A question regarding part time low carb to control hunger

thedarkwombat
thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Tough to post this question in specific forums because this applies to both types of diets at once.

I was wondering you know, the only thing I have ever found to control my appetite is eating low carb. If I have just bacon or eggs for breakfast I really am not very hunger until lunch or later. If I have a no or low carb lunch, I dont eat dinner until later and then not that much.

I dont know if I want to do full low carb full time because some foods I just cannot live without. So here is my question:

Has anyone ever tried or thought of using on no or low carb meal once per day strategically to help with cut down on the hunger? Especially if you have this meal hours before your hungriest time of the day? I know a lot of you will post suggestions on cutting hunger and I appreciate that. however I want to know if anyone has tried this specific idea.

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,103 Member
    Why worry about what anyone else has done? You already know it works for you.
    I was wondering you know, the only thing I have ever found to control my appetite is eating low carb. If I have just bacon or eggs for breakfast I really am not very hunger until lunch or later. If I have a no or low carb lunch, I dont eat dinner until later and then not that much.

    Yet you imply you are not doing low-carb full-time. So part-time low carb helps you control your hunger. Seems like a good thing if you've found a way of eating that helps control your hunger within your calorie goal. If you're also able to hit your protein, fat, fiber, and micro goals most of the time, sounds like a win.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Things that control my hunger...

    7-8 hrs of sleep (this is important to controlling hunger hormone)
    drink plenty of water
    fruits and veggies for fiber
    protein ( I have 1/2 protein bar in between meals when I need it)
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    edited August 2016
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Why worry about what anyone else has done? You already know it works for you.

    Why answer a question the way you did? You were so busy loading up your answer you didnt even read my question properly. Low carb works for me, but PART TIME low carb is something I have never tried and wanted to see if anyone has strategically used one low carb meal per day to help control their appetite. Once again, something Ive never done. And before you say "google" it, if you do, you somehow get a lot of intermittent fasting hits.

    I dont mean to sound harsh but this crap annoys me when someone rushes to answer and didnt bother ingesting the question.


  • janettles
    janettles Posts: 69 Member
    Most low carb diet books discuss the 2-4 days it takes for one's body to change enzymes and adjust to a low carb diet, so I am pessimistic that a part-time low carb diet would be a comfortable proposition. But with experimentation, you may stumble across a method that works. Some books, like Dukan's Nutritional Staircase, have a day of the week set aside for a broader menu, but when I have tried diets like that, my weight loss stalled and stopped.
  • jasperdog52554
    jasperdog52554 Posts: 115 Member
    Not sure if this will hlep, but that is essentially the idea between the carbohydrate addict diet. I have tried it a few times. You basically eat very low carb during the day, then eat one balanced meal at night, but it must be consumed within one hour to minimize insulin response. You can have carbs, including sweets as long as you eat proportionate amounts of protein and veggies too.

    I haven't seen great results, but only because I tend to overdo the "reward" meal. I definitely see how it could be sustainable and be more convenient for your social and family lives.

    My $0.02
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    A diet is only effective if you stick to your defecit

    If the diet plan you have stumbled on allows you to consistently meet your calorie goal then you will be successful ...whether it's no carb, low carb, part time low carb or high carb

    It's about the calories

    Bacon and eggs ..say 2 x back bacon and 2 x eggs no fat added would be around 360 calories ...seems like a decent calorie amount for a basic breakfast to me

    So the answer to your question is simply if it works for you...it works for you ...go for it
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    I don't think of meals as being "low carb" or not, I just eat what satisfies me. Sweet things, doughnuts, pastries, etc. don't satisfy me for breakfast. So I usually eat a huge plate of eggs with ham, cheese, and mushrooms, and it keeps me full for 4 or 5 hours.

    Sounds like the same thing you're talking about.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    This really is the first time I have heard low carb as being part time. Most low carbers are looking for keto and to use fat as their fuel source..

    Low carb, did not work for me at all for different reasons, but high carb is too much for me as well. Now I do lowish carbs. I have picked a range of carbs between 70 - 100 I do each day. So I can consume these in about two meals but not one meal a day.

    This does allow me to provide my diet with protein and healthy fats, and eat more veggies and high fiber foods and this automatically controls hunger by just being these types of foods that I choose to eat to moderate carbs..

    OP, you will get varying answers, and for one, I do think each person has to test the waters and experiment on what works for them. I was one of those, and I would never tell someone my diet is better than "yours" so to speak.. If you are simply looking for specific ways to eat and this works, so why not continue on with it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    One thing that reduces appetite with LCHF is ketosis, and you won't get that doing it part-time, since you will go out of ketosis every day.

    However, low carb also can work for some because FOR SOME meals with more carbs are less satiating and with more protein and fat are more satiating. People vary on this, which is why people are saying you have to see if it works for you. Given that you aren't hungry after a low carb breakfast, it's worth experimenting with. Wouldn't work for me, since I don't find fat satiating, but then I'd be hungry sooner after the breakfasts you mentioned. What works for me is more fiber and protein and lots of vegetables and even fruit. But like I said, people differ, so try it!
  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    I tried this. I thought a hi-fibre low sugar cereal for a quick lunch might be better than tuna or whatever but I started on a slippery slope to wanting more carbs, 30 minute or so after.
    And, in a week or two, I started regaining weight even though my over all calorie intake was the same.
    I dropped the cereal and lost the extra weight.
    It's probably not like this for everyone though.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I have found (for myself) that if I eat a fairly high protein breakfast, my hunger is curbed until lunchtime. If I eat a high carb breakfast, I am hungry mid morning.

    This doesn't mean I ALWAYS eat a high protein breakfast. :) But yeah, I have noticed it
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    I can tell you that just what you describe worked very well for my husband. He ate a low carb breakfast and lunch then a normal balanced dinner that included starchy carbs. He did not keep track of his calorie intake, but obviously he managed to eat at a deficit and was not bothered by hunger.

    I know this must be blasphemous to the devout low carbers, but it is a way that works.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    I don't purposely try to low carb, but I do try to focus more on protein and fiber than low-carbing or trying to low-fat things. Got that from a nutritionist - to focus on protein (lean, and quality protein) and the fats/carbs will take care of themselves.

    I don't like to refer to it as low-carbing, because I'm not really one to want to purposefully "eliminate" or "go low" on specific food categories. That's why I'm not really happy with the new WW points - they focus on lean protein, yes, but also specifically saturated fat. No, that's not good for you, but to me that's overly specific especially since they used to place so much emphasis on fiber and now give no emphasis to it at all when it's so important to have fiber in your diet - helps with pooping, helps keep you fuller longer, etc etc.

    Anyway - I'm all about doing whatever works for you. If having eggs/bacon and no carbs at breakfast works for you, then do that until it quits working for you.
  • brooke88z
    brooke88z Posts: 23 Member
    edited August 2016
    I just posted this in a different thread, but I am doing exactly what you are describing. I typically have a breakfast of eggs scrambled in butter, and a lunch of low fat cottage cheese. I add nutritional variety later with salads/veggies and whole grain pasta. I find that when I have a high-protein/low carb breakfast and lunch, I consume fewer calories before 5PM while feeling less hungry. So yes, I feel like that strategy is working for me.

    On edit: I just went back and reviewed my nutritional data for the past 4 weeks. On days where less than 25% of my day's carbohydrates were consumed at breakfast & lunch (9 days out of 28), I consumed 71 fewer average daily calories than on other days. It will be fun to review the data again in the coming months to see if the trend holds up. Every little bit helps.
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