Just started and I'm so hungry I could die; I don't know if this diet is right for me (advice please)

(Chris) #1

I attempted to start doing a Keto diet two days ago. Its seems like such a daunting task! I have been eating but I feel so hungry, I dont know what to do.

  1. All the food required for this diet seem very expensive
  2. Seems like you have to be cooking food all the time
  3. I am so hungry right now
    I am not doing this diet because I want to lose weight. Im doing it because Ive noticed I have carb crashes everyday and I want more energy during the day. Is there no way to avoid having carb crashes without going into full ketosis? Like if I do mostly keto but dont go into full ketosis will I just feel hungry all time? The book Im reading is telling me if I eat a banana thats all my carbs for one day. I thought I could do this but right now Im feeling like giving up and its only two days in. There is so much tap dancing involved. Like Im not even sure If its cool to eat yogurt or not. I also like to drink alcohol. Im sorry for all the complaints but I just ate dinner and Im still hungry.
(Amy Ramadan) #2

Sounds like you need to read up and find out more about the keto WOE!!! What foods are you referring to as ecpensive, may I ask? And as far as hunger goes, just eat more, as long as it’s keto friendly foods and sticking to 20 net grams of carbs or less per day!! As far as yogurt girs, look for unsweetened Greek yogurt!? Does this help at all??

(John) #3

You don’t have to go whole hog from day one. You can phase into it slowly. Start by cutting out all sugars and refined carbs. Replace them with healthy low-carb veggies. Increase healthy fats and protein. Work your way into it.

You don’t have to buy super-expensive foods. The veggies are so cheap it’s like they give them away. Skin-on chicken is not that expensive. Butter. Olive Oil. Real cheese (not the fake stuff). Raw unsalted nuts (almonds, pecans). Full fat whipping cream.

You can have full-fat plain Greek yogurt in reasonable quantities. Fage is a good brand for that. Full fat cottage cheese, sour cream also ok, in moderation and keeping an eye on total carbs.

Only place that will hit your wallet is the meats and especially fish. I bought a nice piece of sirloin steak the other day that was about $6, which I could probably have stretched into two meals. Ground beef is fine, and not that pricey. Chicken is usually affordable. Doesn’t have to be skin-on either. I use boneless/skinless sometimes just for convenience.

Sliced deli meats - chicken, turkey, beef, ham (watch out for sugar or maple cured hams) - no cooking required. Make no-bread sandwiches: meat, cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes. Eat with a fork or roll up in the lettuce.

Does seem to work better with a lot of cooking, though. That is something I am dealing with as well - I am spending a lot more time in the kitchen.

However, that is exactly what you really need to do to eat healthy. Prepare your own foods from fresh ingredients, where you control what goes into them and the portion size.

The trick is to figure out how to fit that into your schedule.

[edit]
Also: Drown your hunger. Water, green or black tea, black coffee or with a little heavy cream. Lemon or lime infused water is one of my go-to drinks. Has just enough flavor to it but not enough juice to worry about the carbs from. Anytime you get hungry, drink water. For me, I had to abandon diet sodas or anything with artificial sweeteners.

The first week is a tough slog. I did have to run on willpower and commitment for a couple of days. Once ketosis kicks in, it is like a wind at your back. Some days, I have to remind myself that it’s time to eat, and I can listen to my empty stomach growling without actually feeling hungry. For me, that is the real benefit of ketosis. It is like a natural diet pill, without the pill.

(Heather~KWOL for life!) #4

Please do not fall into thinking you have to buy special foods. If your grocery store has meat, produce, and dairy … you are good to go! Because I’m just new (32 days) When I am hungry and have not had time to meal plan I have a few go-to’s…Fat satiates longer so that’s why these are all high fat and I DO add them into CarbManager

  1. 4% Fat cottage cheese 1/2 -1 C… I prefer to sprinkle Stevia on it
  2. Coffee with heavy whipping cream in the mornings, with a full 1/4 C in both cups and I do use the pink packet for my coffee only because I am so used to the taste and I like it
  3. Full fat Ricotta cheese 1/4 cup, with anywhere from a few drops to a tsp of vanilla extract and stevia mixed well…yummy
  4. 1 C Heavy whipping cream with tsp of vanilla and stevia to taste
  5. Cheesewhiches, I can get them at the store pre-made of colby-jack and salami but I prefer to use provolone and roast beef
  6. String cheese
    Those are just my quick go to’s when I am hungry and it is usually because I need more fat intake. Hope that helps some :slight_smile:
(Heather~KWOL for life!) #5

Quick thought, check out the What did you keto today? thread, lots and lots and lots of ideas and pictures of foods that we have all made!

#6

Nah. My meal preps are cheap and easy, often under $2 per meal, sometimes far under. Basically just dump everything into a 9x13" baking dish, let it bake for a few hours (while I go do something else), then when I come back I put it into containers for the fridge and freezer.

But it’s going to depend quite a bit on what your local prices are like. For example, I recently did a meal prep with over 6 pounds of chicken thighs and nearly 3 pounds of veggies for under $10. Nearly 7000 calories of food. Most of the time was it cooking in the oven unattended, while I was doing other things.

You may want to budget for the foods that get you the most bang for your buck – target your protein goal, then add fat as needed for energy.

My pantry list is mostly geared around lazy microwave recipes.

Early on, that’s your body having “temper tantrums” because it’s looking for the carbs it’s used to. Feed it mostly fat. Some protein. But as few additional carbs as possible. Early on, it’s OK to get too many calories. Once fat-adapted, most people develop a built-in appetite suppressant and lose that hunger.

(Laurie) #7

Sorry you’re having such a rough time!

  1. I don’t find the food expensive. I eat 3 meals a day, and the protein portion of each meal is about about $1.50 Canadian ($1.15 USD). Here’s the cost breakdown of typical protein portions for me. To keep it simple, I’ll use Canadian dollars; if you’re in the US you’ll be spending less–not only because of the currency conversion but also because things are cheaper in the US.

$1.25 (1/2 can of wild caught salmon @ $2.50 per can)
$1.00 (1/3 can of mackerel @ $3.00 per can; all mackerel is wild caught)
$1.75 (1/4 lb beef from local farmer @ $7 per lb)
$1.75 (1/4 lb pork from local farmer @ $7 per lb)
$1.60 (2.5 oz cheese @ $10 per lb)
$1.25 (1 Italian sausage @ $4 per lb)
$1.50 (3 eggs from local farmer @ $6 per dozen)
$1.70 (1 salmon patty @ $20 per pack of 12)
$1.00 (5 frozen meatballs @ $15 per 140 meatballs, plus about 1 oz grated cheese)
$2.00 (1 cooked chicken leg @ $8.00 for 4)
$1.00 (1/2 large bag of pork rinds @$1.99 per bag)
$0.50 (20 grams protein powder @ $50 per 2 kg)

I acknowledge that many people on here disapprove of protein powder, but I use it (stevia sweetened, very few other ingredients) for a quick meal.

I eat very few vegetables and a few favorite condiments. Also butter and coconut oil. I do take some supplements. I drink coffee, or water with a tiny bit of lemon juice, and a diet soda once in a blue moon. Occasionally I’ll have 12 almonds or a small amount of cream cheese as a snack–either choice would be less than 50 cents. So if I have any 3 of the above meals, and add in a snack, some butter, some salsa, mayo, or tomato sauce, and maybe a bit of cucumber or kale, I’m still well under $10 a day for food.

I used to eat a lot more food, and I spent a lot of money on junk food. How much is a donut or an ice cream cone? More than the cost of a full meal.

You might check out the Keto on a Budget section:

https://www.ketogenicforums.com/c/food/budget

  1. As you might gather from the above, my food choices are quite simple. I’m basically done with cooking. Because of family politics, I don’t even go in the kitchen now–if I need to cook or reheat something I do it all in the microwave. I no longer do any food prep (chopping, blending, etc.). Recipes are great for people who want to cook, but you don’t have to do much cooking at all.

There’s a Speedy Keto section here too:

https://www.ketogenicforums.com/c/food/speedy-keto

  1. I can’t answer all your questions about #3. But yes, you do need to be prepared to give up bananas and a lot of other foods you might be used to eating.

Also, it takes some getting used to the idea of eating fat on keto. If you’re trying to control the amount of fat you eat, that could be why you’re hungry.

I think it’s mostly a matter of approaching things from a different angle. Don’t ask whether you can eat certain foods. Learn about how to do keto, and take it from there.

If you decide that you really can’t make the changes, or that it isn’t worth it to you, that’s a different story. Good luck!

#8

Well done, such a good reply to OP.

#9

Then eat more.
No joke.

There is nothing that drives us back to old eating habits quicker than miserable gnawing hunger.

Fill up on cheap, filling, satisfying food. Coffee with cream. Chunks of cheese. Burger patties. You can buy them all cheaply. Eat to satiety.

(Carpe salata!) #10

That pack of ‘low quality’ high fat ground beef at the supermarket? The one we’re told is very fatty (and cheap)?

That’s the one to buy. Make a stir-fry with the mince and eg chopped green beans and broccoli. Eat until you’re not hungry. As ketosis gets going, at some point your satiety signals will start to work for you. Early in, don’t worry about the calories at all.

Early in, your body is waiting waiting for the sugar high and thats what ‘hurts’. You get over that and back to normal metabolism.

Keep calm and keto on.

(Edith) #11

Make sure you are getting enough salt, approximately 5g of Sodium or a little over two teaspoons of salt a day. Sometimes if I’m hungry, it turns out I need some salt.

For me, just eating fat does not satiate me for very long. You might need to up your protein a bit.

As you become fat adapted, you will find the quantify of food you eat is less and that your grocery bill may actually go down. It does seem more expensive when first making the changeover to the new way of eating. Although, I think a little more money spent on food in the long run is a lot cheaper than medication.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

And the only side effects you have to worry about from food are enjoyment and satisfaction. :grinning:

(John) #13

One thing I’ve noticed is that the total amount of food I eat has dropped quite a bit without me really trying (just not as hungry) so if the quality (and cost) goes up but quantity goes down, it seems to even out.

(Consensus is Politics) #14

Most likely the hunger feeling you have is carb withdrawal. Your body, just like the restaurant of us, was used to burning glucose for fuel. It pretty much had no choice. Firstly, glucose is toxic if it gets high enough, and secondly, burning glucose is very easy for the body to do. So it’s a simple fuel source, and burning it is also a way of getting rid of it.

The problem is, it’s also addictive. Maybe not like heroine, but for sure along the lines of cigarettes. My carb withdrawals were bad. But I stuck through it because I was just Dx with Type 2 diabetes. Sugar was pure poison to me. So I went cold turkey on carbs. I knew smokers that tried quitting. The only ones I know that managed to quit for good were the ones that went cold turkey.

When you feel hungry, eat. Eat fat. Some good things high in fat are, bacon, pork belly, pepperoni, avocado, coconut oil. It’s almost impossible to it too much fat. Of course you can, but in my experience while trying to finish everything on my plate, I began to feel ill. I just couldn’t eat anymore. My satiety signals were preventing me from actually over eating. But the opposite can happen when over eating carbs. Binge eating carbs is very easily done. So be careful, if you’re hungry, eat. If you aren’t, then don’t.

(Carpe salata!) #15

THIS ^^^^^

Eating fat and learning what satiety means. That should be step1 in keto.

(Consensus is Politics) #16

Actually…

Step 1: replace carbohydrates with fat.
Step 2: refer to step 1
Step 3: when in doubt, it probably has too many carbs
Step 4: keep calm, keto on

Most importantly, our bodies are resistant to change. They want to keep getting their sugar fix. Some people might take a week to make the switch to keogenesis, while others might take a couple of months. Lots of variables. But not to worry, it eventually happens. Just keep calm, and know your body will make the changes it needs. Unless of course you happen to be one of those extreme variables that no one counts on. Like the boy in the bubble that has no immunities. Or allergies to fats. So many variables. Keeping calm is important because of hormones. The stress hormone “cortisol” (Edit: had a senior moment there) increases insulin which prevents ketosis. So getting stressed about not getting there is an evil circle.

Just keep your carbs very very low. (I went zero carb). Don’t worry too much about proteins. Focus on eating fats. Stay away from veggie oils. Two exceptions I can think of are avocado oil and coconut oil. Coconut oil is especially helpful getting keto going. It’s has MCTs in it. Which requires the liver to jump through some hoops to make it useable (ok, that’s a bit dramatic, but it forces some fat burning if I remember right).

Keep calm… and
Keto Vitae!

(Michelle isaacson) #17

I think we are referring to Cortisol?
Excellent response btw!!!
:smiley:

(Consensus is Politics) #18

That’s the one. Will go edit it in. Thanks everyone. I don’t mind being corrected.

(Bunny) #19

Even if I was not doing a ketogenic diet or any kind of diet, I would:

Slowly cut back on the carbs and sugars in increments over time until I was less and less hungry until I could eat less frequently depending energy expenditures?

Eat more fat and protein

Not eat processed carbohydrates or natural carbs as your main source of nutrition, it will eat you alive eventually!

Avoid (like the plague) processed foods/carbs like for example GMO Monsanto, processed meat, bleached flour, bleached sugar, especially high sugar intake and high fructose corn syrup HFCS, Monosodium glutamates MSM, bread or anything processed period! You get the idea?

Eat only natural whole foods

If anybody could do that they would be healthier than most peeps on the planet!

I know it would difficult to eat this way and not likely practical but human beings are pretty crafty creatures?

(Allison D) #20

I spend LESS on food since starting keto, because prevously I was eating junk and processed foods, plus eating out of the vending machine at work or stopping at restaurants. I can actually afford higher quality groceries and even visit Whole Foods now that I have the extra money. Finally, since I’m eating low carb, I don’t get hunger signals throughout the day and am not reaching out for food constantly, like I used to. So in the end, keto is a more affordable way of eating for me.