Learning to Listen to My Body's Hunger Cues

#1

I have been doing Keto for about 8 months. I eat 70-80% of my calories from fat and I stay below 20 g carbs each day (most days, I’m between 10-15 gs carbs). For the first time in my life, I’m not hungry all of the time. For the first time since I can remember, I’m not thinking about what my next snack or meal will be while I’m finishing up my current meal. For the first time since I was a kid, my body’s natural fullness cues are reasserting themselves. This is HUGE!

The problem is that I’m having to relearn how to listen to my body when it comes to hunger. A few days ago I looked at the clock and thought, “Wow. It’s late. I need to eat lunch.” The problem? I wasn’t the least bit hungry. I actually listened to my body and didn’t eat. I ate when I really felt hungry. It was pretty incredible. It’s not that easy, though. I do intermittent fasting. I do not eat before noon (and prefer to eat after 1 or 2 pm) and then I try not to eat after 8 pm. That same day, I was full after my last meal, but I still wanted to eat. I did eat. I tried to figure out what to do with myself, instead of eating. I had a large mug of tea. I drank some water. I went and did a project away from the kitchen area. My body was not hungry, but my mind couldn’t let it go. Eventually, I ate. Quite a bit. All of it compliant food.

Yesterday, when I got out of bed at 8 am, I was hungry. HUNGRY. I did my usual of drinking a large glass of water, then some seltzer, then some tea. At 11 am, I was VERY HUNGRY. My daughter, who has always been thin and who only eats when she’s hungry said to me, “Mom. Eat. If you’re hungry, then eat. If you don’t, then you will over eat later in the day.” She was absolutely correct.

While I really enjoy intermittent fasting (it makes me feel much better in the morning to not eat, I have more energy, etc.), I think that it’s important for me to start to reward my body for finally talking to me and to start eating when I really am hungry and to not eat when I’m not.

Just posting this as something interesting that has happened to me from doing Keto.

(ANNE ) #2

It is quite the revelation to understand what the basic need to eat feels like.
So often it is easy to boredom eat, snack and mindlessly consume food.
Congratulations on finding out what it feels to primitively need to eat some nourishment.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

I hardly ever experience ‘hunger’ and when I do it’s fleeting: a few minutes then gone. If I stay within my daily caloric ‘window’ I never feel hungry. Nowadays I have cut back on my overall calories as an experiment and I experience hunger some mornings. It lasts only long enough to remind me I haven’t eaten for a long time. My real signals are: cold, weak. If I don’t feel either of those, I know I don’t need to eat. I don’t snack but my ‘meals’ sometimes run into each other since I eat rather slowly given the opportunity. I am much more regular on days when I have a work shift to force regimentation on me.

(Robin) #4

You’re singing my song. Almost 8 months here too! The absolute best thing about keto is the loss of cravings!!! But now I frequently have to make myself eat, because I rarely feel hungry. That could lead me to my old ways of not eating enough, and then my body will respond by slowing down my metabolism. I was never a breakfast eater, but adding that seems to help me. Just bacon and eggs. Kinda kick starts my metabolism, I guess. Then I usually have one more substantial meal. I still may run a bit too low in calories overall, which may be slowing down my weight loss, but it feels like a good groove for me. Seems like every couple of months, I realign something, and carry on. Most of the time, my body leads the way. Other times, I get on here and post a ridiculous question and at least three wise men (and women) have the answers and get me back on track.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

Plenty of wise women on these forums! I make sure to listen when they speak. :+1: