Keto Diet: When Does The Hunger Go Away?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein way of eating. It can be challenging to start a ketogenic diet as you are changing your diet so that your body can learn a new way of metabolising and producing energy. During the initial transition phase, often called the keto flu, your body adjusts from burning glucose for energy to burning fat. This metabolic shift can temporarily result in increased hunger as your body adapts.

However, there are several ways to reduce hunger on a keto diet. Firstly, it is important to eat enough food, especially healthy fats, as they make you feel full. Secondly, it is crucial to eat more fatty and nutrient-dense foods, such as keto meats, fatty fish, and healthy keto fats like high-fat cheese. Thirdly, address your stress levels as stress can release glucose stored in your liver, leading to blood sugar fluctuations and increased hunger. Prioritise rest and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night as sleep deprivation can also increase hunger. Finally, increase your water intake as dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger.

While it may take a week or two to adapt to the keto diet and reduce hunger, sticking with it will likely result in decreased appetite and cravings for carbs.

Hunger due to carb addiction

On a keto diet, when you cut out most sources of carbs, including grains, most fruit, juice, and all added sugars, your body can be flooded with hunger hormones, essentially crying out for the sugar it has been used to. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. Ripe fruit and the sugar it contains were temporary, so our bodies learned to tell us to consume as much sugar as possible and store the excess as fat for leaner periods between successful hunts.

The good news is that once you get past this stage, your cravings will disappear, and you will feel more energetic, focused, and start to lose weight. It can take a week or two for sugar-craving yeasts and bacteria to die off and be replaced, so stick with it!

In the meantime, be wary of artificial sweeteners. They can still trigger sugar cravings in the brain, and because your body doesn't get the calories from real sugar, the cravings can be even more intense. Instead, try eating more fatty and nutrient-dense foods.

Hunger due to sleep deprivation

Sleep and health are closely intertwined, and sleep deprivation has been linked to overeating and obesity. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces less leptin, the hormone that suppresses hunger, and more ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger. This can cause you to crave fast-acting carbohydrates and sugars.

Sleep deprivation can also cause increased levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which can also increase hunger and cravings for sweets.

How to Manage Hunger Due to Sleep Deprivation

If you're feeling hungry while on the keto diet and aren't getting at least seven hours of sleep per night, your hunger may be due to a lack of sleep rather than your diet. Here are some tips to help you get more and better sleep:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Yoga nidra full body relaxation
• Breathing techniques
• Exercise, such as yoga, bicycling, swimming, stretching, or walking
• Limit screen time before bed, especially blue light exposure
• Avoid stimulants before bed, including caffeine and alcohol
• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine
• Make your bedroom comfortable and conducive to sleep, keeping it cool, dark, and quiet
• Avoid heavy or carb-heavy meals close to bedtime
• Ensure you're getting enough electrolytes, especially magnesium

Hunger due to stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety can be mistaken for hunger when you're on a keto diet. Studies show that chronic stress and high cortisol (the stress hormone) in the blood increase the hunger hormone ghrelin, which has been associated with weight gain and obesity.

• Stress-related hunger: This type of hunger slowly develops over time, and you may have a desire for fat and protein, or high-carb foods and sweets. You might binge eat and not acknowledge when you're full, and you may feel guilty or ashamed after eating.
• Physical hunger: Physical hunger usually comes in waves and starts gradually. You feel it in your stomach, and you're open to eating many different types of food to satisfy the hunger. You can satisfy physical hunger with a certain amount of food and don't tend to overeat. Physical hunger doesn't lead to feelings of guilt later.

If you're experiencing hunger due to stress and anxiety, here are some strategies that may help:

• Meditation: Try mindfulness meditation, or yoga nidra full-body relaxation.
• Breathing techniques: Learn some breathing exercises to help manage anxiety.
• Exercise: Yoga, bicycling, swimming, stretching, and walking are all excellent, low-impact forms of exercise that can help reduce feelings of hunger.
• Self-care: Develop a self-care routine to shift from a position of stress to a place of confidence and self-control. This might include activities such as plugging into a community, doing creative activities, prayer or other spiritual practices, or taking action towards a bigger goal.

Remember, it's important not to restrict your food intake or fast if you're feeling emotionally stressed, as this can trigger binge eating. Instead, signal to your body that you're not in a famine by ensuring you're eating enough calories.

Mistaking dehydration for hunger

When you start a keto diet, your body flushes fluids as it metabolises the glucose stored in your muscles, which can lead to dehydration. This can cause your body to mistake dehydration for hunger.

To combat this, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day and making sure your urine is very pale yellow. Drinking water can also help you identify whether you are truly hungry or just thirsty, as water will satisfy thirst but not hunger.

In addition to staying hydrated, getting enough sleep is vital. Sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of the hunger-increasing hormone ghrelin and decreased levels of the hunger-suppressing hormone leptin. This can make you feel hungrier than usual and crave sweets.

Exercising can also help reduce feelings of hunger as it suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and increases feelings of fullness.

By staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and exercising, you can help reduce feelings of hunger and distinguish between hunger and thirst.

Strategies to reduce hunger

If you're feeling hungry on the keto diet, there are several strategies you can employ to curb those cravings. Here are some tips to help you manage your hunger effectively:

• Increase Fat Intake: Fats are more satiating than carbohydrates and play a crucial role in maintaining ketosis. Prioritize consuming enough healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, fatty fish, nuts, and high-fat dairy products.
• Consume Nutrient-Dense Foods: Opt for larger meals packed with nutritious whole foods. This will promote a feeling of fullness and reduce the urge to snack between meals.
• Include Fibre-Rich Foods: Incorporate fibre-rich leafy greens into your diet. Fibre helps maintain satiety without disrupting ketosis.
• Drink Plenty of Water: Water can be a powerful tool in reducing feelings of hunger. Aim to drink enough water throughout the day, and when you feel hungry outside of mealtimes, try drinking a glass of water first to see if that curbs your appetite.
• Ensure Adequate Sleep: Sleep deprivation can disrupt your hormones, leading to increased cravings and making it harder to maintain ketosis. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Manage Electrolyte Balance: Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium play a crucial role in managing hunger and reducing keto-flu symptoms. Ensure you're getting enough of these minerals to make the transition smoother.
• Address Psychological Aspects: Stress and emotional eating can impact your hunger levels. Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and stress management can help reduce emotional eating and improve your relationship with food.
• Be Mindful of Carbohydrate Intake: Carbohydrates can trigger spikes in blood sugar and insulin, leading to a cycle of cravings and energy crashes. Strictly limiting carbohydrates during the initial transition phase can help reduce these cravings over time.
• Increase Protein Intake: Ensure you're consuming enough protein, as a deficiency can lead to hunger pangs. Include high-protein foods such as grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs in your diet.
• Avoid Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners can trick your body into expecting sugar, leading to intense cravings. Try eliminating them from your diet and see if your cravings subside.
• Stay Active: Exercise can help suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin and increase feelings of fullness. Incorporate low-impact activities like yoga, walking, or swimming into your routine.

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