what is behind the root of your eating problem? is this something that could be addressed? how are you eating patterns at the moment?

i really lost my appetite but my advice is just as soon as you think ooh i fancy that just have it, it doesn't matter what it is. or try cooking some of your favourite bits and bobs, make it exciting. my cbt therapist said i had to make food fun again. watch cookery programmes, look up recipes, or have a 'ready steady cook' with a friend or family member, choose five items and you have to cook a meal...

keep it simple and wholesome, soups, stews, fresh food too, and things like jacket potatoes and pasta etc these will bulk you up but may be too harsh for your stomach at the moment if you are not managing much. i found rice pretty good and porridge, that's where it all started for me, porridge was my saviour, a big steaming bowl in the morning, yummy!

Keep us updated on your progress lovely x

[punkprincess19]

Hi Punk,

As my name suggests I have/had a phobia of an allergic reaction to food and this resulted in me eating only bread and drinking water both of which were a struggle, this resulted me in losing nearly 2 stone, my clothes hanging off me and aches and pains all over my body.

I had CBT which was a lifesaver with this website...and also continue to have acupuncture, but i have to say what saved me in combination with the support i had was hard hard work and determination, and acting on challenges i had set myself. i broke down challenges to make them more achieveable, first have a tiny bit of biscuit, then two bites, then three etc. distraction was key, after eating i would get in intense conversations or come on here in the chat room, another trick was to eat whilst watching one of my fave programmes and i wouldn't even realise i had finished...

slowly but surely my confidence grew. a lot of people on here mentioned to me build up shakes, which you could try if solids etc are too hard. but for me it was my mothers soups and stews, her not letting me get away with it and then ultimately ME not letting me get away with it, realising i felt so rotten through lack of food, rationalising with myself, educating myself with books about anxiety and phobia...

what is behind the root of your eating problem? is this something that could be addressed? how are you eating patterns at the moment?

i really lost my appetite but my advice is just as soon as you think ooh i fancy that just have it, it doesn't matter what it is. or try cooking some of your favourite bits and bobs, make it exciting. my cbt therapist said i had to make food fun again. watch cookery programmes, look up recipes, or have a 'ready steady cook' with a friend or family member, choose five items and you have to cook a meal...

keep it simple and wholesome, soups, stews, fresh food too, and things like jacket potatoes and pasta etc these will bulk you up but may be too harsh for your stomach at the moment if you are not managing much. i found rice pretty good and porridge, that's where it all started for me, porridge was my saviour, a big steaming bowl in the morning, yummy!

Keep us updated on your progress lovely x

thank you so much for your reply allergyphobia!

i've had IBS since i was 17 so i've always been a bit cautious since then about what i eat but I still managed to eat 4 meals a day with lots of snacking in between! Then my anxiety started and slowly but surely i just lost my appetite! Then i got it in my head that i might be allergic to some foods and started worrying about how i would feel after eating! i can manage to eat when i'm with someone (my mom or my partner) but i'm on my own all day when they are at work and so only manage a few nibbles of something in the day and then eat a meal on an evening!

I've never enjoyed cooking so I don't know how to make food fun :( i like the distraction technique and i'll definitely have to give that a go!

I've just started CBT (first session yesterday) and so this is something that i hope to look at with my therapist!

It's just become such a struggle and i can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore because i hate what i see!

have you managed to put some weight back on now? does it get easier to eat after a while? x

[flatterycat]

Hi there every bout of anxiety I have had has resulted in no appetite and weight loss. Like you, I am not big anyway so when I do lose weight I can't really afford to. Then I get anxious about losing weight which just makes my appetite worse. I hate losing my appetite and really struggle to eat when I do. I have never had any food issues its just a case of anxiety making me feel so churned up I can't eat.I always know when I am starting to feel bette because I stet wanting food again! Its so hard because you know you have to eat, you know you donly want to lose any more weight but you can't force food down. I try to eat soups when I am bad, but even that can be a problem. I always wish there was a drink I could have when anxiety bad which is filled with loads of calories!!!!