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Hunger returned with a vengeance

AngiH

Well-Known Member
Messages
336
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all,
I have been on LCHF since the new year and was fasting most days through Feb 16/8 without any problem. I just had no hunger whatsoever....however, this last week or so I'm hungry through the night and first thing in the morning. Is this just a phase, or could it be due to being unwell these last 2 weeks? I changed my eating a little as hubby and lots of you on here said health comes first before LCHF. I'm pretty much back to 30grams a day but maybe I've been kicked out of ketosis, or it's simply this bronchitis....any clues you wonderful people.
Thank you.
 
AngiH said:
could it be due to being unwell these last 2 weeks?
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Could easily be the cause. If you google "causes of hunger" there are more possibilities than I thought of. Here's a few possible causes, you can probably quite quickly those that don't apply and still be left with a few possibilities. The last one is interesting.

You’re Not Eating Enough Protein

You’re Not Sleeping Enough

Your Diet Is Low in Fat

You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

Your Diet Lacks Fiber

You Eat While You’re Distracted

You Exercise a Lot

You’re Overly Stressed

You’re Taking Certain Medications

You Eat Too Fast

You Have a Medical Condition (diabetes is a classic example)
 
Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re not.

If you are hungry then your body either requires fuel or is missing crucial nutrients and knows it. Definitely don’t fight hunger.

Edited to add: yes it could also very well be that 30g carbohydrate, plus whatever glucose is still sloshing around in your body, is enough to switch you back over to burning glucose as your primary source of fuel. I haven’t been following your most recent posts so cannot comment on illness or why you have been advised to increase glucose ingestion.
 
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It is normal to feel hungry even on low carb and I think the usual advice is to eat until you feel satisfied
 
Thank you, one thing I know is it's not due to reaching optimal weight haha...I have lots to get rid of yet!
I'm back on the LCHF wagon now as I'm improving so hopefully it will subside again, but think I'll have to eat in the mornings at the moment until I reach ketosis again.
It doesn't take much to settle, a chunk of cheese or some eggs and I'm ok. I'll be glad to get back to where I was
 
Resurgam said:
I used to have roast chicken in the fridge all the time, for just such emergencies.
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Yep, with you on that one! Especially a big fat chicken leg with lots of salt & pepper and the skin on, very juicy, far more so than the breast.
 
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I normally have a piece of cheese, but chicken is a good idea as love chicken, but only the breast meat I'm afraid...
 
Hi pleased you are recovering well know you were very poorly and were not able to eat much so it may well be your body trying to get nutrition back. If that’s the case go with it there are so many high nutrition, low carb and filling real foods out there. Don’t worry for a bit about adding extra fats things like a tin of fish in olive oil, cheese, fatty meats, some nuts, cream in hot drinks, high percentage chocolate etc etc. They are all so filling should help withhunger. Know you are also trying to lose weight so may be worried about your fat intake but for now I’d aim to eat to settle things back to your normal keto with high fat low carb stuff. Hope it goes well getting back into swing your body has had a big shock and you need to be kind to it with high nutrition food.
 
My understanding is different folks may have different experiences of hunger, due to different levels of the hunger hormone(s?), or maybe it is just a different expression of a physical feeling? Or folks really do feel it differently? (Who knows!) But it does seem apparent that hunger is experienced and/or expressed very differently amongst different folks.

But. I have a new friend who has prediabetes (or at least she did, she tells me it is resolved but I am extremely doubtful...), and she makes a big deal about telling me she does not feel hunger. I had no idea why before I thought about it some. I thought feeling hunger was, just, you know, normal for the reasons we have discussed above.

I wonder if it due to feelings of guilt and shame (ghastly feelings both! When it comes to diabetes, and when it comes to feeling natural physical sensations, I believe...). She is a big girl, as in has a lot of fat stored on her small frame, (hey - I've been there, just not a small frame) and eats a ton of sugar and sugary foods (ditto, and, as new friends we have had more than a few social occasions together), and knows about the role of carbs in type two, cos, well - I'm her friend! And she makes a point of telling me she doesn't have lunch, and a very small dinner, due to the fact - she doesn't get hungry.

I feel very - is sad the word? I think so - that feelings are so tied up in guilt and shame around food for many, perhaps for many women? And maybe particularly for big women? that when something goes wrong (pre/diabetes), folks are desperate to distance themselves from a very normal thing - the desire to eat, and the need to eat, and - eating!
 
Thank you all, I am starting back on keto from today, no slips and will eat as my body tells me too. I'm sure in a few days I'll be back to the fasting again, I'm still off work and unable to use my treadmill so sitting around is hard as I start thinking about food!!! I'm sure once I'm back at work (hopefully wednesday) and I can gradually use the treadmill it'll all fall back into place. On the plus side my bg levels are still only in the 5's
 
I'm a wing gal myself. But a shame there is only two! (Per bird, at any rate.)
 
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