We all know that not all calories are created equal. Some of them can make you fat, and some of them cannot. If you’ve ever noticed that when you go out for a meal with friends, the first couple of courses are usually the ones that make you feel unwell, then you’re in good company. Eating out can cause you some stress – you don’t want to be running home empty-handed, but you don’t want to be stressed either. So which side-effects of overeating are good? By not eating, you are in fact denying your body the fuel it needs to function normally. Your body can’t take in all the food you’re putting into your system at once, so you end up feeling unwell from the effects of not eating. So, can you throw up from not eating? The answer is yes. Let’s explore what happens and how you can prevent it from happening.
Can you throw up from not eating
Is yes. If you don’t eat, then your body will go into starvation mode. Your body will think that you are not feeding it enough and it will start to store fat in order to survive. This is why many people who don’t eat and don’t lose weight can feel frustrated. They think they are doing everything right and yet they still can’t reach their weight loss goals.
Is Not Eating Really The Answer To Weight Loss?
- Not eating can cause your body to go into starvation mode. When your body knows that it’s not getting the nutrients it needs, it will do everything in its power to keep that from happening. So when you don’t eat, your metabolism slows down. You burn fewer calories and you start to store fat instead of burning it off.
- Not eating can cause you to lose muscle mass instead of fat mass because your body thinks you’re starving, so it goes into preservation mode and starts holding on to what little muscle you have left in order to survive.
- Not eating can cause headaches, dizziness, and fatigue because your body is going through withdrawal from not getting the fuel it needs on a daily basis.
- Not eating can cause constipation because when you don’t eat for too long, your digestive system slows down – which means that food doesn’t get pushed through your system as quickly as usual and gets backed up.
- Not eating can cause you to feel light-headed because your blood sugar levels are dropping and your body is going into starvation mode.
- Not eating can cause you to feel weak and have no energy because your body is burning fewer calories than usual, and it’s trying to conserve as much energy as possible.
- Not eating can cause you to lose strength and muscle mass because your body is using the protein that’s stored in your muscles instead of using the protein from food, so it starts to break down muscle tissue instead of fat tissue.
- Not eating can cause you to feel irritable and moody because when you don’t eat for too long, your body goes into survival mode – and all it knows how to do is keep itself alive, so it takes away everything that isn’t essential for survival, like feeling happy or excited about life.
What Happens When You Don’t Eat?
1. Your Appetite is Reduced
Studies show that when you don’t eat, your body starts to think it’s already had enough. This is why you feel hungry so soon after a meal, and why you often feel the need to snack between meals. Your body doesn’t want any extra food, so it will try to get rid of the food it has stored in your stomach because it thinks that it’s already had enough. This is also why you might feel ‘full’ after a meal and not be able to eat as much as usual.
2. Food Intake Decreases
When you don’t eat, your appetite decreases – this means that the food intake decreases drastically. You might be thinking that this isn’t such a big deal – just put on some weight and carry on eating! But if the difference in your weight is because of overeating, then you can guarantee that your BMI (Body Mass Index) will increase and that you will be more likely to become obese.
3. Food Intake Decreases Even Further
You might not feel hungry after a meal if you’ve already eaten and are just sitting there waiting for your stomach to fill back up again, but this isn’t enough for your body. After a while, your body starts to think that it has had enough food, which is why it starts to reduce the amount of food you eat. This is what causes the ‘hangry’ feeling – when you feel angry and impatient because your body is demanding food but you aren’t giving one in return.
The Symptoms Of Throwing Up From Not Eating
You’re feeling sick
When you don’t eat, your body starts getting rid of the food that it has stored in your stomach. This causes you to feel sick and eventually throw up. You will start feeling sick after a few hours or even a day or two later – but the process will take longer if you have been eating a lot before you start throwing up.
You’re having diarrhea
If you are throwing up, then the food that was in your stomach is now coming out and going into your digestive system through your stomach (and possibly other parts of the body). This is why you might also be having diarrhea as well – because this means that all of the food has come out of your stomach and has gone into your digestive system.
You’re having stomach cramps
Because the food is coming out of your stomach and going into your digestive system, you may also be having stomach cramps as well – this is because your digestive system is trying to digest the food that has been in your stomach.
You’re feeling bloated
The food that has been in your stomach will also be going into your intestines (and possibly other parts of the body). This will cause you to feel bloated as a result – because all of the food that was in your stomach has now gone into these areas and has started to expand them.
Tried And Tested Ways Of Preventing Yourself From Throwing Up
There are a few tried and tested ways of preventing yourself from throwing up. Here are three examples:
- Eat a balanced breakfast: Make sure you have breakfast with some protein, fruits, vegetables, and toast. This will help to prevent you from throwing up later on in the day.
- Avoid eating at night: If you eat during the night, you’re more likely to throw up because your stomach is empty earlier in the evening. Try to stick to light snacks throughout the day instead.
- Drink plenty of fluids: Drink lots of fluids – not just water – when you eat and before you drink. This will help to keep your stomach full and avoid throwing up.
Conclusion
If you’re not eating, you’re not doing your weight loss goals any justice. The first step is to figure out what’s wrong and what to do about it. If you can’t eat, you need to find a way to stop the cravings and make sure you’re getting enough nutrition. If that means eating healthy foods, then great! But if you still can’t get your stomach to stop throwing up, then it might be time to see a doctor.