Constant Hunger in Adaptation


(mole person) #21

Oh, and if you do choose to continue don’t worry about things like dairy now. Your entire focus for the first 6 weeks should just be getting through it while maintaining ketosis. You shouldn’t be thinking of exercise or weight loss or tweaking the diet to maximize results. That’s all for later.

Count and minimize your carbs to less than 20 net grams. If you don’t do that part correctly you may never adapt properly. Personally I’m in the moderate protein camp, but you don’t have to worry about a few grams above or below. Fat to fill you up.

Eat as much and as often as you like otherwise. Cutting snacks etc is for later when your mad hunger diminishes. Have loads of salt. If you aren’t getting two full teaspoons a day you’re doing it wrong.

Drop anything that isn’t a whole food. We generally don’t recommend things like protein powder.

Good luck to you!


(Benny) #22

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement. I’m gonna ease off posting for a few weeks but will update in about 4 weeks or so.


#23

Before you leave, I just want to mention that hunger has a strong hormonal component. You’ll always be hungry for the meals you eat at the same time every day, and carbs make you even hungrier, particularly when you don’t get them. It really is a lit like a drug dependency, and there are lots of people whose bodies will fight any decision to go keto. The thing I appreciate most abou low carb is that I can ignore hunger, and it will go away without any detrimental effects on blood sugar or energy levels. I’m one of those who’ll likely never see “keto clarity”, but there are other things that feel good about it.


(mole person) #24

It’s like finding out you always had this superpower but just lacked the knowledge of how to activate it.

Same. But I got the wonderful energy bump and eventually even the insane mood bump. :two_hearts: Keto.


#25

@Bh1974, So much great advice on here!
I highlighted Paul’s suggestion because it took me a long time to figure out that fat really doesn’t fill me up. I can eat embarrassing quantities of macadamia nuts, avocados, mayonnaise, butter, cream, etc, and still be hungry. Protein, however, totally does the trick. If I really eat enough protein until I’m no longer hungry then I’m good for many, many hours. I know that keto is a moderate protein way of eating, but lots of folks do more than the recommended grams and do really well. There just seems to be a high degree of variability and how different people handle the protein and fat macros, and while some people fill up happily on fat, for others that just doesn’t work.

Good luck to you! This is probably the most difficult stretch, so if you can power through the next few days you will likely start to feel amazing very soon.


(Benny) #26

Thank you :heart:


#27

And what people mean by “moderate” varies wildly. Some people mean something close to the RDA (about 50 or 60 g/day) and some people mean .8–1.2g per lb. of lean body mass, which is 50–100% more than the RDA.

I think the best advice is that if you’re hungry, EAT, preferably something that contains protein and fat, just to cover your bases. Until you’re feeling better, don’t worry too much about what’s an appropriate amount of protein and fat.

Honestly, I think you could just spend three or four days (or a week) eating everything in sight (within your carb limits). Just keep going until your body says you’ve had enough. Sometimes, I think we’ve been so “starved” of nutrients like protein and fat while eating high carb diets, that we just can’t get enough for a while, almost like you’re trying to re-fill a reservoir. Go with it.


(*Tame Those Ghrelin Gremlins) #28

Hello there, I agree with eating more protein. I could eat a good amount of fat and still feel hungry but if I eat extra protein I get full very fast.


(Cathy) #29

It is true that not everyone does well on keto. I really respect Dr. Georgia Edes and she wrote a very good article on the subject that you may find interesting…


(Bunny) #30

Too much fat all at once is like throwing fuel on fire that isn’t their?

This may be because your digestive enzymes for digesting fats (lipase) and protein (protease) are still low so it may take your body some time to adjust to make more of these enzymes in the intestinal tract and pancreas to digest higher fat and protein intake?

And is your gallbladder making enough bile for initially digesting fat for the lipase to work? (i.e. that is where you are getting your calories from fat)

Some things to consider?

Maybe reduce you fat intake and very slowly and steadily increase it? Same thing with the protein?

That is how you adapt and evolve?


(Troy) #31

Good One!
So true

For me, in looking back now I forget about the SAD
days. Eating 5-7 days ( hungry or not )
THEN- for example, time to hit the fast food drive thru😂
For an after dinner, then eating snacks , then eat again experience with an added vanilla shake

NOW - Then gradually adapting, and NOT even thinking about it, to go OMAD and TMAD
To be in fat adaptation :heart_eyes:

You are still in the early stages
Good Luck OP😄


(Benny) #32

Breakthrough?
So…I’ve really upped my protein this week.
I have now got more energy as well as only eating (or feeling the need) to eat twice today!
Just had some steak,cheese,mushrooms and asparagus and I feel full up.
Last week I’d eat fat fat fat along with veg but still feel hungry.
Here’s hoping this is the start of the journey I hoped for. I’m feeling good!
Thanks for all the advice :heart::heart:


(Cathy) #33

How much did you up your protein? I sometimes think that people confuse the weight of protein with the content of said food. Like a 3oz or 100g of chicken contains something like 27g of actual protein. It can confuse people in the beginning. I know a very smart person who made this mistake and was getting slammed because they were so hungry.


(Rob Grantham) #34

I’m just going through this again. After 6ish months fat adapted it was actually eating too little and doing too much excersise kicked me out of ketosis. I feel exactly as you described… insatiable appetite eating 4 to 5times a day… feel so down its like depression… and the carb cravings are insane. I had to call in sick to work today. Glad you’re feeling better. I also know perseverance is key here


#35

Good news. Thanks for getting back to us.

Dr Ted Neiman (sorry can’t find the exact vid right now), but he had some great info about protein and how it’s the main macro, your body will drive you to eat and eat until it gets that central value of protein. This applies to all people, all diets, all animals …

Carbs are all but useless, fat a convenient energy source but you haven’t eaten until you’ve eaten protein.


#36

You should have endorfin’s and stuff buzzing around, feeling great … If you feel down then you are most likely deficient in something like Vitamin D? Possibly/probably magnesium, I’d question sodium and water levels and everything else …

As I was saying to benny, Dr Ted Neiman has some great vids on protein, this is the most valuable macro and your body will demand it. Maybe you need more protein?


(Rob Grantham) #37

Thanks I take vitamin d and magnesium also make sure I get my sodium. I think some of it is caused by overdoing it with excersise. The weather’s picking up here so I’ve been really busy lately and after this I have low energy plus not eating enough. Just probably need a few days rest.

I hear you on the protein but I’ve found in the past when I’ve upped protein it really increases my appetite and carb cravings I try to stay ataround 80g/day which is around 1.0g/kg


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #38

Everyone’s protein requirement varies, apparently. I have seen posts on these forums from people who were unhappy until they increased protein and reduced fat, and from people who were unhappy until they increased fat and reduced protein. I have no reason to doubt either group. If it isn’t a keto rule, it should be: Listen to your body!

My impression is that it is the people who impose some a priori theoretical target on their body who get into trouble. The ones who do well, trust their bodies.


#39

Yeah, that tibialis muscle is a bitch! That is my worst enemy when my electrolytes are off-balance. :weary:


#40

I’ve seen many people mentioning these kinds of issues during sugar/carb withdrawal (keep in mind sugar stimulates opiate receptors in the brain - the withdrawal can be rough). There are things that can help with the “keto flu,” but you may not eliminate them completely. The good news is that it’s temporary, if you can hang in there.

Eat as much as you need in the beginning of your journey (just controlling carbs) , but I would try to reduce the number of times you’re eating each day if you are caving to your urges to eat every 2 hours.