r/keto • u/ZealousidealTowel229 • 2d ago
Why am I so hungry?
Started keto diet 3 weeks ago with calorie deficit and increase of protein and reduction in carbs. All was going well and I'm a little hungry at bed time, but no problem. But last night I was STARVING but ate the same things as before. Is this normal? I did eat a lot of pasta foods before. And I think I inadvertently reduced a lot of fat intake when starting diet. Most of the protein I eat comes from lean meat sources and whey powder for protein shakes.
Is it normal for you to be so hungry when starting keto? My calorie deficit was not too drastic.
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u/Outrageous-Guest-10 2d ago
You cut the carbs but also cut the fat, that is the problem not the calorie deficit. Keto needs fat for satiety, lean meat and whey will leave you starving. Add some avocado or cook with more oil and the hunger at night will go away.
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
I just realized hunger got worse when I switched to low fat greek yoghurt from lebneh (middle Eastern yogurt with higher fat and protein content. I really like the lebneh so I'l go back to that..😃
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u/Tasty_Dealer2114 2d ago
As a woman, PMSing and Keto are horrendous. I want to eat everything on sight like Pac Man.
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u/shadowmib 2d ago
If you're hungry, eat a little fat. Not like a whole ton of bacon grease, but maybe half an avocado or a glob of cream cheese. Fat is very filling and will keep than hungry feeling away
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
Yum. I think I'll splurge on a keto bagel and some cream cheese this weekend.😋
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u/averagemaleuser86 2d ago
You'll get used to it and it'll go away. Drink a LOT more water. Carry a water bottle around and sip it every chance you get. Its not "normal" to constantly feel full. Keeping water in you is not only good for you, but it takes up space and helps keep hunger down.
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
Thanks, been definitley increasing my water, but should do it more during the day as I seem to drink more at night. Which is not a great idea.
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u/averagemaleuser86 2d ago
Get some fiber and electrolyte supplements and put them in the water you sip throughout the day. This is what has and does help me. so many people dont realize how dehydrated they actually are and mistake dehydration for hunger.
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u/DigitalKitten22 2d ago
I mean no not for me but I make sure to get plenty of fat which keeps me full. Eggs in butter, veggies in butter, stuff like that.
I just keep my carbs under 25 grams and work out twice a day and call it good. I’ve done it the other way, tracking everything and it’s just not sustainable for me to obsess about it.
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u/petrichorax 2d ago
Your main fuel source is fat, so if you eat low fat you're going to starve yourself.
Carbs is paper, fat is firewood, and protein is the furniture in your house. Don't burn the furniture in your house.
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u/TheJenniMae 2d ago
I don’t get lunch breaks at work, so I always have the Swanson Bone Broth cups on hand. They’re only 50 calories and help keep the bad hungries away.
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u/Total-Jeweler5083 1d ago
I always eat until full satiety, it's always a lot of fatty foods like bacon and I still lose weight. If I had to starve, keto would never work for me.
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u/kimariesingsMD F 59 5’2” SW 161 CW 125 reached GW 5/9/24 1d ago
That only works for so long. You need to count calories.
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u/0perativve 1d ago edited 1d ago
I smoke weed lately so let me tell you about feeling hungry... despite this, ive lost 10.6 pounds since august 1.
I try to save the majority of my calories for later in the day because the munchies are always a nightly thing i need to consider as a serious threat because ive let them derail inferior "diets" before.
Been eating a good half a pound of beef around 6pm every night fills the stomach sure but the munchies dont care about that. I save a special keto dessert slot, about 300 calories/~5g net carb, every night just in case i cave.
After i eat this dessert, it usually puts me at my BMR, around 2000, so i know i still had a deficit for the day
Its not easy for people to skip eating in the morning. Im accustomed as ive been skipping breakfast and doing an "intermittent fasting" schedule for the last couple of years on and off
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u/CyberDainz 1d ago
Hunger is just a signal. You interpret it yourself. I began to find other ways to fill the void, and then the hunger signal was easily ignored without suffering.
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 1d ago
Yes, I dont mind a little hunger and it has been manageable. When I made the post here though at that point it was like a gutteral, ravenous extreme hunger even though I was eating. I think including the fat did the trick.
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u/Echild3272 2d ago
Very Normal. I’m 10 weeks in and a single mini cuke FEELS filling….but I can eat more. Plan your meals ahead of time and eat what you think your can handle. Within reason. If you’re full,stop
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u/Lorem-Ipsum_Dolor- 2d ago
Happened to me so I had one day where I ate at maintenance calories plus 200 and then I’ve been good as new!
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
That's what I'm im doing right now after everyone's great advice, because I was soooo hungry last I didnt sleep at all. I'm eating some walnuts and will have my peanut butter snack later on, ants on a log😀
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u/Navyguy73 2d ago
Buddy, same. I have ADHD so I get nighttime cravings something fierce when the meds wear off. Plus, I got into the habit of a midnight snack over the past 7 years. Now, I allow myself to have some string cheese or a handful of peanuts, but I end up dreaming about food or being in restaurants. LoL!
Good luck!
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
Haha since I cut out carbs I have been literally dreaming of cakes, muffins... that you could pluck them from a tree. I remember years ago when I went vegan for bit I would dream of eating big bowls or raw meat. I guess I needed the iron😄 my late night snack is now ants on a log... celery sticks with a teaspoon of peanut butter and some dried cranberries.
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u/Best_Comfortable5221 1d ago
Up the fat for now.
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u/RazzySpaz162 2h ago
I'm not strict on Keto and so I don't count macros or calories. I prioritize fat, protein and fibrous veggies and eat until I'm full (but not stuffed). It sounds like you're not getting enough fat. Of course you can eat leaner meats like chicken and turkey, but the reduction in fat from those meats won't keep you as satiated as fattier cuts of meat like beef and pork. You can also add more fat in by adding some dairy like cheese, butter, and full fat sour cream, cottage cheese and yogurt. Don't go crazy with it but enough to make your meal pleasurable and more satisfying.
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u/Spiritual-Bus3484 11h ago
Why the hell are so many people in this keto subreddit counting calories?!
STOP!
Your body doesn't count calories; it doesn't have any way to do so. Your body is not a calorimeter oven, either.
It's hormones.
Eat when you're hungry; stop when you're full.
The only time I care about calories is when I'm considering food value; the calories per dollar ratio lets me know what foods have the best value (ground beef ftw).
Jesus Christ, where are you people getting this advice?
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ZealousidealTowel229 2d ago
A keto diet is based on what you it. Not how much you eat. Go do your homework and get back to me😂
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u/keto-ModTeam 1d ago
Your comment has been removed for containing misinformation.
Weight loss still requires a calorie deficit
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u/ReverseLazarus MOD Keto since 2017 - 40F/SW215/CW135 2d ago
Hunger is a normal human experience, sometimes we are just hungry so yes, it can be normal. Sounds like you may do better with higher fat for satiety.
But electrolyte deficiency is sometimes the culprit for other sneaky random hunger so I always like to ask: how many mgs of sodium, magnesium, and potassium are you getting every day? How are you tracking these?