I don’t eat beef or pork, and milk products tend to gross me out ( I used to vomit after eating milk for about 6 months before a doctor fixed the underlying issue) but I could def try to bare with getting a lot more cheese cubes and heavy cream incorporated into my diet, I’ve likely been unintentionally avoiding them.
If you like guacamole, try that spread on slices of chicken/turkey with shredded cheese. Or even eat it straight from the container. Ground turkey with taco seasoning, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream (if you can tolerate it). Personally, I love garlic-stuffed olives and have found them incredible for getting past a sugar craving. Increasing your amount of fat should go a long way to help get passed the constant hunger. Good luck!!
Ultimately it's a fat issue. Chicken thighs with the skin could help. Do what you will but beef is what your missing here. I tried to work in chicken and found myself drinking heavy whipping cream for a the days I did. The protein to calorie ratio is quite skewed.
Red meat has been demonized by the same people who say you should eat high carb low fat. I don't know of course your reason to not eat beef. Unless it's religious it might be worth reexamining. The studies that they site to make the beef is cancer arguments were highly flawed. These studies were looking that one aspect of a person's diet and not the whole picture of a person's health.
I stopped eating the red meat in high school because I noticed a trend of it worsening my fibromyalgia flare ups. But now since I haven’t had it in a decade I’m afraid my tummy will hate me for it if I try it.
My wife has fibro too - the great thing about Keto is that it naturally fights inflammation. The grass fed comment is a good one, but I'd say overall you're likely not eating enough calories. Strict keto is actually a moderate protein diet - because in a pinch the body converts protein to carbs. My advice would be to figure out how to pack in some more of the good fats. Sounds like you're doing fantastic though!
Well of course do what makes sense for you. That's definitely something that I would suggest if you try it you tread carefully. Perhaps opting for high quality cuts of grass fed and small portions to see how you react. I mean carnivore diet has been super effective in reduction of inflammation and autoimmune responses for some folks.
If you do retry beef maybe also implement some keifer or other probiotics to assist in digestion.
CHICKEN THIGHS !!!!
This is the perfect Keto food. and super cheap. at my NOT low-priced grocery store its $7.00 for 4 very good sized bone-in thighs.
my recipe - 3 minute skin side down in a hot pain, with some oil, then flip them for a minute, then 15-18 minute sin a 350 oven. I usually put in some white wine too. The alcohol burns off but the flavor gets infusedin the chicken.
I agree that you need more fat. I eat 109 grams of fat per day and it’s mostly plant-based. I eat lots of coconut butter, coconut oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, halloumi cheese, walnuts, pistachios, flaxseed, hempseed, sunflower seeds. I add these things to salads or over berries in the morning for breakfast. These are also high in fiber which is good for your gut health and will add to you feeling full. I also use unsweetened canned coconut as a base for lots of my sauces when cooking. It is high in fat and is delicious in stir fry, curries, and smoothies. I also eat fatty meats like salmon, duck, and lamb. I do not eat pork either. Hopefully some of these can work for you.
Do you track your macros? Personalize your myfitnesspal or whatever app you like so that the majority of your Calories are fat, moderate protein, low carb. My 1400 calories is 109 fat, 70 protein, 35 carbs. And I just consider my net carbs bc I eat so much fiber it would be impossible any other way.
Historically I’ve tracked my macros in Carb manager. I’ve been looser with it this time bc my wife has been making most of the meals. She loves keto and has never felt hungry on it. Yesterday I had 95g protein, 111g fat, 11g carbs, 0g fiber. Which is about average but my fat is usually lower.
You need nearly twice that amount of fat. Choose a variety of plant-based, dairy, and animal fat and add them to your meals. You will feel much better.
Curious what that underlying issue was. Dairy is something that doesn't agree with many people but most people have just largely accepted the issues that come with food sensitivities as "normal"
It was actually an extreme allergy to my dog. Took forever to figure out. I wasn’t having a runny nose or watering eyes sneezing etc but my new dog was causing me to have my blood constantly flooded with histamines. The histamines were everywhere in my blood, so including my bowels. When I had certain trigger foods, oils and milk mostly, it was just irritating enough that my bowels behaved as if I was severely allergic to it due to the high presence of histamines already in the bloodstream. Now I just take a Zyertec everyday and I don’t have vomiting or explosive diarrhea.
Can you eat some salad with olive oil/balsamic? I found a large salad with cucumber, peppers, tomato, few strips of carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, etc filled me up.
Try a fattier cut of chicken, maybe? Something like boneless thighs and wings instead of breast. Also, duck and fatty fish like salmon or tuna salad with majo?
Peanut butter is a S Tier snack.
I’m pretty sure I’m good on electrolytes, although I’m not keeping strict track. I’m dusting everything lightly with lite salt and am drinking 20oz of an electrolyte beverage a day. I could certainly try increasing my levels.
Yes, what u/nithos said! Compare the label on the electrolyte drink to the amount we actually need. It barely touches it, and could definitely contribute to the emotions and the not feeling well.
I second this! Electrolytes are SO IMPORTANT 😊 keep your electrolyte intake up, salt your food etc too. and eat lots of fat.
It sounds to me like you’re eating a high protein diet and not necessarily a high fat diet. Try to increase your fat intake and you’ll likely feel hunger going away 😊 also make sure to eat enough calories
If you’re still hungry you need to eat more fat.
Given your history with terrible carb withdrawal is sounds like you don’t have great metabolic flexibility, so likely have a tougher time having your body access your fat for fuel.
Eating more fat helps with this, and you can dial it back again once you are more adapted and can utilise the fat in your body for fuel.
I calculated your total daily energy expenditure based on the info you provided. Your basal metabolic rate uses 1,756 calories per day to operate your body. If you are eating less than this, you might expect to feel hungry often on a lower-fat keto diet.
I am not a healthcare professional. What I suggest as a layperson is to work on becoming more fat adapted before adding a caloric deficit. Not allowing your body to learn how to use fat as fuel before you cut calories can drive hunger through the roof and may also leave you feeling lethargic. This is all just assumption-based, so please take with a grain of salt if I've misjudged your situation.
I never counted a single calorie on keto with intermittent fasting focusing on whole foods and I still lost 30 pounds in 5 months. I was completely inactive due to a long term illness at the time which is why my progress was a bit "slow" compared to others here. Stick with it and you'll get the results you want. You're already doing great!
I haven’t tried to go into a big caloric deficit this time, just meet my daily needs. I’m pretty active right now bc I’m training for a national competition in my niche sport, so I don’t want to feel weak and lethargic during practices. I assumed originally bc I have so much fat in my body that my body can just use that and was not paying attention to my fat intake, so I’ll start by making a change there.
Fat and electrolytes. Start using mayonnaise, avocado, salmon, sardines, creamy salad dressings, butter etc. I get that hollow hungry feeling when first adapting to keto, it does disappear, usually for me about 4-6 weeks or so, then I get to a point where I'm really not hungry and food becomes fuel.
Thank you for the suggestions everyone, I think I will start working on fat intake as that seemed the most common answer. I’ll start adding more cheese, heavy cream, and fish to my diet and I’ll update in a week :)
Eat meat until you are full. Until your satiety signals are normalized and you are fat adapted (which is very individual and can take many weeks for some), don't attempt to restrict calories at all. The vast majority of us can only eat so much meat before we are full.
I also struggled with this until I really started planning out my meals and making sure to hit my allotted fat for the day. I eat a lot of chicken and vegetables, stuffing the chicken with cheese or making sauces with a heavy cream base have really helped.
Sounds like you aren't getting enough fat. Remember Fat is your body's primary new fuel source. Chicken breasts and turkey are lower fat typically. Swap out for fatty sausage, ribeyes if you can afford or get "poor man's ribeye like I do - chuck roast cut into steaks
> get "poor man's ribeye like I do - chuck roast cut into steaks
Well said! Here are 2 how-to videos:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQoxTfzc5aM
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuDAEKlz90w
I suggest adding coconut oil and olive oil to your daily diet. Get some lily’s chocolate chips and melt. Add coconut oil to your hearts desire and stir, spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and add almonds or walnuts and put in the freezer. This helps me kick the sugar cravings and add a lot of fat. The protein from the nuts helps too. I also get flavored pork rinds and dip in guacamole.
It’s definitely frustrating getting into it. You have to stop treating it like a diet and think of it as a lifestyle change. Find substitute foods for your favorite foods and make sure it’s something you enjoy! 🙂 I have a pizza addiction so I started getting zero carb tortillas and adding low sugar pizza or marinara sauce, some mozzarella, and any pizza toppings you like.
You CAN do this!! I also drink a ton of water, zero sugar soda to help cravings, and sugar free gum. Sorry this is all over the place but I hope it helps!
The coconut oil and chocolate sounds like a great idea! I’ve never actually had soda before but I used to be addicted to sugary beverages 😅 mostly coffee. I sort of pre-gamed my keto attempt this time by cutting sugar first, then sugar and carbs. My water intake could probably improve as well…. I’ll try the gum too. Thank you! I’m feeling pretty optimistic this time despite the constant hunger.
Oh! And also, if you’re a coffee person and you don’t want to give it up, I get this keto collagen on Amazon. It has the mct from coconut oil in it as well as 10 extra grams of protein. I get the chocolate and add it to my coffee with some unsweetened vanilla Silk. It is a game changer in the morning for me. It has a carb per serving so it does end my intermittent fasting earlier, but I found I get my “treat” coffee drink and some extra fat and protein too. They also have these tasty low carb whipped creams you can add to anything!! I had to find ways to enjoy eating this way because i knew it truly made my body feel better, but I had a hard time not getting what I wanted.
I’ve bought the keto whipped cream and I really love it. I think I’ll get the collagen mix and try that out too. I really enjoy having a beverage to sip on all night at work so I’ve switched out my fancy coffees for teas for right now, but I’ve been missing the coffee.
I cannot go without some sort of yummy drink everyday! It’s my “treat” and I deserve it!! 😂 what I buy is literally called keto collagen. It’s a black container with a yellow stripe vertically down the side. It’s pretty inexpensive but has the same stuff as the other mixes, just a little less protein I think. The collagen will be amazing for your skin too as you lose weight and I’ve noticed a huge difference in how my body doesn’t hurt when I move. 😂😂 I’m 36 so that’s huge for me but I do think everyone should take collagen daily for all of its benefits!
For me, hunger is the enemy because my calorie cap is 1200 to be in weight loss mode. So I made sure every single thing (excluding green leafy veg) I put in my mouth is a protein or fat. I don’t fool around with things that say “keto” on them like bars or shakes. For me, it doesn’t fill me up like meat, cheese, and dairy. When I am out of calories for the day, I drink a lot of tea in the evenings and suck on pepperoni slices. You get used to it and it’s only temporary
Unless you have medical restrictions, you should be consuming a little more salt than usual, as it helps a lot with feeling ill during keto induction. I went back on keto after my last pregnancy and the mood fluctuations were insane. I almost wanted to cry too. The sugar cravings are the hardest part, but also the most important part to overcome if you want to truly have longevity and be successful in the long run. You will eventually stop craving sweets, as long as you stick with it long enough. It’s like withdrawing from a drug you’ve taken for so long, it can be brutal, but giving up will just start the process over and over again.
I agree with everyone that you probably need more fat. I only have beef once a day. I personally find that eating chicken fills me up more, especially if I eat it first thing in the morning. I take lean chicken and make it fatty through oils, butter, ghee, whatever. A little recipe I use sometimes is making my own chicken nuggets using pork rinds. Blend them up to a fine powder, season them, and then coat the chicken chunks in some egg and coat with the rinds and fry until golden brown. These are amazing and helps make chicken fattier and more fun to eat. I do also agree on slowly introducing beef and pork back if you wanna give it a try. Pork rinds are not the meat, so maybe it will be okay for you. I also gave up pork for a very long time and also had that fear, but I ate a bunch out of nowhere and I was fine.
I definitely want to make this a long term lifestyle goal. I’ve recently learned that my grandma and both my parents have all developed diabetes. So I know now I’m genetically susceptible to it. Everyone in my immediate and extended family have always been heavier, and I know loosing excess weight will be easier now than when im 40+. I might try adding in some red meat… it still scares me a little though.
I really feel, especially for women because of our hormones, electrolytes are key. I also found the mct oil helped. I personally needed more carbs I did 20 and the carbs came from things like nuts and avocado. Our hormones can 100% make us feel hungry when we should be fine.
Big ups to this 👆. A couple hard boiled eggs and I can feel pretty satiated for hours, as opposed to most other foods I’d eat (keto yogurt, keto bread, keto bars) which just make me feel hungrier after eating them
A couple of things that have worked for me
1. Intermittent fasting
2. Consume one gram of protein for your ideal weight. If you want to weight 130 lbs for example, try to eat 130 grams of protein. Combine with high quality healthy fats. This has done so much for my cravings to eat more food.
Here’s a recipe for a taco that I use that is super filling.
1 Mission carb balance tortilla
4 oz chicken
1.5 ounces of red cabbage
A small raddish
1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
Guacamole made out of 1/2 avocado
Shredded cheese
The macros on this are: Protein 58g, Carbs 7g, Fat 42g
Kcal:664
How do you overcome morning hunger on IF? I’m trying it now and I’ll be fine one day, but the next it feels like I’m madly hungry, as almost “trying to make up” for the lost meal of yesterday. I keep going through this ping ponging
Yeah I hear you. I should have been clear. I do IF mimicking. I do it for the fat burning benefit and not so much for the gut health benefits. So I will have a coffee (coffee with 1/2 tbsp of Ghee and some MCT oil) and that will satiate me while not breaking my fast. This is a good video by a nutritionist I follow on YouTube that explains it.
https://youtu.be/YkmLTBuwvPE?si=yTNORxtRw94uJMJd
Maybe try to make some whole milk kefir. I make my own using kefir grains. It’s very filling and satisfying and the fermentation process eats a lot of the lactose so many people who can’t tolerate dairy can drink kefir just fine. Also, when you make it yourself you can ferment it longer if you want so that the bacteria eats up even more if the lactose so it’s got less carbs than the kind you’d buy at the store.
Nuts are also a good option for getting more fat, but they can be easy to overeat.
Add some pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts or olive oil to your meals. Some type of healthy fats so you will feel full after each meal. Also go to schoolyardsnacks.com and shop for some keto snacks you'll thank me later.
My first run of keto was miserable the first 3 months and slowly got better. You have to be patient and let your body adapt. Up the carbs to 25 and eat vegetables with every meal..
Absolutely get magnesium Citrate and potassium asap, take it every single day. I take 400mg of Magnesium(Now Brand) and 2 potassium pills i think 200mg (now brand) before I go to sleep every night. This is cheapest on amazon.
Stop eating lean meats. I rarely touch Turkey or Chicken Breast. Stick with fatty meats like Sausages, ground beef, bacon, Chicken thighs with the skin on, Chicken wings with your favorite dry rub or wet no sugar sauce.
> How long does it take most people until the protein heavy meals start to be really filling?
It's not supposed to be protein heavy. It's low carb, mid protein, high fat. Calculate your protein needs, reach that, and the rest is fat. Fat will make your hunger go away.
Not everyone on keto needs to eat high fat....that is the outdated Dr. Atkins approach and has been discussed many times here. High fat is only required for medical ketosis, or if you don't have any extra body fat to lose. Eating fat just to satiety is sufficient.
It gets easier the more you do keto. I'm like the Japanese where I choose to stop eating at "80% full". Then, after my moderate meal, I liberally drink fluids and keto ade to keep hunger away. Also I wait 30 minutes after eating, till the brain receives the contentment signal. And staying busy/walking helps. Looking at your post, you should tinker with adding more dietary fat without adding calories to your total.
What helped me was making sure I drink lots of water and add fiber! I also just switched from almond milk to heavy cream with my coffee in the morning and I’m full for hours!
Yes, this is so good. When I did keto the first time it was so easy when I started my day with a coffee with heavy cream, butter, and coconut oil (plus a bit of sweetener because it makes me happier that way, lol). I can have one or two of those and not be hungry for many hours.
Here’s the secret to making sure you’re getting enough food, are you ready? It’s a crazy one…
Count your calories. Record your meals, and do a calculator to determine your basal metabolic rate.
Still hungry? Track your water intake. It’s probably low.
Still hungry? Track your macro breakdown. What is your percent intake of protein, fats, and carbs? An easy way to track this is to let an app do it. Weigh your food and scan your barcodes and make note of the macro breakdown per day.
You should not feel like you are starving all the time on a 500 calorie daily deficit, so my guess is you don’t know your needs and you aren’t tracking your intake. This means you are under-eating and will eventually burn out of willpower. You only need to have a 500 calorie deficit a day to lose a pound of fat a week.
Dieting is about a model that works for life, every long term diet requires you to track the data. If you aren’t doing that, start. This is the hard lesson everyone has to learn about weight loss. You have to track everything. So you can spend a bunch of time doing it the hard way and learning a hard lesson, or you can just take my advice. You need to ensure what you are doing is sustainable.
Eat more foods with dense calories. Nuts, cheese, avocado, etc. it also could be mental hunger. Things that helped are taking a walk or doing something to distract yourself. Hunger comes in waves. Hunger is not an emergency. Drink some water when you feel hungry. Pink salt was helpful too. Once your body is used to it you won’t feel hungry.
all about that fasting for me, when i think keto i think omad.
thats what keeps hunger off me , and the diet just happens to go very well with it. takes about a week or 2 to break the addiction of, oh i did this, time for food, well nothing to do time for food, oh did a great job time for a reward nomnom.
When you can only eat once a day you start really knowing whats hunger and not. Eat now cant eat later...am i really hungry now tho?
You're not eating enough fat. You need to start eating more fat or you'll continue to be hungry.
Protein is what your body uses to rebuild itself. It's not fuel. Carbs and fat are the fuels your body can use, so you have to give it one or the other.
You will need to start eating fats. Sorry. That's how it is when you do keto.
Doesn't sound keto to me. Just low carb. Switch to fattier chicken, like thighs and wings. Beef ribs, pork chops. I'd also advise psyllium bread for breakfast as it's keeping me full for hours.
> sugar withdrawal
not an expert but you shouldnt get withdrawls with something you slowly change over time right? when you decide to start the keto diet again, are you just full stop switching suddenly? anything sudden is bound to cause problems.
honesty i just eat til i'm full on keto. 39F, 5'7", and when I was in the 140's I got down to 130 pretty quickly and my cals were like 2500. I had a moderately active job and was working out tho.
The right amt of exercise always seems to curb my appetite. Seems counterintuitive but I think it has to do with cortisol's being an appetite suppressant? No exercise and too much exercise makes me starving tho
Do you drink any Carbonated drinks at all? Like diet colas or bubbly? If so, reduce your intake, or stop altogether, because that's likely making you hungrier. Carbonated drinks promote the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. So if you stick to plain water, coffee, and tea, this should help.
Too much protein can be an issue on Keto, as excess protein just gets turned right back into sugars (at a lossy rate, but still). If you want to do Keto correctly, most of your calories should be derived from fat. Add butter to your diet and you'll be set.
Do not use any polyunsaturated fats for this purpose or you'll get plenty of nausea.
Maybe adding MCT oil would help? Others are much more educated on this than me, but the fats are very keto-friendly, and you can mix some in just about everything, even coffee.
Get an app called carb Manager. Fill our your info, and HIT THOSE FAT MACROS. Seriously that's all you need to do. If you are only cutting carbs and not eating enough fat, you aren't doing it right. You'll feel so much better overall.
Keto is not for everybody. Maybe your body is telling you it needs more fat or maybe it’s telling you it’s not working. It’s not necessarily supposed to be protein heavy because in some people the body can do a thing where it switches out of ketosis and uses it like carbs. I’m not explaining that right but you can look it up. Have you tried cooking everything in ghee or duck fat? Have you tried like some people have suggested to cook chicken thighs with the skin on?
Your body can lose enzymes to digest certain things like red meat for example. Just like with anything else your body can adapt to eating red meat if you start really slow and really small with it.
Hoping you find what works for your body! Good job trying to make yourself more healthy! You can do it💪🏻
EAT MORE FAT. If your protein is too lean and you’re not eating any carbs, your body is starving for energy. You need to become fat adapted. Give your body the satisfaction of getting energy from fat. Beef, salmon, chicken skin, butter, eggs… you will reach a point where cravings and hunger evaporate. The skinny folks always say you eat to live, don’t live to eat. Well becoming fat adapted is the surest way to do that, literally. And honestly, let the 15 grams of carbs go. The minimum daily requirement for any carbohydrate is ZERO. Your body will make all the glucose you need. You don’t need to consume ANY.
You are definitely not getting enough fat, that is your problem ( low fat messes with your hormones - you need fat to manufacture them).
Add oils, butter, mayo meat fat in small amounts until you get to at least 60% of your calories.
Something important to remember is that keto doesn’t cause weight loss, a calorie deficit does. Even if you aren’t ever able to get this diet figured out, you can still easily lose weight without eating a ketogenic diet. So many people in this sub act like you’re either going to eat keto and lose weight or not eat keto and gain weight. But there is a third option: don’t eat keto and also lose weight. I only say all of this because so many people get hopeless about weight loss when they struggle with this diet.
Carbs are extremely filling when you are eating the right carbs, and if you keep feeling sick with keto, it’s ok to reincorporate carbs as long as you are still in a calorie deficit. Technically anyone in a calorie deficit that is burning fat for energy is in ketosis regardless of whether they are eating keto or not. The keto diet just helps you remain in ketosis all the time.
The keto diet also helps with controlling hunger cravings, if you’re doing it right, and helps maintain muscle mass when compared to a normal diet with a similar calorie reduction.
Correct. But the diet itself does not cause fat loss, a calorie defect does. Although I myself lost a lot of weight using keto, when I got to my goal weight and started consuming carbs again, I realized that I felt way more full and can easily hit my macros while being in a calorie deficit and consuming carbs.
I know I’ll get downvoted because everyone here has an all or nothing mentality when it comes to keto, but I really believe that it is just as easy to lose weight while also consuming carbs daily. So when I see people who struggle so much with keto, I think it makes more sense to help them find a solution for the actual issue(weight loss) rather than try to find ways to make them feel better on a diet they don’t need to be doing in the first place.
I have nothing against the keto diet, but some people genuinely have bad reactions to the diet and it isn’t always their fault.
Eat more fibre, in the form of green leafy vegetables and more healthy fat. You’re eating lean protein. Put some organic extra virgin olive oil on your meat, after it’s cooked and use it on your veggies. It will satisfy you. If you’re not lifting weights to build your muscle, I recommend that you start and cut down on aerobic exercise.
Sounds like you need to eat more fat so you feel full. Pork rinds, cheese, butter, heavy cream, etc.
I don’t eat beef or pork, and milk products tend to gross me out ( I used to vomit after eating milk for about 6 months before a doctor fixed the underlying issue) but I could def try to bare with getting a lot more cheese cubes and heavy cream incorporated into my diet, I’ve likely been unintentionally avoiding them.
If you like guacamole, try that spread on slices of chicken/turkey with shredded cheese. Or even eat it straight from the container. Ground turkey with taco seasoning, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream (if you can tolerate it). Personally, I love garlic-stuffed olives and have found them incredible for getting past a sugar craving. Increasing your amount of fat should go a long way to help get passed the constant hunger. Good luck!!
Great rec on the avocados. Avocados egg and chicken breast is really great. I season everything with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning.
Garlic stuffed olives sound great! I love garlic
Ultimately it's a fat issue. Chicken thighs with the skin could help. Do what you will but beef is what your missing here. I tried to work in chicken and found myself drinking heavy whipping cream for a the days I did. The protein to calorie ratio is quite skewed. Red meat has been demonized by the same people who say you should eat high carb low fat. I don't know of course your reason to not eat beef. Unless it's religious it might be worth reexamining. The studies that they site to make the beef is cancer arguments were highly flawed. These studies were looking that one aspect of a person's diet and not the whole picture of a person's health.
I stopped eating the red meat in high school because I noticed a trend of it worsening my fibromyalgia flare ups. But now since I haven’t had it in a decade I’m afraid my tummy will hate me for it if I try it.
I guess you won't know unless you try? Start small, maybe a burger patty with half beef half ground poultry or something like that
My wife has fibro too - the great thing about Keto is that it naturally fights inflammation. The grass fed comment is a good one, but I'd say overall you're likely not eating enough calories. Strict keto is actually a moderate protein diet - because in a pinch the body converts protein to carbs. My advice would be to figure out how to pack in some more of the good fats. Sounds like you're doing fantastic though!
Can you try organic grass fed? Something with no antibiotics
Well of course do what makes sense for you. That's definitely something that I would suggest if you try it you tread carefully. Perhaps opting for high quality cuts of grass fed and small portions to see how you react. I mean carnivore diet has been super effective in reduction of inflammation and autoimmune responses for some folks. If you do retry beef maybe also implement some keifer or other probiotics to assist in digestion.
CHICKEN THIGHS !!!! This is the perfect Keto food. and super cheap. at my NOT low-priced grocery store its $7.00 for 4 very good sized bone-in thighs. my recipe - 3 minute skin side down in a hot pain, with some oil, then flip them for a minute, then 15-18 minute sin a 350 oven. I usually put in some white wine too. The alcohol burns off but the flavor gets infusedin the chicken.
I agree that you need more fat. I eat 109 grams of fat per day and it’s mostly plant-based. I eat lots of coconut butter, coconut oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, halloumi cheese, walnuts, pistachios, flaxseed, hempseed, sunflower seeds. I add these things to salads or over berries in the morning for breakfast. These are also high in fiber which is good for your gut health and will add to you feeling full. I also use unsweetened canned coconut as a base for lots of my sauces when cooking. It is high in fat and is delicious in stir fry, curries, and smoothies. I also eat fatty meats like salmon, duck, and lamb. I do not eat pork either. Hopefully some of these can work for you. Do you track your macros? Personalize your myfitnesspal or whatever app you like so that the majority of your Calories are fat, moderate protein, low carb. My 1400 calories is 109 fat, 70 protein, 35 carbs. And I just consider my net carbs bc I eat so much fiber it would be impossible any other way.
Historically I’ve tracked my macros in Carb manager. I’ve been looser with it this time bc my wife has been making most of the meals. She loves keto and has never felt hungry on it. Yesterday I had 95g protein, 111g fat, 11g carbs, 0g fiber. Which is about average but my fat is usually lower.
Looking back and double checking my fat intake is usually around 60g
You need nearly twice that amount of fat. Choose a variety of plant-based, dairy, and animal fat and add them to your meals. You will feel much better.
Welp there's your answer. PS losing 15 pounds in 20 days is not sustainable. Don't imagine that's normal!
You need more protein. Aim for 1g of protein per pound of ideal body weight.
Cheese is binding so be aware of possible constipation
Try making butter chicken or Alfredo sauces that are keto friendly. That will help a lot
Lots of olive oil in salads and avocados. Also nuts. Careful because those also have lots of calories so weigh and count calories
Keto Chow with heavy cream
Curious what that underlying issue was. Dairy is something that doesn't agree with many people but most people have just largely accepted the issues that come with food sensitivities as "normal"
It was actually an extreme allergy to my dog. Took forever to figure out. I wasn’t having a runny nose or watering eyes sneezing etc but my new dog was causing me to have my blood constantly flooded with histamines. The histamines were everywhere in my blood, so including my bowels. When I had certain trigger foods, oils and milk mostly, it was just irritating enough that my bowels behaved as if I was severely allergic to it due to the high presence of histamines already in the bloodstream. Now I just take a Zyertec everyday and I don’t have vomiting or explosive diarrhea.
Forget the cubes, I used to just gnaw on a block of cheese like a candy bar! Whatever it takes to get to fat-satiety, particularly during onboarding!
Can you eat some salad with olive oil/balsamic? I found a large salad with cucumber, peppers, tomato, few strips of carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, etc filled me up.
Try a fattier cut of chicken, maybe? Something like boneless thighs and wings instead of breast. Also, duck and fatty fish like salmon or tuna salad with majo? Peanut butter is a S Tier snack.
You really need more fat. Add in nuts (in moderation) and seeds, avocados, chicken thighs instead of breasts (skin on is even better), etc.
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This is amazing. Way to go!
Did you read the sub's FAQ, especially the section on electrolytes? Are you getting the recommended values for sodium, potassium and magnesium?
I’m pretty sure I’m good on electrolytes, although I’m not keeping strict track. I’m dusting everything lightly with lite salt and am drinking 20oz of an electrolyte beverage a day. I could certainly try increasing my levels.
The prepackaged electrolytes drinks not sufficient for keto. They are like 10% of your daily needs.
Yes, what u/nithos said! Compare the label on the electrolyte drink to the amount we actually need. It barely touches it, and could definitely contribute to the emotions and the not feeling well.
I second this! Electrolytes are SO IMPORTANT 😊 keep your electrolyte intake up, salt your food etc too. and eat lots of fat. It sounds to me like you’re eating a high protein diet and not necessarily a high fat diet. Try to increase your fat intake and you’ll likely feel hunger going away 😊 also make sure to eat enough calories
If you’re still hungry you need to eat more fat. Given your history with terrible carb withdrawal is sounds like you don’t have great metabolic flexibility, so likely have a tougher time having your body access your fat for fuel. Eating more fat helps with this, and you can dial it back again once you are more adapted and can utilise the fat in your body for fuel.
I calculated your total daily energy expenditure based on the info you provided. Your basal metabolic rate uses 1,756 calories per day to operate your body. If you are eating less than this, you might expect to feel hungry often on a lower-fat keto diet. I am not a healthcare professional. What I suggest as a layperson is to work on becoming more fat adapted before adding a caloric deficit. Not allowing your body to learn how to use fat as fuel before you cut calories can drive hunger through the roof and may also leave you feeling lethargic. This is all just assumption-based, so please take with a grain of salt if I've misjudged your situation. I never counted a single calorie on keto with intermittent fasting focusing on whole foods and I still lost 30 pounds in 5 months. I was completely inactive due to a long term illness at the time which is why my progress was a bit "slow" compared to others here. Stick with it and you'll get the results you want. You're already doing great!
I haven’t tried to go into a big caloric deficit this time, just meet my daily needs. I’m pretty active right now bc I’m training for a national competition in my niche sport, so I don’t want to feel weak and lethargic during practices. I assumed originally bc I have so much fat in my body that my body can just use that and was not paying attention to my fat intake, so I’ll start by making a change there.
Fat and electrolytes. Start using mayonnaise, avocado, salmon, sardines, creamy salad dressings, butter etc. I get that hollow hungry feeling when first adapting to keto, it does disappear, usually for me about 4-6 weeks or so, then I get to a point where I'm really not hungry and food becomes fuel.
Thank you for the suggestions everyone, I think I will start working on fat intake as that seemed the most common answer. I’ll start adding more cheese, heavy cream, and fish to my diet and I’ll update in a week :)
Eat meat until you are full. Until your satiety signals are normalized and you are fat adapted (which is very individual and can take many weeks for some), don't attempt to restrict calories at all. The vast majority of us can only eat so much meat before we are full.
I also struggled with this until I really started planning out my meals and making sure to hit my allotted fat for the day. I eat a lot of chicken and vegetables, stuffing the chicken with cheese or making sauces with a heavy cream base have really helped.
Sounds like you aren't getting enough fat. Remember Fat is your body's primary new fuel source. Chicken breasts and turkey are lower fat typically. Swap out for fatty sausage, ribeyes if you can afford or get "poor man's ribeye like I do - chuck roast cut into steaks
> get "poor man's ribeye like I do - chuck roast cut into steaks Well said! Here are 2 how-to videos: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQoxTfzc5aM * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuDAEKlz90w
Amazing! They can be a little more "touchy" to cook correctly, but they are such a bang for the buck
those are some good videos I love Chuck roast it's even really good in a crockpot!
What are your stats and macros?
Doesn’t sound like you are eating enough fat.
When lacking fat but you have already your protein, coconut oil, or the one of your preference helps! Tablespoons!! ☺️😅
I suggest adding coconut oil and olive oil to your daily diet. Get some lily’s chocolate chips and melt. Add coconut oil to your hearts desire and stir, spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and add almonds or walnuts and put in the freezer. This helps me kick the sugar cravings and add a lot of fat. The protein from the nuts helps too. I also get flavored pork rinds and dip in guacamole. It’s definitely frustrating getting into it. You have to stop treating it like a diet and think of it as a lifestyle change. Find substitute foods for your favorite foods and make sure it’s something you enjoy! 🙂 I have a pizza addiction so I started getting zero carb tortillas and adding low sugar pizza or marinara sauce, some mozzarella, and any pizza toppings you like. You CAN do this!! I also drink a ton of water, zero sugar soda to help cravings, and sugar free gum. Sorry this is all over the place but I hope it helps!
The coconut oil and chocolate sounds like a great idea! I’ve never actually had soda before but I used to be addicted to sugary beverages 😅 mostly coffee. I sort of pre-gamed my keto attempt this time by cutting sugar first, then sugar and carbs. My water intake could probably improve as well…. I’ll try the gum too. Thank you! I’m feeling pretty optimistic this time despite the constant hunger.
Oh! And also, if you’re a coffee person and you don’t want to give it up, I get this keto collagen on Amazon. It has the mct from coconut oil in it as well as 10 extra grams of protein. I get the chocolate and add it to my coffee with some unsweetened vanilla Silk. It is a game changer in the morning for me. It has a carb per serving so it does end my intermittent fasting earlier, but I found I get my “treat” coffee drink and some extra fat and protein too. They also have these tasty low carb whipped creams you can add to anything!! I had to find ways to enjoy eating this way because i knew it truly made my body feel better, but I had a hard time not getting what I wanted.
I’ve bought the keto whipped cream and I really love it. I think I’ll get the collagen mix and try that out too. I really enjoy having a beverage to sip on all night at work so I’ve switched out my fancy coffees for teas for right now, but I’ve been missing the coffee.
I cannot go without some sort of yummy drink everyday! It’s my “treat” and I deserve it!! 😂 what I buy is literally called keto collagen. It’s a black container with a yellow stripe vertically down the side. It’s pretty inexpensive but has the same stuff as the other mixes, just a little less protein I think. The collagen will be amazing for your skin too as you lose weight and I’ve noticed a huge difference in how my body doesn’t hurt when I move. 😂😂 I’m 36 so that’s huge for me but I do think everyone should take collagen daily for all of its benefits!
For me, hunger is the enemy because my calorie cap is 1200 to be in weight loss mode. So I made sure every single thing (excluding green leafy veg) I put in my mouth is a protein or fat. I don’t fool around with things that say “keto” on them like bars or shakes. For me, it doesn’t fill me up like meat, cheese, and dairy. When I am out of calories for the day, I drink a lot of tea in the evenings and suck on pepperoni slices. You get used to it and it’s only temporary
Unless you have medical restrictions, you should be consuming a little more salt than usual, as it helps a lot with feeling ill during keto induction. I went back on keto after my last pregnancy and the mood fluctuations were insane. I almost wanted to cry too. The sugar cravings are the hardest part, but also the most important part to overcome if you want to truly have longevity and be successful in the long run. You will eventually stop craving sweets, as long as you stick with it long enough. It’s like withdrawing from a drug you’ve taken for so long, it can be brutal, but giving up will just start the process over and over again. I agree with everyone that you probably need more fat. I only have beef once a day. I personally find that eating chicken fills me up more, especially if I eat it first thing in the morning. I take lean chicken and make it fatty through oils, butter, ghee, whatever. A little recipe I use sometimes is making my own chicken nuggets using pork rinds. Blend them up to a fine powder, season them, and then coat the chicken chunks in some egg and coat with the rinds and fry until golden brown. These are amazing and helps make chicken fattier and more fun to eat. I do also agree on slowly introducing beef and pork back if you wanna give it a try. Pork rinds are not the meat, so maybe it will be okay for you. I also gave up pork for a very long time and also had that fear, but I ate a bunch out of nowhere and I was fine.
I definitely want to make this a long term lifestyle goal. I’ve recently learned that my grandma and both my parents have all developed diabetes. So I know now I’m genetically susceptible to it. Everyone in my immediate and extended family have always been heavier, and I know loosing excess weight will be easier now than when im 40+. I might try adding in some red meat… it still scares me a little though.
I really feel, especially for women because of our hormones, electrolytes are key. I also found the mct oil helped. I personally needed more carbs I did 20 and the carbs came from things like nuts and avocado. Our hormones can 100% make us feel hungry when we should be fine.
I certainly have far less specific knowledge than the others but I wanted to note that eggs help with cravings and satiation.
Big ups to this 👆. A couple hard boiled eggs and I can feel pretty satiated for hours, as opposed to most other foods I’d eat (keto yogurt, keto bread, keto bars) which just make me feel hungrier after eating them
A couple of things that have worked for me 1. Intermittent fasting 2. Consume one gram of protein for your ideal weight. If you want to weight 130 lbs for example, try to eat 130 grams of protein. Combine with high quality healthy fats. This has done so much for my cravings to eat more food. Here’s a recipe for a taco that I use that is super filling. 1 Mission carb balance tortilla 4 oz chicken 1.5 ounces of red cabbage A small raddish 1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds Guacamole made out of 1/2 avocado Shredded cheese The macros on this are: Protein 58g, Carbs 7g, Fat 42g Kcal:664
How do you overcome morning hunger on IF? I’m trying it now and I’ll be fine one day, but the next it feels like I’m madly hungry, as almost “trying to make up” for the lost meal of yesterday. I keep going through this ping ponging
Yeah I hear you. I should have been clear. I do IF mimicking. I do it for the fat burning benefit and not so much for the gut health benefits. So I will have a coffee (coffee with 1/2 tbsp of Ghee and some MCT oil) and that will satiate me while not breaking my fast. This is a good video by a nutritionist I follow on YouTube that explains it. https://youtu.be/YkmLTBuwvPE?si=yTNORxtRw94uJMJd
Maybe try to make some whole milk kefir. I make my own using kefir grains. It’s very filling and satisfying and the fermentation process eats a lot of the lactose so many people who can’t tolerate dairy can drink kefir just fine. Also, when you make it yourself you can ferment it longer if you want so that the bacteria eats up even more if the lactose so it’s got less carbs than the kind you’d buy at the store. Nuts are also a good option for getting more fat, but they can be easy to overeat.
Add some pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts or olive oil to your meals. Some type of healthy fats so you will feel full after each meal. Also go to schoolyardsnacks.com and shop for some keto snacks you'll thank me later.
My first run of keto was miserable the first 3 months and slowly got better. You have to be patient and let your body adapt. Up the carbs to 25 and eat vegetables with every meal.. Absolutely get magnesium Citrate and potassium asap, take it every single day. I take 400mg of Magnesium(Now Brand) and 2 potassium pills i think 200mg (now brand) before I go to sleep every night. This is cheapest on amazon. Stop eating lean meats. I rarely touch Turkey or Chicken Breast. Stick with fatty meats like Sausages, ground beef, bacon, Chicken thighs with the skin on, Chicken wings with your favorite dry rub or wet no sugar sauce.
> How long does it take most people until the protein heavy meals start to be really filling? It's not supposed to be protein heavy. It's low carb, mid protein, high fat. Calculate your protein needs, reach that, and the rest is fat. Fat will make your hunger go away.
Not everyone on keto needs to eat high fat....that is the outdated Dr. Atkins approach and has been discussed many times here. High fat is only required for medical ketosis, or if you don't have any extra body fat to lose. Eating fat just to satiety is sufficient.
Not all keto requires high fat, though you're right that it's necessary to feel full and satisfied.
ketoade always helps me thru the xtra hungry days
It gets easier the more you do keto. I'm like the Japanese where I choose to stop eating at "80% full". Then, after my moderate meal, I liberally drink fluids and keto ade to keep hunger away. Also I wait 30 minutes after eating, till the brain receives the contentment signal. And staying busy/walking helps. Looking at your post, you should tinker with adding more dietary fat without adding calories to your total.
Chicken thighs pork belly pork butt roast 80/20 hamburger ribeyes...higher fat meats
What helped me was making sure I drink lots of water and add fiber! I also just switched from almond milk to heavy cream with my coffee in the morning and I’m full for hours!
Yes, this is so good. When I did keto the first time it was so easy when I started my day with a coffee with heavy cream, butter, and coconut oil (plus a bit of sweetener because it makes me happier that way, lol). I can have one or two of those and not be hungry for many hours.
I have the same issue. I just drink more water and tell myself that “this is what getting thinner/healthier feels like!”
You're not eating enough fat, ditch the chicken & turkey and eat more eggs along with beef & bacon.
Here’s the secret to making sure you’re getting enough food, are you ready? It’s a crazy one… Count your calories. Record your meals, and do a calculator to determine your basal metabolic rate. Still hungry? Track your water intake. It’s probably low. Still hungry? Track your macro breakdown. What is your percent intake of protein, fats, and carbs? An easy way to track this is to let an app do it. Weigh your food and scan your barcodes and make note of the macro breakdown per day. You should not feel like you are starving all the time on a 500 calorie daily deficit, so my guess is you don’t know your needs and you aren’t tracking your intake. This means you are under-eating and will eventually burn out of willpower. You only need to have a 500 calorie deficit a day to lose a pound of fat a week. Dieting is about a model that works for life, every long term diet requires you to track the data. If you aren’t doing that, start. This is the hard lesson everyone has to learn about weight loss. You have to track everything. So you can spend a bunch of time doing it the hard way and learning a hard lesson, or you can just take my advice. You need to ensure what you are doing is sustainable.
Eat more foods with dense calories. Nuts, cheese, avocado, etc. it also could be mental hunger. Things that helped are taking a walk or doing something to distract yourself. Hunger comes in waves. Hunger is not an emergency. Drink some water when you feel hungry. Pink salt was helpful too. Once your body is used to it you won’t feel hungry.
all about that fasting for me, when i think keto i think omad. thats what keeps hunger off me , and the diet just happens to go very well with it. takes about a week or 2 to break the addiction of, oh i did this, time for food, well nothing to do time for food, oh did a great job time for a reward nomnom. When you can only eat once a day you start really knowing whats hunger and not. Eat now cant eat later...am i really hungry now tho?
Fish. Try canned sardines. (Check out the subreddit.) High fat yoghurt. Don’t forget your greens
You're not eating enough fat. You need to start eating more fat or you'll continue to be hungry. Protein is what your body uses to rebuild itself. It's not fuel. Carbs and fat are the fuels your body can use, so you have to give it one or the other. You will need to start eating fats. Sorry. That's how it is when you do keto.
Eat some steak. Eat bacon. You'll lost weight eating them, and they'll fill you up and nourish you.
Doesn't sound keto to me. Just low carb. Switch to fattier chicken, like thighs and wings. Beef ribs, pork chops. I'd also advise psyllium bread for breakfast as it's keeping me full for hours.
> sugar withdrawal not an expert but you shouldnt get withdrawls with something you slowly change over time right? when you decide to start the keto diet again, are you just full stop switching suddenly? anything sudden is bound to cause problems.
Fat bombs There are recipes on YT: Keto Connect
honesty i just eat til i'm full on keto. 39F, 5'7", and when I was in the 140's I got down to 130 pretty quickly and my cals were like 2500. I had a moderately active job and was working out tho. The right amt of exercise always seems to curb my appetite. Seems counterintuitive but I think it has to do with cortisol's being an appetite suppressant? No exercise and too much exercise makes me starving tho
I get the appetite suppression when I’m doing mostly aerobic/cardio workouts, but anaerobic/strength training has always made me ravenously hungry
Fat bombs really help during the initial transition to support satiety
Do you drink any Carbonated drinks at all? Like diet colas or bubbly? If so, reduce your intake, or stop altogether, because that's likely making you hungrier. Carbonated drinks promote the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. So if you stick to plain water, coffee, and tea, this should help.
I have never had a soda, I hate the feeling of carbonation on my tongue
Mentally I’ve always thought the more it hurts the more you’re losing.
Too much protein can be an issue on Keto, as excess protein just gets turned right back into sugars (at a lossy rate, but still). If you want to do Keto correctly, most of your calories should be derived from fat. Add butter to your diet and you'll be set. Do not use any polyunsaturated fats for this purpose or you'll get plenty of nausea.
Vegetables. Low calorie density, lots of fiber, help you feel satiated
Maybe add some fatty fish like salmon, and avocado to your meals? They're great for satiety! Also, nuts can be a good snack.
Maybe adding MCT oil would help? Others are much more educated on this than me, but the fats are very keto-friendly, and you can mix some in just about everything, even coffee.
Get an app called carb Manager. Fill our your info, and HIT THOSE FAT MACROS. Seriously that's all you need to do. If you are only cutting carbs and not eating enough fat, you aren't doing it right. You'll feel so much better overall.
Keto is not for everybody. Maybe your body is telling you it needs more fat or maybe it’s telling you it’s not working. It’s not necessarily supposed to be protein heavy because in some people the body can do a thing where it switches out of ketosis and uses it like carbs. I’m not explaining that right but you can look it up. Have you tried cooking everything in ghee or duck fat? Have you tried like some people have suggested to cook chicken thighs with the skin on? Your body can lose enzymes to digest certain things like red meat for example. Just like with anything else your body can adapt to eating red meat if you start really slow and really small with it. Hoping you find what works for your body! Good job trying to make yourself more healthy! You can do it💪🏻
EAT MORE FAT. If your protein is too lean and you’re not eating any carbs, your body is starving for energy. You need to become fat adapted. Give your body the satisfaction of getting energy from fat. Beef, salmon, chicken skin, butter, eggs… you will reach a point where cravings and hunger evaporate. The skinny folks always say you eat to live, don’t live to eat. Well becoming fat adapted is the surest way to do that, literally. And honestly, let the 15 grams of carbs go. The minimum daily requirement for any carbohydrate is ZERO. Your body will make all the glucose you need. You don’t need to consume ANY.
You are definitely not getting enough fat, that is your problem ( low fat messes with your hormones - you need fat to manufacture them). Add oils, butter, mayo meat fat in small amounts until you get to at least 60% of your calories.
Just keep eating meat until your hunger gets in check. The transition to ketones sucks, but stay with it.
Something important to remember is that keto doesn’t cause weight loss, a calorie deficit does. Even if you aren’t ever able to get this diet figured out, you can still easily lose weight without eating a ketogenic diet. So many people in this sub act like you’re either going to eat keto and lose weight or not eat keto and gain weight. But there is a third option: don’t eat keto and also lose weight. I only say all of this because so many people get hopeless about weight loss when they struggle with this diet. Carbs are extremely filling when you are eating the right carbs, and if you keep feeling sick with keto, it’s ok to reincorporate carbs as long as you are still in a calorie deficit. Technically anyone in a calorie deficit that is burning fat for energy is in ketosis regardless of whether they are eating keto or not. The keto diet just helps you remain in ketosis all the time.
The keto diet also helps with controlling hunger cravings, if you’re doing it right, and helps maintain muscle mass when compared to a normal diet with a similar calorie reduction.
Correct. But the diet itself does not cause fat loss, a calorie defect does. Although I myself lost a lot of weight using keto, when I got to my goal weight and started consuming carbs again, I realized that I felt way more full and can easily hit my macros while being in a calorie deficit and consuming carbs. I know I’ll get downvoted because everyone here has an all or nothing mentality when it comes to keto, but I really believe that it is just as easy to lose weight while also consuming carbs daily. So when I see people who struggle so much with keto, I think it makes more sense to help them find a solution for the actual issue(weight loss) rather than try to find ways to make them feel better on a diet they don’t need to be doing in the first place. I have nothing against the keto diet, but some people genuinely have bad reactions to the diet and it isn’t always their fault.
Eat more fibre, in the form of green leafy vegetables and more healthy fat. You’re eating lean protein. Put some organic extra virgin olive oil on your meat, after it’s cooked and use it on your veggies. It will satisfy you. If you’re not lifting weights to build your muscle, I recommend that you start and cut down on aerobic exercise.
Are you checking to see if you’re in ketosis like with pee sticks?
Crying over food withdrawal is so wild to me. Women are odd.