I started the 800 calorie diet and this is my third day. I’d lost ten pounds on my own the last two months, eating sensibly and mostly Mediterranean, about 1000 calories (my preferred diet anyway) but then something happened and I stopped being able to finish a meal, even a small one. Meals were thrown out hardly touched. I felt hungry but eating anything was difficult, even my favourites. I didn’t find this diet a problem, except three days in I am suddenly hungry but unable to eat. The very thought of food makes me gag, yet I need and want it. This happened tp me in the 80s when I did the very low carb and calorie Scarsdale Diet. I developed an anorexia of sorts and lost weight rapidly. I sent from 137 pounds to 89 pounds. Then depression hit, hard.

My husband is ding Dr. Taylor’s three shakes plus salad a day. He’s fine with it. I’m using real food with the recipes in Dr Mosley’s book. Recipes I like – but now gag at. I can’t get the 800 calories in and that’s dangerous. This is really odd and I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. Maybe low card doesn’t suit my body type? I’m desperate to reverse diabetes because the insulin is just making belly fat and this is REALLY dangerous.

Hello ocanrich.
It is fairly common for people to stop feeling hungry on this way of eating. But I have never heard of people being physically unable to eat because of it. I would strongly advise you to see your GP.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Neither my GP or my endo want me on a low-cal diet. Both fear I will lose muscle including heart muscle. I feel this diet is my last hope. I can’t make myself eat, but I can drink OK so might try Dr Taylor’s shakes after all. I’m sure I’m not the only patient or diabetic whose doctors warm them off low cal, very low carb diets. I’ll run it by him again.

Hi ocanrich,
If you go with the shakes, at least you should be getting all your required minerals and vitamins. Sometimes micronutrient deficiencies can cause anorexia (not the nervosa kind which has a mental component, just in the loss of appetite kind). I once had that when I was severely zinc deficient. In the long term though, you may want to look for a GP that will support you and that you trust to give you good advice for your situation. It is the worst feeling to be going against your doctor’s advice. I’ve had to do that in the past due to my iron deficiency tendencies. Luckily now I have a GP that supports me in that, and it is a huge relief that I’m no longer going against medical advice.

Thank you kindly for responding. I am going to get a multivitamin and mineral tablet and keep my protein up. I found a powder that has no artificial sweetener or sugar. I’m monitoring my glucose closely and just got a blood pressure machine to make sure it doesn’t fall too low. I’m going to run it by my GP again this week – but I don’t expect any support. I really appreciate your responding as I have no real clue what I’m doing other than going by the book. I managed to eat some roasted cauliflower for lunch so that’s an improvement. Sitting in my stomach like lead though 🙂