[deleted]
I had the same issue for a long time.
Turns out I had a very overactive thyroid. ( 2008 )Once the Endo got the thyroid situation under control I was good to go.
2014/15 ~ I started to have an appetite that was out of control. I would be hungry after meals, bedtime, upon rising in the morning. All I wanted was starch and sweets, and I was never satisfied until I stuffed myself. ( drove me mad )
I was dx’d with type2 diabetes about 2 years ago. This was a shock because I have never had a weight issue before. ( In my uneducated mind type2 diabetes was for those overweight ) Our blood sugar, high or low, is a big deal.
I won’t go on about it because there is a ton of info out there and Im no physician.I wanted to toss in my two pennies to let you know that sugar, thyroid, hormones, all play a huge part in keeping our appetites & weight in check.
There are several meds that can affect appetite & metabolism as well.
It is important to have physicals and annual labs to keep an eye on things and correct imbalances as early as possible.
You aren’t broke. If you find you are doing all you can ( drinking lots of water, high protein/fat foods, working out ) and you are still having issues ~You may just need a tune up!😊
Good luck to you!🤗
1200 seems extremely low for maintenance, you’re probably not eating enough calories and getting enough nutrients. What’s your height and weight? Unless you’re under 5ft, already at a healthy weight, and over 40 years, and very sedentary that’s too low.
The real answer here is to meal plan or meal prep so you have a set number of days where you do not need to worry about finding food. This is a psychological thing, it’s a survival thing, but it is part of making a transition from eating whenever to IF.
You should not feel starving, you may feel slightly hungry. If you fall asleep a little hungry and wake up without any hunger, you are not starving, this is just a new feeling of your body asking for food and then actually burning it’s energy reserves, your fat cells, instead. This too is a transition and with some time you won’t feel as hungry because your body will become used to your fasting window.
In this transition time, have some zero calorie options available: sugar free jello, fancy teas, coffee, pickles, celery, something under 5 calories that you can consume to get you through that wisp of hunger at the end of the day. You can do this.
If you honestly can’t eat more than 1200 calories a day without gaining weight, it sounds like your metabolism is damaged. Perhaps you can look into reverse dieting. You increase your calories slowly while working out regularly in order to increase your metabolism and allow you to eat more without gaining weight. After a decent bout of this is done, you can decrease your calories again and successfully lose weight without having to eat such a small amount