Too thin...

Hi all

I don't post much here but come to check from time to time.

I've been maintaining 122 pounds (under my goal weight of 137) for 6 months now.

In April I fainted and hit my head and am having issues with my not smelling and tasting right.

In March I found out I had hypothyroidism (low thyroid function, which makes you gain weight), and started to take the recommended hormones (which some say make you lose weight and go back to "normal"- which I don't need anymore).

In the last year I kind of forced myself to eat as to not get to skinny, which was never my wish. But... Lately I have almost no appetite - maybe due to the lack of smell - and this week only I lost 2-3 pounds. I am afraid to keep losing weight as my BMI is already at 20.5 - quite low in my opinion although we can go down to 18.5 and still be normal weight. It is very easy for me lately not to have interest in eating and therefore I'm afraid to lose too much.

Is anyone having the same issue with appetite and not being into eating much anymore? I feel like I exchanged one issue for another :/

 Lack of appetite definitely goes along with the loss of smell, which happens quite often with older people.

I have never had the problem of keeping weight on, but my desire to eat has lessened. What keeps me eating, is my exercise routine. Food is fuel for my muscles and helps me make it through my workout. Are you exercising?


gail

Is the problem the fact that you hit your head? Is that causing the smelling and tasting issue? Perhaps your neurologist has some answers. If it were me I might do some research on herbs that increase appetite... off hand I can think of one that gives you munchies , but there may be legal ones.

Good luck!

We have a tendency, I think, to associate anything weight related now with our sleeves. Unfortunately, the loss of your sense of smell is probably the biggest cause of your problem right now. A surprising amount of our taste for food comes from our sense of smell, rather than our taste buds - that's probably why things don't taste right.

Your sleeve may be contributing because you don't have much hunger hormone, but the "not wanting to eat" is probably unrelated.

My only recommendation is to put yourself on an eating schedule. If you don't like to eat much, choose higher calorie foods, smoothies, shakes. Track your calories and do whatever it takes to get those calories in.

Is there anything they can do medically for your loss of smell?

Anti-histamines (allergy meds) can increase appetite, it increases mine.  Docs routinely prescribe them for underweight children, so they can gain weight.  I have learned through trial and error that all antihistamines pack the pounds on me by making me ravenously hungry, except for claritan.   Zyrtec is the worst one for me,  it increases appetite and turns my little sleeve into a bottomless pit. 

Thanks everyone.

loverofcats, you are definetly right, I am not exercising and I should. the issue is, to be honest I feel a bit too weak to exercise. I keep asking myself if it's just an excuse I created, but after fainting 4 months ago, I developed a fear even of walking around the city... I'm afraid that my blood pressure will go low and to faint again. ugh... my GP told me to exercise as well as I am waking up in the middle of the night.

infodiva and Mom4JAzz, it's true that after I hit my head things got a bit worse regarding apetite, but to be honest I've been strugling with my apetite since a few months after surgery i.e. prior to hitting my head and not having an accurate sense of smell and taste. I do wonder if it's the ghrelin being taken out during the surgery. I do try to do is eat every 2-3 hours to try and nourish myself, even though I am not really hungry. great reminder that I should be tracking calories again at least to see if I'm eating enough (it might be my impression that I'm not).

Trish_Trish, thanks. maybe I should look into ways to increase my appetite indeed.

I think I just can't see any pleasure in eating anymore... even before hitting my head I felt this way which is sincerely a bit frustrating. :/ I am surprised no one feels like this around here.

 Don't worry ...be happy. I went through a phase like that too.

Enjoy your super skinny self. I think life and normalcy has a way of creeping back in eventually so take this opportunity while you have it and enjoy!!!