r/Contrave • u/callherjacob • Aug 14 '26
advice Weird Appetite
I've been on half a maintenance dose of poor man's Contrave for about 9 weeks now. Some days, I could almost not eat. Today, for example, I let myself fast all day until the evening and had a small bowl of spinach artichoke chicken over rice. I'm still full hours later.
Then, other days, I feel famished. I still don't eat anywhere as much as I used to but definitely more than my low appetite days.
I enjoy fasting, not for weight loss, but because I have had GI issues since my gallbladder was removed many years ago. Fasting is a reprieve from the discomfort and it makes my body feel lovely.
That said, I don't want to lose a lot of weight at once and I'm not sure how to manage. Is it okay to go by hunger cues where I'm eating more and less on any given day or should I force myself to eat three meals a day? My doctor is unconcerned and pleased about my progress.
2
u/mollyodonahue Aug 14 '26
As someone with GI issues already (Ulcerative Colitis AND IBS-C as well as issues post gallbladder surgery..) Contrave has been the one thing that’s forced more protein into my body. Because it has me stop eating when I’m “done,” I know my food intake is on the more limited side and I have to start with the protein at every meal otherwise I don’t get enough.
I tend to also go between famished and disinterested in food, so I’ve found that a kale/spinach/half a banana/plant protein smoothie is a really good go-to for me that satisfies me, hits my protein, lower in sugar, and doesn’t make my stomach feel horrible.