Why do carbs keep me full and satiated as opposed to proteins and fats?
KrazyKrissyy
Posts: 322 Member
Everywhere I read in groups, forums, testimonies, and online blogs swear by protein and/or fats being the best type of foods for hunger problems and cravings, and state that carbs will make hunger and cravings worse. But for some reason its the complete opposite for me. High fats and/or proteins spark my hunger and cause my cravings. Carbs don't. I've even done experimenting. For example, a big omelette will hold me off for maybe 2 hours before I'm hungry again. A stack of pancakes or big bowl of oatmeal (equal calories to the omelette) will hold me off for 5 hours before I'm hungry again. Similar with dinner. High carb dinner = no midnight cravings. I've tried different eating lifestyles; low-carb, keto, Paleo, and a balance of each macro. But the only thing that ended up stopping my cravings, binges, tiredness, frequent hunger and snacking is a high carb, low fat diet (even though the calories haven't changed). Can someone explain? Not that I'm complaining. I'm just confused because so many others suggest to cut carbs and increase fats when it comes to hunger problems, satiety and fatigue. Another thing; when I was eating higher fats+protein while lower carbs, I had bloating issues. My stomach didn't flatten until high carb, low fat (another thing that's contradictory). Is there something wrong with my body? lol
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Starchy carbs keep me full. IDK why, but they do. You're not alone.0
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You must not be overly carb sensitive. Others find carbs affect them more - often the (approximately) half of the population with insulin resistance. Perhaps you have excellent insulin sensitivity?
If it works for you, go with it.
Change it if it stops working for you one day.
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I used to love carbs, but they do not love me. So i had to switch to low carb and eat more protein and fats. At first I was hungry all the time, so I was told by my TCM doctor/acupuncturist to just keep eating protein and green veggies. Eventually my body got used to it, and I don't have to eat as much.
Carbs are fun though, so if you can eat them, then enjoy! 1 -
Starchy carbs are the most satiating for me too.
Protein not at all (it's chicken for dinner tonight - great how many?).
Fat not really - I could eat a ton of high fat savoury snacks no problem at all.
Maybe it's the bulk of starchy carbs? Don't know, but I know what works for me.2 -
I forgot to say though that there was a period of time last year where I was ridiculously active, and felt better when I ate some more carbs. Are you frequently moving around, working out, etc?0
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Why? Because you're you. Run with it.6
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I forgot to say though that there was a period of time last year where I was ridiculously active, and felt better when I ate some more carbs. Are you frequently moving around, working out, etc?
Yes, I take 10,000 steps per day and workout 30-60 minutes 5-6 days a week. I originally disregarded that thought though, considering there's many low-carb active fitness people out there. But I'll take your word for it 0 -
People are different. Some carbs (tubers, legumes, vegetables and fruit) are satiating to me, whereas others (grains) aren't. Protein is. Fats aren't.
Just figure out what works for you and ignore what others claim. Anyone who thinks they can say for sure what someone else will find satiating is misinformed.3 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I forgot to say though that there was a period of time last year where I was ridiculously active, and felt better when I ate some more carbs. Are you frequently moving around, working out, etc?
Yes, I take 10,000 steps per day and workout 30-60 minutes 5-6 days a week. I originally disregarded that thought though, considering there's many low-carb active fitness people out there. But I'll take your word for it
LOL, thanks! That's just from my experience though. I have become more sedentary since then, so went back to my old diet. We'll see what happens when I get up and going again. I don't believe there's a one size fits all, so you just do you!0 -
i HAVE to have carbs with protien and fat to feel satisfied.4
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If your body doesn't have issues regulating sugars, stick with what is most satiating to you! Go with the carbs, I love carbs.
Some people seem to have a negative response to carbs -or- have a greater response in regards to weight loss removing carbs from their diets.0 -
Carbs are basically all that keeps me full. I try so hard to stick with like a 40//30/30 split, but I naturally fall to more like 60/20/20.1
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lemurcat12 wrote: »People are different. Some carbs (tubers, legumes, vegetables and fruit) are satiating to me, whereas others (grains) aren't. Protein is. Fats aren't.
Just figure out what works for you and ignore what others claim. Anyone who thinks they can say for sure what someone else will find satiating is misinformed.
I'm like lemurcat. Except some grains are satiating to me (popcorn is very filling) and others aren't (rice, oats... unless combined with protein).
Fats don't fill me up at all, and I tend to eat the bare minimum so that I have calories for the other macros that do fill me up.0 -
Overall, work by Susannah Holt on satiety really shows that, apart from protein having a sating effect, there is no clear correlation between carbs or fats and satiety - some high-carb foods are very sating, others very poorly sating, and likewise for fats.
A lot of it actually depends on things like protein, fiber, and overall calorie density of food, with palatability also playing a key role. Satiety isn't a simple function of macronutrient content. It also seems to be very variable across individuals.
I think in regards to the low carb = higher satiety, some of that is also likely placebo effect caused by exposure to that idea, which is something most of us have heard before. If you believe a particular food is going to be sating (or not sating), the act of believing will change your perception of your own satiety, at least to a degree.1 -
rankinsect wrote: »Overall, work by Susannah Holt on satiety really shows that, apart from protein having a sating effect, there is no clear correlation between carbs or fats and satiety - some high-carb foods are very sating, others very poorly sating, and likewise for fats.
A lot of it actually depends on things like protein, fiber, and overall calorie density of food, with palatability also playing a key role. Satiety isn't a simple function of macronutrient content. It also seems to be very variable across individuals.
I think in regards to the low carb = higher satiety, some of that is also likely placebo effect caused by exposure to that idea, which is something most of us have heard before. If you believe a particular food is going to be sating (or not sating), the act of believing will change your perception of your own satiety, at least to a degree.
yea protien level does nothing for me. if i have a chicken breast with broccoli i will 20% feel satisfied. Add mashed potatoes or rice and im happy.2 -
Pancakes are not just carbs though... they have some fat and protein too. So they would keep you fuller than, let's say, white toast and jelly. Oatmeal has fiber too so it's by nature more filling.
But yeah, I'm fuller on toast with nut butter than eggs and bacon, typically... but it does have some fat and protein too. If I only had one serving of plain quick oats cooked in water for breakfast I'd still be hungry after.1 -
rankinsect wrote: »Overall, work by Susannah Holt on satiety really shows that, apart from protein having a sating effect, there is no clear correlation between carbs or fats and satiety - some high-carb foods are very sating, others very poorly sating, and likewise for fats.
A lot of it actually depends on things like protein, fiber, and overall calorie density of food, with palatability also playing a key role. Satiety isn't a simple function of macronutrient content. It also seems to be very variable across individuals.
I think in regards to the low carb = higher satiety, some of that is also likely placebo effect caused by exposure to that idea, which is something most of us have heard before. If you believe a particular food is going to be sating (or not sating), the act of believing will change your perception of your own satiety, at least to a degree.
yea protien level does nothing for me. if i have a chicken breast with broccoli i will 20% feel satisfied. Add mashed potatoes or rice and im happy.
I'm sort of this way, too. If I have bacon and eggs for breakfast, for instance, it doesn't always get me through until lunch. If I add potatoes or pancakes with it, though, some days I won't be hungry again until almost dinnertime.
Pancakes are weirdly satiating for me, anyway, though. Even if it's just 2 pancakes with syrup and no butter, I stay full for quite awhile.0 -
If you look at actual satiety studies you will find that this is actually the norm...
I find that carbs like lentils, legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, etc are very satiating...0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »If you look at actual satiety studies you will find that this is actually the norm...
I find that carbs like lentils, legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, etc are very satiating...
Really? I would've never guessed this would be the norm especially with all the low carb hype I see online. Do you have any links? I'm interested in reading 0 -
Pancakes are not just carbs though... they have some fat and protein too. So they would keep you fuller than, let's say, white toast and jelly. Oatmeal has fiber too so it's by nature more filling.
But yeah, I'm fuller on toast with nut butter than eggs and bacon, typically... but it does have some fat and protein too. If I only had one serving of plain quick oats cooked in water for breakfast I'd still be hungry after.
True with general/basic pancakes. I personally make my own though (lowfat). Ingredients are rice flour, egg whites, cashew milk, vanilla extract (sometimes a mashed banana), and topped with pure maple syrup (although I've been searching everywhere for Walden Farms brand lol).0 -
For me fiber is the most filling by far and since fiber is usually associated with carbs low-carb never made sense for me personally either.
Here is a link to a study about a "fullness factor" that shows that potatoes and whole grain things are among the most filling. http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/fullness-factor0 -
Gotta say, I don't get it. Not only have I seen studies showing that proteins especially are significantly more satiating than carbs, I've seen evidence that fats are more satiating. I think digestion times factor in. Carbs, especially sugary carbs are digested so much faster than fats or proteins.
I wonder if part of our differences in perception have to do with satisfying versus satiating. I wake up quite hungry (I have a tendency to eat my calories earlier in the day). If I didn't have carbs with my breakfast, I wouldn't feel satisfied. If I only had carbs I'd feel wonderfully satisfied but for a shorter period of time.
Now that I think of it though, it might make sense if you produced less GLP-1 than normal. The studies I saw said that ghrelin levels were the same for all three macros, and of the hunger hormones, ghrelin was the most strongly associated with hunger. GLP-1 levels, in addition to perceptions, were what were measured to show that proteins and fats are more satiating than carbs.0 -
goldthistime wrote: »Gotta say, I don't get it. Not only have I seen studies showing that proteins especially are significantly more satiating than carbs, I've seen evidence that fats are more satiating. I think digestion times factor in. Carbs, especially sugary carbs are digested so much faster than fats or proteins.
I wonder if part of our differences in perception have to do with satisfying versus satiating. I wake up quite hungry (I have a tendency to eat my calories earlier in the day). If I didn't have carbs with my breakfast, I wouldn't feel satisfied. If I only had carbs I'd feel wonderfully satisfied but for a shorter period of time.
Now that I think of it though, it might make sense if you produced less GLP-1 than normal. The studies I saw said that ghrelin levels were the same for all three macros, and of the hunger hormones, ghrelin was the most strongly associated with hunger. GLP-1 levels, in addition to perceptions, were what were measured to show that proteins and fats are more satiating than carbs.
The thing for me is if a meal is "satisfying", I'm not going to go looking for more food. Carbs (and carb-combos) give me that "satisfaction" feeling. I can eat a 2 egg omelette with Swiss cheese and bacon and "need" something. When I put that omelette in a tortilla, I'm not "needing" anything. Yeah, it's probably mental that I "need" carbs and am not "satisfied" with the protein + fat.3 -
I find steak very satisfying - I am satisfied to eat all the steak on my plate, all the steak on my wife's plate, and I could be satisfied eating all the steak on the plates of the people next to us...4
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I assume that the cheese and bacon and eggs aren't going to raise your blood glucose levels much so you would need that tortilla to feel satisfied. Not just mental.0
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goldthistime wrote: »Gotta say, I don't get it. Not only have I seen studies showing that proteins especially are significantly more satiating than carbs, I've seen evidence that fats are more satiating.
Despite the popularity of claims that fat is satiating (which I think are low carb driven), the actual studies I've seen suggest that carbs are more satiating than fat (with protein more satiating than both).
I actually think it's the opposite of what you suggest -- including fat adds to taste and satisfaction, so people are more likely to be happy with what they ate, and not seek more food. (For me, fat helps me be happy with my diet and not get bored even though tests indicate that fat is completely unhelpful for satiety -- I have played around and the only breakfast that leaves me hungry before lunch is high fat, whereas both mixed (my normal preference) and extremely low fat do not.)
I also suspect that only a minority of people really have a problem with satiety when eating enough calories. For others "hunger" is more about wanting to eat specific foods or foods that are around and available.
But whatever the majority experiences, the fact is that on this the evidence is that people vary, so whatever someone perceives should be more important than what on average is supposed to work. (Same with the thing about a majority eating less if they eat breakfast or more frequently -- for others that has an opposite effect.)1 -
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I'm the exact same way. Two slices of toast with some fruit preserves on it will keep me sated all morning. Eggs and sausage and a cup of yogurt, on the other hand, like zyxst said... I'll be starving in 2 hours.
I think some people's bodies just handle carbs better than others.2 -
goldthistime wrote: »
But http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17824197 (I've seen others that go the same way, too. This is one reason I find it so annoying that "fat is more satiating" is asserted so often on this forum as if it were a fact. It's not true for me and apparently not for many.)
The Susannah Holt stuff that rankinsect referred to above suggests that focusing just on macros (other than maybe protein) is probably too simplistic, though, and of course there are individual differences. No study is going to be able to tell someone what foods they find most satiating or satisfying -- those are questions the person must answer.3 -
That index was developed by quizzing/testing at 15 minute intervals over 2 hours. I would consider the first hour at least to be satisfying not satiating. i have to check your link again later when I have time. At first glance it looked to me as though it was considered a statement of fact at that time, not as proof itself. It's an older article.
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