6 replies to this topic

[Haley]

Hey! I just became a T5 paraplegic four months ago and I was wondering... Am I supposed to feel hunger? I never feel hungry. I haven't asked my doctors about it because I have a ton of other injuries and I have lots of phantom pain because I amputated my legs so I have just assumed that that's why I'm not hungry, but I'm starting to wonder if I might not feel hunger anymore. It would definitely seem logical considering that I have no sensation in my stomach. Am I right?

[mellowgator]

hi haley,

when i was first injured they had me on a feeding tube and that decreased the size of my stomach. once they pulled it out i had no appetite either. it eventually came back. another thing that could decrease your appetite is pain meds.

a lot of paras gain weight from lack of mobility. so give it time and you most likely will get hungry again.


mellowgator

[Wheelsonfire]

This takes me back.

I asked the very same question when in rehab, man did I feel like a real newbie to the chair, um, wait a minute, I was.

yes, indeed, when you have sci you will feel the hunger when you don't eat and I too had the feeding tube for sometime before hitting rehab.

Due to being in the chair, eat small and more often, the body digests the food faster and the weight will be harder to gain.

Enjoy.

[rue2you]

I'm not hungry very often either - except after I have therapy. Then, I am starving!!! But I get full very quickly. I just figured it was because I am not burning many calories by sitting. I guess I should eat small more often instead of the once and maybe twice a day that I am doing.

John - you really ought to write up a nutrition plan (for the average person not necessarily a weight lifter) and a basic good workout. I will put it on my website! It would be a wonderful source!

[Wheelsonfire]

Will do, Alicia, as soon as time allows. also, for those who don’t eat until the evening, they are prone to adding more weight, the metabolism needs to be kicked off in the morning so each meal thereafter can be digested properly, I’ll go into it more with plan and workout for the standard human bean as requested

[rue2you]

Will do, Alicia, as soon as time allows. also, for those who don’t eat until the evening, they are prone to adding more weight, the metabolism needs to be kicked off in the morning so each meal thereafter can be digested properly, I’ll go into it more with plan and workout for the standard human bean as requested

Thank you!!

[chrisarnold6]

Hi Hayley, I had a feed tube for sometime after injury. I then had a couple of "super bugs", which did nothing to help my appetite. It is agreed that prolonged periods without much food does cause the stomach to shrink. I enjoy food now, when while in rehab it was a struggle to eat at all. However I feel full much quicker that pre-injury. It does help with weight management!