Stay healthy and energized with these tips.
- Snack Between Meals: Sometimes waiting too long between meals can cause someone to be so hungry their stomach hurts and they no longer have an appetite. Additionally, if eating large meals is hard on your tummy, snacking throughout the day can help alleviate the hunger pains and might spark an appetite for a dinner after work. Try things that energize you as well, such as avocados, cheese, nuts and dried fruits.
- Avoid Overhydrating: Try eating breakfast before drinking your morning coffee, as caffeine is a known appetite suppressant. Even if it is just a granola bar, yogurt or some trail mix, getting something in your tummy before filling up on liquids is a good way to help fight weight loss with appetite struggles. In addition, be sure to eat most of each meal before finishing whatever drink you are having with the meal. Water and juice can make the stomach feel full when it isn’t. Keep an eye on liquid intake throughout the day to note if that may be making your appetite struggles worse.
- Exercise More: If you are having trouble getting hungry for each meal try a quick exercise or walk around the block to get your body moving. Try going for regular swims or bike rides; not only will this increase appetite but it will increase overall energy levels as well.
- Make Eating Fun: If eating has become a struggle for one reason or another, try making things easier on yourself. Make eating appealing and simple. If coming up with meal ideas is proving too difficult after a long day of work be sure to have easy-to-make or pre-made meals ready to go in your house at all times. If that isn’t doing it, have a short list of affordable yummy places to go out to eat, as the photos of food on the menus, and the fact that you don’t have to make the food yourself might just make eating food easier. Lastly, try adding more colorful food to your plate to mix things up by adding new ingredients that might spark your appetite. If you don’t have any idea where to start, try browsing cooking websites and TV shows to new ideas that always look mouth watering delicious.
- Try Nutrition Shakes: Lastly, if all other methods to eat normal food simply aren’t working for you there are always the failsafe way to get the proper nutrients you body needs each way and those are called nutrition shakes. Whether you mix the needed ingredients and make it yourself, or you find the flavor and brand that works for you nutrition shakes are probably the easiest way to make sure you maintain your weight while struggling with your appetite. There are plenty of options out there such as Ensure, Boost, Carnation Instant Breakfast and Kirkland Nutritional Shakes just to name a few. Do research on what vitamins are nutrients are in each one to make sure the one you choose has what you need.
*Lack of appetite is in no way a normal thing that happens for no reason, so if you are experiencing a lack of appetite it is advised that you speak to your health care professional about it.
