Still hungry maybe not fat adapted yet?

#1

I started out doing carnivore and just recently began keto, but I still get hungry. I been in ketosis since January but I was wondering about still being hungry like in the sense of fat adaptation. What I mean is I want to try to fast but I feel like I wouldnt be able to. Seems like the people on the forums who fast and talk about keto and fat adaptation say they never feel hungry. I don’t have that expierence regarding ketosis I still get hungry. My husband said I just have to learn to ignore it. I’ve never fasted before but after hearing so many people talk about never feeling hungry in keto it’s making me think I might not be fat adapted yet. Any thoughts ? Thanks

#2

If you eat enough before you fast you could try a small one, and work your way up, but if you don’t have a lot of body fat left, you may not be able to do more than 20-24 hours. I do 20 hours (I’m in maintenance mode) and I just make sure to eat enough during my 4 hour window and just the right amount of fat I figured out my body needs to be full that whole 20 hours. I do not believe in ignoring hunger or suffering!

(mole person) #3

It doesn’t mean that you’re not fat adapted. Keto isn’t magic. You don’t go straight from being fat adapted to being able to intermittent fast for 24 hours. When you’re used to eating three meals a day or more, your body sends out ghrelin signals multiple times per day in order to prompt you to eat. This doesn’t mean that your body needs food it just means you’re hungry because your body is used to eating at this time. When people start fasting on a long IF schedule, or extended fasting, they initially do experience hunger. The difference however, is that the hunger is not overwhelming and generally passes after a little while. It usually comes back and fades, comes back again and fades again throughout the day. Some people may even feel a low level of hunger throughout the day but it’s not distressing the way hunger is on the Standard American diet.

The trick is just to ride it out. If you find that the hunger gets overwhelming you should increase then amount of food that you eat at your meal times. Over time, these signals become weaker and weaker until you go days without even thinking about food except at your meal times.

Even after two years doing OMAD there are still days when I feel some hunger. When I do, I listen to my body. If a hunger is incessant and isn’t fading after an hour or two then I eat, but if it isn’t I just wait until dinner time.

(Christy) #4

You’ll never know unless you try! I am currently doing my first fast at week five. I am rarely hungry so I chose a 36 hour fast just to see how I could hold up. I finished dinner right before 7p last night, & depending on how I feel, I don’t plan on eating again until Saturday morning.

I did have black coffee this morning at around 4a & also have bone broth on hand if I feel like I need it. I am at hour 17 & feel just fine. I have had about 32 oz. of salt water as well. So far so good!

I do not think I would have opted for a fast if I was still as hungry as I was on day one, though. My tummy has rumbled a few times within the last hour but, I am chalking that up to the fact that I am used to having my lunch/brunch around this time. We are creatures of habit & our bodies can be trained to behave a multitude of ways. Could I eat? Absolutely! But, I do not feel that it is necessary to carry on in my normal daily routine for the time being.

Give it a go! Good luck & let us know how you do!

#5

So what constitutes a fast, just not eating food? Does it have to be water and black coffee or tea with no cream or swerve? I know I could fast if it wasn’t for my horredous coffee addiction lmao. I have a hard time drinking black coffee.

(Christy) #6

I believe the technical or scientific definition of a traditional fast is to go without exceeding 50 calories per some sort of equation, 24 hours or greater. Someone else will have to fill in the exact values because I am not certain.

There are other types of “fasts,” like IF, dry fasts, water fasts etc. depending on the type of results you’re looking for.

Agreed, black coffee isn’t ideal, but it’s better than no coffee at all :grimacing: I added lots of salt to cut the bitter, or you can also make it less strong depending on your method of prep. You can also do plain green tea if you prefer.

Honestly, I am probably not the one to ask seeing as I am not even fully through my first lol.

All I know at this point is, my mouth won’t be chewing anything else until breakfast tomorrow, & hopefully I will shed another couple of inches/pounds.

(Allie) #7

I always feel hungry when I’m fasting, you learn to ignore it. When the hunger is accompanied by feeling bad, that’s a different matter.

(Christiana) #8

Fasting pretty dramatically lowers your insulin levels, which makes your stored fat more readily available to be used as fuel by your body. You may actually find yourself less hungry during a fast (at least once you’ve gotten over the initial hump) due to your decreased insulin levels. I am very insulin-resistant, and I find that the longer I go without eating the less hungry I am. If I don’t eat breakfast, my hunger is pretty minimal. The inverse is also true. If I eat breakfast in the morning, I am RAVENOUS the rest of the day. The lower I can keep my insulin, the more satisfied I am.

(traci simpson) #9

I find that after breakfast, I get hungry about 3 hours later. I also notice that after lunch sometimes, I’m not really satisfied and look for more food that I can eat. Am I getting enough fat??? or should I get bigger portion sizes?

(Allie) #10

Are you eating to satiety at meal times? If not, eat more as keto is not a calorie restriction diet. If you are then you may just need more time to adapt.

(traci simpson) #11

I’m not. I guess I’m used to eating smaller portion sizes. I know I’m hungry now and I ate my egg soufflé at around 7 this morning and it’s 10:45 now. Don’t want to eat now because I’m afraid I’ll be hungry again before I get home at 5:30.

(traci simpson) #12

What does OMAD mean?

(Scott) #13

One Meal A Day

(Allie) #14

You have to eat to your appetite, if you’re still hungry, eat more. It seems counter-intuitive to a lot of us because of what people have always been told, but your body needs fuel in order to function correctly.