Why am I SO freaking hungry?

#1

If I just “need to eat more” in general, wouldn’t I feel hungrier on a daily basis? I’ve been keto a couple years now, and I’m below my goal weight. But no, instead of being hungry on a regular basis, I’m typically satisfied with my regular intake… then all of a sudden about once a week I feel like I am dying of starvation all day and just cannot stop eating and rack up 2000-3000 calories in a day (usual would be 1500 ish - 78% of that is fat). I only track out of curiosity. I do not restrict. If I’m hungry, I listen to my body… but why is my body telling me I’m ravished on these days? FYI I’m 39, 5’3", and 127 lbs. If 1500 ish isn’t enough for me, then wouldn’t I feel hungry every day, rather than ravenous once a week? Anyone experience like this? On days like this I’m eating like 200 grams of fat (protein goes up too by default, but carbs do not - well, I mean, not past my target carbs), which doesn’t worry me, I’m just curious as to why.

lol - today for example I am 211 grams of fat (and 2421 calories). I could seriously drink a full cup of HWC right now. And I might. :laughing:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

There is some evidence that the energy in/out balances itself over the course of a week or so rather than only on a daily basis. So maybe a weekly ‘pig out’ balances a daily slight negative imbalance during the remainder of the week. Interesting experience. In an evolutionary sense it could make sense. If you’re not going to have food available every day, then it’s a good idea to be able to eat a lot when you do.

(Robert C) #3

Are you taking exercise into account?

1500 calories in a day with a heavy exercise routine might be actually net less than 1000. Of course, due to Keto, some of that will get made up with body fat but - maybe not all.

Enough exercise within a week and the body might want a heavier make-up day (because it is feeling like there is some calorie restriction going on). That heavier day tops off everything and you are back to feeling satiated - until the exercise catches up with you again.

Another possibility is that something is happening around that time each week to mess up your hormones. Maybe it is the 3rd or 4th early-wakeup-weekday where you are getting some sleep deprivation build-up - producing tons of hunger hormones along with some degraded decision making. Then you eat some hyper-palatable food (further driving hunger) and wonder how you got to 3K calories.

Just a couple of theories.

#4

I guess there could be any number of factors, so good points to think about. I actually don’t do a lot of exercise. I do play keys in a band for church so I’m on my feet a lot and that’s high energy… it’s hours’ worth per week, including rehearsals. Maybe I’m underestimating how much energy I spend on that!

#5

ha… apparently the estimated burned calories for music playing/standing up for the number of hours I estimate, it’s only an extra 100 calories per day. so uh… IDK.

(Robert C) #6

If it is not excess exercise it could be several other things:

  • Sleep issues (as outlined above)
  • Stress (anything you dread having to do or are worried about screwing up on a weekly basis?)
  • Lack of any exercise (if some of your days are strictly sitting at a desk, sitting in a car, sitting in front of a TV and sleeping in bed - could again lead to hunger issues)
  • 1500 calories might just be a bit low daily (try 1800 daily instead of the extra large day weekly and see of the “SO freaking hungry” goes away

Since this is weekly (vs. monthly where you can blame an obvious hormonal cycle) it seems like the best idea is to look for some pattern in the things you do weekly that tend to cause hormonal problems.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

I agree with @amwassil, your probably just craving a make up day for shortages. :cowboy_hat_face:

#8

Those are some good ideas to think about! Thank you so much for taking the time. I don’t really feel stressed at all. And I think I sleep pretty well. A lot of nights I do wake up in the middle the night and it takes me a little bit to fall back asleep. But I don’t feel sleep deprived. hmmm. I may actually try the daily intake increase, but I’ll have to think about how much… since on those average days I really am full (don’t know how I could eat any more!)

(Robert C) #9

Sleep well and not stressed at all - enviable!

It might be best to try a little exercise - which will drive a little hunger and (maybe) balance out your hormones a little.

#10

Listening to my body pulled in 3017 calories today. :joy::joy::joy:. I’m finally comfortably full, geez.

#11

I don’t know if this is the thing, but I didn’t notice (glad I’ve been tracking out of curiosity!) that over the past two weeks, my protein has been about an average of 50 to 55 grams. And on my ravishingly starving days, the extra fat i add doesn’t seem to fill me up. It’s only when I’ve added more steak or bacon that I finally feel full on those days, like today. So maybe I just need to eat a little more protein each day. When this happened literally a week ago, I had my husband go to McDonald’s and bring me two double quarter pounders (no bun duh) to my office work because I was so incredibly hungry but had already eaten all my food. Lol. I remember thinking it was going to be excessive in protein, but it finally did make me feel full.

(Anjum) #12

Unrelated but kind of related. I’ve been keto 19 months. Slow and steady, no major bumps. So I decided to train for a half marathon, in August-the race is in January. I had to reconfigure my eating and IF. 3 weeks ago I randomly applied for a fun job, and got it. Running in the morning before work and now I’m starving at work all the time. I don’t run every day, but I’m hungry every day. The fun job is not as fun just yet, lots of learning and training. I’m thinking the hunger is related to boredom. Or inactivity. I’m not famished away from the job. Can anyone offer some insight? Thanks in advance.

#14

The only thing I can think of is that maybe you still need more incoming energy? But other people might have some good ideas or counter questions!

#15

Ok yeah this literally makes so much sense. If I look at the excess protein and calories my body required today to get me feeling full and divide them by seven, it’s just about exactly a reasonable daily increase amount. if I divide that increase over 7 days, i would be increasing from 1500 cal to about 1700 (Includes some fat increase); 50ish grams of protein to 60ish… all of that seems totally reasonable and makes sense that my body “made up” for the loss and I felt full right when the make-up was complete. The body is SOOO SMART!!! I would have been worried if the math divided out to be like 2000 daily calories and 150g daily protein. I would have been like no way am I doing that!

Now all I have to do is remind myself “you will not gain fat back by doing this. You will not gain fat back by doing this.”

(Wesley Doran) #16

Good luck Ketomomof2teens, you seem to have total controlI with this. If there is any hormonal reasons Leanne Vogel at Healthy Pursuits is a good source of info.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #17

You’re below goal weight, meaning not alot of body fat, seems like your body is just screaming out for dietary fat for fuel?

(Wendy) #18

I too notice that somedays I’m hungrier than others. I think there is probably more than one reason for this but also find protein is what I need to feel satisfied some days. I really don’t think we need to eat the same amount every day and it all seems to even out in the end. I’m okay with this.

(Trish) #19

I’m a 50 - year-old female, perimenopausal, 5 feet 4 inches and 156 pounds currently (for reference). This happens to me also. Previously it was about once a month or so. I’d be ravenous and eat all day constantly reaching for food. Next day I’d be fine again. It was weird but had no negative effects. Never figured it out though.

(Susan) #20

I find when I get really hungry that eating 1 tablespoon of Pink Himalyan Salt and drinking 32 ounces of water totally takes that away.

I do it when fasting if I get hungry too.

#21

Still tracking out of curiosity (but never restricting), it turns out today my body was very happy with 1729 calories (66 protein, 154 fat) and I feel nice & done. So perhaps I was undereating at the typical 1500 and didn’t know it! It was just strange that I didn’t feel hungry on those days.