Hungry on Keto/Low Carb???

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LaNeekaRN
LaNeekaRN Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I have been doing Keto/Low carb on and off (mostly on) for 2 months now. My calories are set at 1400, I am exercising 2-4x per week, and have not even lost 10 lbs. On top of that, I am hungry!!! Every time I read a post from a lowcarber, they remark how they are not/never hungry. That's just not my experience, and I really wish I knew what it is that I am doing wrong.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I'll start this by saying that other than medical reasons I personally think low carb and specifically Keto is well a bit silly and I think unhealthy, and for the majority of people not sustainable long term. That's my bias so that's where this reply is coming from and I expect lots of keto low carb people to totally disagree with that standpoint

    No matter what foods your eating weightloss just comes down to the calorie deficit. I'm not sure how much you've lost but unless you are at the start of losing weight and morbidly obese expecting to lose 10 pounds or more in 2 months is well a bit hopeful. If you hit 1 pound a week that is a great sustainable rate of loss.

    It sounds to me as if Keto is not agreeing with you so you could just eat normal foods at a calorie deficit.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexypants&page=1#posts-18361594
  • virtualjunkyard
    virtualjunkyard Posts: 17 Member
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    How is your fat intake?
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Hi All,

    I have been doing Keto/Low carb on and off (mostly on) for 2 months now. My calories are set at 1400, I am exercising 2-4x per week, and have not even lost 10 lbs. On top of that, I am hungry!!! Every time I read a post from a lowcarber, they remark how they are not/never hungry. That's just not my experience, and I really wish I knew what it is that I am doing wrong.

    Any thoughts?

    Why keto? Do you actually need it for medical reasons? If not... pfft lol

    With keto, you need to be consuming mainly fat to keep satiated... and have moderate protein otherwise gluconeogenesis (protein converted to glucose) will mess up ketosis.

    Just eat in a deficit, meet your macros and eat normally, you'll see weight come off soon.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    which foods are you eating? I was never hungry on low carb, but it depends what you are eating.
  • chelseafxx
    chelseafxx Posts: 251 Member
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    Hi All,

    I have been doing Keto/Low carb on and off (mostly on) for 2 months now. My calories are set at 1400, I am exercising 2-4x per week, and have not even lost 10 lbs. On top of that, I am hungry!!! Every time I read a post from a lowcarber, they remark how they are not/never hungry. That's just not my experience, and I really wish I knew what it is that I am doing wrong.

    Any thoughts?

    Do you weigh your food? Are you 150% accurately logging? Do you use a heart rate monitor to track your calories burned or are you using MFP's calculations (because they are way off!!) What are your macros? I would start at 5/25/70.

    Honestly, it sounds like you're doing something wrong or are not doing one of the above things or are thinking you are but you're not being honest with yourself. Maybe you're not low enough carb yet...not eating the right foods. Eating too much protein, not replenishing your electrolyes (sodium, magnesium, potassium) All these things will probably knock you out of ketosis. Oh and too much artificial sweeteners!

    The other thing you could do is screw the scale and start taking your measurements instead. Perhaps those numbers have changed and you didn't even realize it! Only after you've discovered that nothing has changed would I say you are keto-ing wrong.

    Edit: It would be easier to help you if you had your diary open.

    Edit #2: Also, why are your calories set to be so LOW?! Mine are 1550 and I am still losing. 1400 is aggressive for keto. Save that for your last few pounds to lose. That in itself may be why it's not working out for you. And lastly, you can't be on/off keto you either need to commit to it or don't do it at all. Keto is not meant to be on/off because once you go off even for a day you have most likely already kicked yourself out of ketosis and you need to start all over.
  • Ociases
    Ociases Posts: 28 Member
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    Keto is an all or nothing sort of diet. If you eat keto with one meal and not the next, it'll kick you out of ketosis and in general, will make you feel ill. But really, unless you have a lot of weight to lose, Keto isn't necessary. But if you want to go the keto route you need to make sure you've got your macros right. Most of your calorie intake should be from fat and you need to be drinking A LOT of water or you could damage your kidneys. Again, not really worth it unless you have a lot (60+ pounds) to lose. For low carb, you still want to make sure you drink a lot of water but also try to stick to unprocessed foods as much as possible. They take longer to digest usually. Add more leafy greens into your diet and eat enough protein. But also, you could exercise to gain more calories you can eat.
  • CathReese33
    CathReese33 Posts: 112 Member
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    Have a look at my diary, I have been doing Keto for last 44 days and am not hungry and am exercising most days. I am making sure I eat clean. Today my trousers are falling down, despite not losing that much on the scales.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    No matter the diet, you need a deficit to lose weight. Chances are you are either underestimating your intake or overestimating your exercise (if you are eating that back). Are you weighing your food on a scale?
  • violasmith85
    violasmith85 Posts: 274 Member
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    Where you a big carb eater before? My husband eats massive carbs. It's his kryptonite. If he were to cut out carbs he would have to find a lot of new foods and he would be miserable. I'm on low carb because I'm a diabetic and it makes sense for me, but I still have to watch my calories. Because at the end of the day without a calorie deficit you arn't going to lose anything. I don't feel hungry on this diet because I've always had a weak spot for high fat and protein. I get both of those so it keeps me happy.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Keto is an all or nothing sort of diet. If you eat keto with one meal and not the next, it'll kick you out of ketosis and in general, will make you feel ill. But really, unless you have a lot of weight to lose, Keto isn't necessary. But if you want to go the keto route you need to make sure you've got your macros right. Most of your calorie intake should be from fat and you need to be drinking A LOT of water or you could damage your kidneys. Again, not really worth it unless you have a lot (60+ pounds) to lose. For low carb, you still want to make sure you drink a lot of water but also try to stick to unprocessed foods as much as possible. They take longer to digest usually. Add more leafy greens into your diet and eat enough protein. But also, you could exercise to gain more calories you can eat.

    This is so true. Keto/Low Carb is very unforgiving. It is very hard to stay with in the long term for this reason. Cheating even a little sets you back sooo much. Water is super important! I also found that adding artificial sweeteners to things was killer for my progress. You will also lose inches from your body before you see a drop on the scales (the volume of protein consumed makes your body reshape and build muscle before getting rid of excess fat).

    Also expect alot of unhappy people and maybe some rude comments. People on MFP forums have a specific mindset about how to lose weight... ignore their hatefulness, take what they say with a grain of salt and make decisions that seem best to you :)

    Low carb/keto absolutely works. I lost 40lbs doing it. But its only sustainable if your the kind of person who loves the foods on this diet and can stick with it without fail for life. For me it was a recipe for yo yo dieting. If you need a little wiggle room to take breaks and eat other kinds of food this is probably not a good long term solution for you. Hope this helps!
  • LaNeekaRN
    LaNeekaRN Posts: 19 Member
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    70%
  • LaNeekaRN
    LaNeekaRN Posts: 19 Member
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    Hi All,

    I have been doing Keto/Low carb on and off (mostly on) for 2 months now. My calories are set at 1400, I am exercising 2-4x per week, and have not even lost 10 lbs. On top of that, I am hungry!!! Every time I read a post from a lowcarber, they remark how they are not/never hungry. That's just not my experience, and I really wish I knew what it is that I am doing wrong.

    Any thoughts?

    Do you weigh your food? Are you 150% accurately logging? Do you use a heart rate monitor to track your calories burned or are you using MFP's calculations (because they are way off!!) What are your macros? I would start at 5/25/70.

    Honestly, it sounds like you're doing something wrong or are not doing one of the above things or are thinking you are but you're not being honest with yourself. Maybe you're not low enough carb yet...not eating the right foods. Eating too much protein, not replenishing your electrolyes (sodium, magnesium, potassium) All these things will probably knock you out of ketosis. Oh and too much artificial sweeteners!

    The other thing you could do is screw the scale and start taking your measurements instead. Perhaps those numbers have changed and you didn't even realize it! Only after you've discovered that nothing has changed would I say you are keto-ing wrong.

    Edit: It would be easier to help you if you had your diary open.

    Edit #2: Also, why are your calories set to be so LOW?! Mine are 1550 and I am still losing. 1400 is aggressive for keto. Save that for your last few pounds to lose. That in itself may be why it's not working out for you. And lastly, you can't be on/off keto you either need to commit to it or don't do it at all. Keto is not meant to be on/off because once you go off even for a day you have most likely already kicked yourself out of ketosis and you need to start all over.
  • LaNeekaRN
    LaNeekaRN Posts: 19 Member
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    Macros 70/20/5, yes I accurately weigh my food, yes I use a HRM, and yes I am being honest with myself. Oh, and yes I am doing something wrong, which is why I posted. My statement about being on/off keto was literally one meal where I ate about 35g of carbs. I weigh and measure myself, and not a thing has changed, so perhaps you are right about my kcal being too low. I have used several TDEE calculators and always come up with the same number. I am 53, 5'4", 42%BF, and weigh 188.
  • FatAsianNerd
    FatAsianNerd Posts: 600 Member
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    Macros 70/20/5, yes I accurately weigh my food, yes I use a HRM, and yes I am being honest with myself. Oh, and yes I am doing something wrong, which is why I posted. My statement about being on/off keto was literally one meal where I ate about 35g of carbs. I weigh and measure myself, and not a thing has changed, so perhaps you are right about my kcal being too low. I have used several TDEE calculators and always come up with the same number. I am 53, 5'4", 42%BF, and weigh 188.

    have you taken before anbvfd after photos? I had the same issue for some time with the scale not changing but when I looked at my photos I started noticing a little bit of transformations on my body that I hadn't notice before.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I have been doing Keto/Low carb on and off (mostly on) for 2 months now. My calories are set at 1400, I am exercising 2-4x per week, and have not even lost 10 lbs. On top of that, I am hungry!!! Every time I read a post from a lowcarber, they remark how they are not/never hungry. That's just not my experience, and I really wish I knew what it is that I am doing wrong.

    Your diary is closed.

    Try going back to basics - 2 weeks where your total carbohydrate intake is 20 grams, sensible amount of meat / fish eg 4 oz per meal and avoid anything low fat / reduced fat / lean etc.

    Most people eat around 1400 cals on such a regime, and as that's about what your BMR is you should see some movement. 20g of carbs, 80g of protein and ~100 grams of fat would be around the mark.

    The "lack of hunger" thing can take a couple of weeks or more to settle in as you have to adapt to the new energy source if you were previously high on carbs.
  • linz1976
    linz1976 Posts: 56 Member
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    On low carb I never count calories I eat till im full and as long as you stop when ur full you should loose weight
  • JessicaLynnDouglas
    JessicaLynnDouglas Posts: 197 Member
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    All of your numbers sound correct, except your calories seem low. I would up your fat and protein portions during each meal for a couple of days and see if you are feeling filled. Make sure that all your food is broken up between at least five meals per day, with at least 12 cups of water per day. Stick with coconut oil, olive oil, organic grass fed butter and pure as possible saturated fats from meats. Nothing processed, carbs hide easily in anything processes. Re-evaluate after a couple weeks and evaluate the results at that point.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    The rules of eating keto are simple. Keep the carbs LOW, MEET your protein goal and fill the rest with fat. If you're hungry, you may not be eating enough fat or protein. Or drinking enough water. I've been ketoing for over a year now. I also try to drink 40 cups or more of water a day. If your net goal is 20 grams of carbs, then you NEED to keep that in mind when you meal plan. You may be able to stay in keto at a higher net carb level, but I wouldn't risk it.

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