Snacking

(Martin Arnold) #1

According to no small number of keto eaters i’ve talked to, snacking should be avoided if at all possible. They quote people like Dr Fung. I’m not really into fasting, but surely the notion of needing a snack from time to time isn’t that harmful is it? If your hunger hasn’t yet naturally reduced to the point you only need one meal a day or whatever (as some claim), then what else can you do if you’re genuinely hungry?

(Bacon for the Win) #2

so have a snack if you’re hungry.

(Michelle) #3

Snacking is fine. Keto WOE is mainly about eating when you are hungry and stopping at satiety. I think some people easily get to IF since they are not hungry, but it’s not a requirement to fast if you are Keto. If you are hungry, that’s your body’s signal that it needs some food/energy.

#4

n=1

If you want to snack - snack.

If you don’t want to snack - don’t snack.

If you think snacking may cause issues with overeating, blood sugar regulation, messing with satiety signals, something else you feel detrimental to progress - try not snacking for a while and see if things change for the better. If they do, consider reducing or eliminating snacking from your woe.

There is no one way to keto and anyone who tries to tell you there is should not be taken seriously. IMO.

(Jennifer) #5

What Dr. Fung talks about is windows of eating. Try to keep your eating windows small so your insulin has a chance to drop for a longer period of time. Hence intermediate fasting. Starting your day at 6 am with breakfast, then a snack, then lunch, then a snack, then dinner then a snack has you eating all freaking day. Do that then your insulin has barely dropped by morning and you are doing it all over again. That is what he is referring to.

So if you decide to eat between 2 pm and 7 pm, you can snack then. Like @MKChitown mentioned above, its about satiety.

Maybe you should read his book - I highly recommend it. It would probably answer a lot of your questions.

#6

I totally agree with the answers above! In the beginning I often “needed” a snack. With time, I realized it was more a habit than hunger, so now I avoid snacks, because honestly I’m not hungry and I feel completely fine without.

(Siobhan) #7

As long as you only do it when hungry and you arent snacking constantly I dont see much of an issue. If youre hungry - eat.
I would opt for a fattier snack than not, and be wary that carbs can creep up with continual snacking but just try it for yourself.
If you have bad results (weight gain, hungrier more often, inflammation returning etc) might need to reconsider.
Other than that do what works for you.

(Tom Seest) #8

It always depends on your goals. When I started my Keto journey; I had two goals. Fat adapt and never be hungry. If I ever “felt” hunger, I at a slice of butter on a slice of cheese as a snack. At the time, I was unconcerned with things like jumps in insulin, blood sugar control, etc.

So, in the beginning, just be sure to identify your specific goals. If snacking helps you meet those goals, then great. If not, leave it out.

(Jessica) #9

I needed snacks to get into keto. I needed on plan items available to get past sugar/carb cravings. A couple weeks in though, I stopped needing snacks and starting IF. Fat adaption is a beautiful thing.

(Richard Morris) #10

Mid meal hunger is a response to reactive hypoglycemia. When you don’t eat carbs you rarely get hungry between meals, and snacking becomes optional.

(Dustin Cade) #11

I keep salty snacks at my work desk, olives, pickles, bbq habanero almonds… normally just for those times you feel the need for salt, or if you just feel like a snack… I don’t bring a lunch, just my coffee and ice water… I talk all day so water is a must.

#12

I have eliminated most snacks because I want to reduce insulin as much as possible. But sometimes I just need a little bit of something to tide me till either the meal is prepared, or there is some sort of social event, etc. I guess the reason really doesn’t matter.

So my question is, what are the best small snacks that would reduce serious hunger but cause the least insulin rise? Butter, cream cheese, a bite of cheddar, a bit of fatty meat, cream coffee ? ? ?

Thanks.

#14

Any of the options you mentioned should be fine.

#15

I snack after dinner & after the SO goes to bed, which is a bad habit. I’ve noticed when I don’t do that I might lose a pound when I weigh in the next morning. When I do snack, I’ll stay at the same weight or even gain a pound the next morning.

(What The Fast?!) #16

I find that I do better with set “eating windows.” I eat from about 7am to 2pm on weekdays. If I want a snack between the two meals, I have one. But, after I “close” the window, I only have water, tea, or LaCroix. However, I’m an all or nothing kind of person who LOVES rules, so this works well for me. :slight_smile:

(the cheater) #17

This is all new to me. I have been snacking constantly since I’ve been on Keto for the last month or so (down about 15lbs and feel great). I will try having one or two “big” meals instead of 8-10 single-serving-of-a-single-item meals.

I’m still learning - but it seems like fasting is pretty big on this board. I’ve been getting better about not eating several hours before bed (since it affects HGH production, supposedly) but never considered the metabolic consequences of eating all day long. I’ll have to research this some more. Thanks for posting, everyone.

#18

I saw a British video about two people who were naturally thin. Every one in their life seemed to envy them and said they could eat anything and stay thin. They followed them around for a week or so to find out why they were thin. One of the things that stuck with me was snacking. They also talked with a researcher about this. What was their conclusion? …

When these people snacked, they treated it like a meal. They did not eat it standing. They did not eat it on the go or while doing something else. They sat and just ate, concentrating on their food. The researcher had shown that eating while standing or doing something else and calling it a snack seems to register in the mind that you have not really eaten. If, however, you stop, sit, eat, and consider it a meal no matter how small, you mind seems to acknowledge that you ate and you are less inclined to eat more.

A fun thing was that they naturally intermittently fasted. If they ate a lot one day, they naturally skipped a meal or two the next day. Turns out these people didn’t actually eat a ton of food, they more ate in bursts, but they always ate while sitting at a table and giving their attention to their food.

So, if you are hungry and want a snack, fine, but get away from distractions, sit at a table, tell yourself it is a meal, and give it your full attention.