Appetite cycles NOT related to menstrual cycles?

Unknown

Does anyone here feel like they go through appetite cycles?

I've never been very good at eating the right amount. I tend to go through periods of time (months to maybe even a year at a time) where I eat too much and then switch back to periods of time where I'm not eating enough because I have little appetite - and because when I do get hungry, often nothing appeals to me, and when I try to eat in that situation I have to force myself to get it down. And while this is good for seeing the numbers on the scale go down, it's not good for maintaining muscle, nor is it good for keeping the number down.

Anyway, I think I know most of the ways to cope with having a small appetite, like eating calorie- and nutrient-dense foods when I do eat, but I'm just so curious to know if anyone else experiences any kinds of cycles like this. If you do, do you just go with it, or do you try to keep a normal diet despite what your appetite is telling you? Have you been able to figure out what's behind these cycles?

I should maybe add that while this is definitely not a healthy pattern, it does not - by any means - reach the threshold of an eating disorder. Maybe most important to push that point home is that I do not consciously try to restrict my food. I just lack appetite.

Unknown

No one?

Unknown

Loss of appetite is probably something I'd talk to a doctor or therapist about, as it can be a symptom of something you'd need to treat. "I just don't feel like eating enough to not starve myself for months" isn't really a thing to take lightly. A doctor might be able to give you some tests, just to make sure everything is okay. A therapist would be useful for helping you figure out what triggers it, if it's not medical.

(And yes, I know you said you DO force yourself to get enough food, it's just, you shouldn't have to. Your body should make you hungry enough typically to maintain your weight.)

For me, increases of appetite are usually linked to: Unusually poor sleep, very low energy, restricting calories too much, certain kinds of stress (like working extra hard when I'm already very overworked).

And for me, decreases of appetite (that last) are usually linked to grief/heartbreak or certain kinds of emotional pain.

I have never experienced changes in appetite that I couldn't more or less immediately provide reasons for.

You could just Google it and see if any of the common triggers seem likely for you. But I do think a doctor visit would be useful, especially if you haven't had a check-up recently, or have never mentioned it to your doctor before.

Unknown

For whatever it's worth, I agree with futuremanda. I had cycles like you describe, but for the longest time, I was undiagnosed with mental-related stuff. I just thought it was how things were and shrugged it off/dealt with it as I could. I still struggle with eating when I have no appetite as it tends to make me feel icky...but conversely, I have to use discipline when I want to eat "all the things."

Unknown

100% related to my cycle for me. Not sure it's a good or bad thing.