Hunger Pangs On Keto: Is It Normal?

It is normal to feel hungry when starting a keto diet. This is because your body is adjusting from burning glucose for energy to burning fat, which can result in increased hunger as your body adapts. This is known as the keto flu. During this transition, your body has to detox from the sugar addiction it has been carrying, which can cause intense cravings and make you feel tired and hungry. However, once you get past this stage, your cravings will disappear, and you will have more energy.

There are several other reasons why you might be feeling hungry on a keto diet. Firstly, you might not be eating enough food, or enough healthy fats. Secondly, your body may still be addicted to carbs. Thirdly, you might not be drinking enough water, or getting enough sleep.

Hunger due to carb addiction

It is normal to feel hungry when starting a keto diet. Hunger is one of the most significant challenges to overcome when trying to lose weight. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be highly satiating and dramatically reduce hunger cravings. However, some people may still feel hungry, especially when adapting to this new way of eating. One of the reasons for hunger on a keto diet is carb addiction.

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients that provide energy to our bodies. They are the basis of most foods in the standard American diet, and our bodies break them down into simple sugars (glucose) in the blood. When our bodies don't have enough carbs to burn for energy, they start burning fat, resulting in ketone formation, which is used for fuel. This state is called ketosis.

Carb addiction is real, and it can be understood from an evolutionary perspective. For most of human evolution, our ancestors ate mostly fatty meat and had only intermittent access to high-carb foods like fruits. When they did find carbs, their bodies secreted insulin and other hunger hormones that told them to eat as much as possible. This is because insulin's job is to drive glucose into cells and convert excess sugar into fat.

The key to understanding carb addiction is that insulin triggers hormones and neurochemicals that both increase hunger and heighten the pleasure of sweet tastes. Research has shown that high-GI carbs spike blood sugar more quickly and activate the reward centers in the brain, leading to increased cravings. Sugar, in particular, elicits addiction-like craving and compulsive food-seeking behaviour. When we cut out most sources of carbs on a keto diet, our bodies can be flooded with hunger hormones, and we may experience intense sugar cravings.

To overcome hunger due to carb addiction when starting a keto diet, it is essential to understand the mechanisms behind it. Here are some strategies to help manage this type of hunger:

• Stick with the keto diet: It takes time for the body to adapt to using fat as its main fuel source. Give your body time to adjust and for the sugar-craving yeasts and bacteria in your gut to die off and be replaced.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners: They can still trigger sugar cravings and make them even more intense.
• Eat more fatty and nutrient-dense foods: Ensure you are consuming enough fat, as it is your main source of energy on a keto diet. Include foods like keto meats, fatty fish, organ meats, and healthy keto fats.
• Be mindful of your eating practices: Notice your emotional and environmental triggers and make healthier choices.
• Load up on healthy fats and proteins: Before entering a carb-loaded situation, eat foods like red meat and eggs to reduce carb cravings.
• Increase your activity levels: Getting more active releases happy chemicals like endorphins and dopamine, which can help fill the void that carbs may have previously filled.

In conclusion, it is normal to feel hungry when starting a keto diet due to carb addiction. By understanding the science behind carb addiction and implementing effective strategies, you can successfully manage your hunger and stick to your keto journey.

Hunger due to sleep deprivation

It is normal to feel hungry when starting keto, and there are several reasons why this might be the case. One of them is sleep deprivation.

Sleep and health are closely intertwined. Sleep deprivation has been linked to overeating and obesity. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces less leptin, the hormone that tells you you're full, and more ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger. This hormonal imbalance can lead to increased appetite and food cravings, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods.

The solution to this problem is to improve your sleep habits and get more restful sleep. Here are some strategies to achieve that:

• Practice mindfulness meditation.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a book.
• Avoid using electronic devices before bed, as the blue light they emit can disrupt your natural sleep cycle.
• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
• Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool to create an optimal sleep environment.
• Exercise regularly, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime, as this can interfere with sleep.
• Manage your stress levels through techniques like meditation, yoga nidra, or breathing exercises.
• Avoid consuming caffeine late in the day, as it can disrupt your sleep.

Hunger due to stress and anxiety

It is normal to feel hungry when starting the keto diet. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. The body follows two metabolic pathways: glycolysis and ketosis. In the absence of sufficient carbohydrates, the body resorts to ketosis, which burns fat for energy. This process can cause hunger pangs, especially in the beginning, as the body adjusts to using ketones for fuel.

Stress and anxiety can also contribute to feelings of hunger when starting a keto diet. Studies show that chronic stress and high cortisol (the stress hormone) levels increase the hunger hormone ghrelin, which has been linked to weight gain and obesity. The fight-or-flight response triggered by stress shifts the body's focus to the root cause of stress, making it difficult to focus on anything else, including eating. This can result in a loss of appetite and physical symptoms such as nausea, tense muscles, or a knot in the stomach.

Additionally, the release of stress hormones, including corticotropin-releasing factor, may suppress appetite. The adrenal glands release cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and motivation, including the motivation to eat. If the stress persists, cortisol levels remain elevated, leading to increased hunger.

To manage hunger due to stress and anxiety, it is important to identify stressors and work on stress management techniques. Getting sufficient restful sleep and eating on a consistent schedule can also help regulate hunger cues. It is also beneficial to find foods that are tolerable during stressful periods, such as mild or nutrient-dense foods.

Mistaking dehydration for hunger

When you start a keto diet, your body flushes fluids after metabolising the glucose stored in your muscles. During this period, it is easy to become dehydrated, and your body can mistake dehydration for hunger.

• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day.
• Listen to your body and don't reach for a snack at the first sign of hunger.
• Be mindful of your fluid intake to avoid dehydration and its symptoms, like nausea and headaches.
• Opt for kidney-friendly foods when hunger strikes. Include more fibre-rich, low-fat, and high-antioxidant foods in your diet.
• Move more! Exercise suppresses the hunger hormone and can increase feelings of fullness.

By staying hydrated and incorporating these tips, you can better distinguish between hunger and dehydration and manage your keto diet more effectively.

Not eating enough food

It is important to eat enough food on the keto diet. If you are not eating enough fat, for example, your body will go into survival mode, which will make you feel hungrier and cause your body to prioritise storing fat. This will make fat loss nearly impossible to achieve.

On the keto diet, 70-80% of your calories should come from fat, 10-20% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs.

To get more fat into your keto diet, you can eat foods such as:

• Avocados
• Butter
• Cheese
• Bacon
• High-fat nuts, such as cashews
• Fatty keto meats like ribeye steak, lamb, and pork
• Fatty fish like mackerel, anchovies, and salmon
• Organ meats like beef liver and kidney
• High-fat keto cheese

Other Reasons for Hunger on Keto

There are other reasons why you might feel hungry when starting keto. For example, you might be experiencing carb addiction, sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety, or dehydration.

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