For many people, myself included, when you have a digestive disorder you go through a phase of losing your appetite. Here are some ways to help that battle.
I lost my appetite soon after I got sick with gp, it is one of the main symptoms. I was in constant pain and eating made it worse. Once I got diagnosed I felt like it got more miserable because then I knew my diet was, for real, limited and that it would be for a long time. Eating the same thing day after day gets tiring, bland and made me depressed for a while.
When you're in the worst phase of gp (having terrible symptoms every day), it is hard to eat, in general, and what you do end up eating looks like or actually is baby food. My loss of appetite is part of the reason I lost 30 pounds and though my weight is maintained now, I still continue to have trouble trying to gain some of the weight back.
Over the past 4 months I have really tried focusing my attention on both trying new foods and making great recipes with the food am able tolerate. This can be tricky as many people with digestive issues/ gp know because you need to make sure you are getting enough nutrients in what you eat because it's crucial for your health both physically and mentally.
Seeing a nutritionist is one of the ways I really started to get my appetite back (see my other posting about working with a nutritionist). Nutritionists jobs are literally to help you eat no matter your diet or disorder, they want to ensure that you are being healthy.
Chicken and Rice are my go to for lunches, especially at work. Though they can seem bland, you can add so many things to make it taste great and mix it up. Having a meal you are able to digest well when you're at work or anywhere public, will help you feel more comfortable.
Acupuncture for Appetite
I will always reference acupuncture because it is something I highly recommend trying. The first week of September, 2019 is when I began my acupuncture treatments. I filled out pages of paperwork explaining why I was going, wrote down all my digestive issues, and had a 20 minute meeting with the acupuncturist prior to the first appointment.
In another post I will explain how Acu has helped me overall, but for appetite it is a working progress. It isn't a fast fix but I have seen over time an increase in not only appetite, but also many other things that do overall help your appetite, like energy, decreased pain and bloating.
Summary
Finding meals that work, "spicing" them up, going to see a nutritionist and acupuncturist, and trying not to get depressed over foods you can't eat or may never eat again, is what has helped me with my appetite. You can't fix it over night, but you can start taking the steps now to help yourself.
Let me know if this was helpful or what you have tried to increase your appetite!
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- Loreal
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