Question About Fullness I Haven't Found An Answer To Yet

(Shar) #1

Ok, so I just started Keto on Monday. I also only do one meal a day since I have already been eating like that for years and am just used to it. However, I wouldn’t be totally against eating once more if I felt the need/was hungry. That being said, since starting I’ve been using the Cronometer site and app and therefor I like to put my foods in the day prior to actually eating them. It just helps me stay on plan, be more organized and have plenty of time to add in extra food if something is lacking once everything is entered. It just works for me.

So, since I am only eating one meal a day I’ve been trying to make my meals of good size (as suggested) and of course include everything I need in a day. But, the last 3 days (meals), I’ve noticed that halfway through I am already feeling full. And so far I’ve been forcing the rest of the food down anyway because I don’t want to be lacking in anything for the day’s count.

My question is, even if it falls below my numbers/requirements/macros, should I just stop eating once I get that full feeling, or should I push myself to eat it all anyway in order to get it all in? Been struggling with this the last 3 days. I don’t know what to do.

On the first of these 3 “problem” days I had a little less food but I did not meet my requirements fully. So the next two days I upped the food amount some and added a few things but those two days especially, I felt so full that I didn’t want to finish everything I made. I fear making less then getting hungry later in the day or evening. I’d really just like to stick to one meal if I can and NOT have to rely on a snack.

Would love to hear some feedback.

Because I know some of you will want to know what I’ve been eating those days to maybe get a better understanding, here it is…

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I did an egg fast.

Thursday, one meal:

I made a salad that consisted of…

4 cups of romaine
1 diced avocado
10 slices of bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Handful of olives
2 hard boiled eggs
2 tbsps Ranch Dressing

I also sauteed 1 cup each, of fresh green beans and mushroom (let them both simmer in a cup of water in a pan until soft and water is absorbed). I then added 2 tbsp of butter, some garlic powder, salt, pepper…mixed it all up and finally, sprinkled it all with some Parmesan cheese and had that on the side with my salad.

Friday, one meal:

I made a tuna salad that consisted of…

One can of 5 oz of light tuna packed in water (can’t stand the oil packed one), drained
2 tbsp mayo
1 avocado, diced
Handful of green olives, chopped
1/4 cup chopped romaine
5 strips of bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

On the side I had…
4 oz diced boneless pre-sliced ham
2 mozzarella cheese stick
A bowl of cucumber salad that consisted of one sliced cucumber, one small diced onion and about 4 tbsp of vinegar and salt and pepper.

Saturday (today), one meal:

Since I liked my meal so much yesterday, I had the same thing today only I added another 5 oz can of tuna and 2 extra tbsp of mayo, little more shredded cheese since I was short in macros yesterday. Everything else stayed the same.

Anyway, as I said, yesterday I was starting to get full near the end of the meal and barely ate it all. Once done, was content the rest of the day and night. BUT, I was short on macros. Today added those few extras (and prob still short on fat, technically) and was full in the middle of the same meal. Could barely get it all down. I don’t get it and not sure what to do. Maybe it was the type of meal and I won’t have to worry so much about future meals of different ingredients? Who knows. Thanks!

I also realize not each day has been totally on point when it comes to my macros/numbers. But, I guess I’m still learning and will be better at keeping things in check better once I’ve been doing this a while, I’m sure.

#2

Seems you are doing great. The thing is if you are full and satiated, do not eat more. The idea is to keep your carbs really low, which you are doing, you get enough protein to replenish your body, then the rest is fat to satiety. So if you are full, stop eating.

Many people on the board do not chase macros but stick to the idea and practice of low carb, enough protein, and fat to satiety.

Keep calm and keto on!

(Rob) #3

You are doing pretty well but here are a few thoughts based on the data you provided.

I put one of your meals in to my log and came up with 1250kcal, 63%fat, 27% protein and 10% carbs (though 4% of that was fiber). So good on the carbs, a bit high on the protein (as a %) and probably a little too low on the fat.

I don’t know your baseline situation but 1200 calories is pretty low. The challenge is that your meal is a lot of food. I can believe it is hard to get it all down. Part of that is that there are some energy dense foods but lots that aren’t but are bulky. Tuna is an example - high protein and low fat. I would also consider getting better tuna. Light is the lowest form of the fish and I don’t blame you for not liking it in oil. However the denser forms like the albacore are much nicer in general and better in oil (since they don’t absorb so much). I would eat a few more calories and more fat (which would make it easier). More cheese, macadamias, etc.

The other thing is OMAD and your routine. OMAD is typically seen as better for maintenance than weight loss but everyone is different. It works for some. BUT you have been doing it for a long time and in the spirit of always shaking things up and keeping the body guessing, you may well want to change away from OMAD and do 16/8 and have 2 meals and even the odd keto snack in between. You still IF but it should make it much easier to eat more than trying to cram it into OMAD.

(Ron) #4

Hi.
I could have wrote your post as mine. Exactly how I started. I am going on 3 months now and what I learned is that early on when I felt so full was because my gut was going through so many changes. You have changed your diet and the digestive system has to change structure to function sufficiently. Different enzymes are required and they haven’t caught up to the changes yet.
Gradually the appetite came back (not to the level it was as carb burner) and consumption to satiety also. It definitely feels different than it used to though. When I get hungry it is deep in my stomach where before it seemed all over. The full feeling goes much longer and also isn’t that stuffed feeling like it used to be more of just a “satisfied” feeling.
I will say that the transition period wasn’t easy by no means , but sticking it out was totally worth it.

(Shar) #5

Yeah, the low fat and higher protein is what I’ve been trying to adjust. Which is why I added stuff to today’s meal.

As for the calories, I don’t really try to worry about them one way or the other. Whether too high or low. I figured if I’m getting a good variety in my meal and I’m full, what does it matter if it ended up being 1200 or 2200? Maybe I’m wrong for thinking like that. So far I’ve just been trying to keep those ratios somewhat on point. And I definitely want to keep the carbs low since I already know that is what does me in!!! Which is one of the main reasons for using that app. To help me keep that low.

Good advice on the tuna. I can certainly try it.

As for my OMAD, yeah, it’s just something I’ve always done. Was never a big breakfast person so would skip it. But then if I did have lunch I would find I wasn’t hungry come dinner so I either skipped that too or would force myself to eat or just eat later in the evening and of course that was usually junk food. So I just found that it was easier to just have a main mean between 12 and 2. That just seemed to keep my satisfied without needing to snack too much. But of course that one meal would be loaded with bad carbs and sugars which is what got me into this mess of being overweight to begin with. I mean, I guess I could always try two smaller meals in a certain time window/frame. One around noon and maybe one at 4/5, but I fear what will happen if 4/5 rolls around and I’m not hungry? Or, since I’m not hungry I skip but then get hungry around, let’s say, 8 or 9? Then what? Just scared. But this is all new to me so I’m open to trying new things and new ways of doing stuff for sure!!!

Thanks so much for the advice.

(Shar) #6

Thanks so much! Sure makes me feel better. Guess I have to just learn to stop when full regardless of the numbers. As long as I keep my carbs low. And I always eat some form of protein so I don’t worry about that. Still have to work on getting enough fat.

(Shar) #7

Thank you!! I will definitely be sticking with it! Learning as I go along thanks to the help from people like you!

(Rob) #8

Satiety is real puzzler for many. Especially when coming off carbs. Most people have the opposite problem from you, however. Having done OMAD for so long, you may well have been slowly starving yourself (metabolically rather than traditionally) and your BMR has slowed right down to the point where you are ‘full’ on a lower calorie load. Ironically, a major way to improve that is to eat more, typically more fat and remind your body that it can do more when you feed it more. You won’t really know the situation unless you get a proper RMR test. Often available at universities and higher end gyms. It would give you more info.

Anyway, try things, shake it up now and again and hopefully you will find what works for you.

(Chris W) #9

Eating windows are a tool on the WOE, don’t be scared of them, if you give your body a more steady stream of fat it will adapt and start to burn it faster. You have been hard yourself now its time be good and make it better. Capnbob is right on the money, its better to have extra fat in a ketogenic body that not enough. You will speed everything up and start to burn it even when eating.

(Shar) #10

Thanks so much for all that great advice. You’re probably right about my metabolism. I certainly will experiment with changing things up a bit for sure. Couldn’t hurt.

(Shar) #11

Great advice!! Thanks so much!

(Rob) #12

Just saw this and thought it relevant to you. Always useful to have more professional back up to some advice than just a random strange man on the internet. Take it from a random woman… and Dr Jason Fung!! :grin:

(Dan Dan) #13

And the lesson learned is :thinking:

Calorie restriction does not guarantee weight loss and OMAD can be calorie restriced :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Shar) #14

Thanks for the additional info!! I get it. However, as I mentioned previously, I haven’t been worrying too much about the calories for the day so I definitely am NOT restricting. Sometimes it’s around 1200, based on what I chose to eat for the day, but other days it’s been closer to 1900 or more. So far I’ve just been planning my meals based on keeping everything within my macro range and and eating what I want (Keto approved, of course) and wherever the calories lie at the end of the day, they lie. And, more importantly, I eat until I feel satisfied. Whether that means more on one day or less on another.

But yeah, I guess I still have some tricks up my sleeve that I can pull out in the event of stalls and whatnot. For instance, if I do stall and I need to, I can always do more than one meal a day, or eventually add in exercise/weights, etc. I just didn’t want to go into this guns blazing using all technique at once in fear of hitting a plateau eventually then having nothing at all to pull out of my hat (in order to help remedy that issue). If that makes sense?

On a side note, today is exactly one week that I’ve been doing Keto and I have lost a total of 13 lbs!!! Thanks again guys! Your advice and help really does mean a lot to me!!

(Dan Dan) #15

Don’t worry about what may or may not happen do what keeps you comfortable until your next meal. :smiley: