Satiated vs. Full / Overfull

(Michelle) #1

Hello my friends - I’m going to try and explain this and see if anyone else has this feeling on Keto.

When I was eating carbs, they would mostly be from sweets. I love sweets. I could easily overeat sweets till the stretchy pants were stretched, the button was undone or the button+zipper were all undone. I could really overeat on the sweet stuff. I felt overfull or “thanksgiving full” a lot of nights. I think it was EASY to eat past satiety-- I mean - what was that?? Satiated? I wasn’t really satiated until I ate 3 desserts and then had that last chocolate covered caramel (or 6) that put me in the overly full category.

Now, with Keto, I simply cannot eat past satiated. I just naturally feel like I’ve had enough. Oh, that’s good, I’m done and can walk away. What a concept!!

Do you guys think this is from:
a) my hormones are now working and signaling properly
b) you can’t push past full when eating fat
c) I’ve been super diligent and had no artificial sweeteners to trigger a sweet tooth
d) bacon
e) all of the above

Anyone now experiencing “satiety” for the first time?? Would love your thoughts. I am thinking all these bad thoughts about Keto “treats” and if that will bring back old habits of overeating.

#2

I think satiated = hormone signal, and full = physical signal

#3

It is interesting isn’t it? I remember reading a study about obese people and how their signals are just totally off and they do not ever experience real hunger or satiety. That was certainly true for me. I was rarely really hungry (mostly because I ate most of the time) and never satiated for longer than say half an hour when I could be feeling sick from eating so much. Half an hour later though I would feel the need to eat again.

Carbs muffle all those signals to such an extent that you just keep throwing food in regardless. Keto brings them all back into focus. Keto tunes you back into what your body is telling you and gives you the control to react accordingly in my experience. It is pretty freeing isn’t it?

(Michelle) #4

@Daisy - yes, freeing indeed!! And I didn’t know it was possible.

(Scott Shillady) #5

:bacon: is the answer to everything

For me about the only thing I tend to over eat is PB Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

#6

Hi Michelle,keto has an enormous effect on satiety, its difficult to overeat.I agree with e, all of the above.
But I’d like to throw something else into the mix. Psychological hunger. or as I have struggled with most of my life “comfort eating” although the last thing it ever did was make me feel comfortable. Being fat adapted has made a huge difference to my eating habits, the hormone response (or lack of insulin spiking) has definitely helped, no powerful urges to eat after a couple of hours, able to miss meals if I’m out and about. I can pass up sugar laden carby foods, but, on occasion I still want to eat not because of real hunger rather because of some need connected to my feelings. So what keeps me steady is to stay away from the so called keto treats because they can trigger an emotional response from me and a connection to my old habits. I know not everyone has these issues, but I know I have, so caution is used. I still occasionally eat beyond satiety but eating keto keeps the damage to a minimum. The best thing we all can do is to keep learning about ourselves and keto on.

#7

Fat releases Cholecystokinin (CCK), a signal for satiety, that is not released by carbohydrates. There are also leptin and ghrelin.

(Loraine Hansen) #8

I’m also a raging sweet tooth kind of person. Even eating keto, I don’t think I’ll ever NOT want something sweet. But in almost three weeks, my “cravings” have gone away. I’ve been eating Primal for 4 years, and when I started that, my sweet cravings went way down. But never completely gone, and I don’t mind that, because there are lots of “sweet treats” that are primal and keto that definitely fill my desires, but never in the quantity I used to eat.

I, too, never thought I would eat so little and not be hungry in a day. I love that I can eat two small meals/day and feel completely satisfied, with no cravings. There are even times when I don’t finish my meal, OR my sweet treat, because I am so full! Yet, I’m feeling better and better.

There have been mornings when I didn’t even want bacon and eggs (or anything, really) and knew that I couldn’t eat them if I tried. I’m thinking that my body is signaling to me when I’ve had enough protein, which from what I’m learning is a very good thing, since we don’t want to eat too much of it, or too much of anything for that matter.

I love, love, LOVE that my body is now able to signal to me what it needs/wants and I’m LISTENING! Sweets, or otherwise. I know it will just keep getting better and better. So, yes, I love feeling satiated and following my body’s signals. It is very empowering.

(David) #9

I recently had a birthday weekend away, meeting up with my gf in Berlin and though I stepped off the wagon I was more careful about what I was eating and avoided carbs as much as I could, e.g. Kein Schrippen für frühstück. I found I was still satisfied for longer and also less likely to stuff myself. I chose fish and even had a breadless burger a couple of nights. I did have chips with them but didn’t have any major food cravings. I was listening to my body and it was enlightening, not just stuffing myself to the point of phew, I’m done.

I’m hoping that by the next time I go over I am properly fat adapted and maybe even up for doing a three day fast or something similar.

I AM doing marvellously at work, and have ignored ALL the birthday treats people have brought in on their birthdays (except for one Mr Kipling cake from the ones I took in), and no longer having mocha or two per day from the machine (11.6 carbs each) or a breakfast barn on the way (34 carbs) or a soup at lunchtime (13-15 carbs), and I’m giving my colleague all my snack bars I have stored in emergency snack caches, drawers, car pockets, and the bottles of juice I bought as part of meal deals and never got round to drinking (54g carbs / sugar).

Even in just the last month I am amazed at how my body was speaking to me and I just wasn’t listening, or hearing.

I still find myself snacking, like sat night, except I hadn’t had a big dinner and was eating deep fried cauliflower and bacon.

(softail925) #10

I agree, feeling full so soon and not eating but one meal a day amazes me! Ive been keto fot only 3.5 months, but I gotta say, the longer I keto, the easier it all gets… no more cravings whatsoever (and I was a HUGE carb loader), satiety comes sooner, and lasy longer. I feel that this woe has saved my life! Keto forever!

#11

Saved this from a user on MFP:

“When eating heavy protein, the full feeling doesn’t come from the expansion of the stomach like it does with bulky carbs. Instead it comes from hormones released when it hits the small intestine. Also, protein takes longer to get through the stomach than carbs do. Therefore, eating slower and chewing the food more completely will help you not overeat. At least this works for me.”

(bren.mannin) #12

A & B Thinking back over things. I have had this problem since puberty. I am almost 50. I remember being 5th grade-ish and eating cereal for breakfast and still feeling “starving”. Which was just not possible after 2 bowls of cereal. (The stomach is a small pocket the size of a tennis ball). Then the big '80s came: load your tummy with fiber to fill it up (didn’t help either). Try drinking water, you’re mistaking thirst for hunger (no, that’s not it). The last <1year is the first time in my life I have been in control of myself, eating when I am hungry. And stopping when I am truly full. I can eat pasta until I am physically sick or injured and I still feel hungry - something is wrong with that scenario.

(Pam ) #13

I also ate purely to eat. All the time. The full feeling lasted for a short time, but I loved that feeling and it led to overeating. I NEVER felt satiated.

Since switching to low carb eating, satiety has occurred! I still sometimes eat out of habit or boredom. But I’m not chasing that overfull feeling anymore. There’s still some mental cues going on, but I’m working on that.

(Arlene) #14

I love my sweet junk food too. I believe the reason there is never a “satisfied” or “too full” feeling while eating sweet carbage is because you’re not eating to meet any nutritional needs, and your mind knows that. Eating sweet junk foods is all about the fun in the mouth, and there’s never too much fun! When we switch to eating real foods that support our bodies’ needs, our minds and bodies know when we’re satisfied, and we easily stop eating at that time. As for the dangers of being a sugar addict and trying fake sweeteners, listen to your fears and go slowly. Try a little alternative low carb sweetener and see how you feel the next day. I can get away with a little stevia with no cravings the next day, but I don’t eat it every day. I’m too afraid of sliding down that sugar slope I’m only too familiar with.

#15

I pick a. & d.

#16

I’m definitely struggling with overeating because of emotional or psychological hunger. I can eat bacon and eggs, cauliflower and cheese, and other keto foods along with not eating until 1 or 2 p.m. by having a modified BPC in the morning, but after dinner I have a hard time controlling my nighttime eating. Even if I’m full, and know it, I’m reaching for nuts, nut butters or “ketofied” desserts, like Maria Emmerich’s Best Brownies Ever or Ice Cream (Halo Top or homemade) or Lily’s Chocolate bars, etc. I can’t get off the nighttime overeating/overindulging train and I don’t know why. I use Precision Xtra to test and I’m in ketosis and my blood sugar 7 day average is 98. I can still gain weight overnight as I did when I weighed this morning. I was planning a fast anyway, so I’m moving forward with that. Oh…and when I fast, I fast easily and enjoy it. I can’t seem to find the middle ground and that’s what I struggle with. I’d like to lose 10 - 15 more pounds, but I’m also ok with where I’m at, having lost 80 pounds (not necessarily on Keto) over the last 8 years. My lipids and markers of disease have improved dramatically since being Keto over the last 10 months but I haven’t really lost weight with Keto…only if I fast.

Any advice would be welcomed!

(Michelle) #17

I heard that a good probiotic helps with some of the sweet cravings. I just started on one from Ortho Molecular Products called Ortho Biotic. My doc told me they traced this one from ingestion to expulsion and found that it was a good viable probiotic. I found that I was craving those Keto treats after dinner, and this really did help. Is all that sweet craving gone? nope, but it’s not nearly as prevalent. I’ve also stopped making so many sweet treats :smile:

#18

I take Thrive Probiotic & Antioxidant and try to remember to do it daily. I don’t even think I necessarily “crave” sweets, I think I just want to eat uncontrollably after dinner. I haven’t even put anything in my mouth that isn’t considered “keto” according to macros, but overeating on keto foods will still put on the pounds. I too don’t make alot of treats but even then, if they are in the freezer (like the brownies because I’m the only one in the family that eats the keto sweets), they can stay for a while without me even thinking about them but then when I do want something, they are there, and then I can’t stop thinking about them. I just seem to be on a roller-coaster still and not sure why?

(Christine) #19

The Over full feeling at/after dinner is a big problem for me too. I rue the day I looked up Keto cookie dough cup and after dinner keep making individual cups until absolutely uncomfortably full.

If you figure this out let me know. I did the super strong OrthoMolecular probiotic for a month. But have not tried a daily one.