Doomed to be hungry?

AbbeyDove

Hi all,

I'm a paleo/primal low carber, but I'd rather not actually put myself back into ketosis. Every time I'm in ketosis I get migraines, even while dutifully using the extra salt, broth and mineral supplements (I've even tried supplementing with unsweetened electrolyte water). I'm attempting to eat 1800 calories per day right now, a level at which I have typically lost weight, with roughly 75 grams of carbohydrate (low carb, but not ketosis-inducing). I'm a 43 year old female, btw. And man, I'm hungry. Am I just doomed to feel hungry whenever I try to lose weight, if I don't put myself into full-on ketosis? Are you guys hungry? If so, how are people dealing with this? It's making me kind of crabby with my husband and son (although it is better than migraines, I'll grant).

Chipmunk222

I was constantly hungry ....nothing worked, more water, more protein, more veggies etc. until I cut out the grains. It has been an amazing change for me. I haven't lost any substantial weight, but it is so much nicer than being hungry all the time. I did suffer from headaches the first couple of days, I think it was sort of a detox, but drink plenty of water and they went away.

AbbeyDove

Thanks! Maybe that is what I need to do. I still "cheat" every now and again and have some gluten free baked thing. I stay under 75 carbs for the day, but it's possible those are undermining me. Sigh. I do love me a gluten-free scone every now and again! But being hungry all day isn't too fun either! :ohwell:

Shari325

AbbeyDove,
I am trying low carb in an effort to reduce my bloodsugar. I do not want to be in full blown ketosis either due to concerns regarding past kidney failure. I am eating as low carb as I can, while keeping my urine ketone levels as low as possible. (If my doctor clears me, I may drop my carbs lower...)

To combat hunger I have decreased my carb and calorie content gradually. I don't know if you dropped to that amount quickly or over time. It took me almost 30 years to get this heavy, what is another month to gradually decrease my calories to a level that does not make me feel deprived or starving.

Birdy989

Actually, I'm the opposite. I've been eating naturally low-carb (around 75 a day) and decided just today to dial that down and either Keto cycle or begin full-blown Atkins.

One of the things that works for me is making sure I get enough fat. Without the fat, I'm hungry. So I'll have tuna with lots of mayo and a half of avocado. Or Fage Greek yogurt, full fat. Make sure that your carbs come from some leafy greens, but also full fat Greek yogurt (plain -- I mix mine with ranch mix), nuts (pistachios are my faves) avocados, eggs, and most of all, fuller fat meats like hamburger. Try that, and see if it helps!

I actually forget to eat my snacks, and could easily skip a meal. That wouldn't be the case if I skimped on my fats, tho.

AbbeyDove

Hi Shari and Birdy,

Birdy, that's a good point about the fats! Yesterday I had about 146g of fat. How much do you think you get in a given day? Don't forget the broth if you do get your carbs down to 20g or so! We'll have burgers tonight, so maybe that'll help!

Shari,

I'm actually even keeping my calorie count up pretty high, 1850. I'm doing bodyweight strength training to try to keep my lean muscle up. But I have no idea how many calories I was eating before I started tracking, so I'm not totally sure how much of a drop it is. Like you, I have no interest in shutting down my metabolism!

linbert57

I don't know if you've looked into bulletproof coffee at all, but the stuff is incredible. I go to work at 5 am, and I have BPC around 4:15 am. I don't eat until I get home, between 1 and 2 pm. I honestly think the fat is what keeps me full. I use 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp grass fed unsalted butter, 1 tbsp heavy cream in 12 oz of fresh brewed coffee. This is 46 grams of fat and I am energized and satiated. I do drink water throughout the morning, but I have given up my mid morning snack.

dlaciv12

Eating fat is the key to being satisfied. Set your target in My Fitness Pal for fat to at least 50% and keep carbs below 20% maybe as low as 5%. And don't worry about finding protein, if your getting that much fat there is likely a lot pf protein attached to it.

Always give ketosis 2-3 weeks before you freak out about headaches, muscle soreness or general loss of energy. It can take that long to get past some of the withdrawal like symptoms... and yes it is withdrawal. I had a buddy who kicked heroin and said kicking sugar was worse.

JumpingDog

I'm pretty much primal. Every once in a while a weird thing gets thrown into my diet like a 1/2 cup of corn syrup ice cream or 3 peanut butter crackers.

But for the most part, I eat between 800 and 2600 calories a day depending on how hungry I am. I just eat when I am hungry, I find that later in the week I'll have a low day and it balances itself out. I keep my goals at 55% fat, 20% protein and 25% carb.

AbbeyDove

Hi Jumpingdog,

Thanks for sharing your macros! I'm at 65% fat, but I don't ever know if I'm actually hitting it, because I can't fit it on the MFP screen (I track calories, carbs, fiber --so I can calculate net carbs,--vitamin C and iron). I also have weird things that um, occasionally creep into my diet. It usually involves chocolate. Or a gluten-free scone. I'm kind of in awe of your weight loss, btw!

Hi dlaciv12,

I did Atkins induction for something on the order of 4 months. Floating in and out of light ketosis seems to work for me, but heavy ketosis (i.e. when my ketone strips are dark purple) really is a migraine trigger for me. I know it's supposed to be quite healthy, I know it's a diet they put epileptic children on, etc. Eh, there's probably just something wrong with my body. Maybe I spent too many years (20) as a high-carb, low-fat vegetarian to fully adapt to heavy ketosis in my 40s?!

linbert57

I have heard of Bullet Proof Coffee, and I have to admit I'm curious about it! I haven't been able to bring myself to shell out the dough. But holy cow, it looks like you're saving enough on food costs to pay for it! I usually eat a pretty substantial breakfast and lunch. I'm not sure I could go for 9 hours awake without eating, but then again, I haven't tried BPC yet, either! Now I'm even more tempted to get a bag!