Appetite

Well, there are some things that have changed since my high cortisol appears to have gone away that are almost hard to fathom for me.  I didn't think I had an excessive amount of hunger before, and I certainly didn't eat an unreasonable amount, but now that I have almost no appetite it just floors me what a difference cortisol makes.

I've lost approximately 15lbs in 3 months simply because the cortisol is gone and I've lost my appetite.  I do deal with some food aversions and even anorexia (not that I will myself not to eat but that I have no appetite and have to mentally remind myself to eat more than one meal a day for my health's sake).  And, that 15lb loss was WHILE just as immobile as before (worse than pre-op, even thanks to the AGHD's added exhaustion) and I still enjoy chocolate.

In fact, I crave salty, fatty cheese (melted only) in various forms and do eat it.  And I crave chocolate, and allow myself to eat that too.  When everything you enjoy doing is taken away from you, you have to keep something.  I know food isn't the best choice, but right now I am okay with it.  I only eat an enchilada, quesadilla, or some pizza a few meals in a month, and I figure that's not too bad.  I probably eat chocolate most days, though I have lost all desire to eat desserts so figure that's not a horrible trade-off either.

But the appetite change is just unreal.  I have no desire to eat till around 3pm, when I start to feel physically ill (probably my liver trying to compensate for the drop in blood sugar --something I am trying to avoid now that I recognize it's a problem) from not eating.  I used to eat much larger portions, and Britton will dish up my food like usual and I have to send it back with him largely uneaten...he's figuring it out.  The other night he made hamburgers (small ones, even) and I couldn't finish mine.  I probably could have easily eaten two of those with sides before, or at least a large burger (like you'd get at a restaurant) with a side or two.  On my birthday a couple weeks ago, Britton ordered in from a restaurant.  A meal I used to be able to eat was suddenly the bulk of my food intake for two days' time.  Crazy!


I have a medication I have to take at bed time (Heh, both this and my GH are bedtime-meds...funny, and I'm only taking Vitamin D otherwise at the moment) and it requires I take it with food.  I try for something along the lines of a fat or protein, but most nights I can no longer snack late like I used to.  I used to eat my 3rd meal around 11pm, because I was wide awake and fully hungry then (thanks, cortisol!).  Now the best I can manage is a cup of milk or a few thin slices of planed cheese so that my stomach isn't empty.

I can't WAIT to see how things might be when I am able to be physically active and to actually cook/prepare my own meals again, if this is what simply lowering my cortisol level is doing.