Ideal Weight and Hungry

[kyarn]

I’m 5’ 3" and have been stuck at 130 for over a month. I’m down from 145 so I have a feeling this is the weight my body wants to remain, and I’m okay with it. However, I feel like I have to eat 3 meals a day and a snack. I hear people say they eat one big Keto meal per day and that’s all they need. It makes me feel like I’m overeating and indulging.

[amwassil]

If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not overeating. It’s a good idea, though, to cut out the snack. Eat a bit more at each meal if need be.

[SomeGuy]

I’m 5’ 3" and have been stuck at 130 for over a month. I’m down from 145 so I have a feeling this is the weight my body wants to remain, and I’m okay with it. However, I feel like I have to eat 3 meals a day and a snack. I hear people say they eat one big Keto meal per day and that’s all they need. It makes me feel like I’m overeating and indulging.

@kyarn In looking at your earlier post, you noted that you had gastric bypass surgery many yrs ago and had weighed 285 lbs? Congratulations on the significant health improvements you’ve achieved over the years.

Can you elaborate a bit on your current status in terms of digestive health/issues?

It may be that - given stomach physics - you cannot eat OMAD or some such concentration of food vs fasting … and if so, this limitation must be respected if you are to consume sufficient caloric intake on a daily basis to maintain proper health.

I feel it would be reckless to offer suggestions given this context without more information and a better grasp of your individual situation.

[collaroygal]

A month at a decent weight when you don’t have a lot more to loss just sounds like an adaption period for your body. I wouldn’t be concerned at all about that.

The hunger can be caused because you are not getting enough fats in. It is tempting to limit them but just add a tad more to each meal and see if you can go longer without eating next time. I went through a period where I had to add in more fats. It was after I had hit my goal weight, once I upped the fats slightly, not a lot mind you, that I had the hunger issue disappear. I am the same height and an older woman and that worked for me. Give it a try.

Michael also has a good idea, don’t snack either. Just make sure you have a break in eating of at the very least 12 hrs. and 14 hrs. would be better. If you think you need a snack during the day or evening, try a cup of tea, any type, and see how you feel after drinking that.

Another thought, are you using artificial sweeteners on a regular basis? If so try cutting those out or at least reducing your use of them.

Just KCKO, your body is healing and adjusting to your new WOE.

[RobC]

Hi @kyarn,

The MetLife Height-Weight tables show you at the middle of the range - your body, as you pointed out, probably wants to remain there (vs. going underweight - a bad idea evolutionarily speaking).

People on OMAD are either trying to lose weight or feel they have to do OMAD to maintain (or just like feeling very full once a day). They have a bias for their current plan so, for example, an early morning hunger is just ignored (and will pass naturally) and they will continue to feel that the one meal is all they need (which is probably technically correct unless they under eat at that meal).

Unless you hate cooking, I would consider it a blessing to be able to eat 3 meals and a snack and maintain. It gets rid of one of the complaints of OMAD / TRF - that both can be somewhat anti-social. The invitation “Join me for breakfast?” gets either “No” or “Ah, I’ll sit with you but cannot eat” (or the feeling of guilt about breaking your fast early if you do eat).

[kyarn]

I did have gastric bypass 14 years ago and although I have yo-yoed a bit, I’ve managed to keep it off. Keto has kept my blood sugar regulated and I feel much better. I don’t feel deprived anymore and enjoy food. It’s true that I can’t eat a huge meal at once and I need to stop feeling guilty because I’m hungry 5 hours after I eat 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon. I think sometimes I feel guilty eating such rich foods because I’m enjoying them too much and I look forward to my next Keto meal. I’m still working on my relationship with food. I hope others can relate.

[SomeGuy]

I did have gastric bypass 14 years ago and although I have yo-yoed a bit, I’ve managed to keep it off. Keto has kept my blood sugar regulated and I feel much better. I don’t feel deprived anymore and enjoy food. It’s true that I can’t eat a huge meal at once and I need to stop feeling guilty because I’m hungry 5 hours after I eat 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon. I think sometimes I feel guilty eating such rich foods because I’m enjoying them too much and I look forward to my next Keto meal. I’m still working on my relationship with food. I hope others can relate.

@kyarn Thank you for kindly sharing this additional context. To return to your original post - “it makes me feel like I’m overeating and indulging” - I strongly encourage you to not let other peoples’ comments (about how often to eat meals) get in the way of your feeling wonderful about how you’ve arrived at where you are today.

Again, you’ve made fantastic inroads towards better health. Enjoy your accomplishments and stay the course. Eating according to a pattern that works well for your own situation is always the right answer.

Onward!

[amwassil]

If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not overeating. It’s a good idea, though, to cut out the snack. Eat a bit more at each meal if need be.

Let me just another 2 cents. To reemphasize, I don’t think you’re eating too much overall. The reason ‘snacking’ is not a good idea, though, is this. Every time you put something in your mouth it prompts an insulin response in anticipation of incoming food. If you’re insulin resistant, you don’t want to do that any more than absolutely necessary. So it makes sense to make it worthwhile and not just stimulate an insulin response for a relatively picayune amount of food. Knowing now that you have a physical limit to the amount of food you can intake at any one time, I would say just convert your ‘snack’ into a fourth meal. Divide the total of whatever you’re currently eating into four approx equal quantity meals. Even though eating stimulates insulin, eating ketogenic keeps it under control to minimize any negative effects. So it’s better to eat four slightly smaller meals instead of three slightly larger meals and a ‘snack’. AND that’s my opinion only, so take it for what it’s worth.

[gingersmommy]

The hunger can be caused because you are not getting enough fats in. It is tempting to limit them but just add a tad more to each meal and see if you can go longer without eating next time. I went through a period where I had to add in more fats. It was after I had hit my goal weight, once I upped the fats slightly, not a lot mind you, that I had the hunger issue disappear.

I find this to be true. I enjoy eating rich meat and food and add bacon grease to our meat choice if it isn’t fatty enough. Holds me for a long time with no hunger.

[gingersmommy]

I think sometimes I feel guilty eating such rich foods because I’m enjoying them too much and I look forward to my next Keto meal. I’m still working on my relationship with food. I hope others can relate.

I felt that way for a while, but now I fully believe in the science behind keto and that eating this way is not detrimental but actually beneficial on multiple levels. My husband and I eat OMAD and are amazed by what we can eat that would be off limits on a conventional diet. Many nights we actually laugh about it. Each night’s dinner seems more delicious than the night before, everything is so good (and I don’t fuss - just a big piece of meat and a veggie, usually).

There are also times when I’m out with friends or whatever and I’ll eat two meals a day. It doesn’t seem to have any affect and I think it prevents homeostatis by mixing up a predictable routine from time to time. No hardship!