One of the questions people ask most often about adopting the Keto diet is about getting hungry during the regimen. In America, food is available 24/7 nearly everywhere. You can pick up a snack at an electronics store or lunch while buying a car. Despite the easy availability of food, Americans fear going hungry. The fear is not based on experience, most have never gone hungry. The fear stems from the idea of hunger.
Will I Be Hungry On The Keto Diet?
Many on the Keto diet are surprised to discover that unlike other weight loss plans they may have tried, they feel full most of the time. If you’re accustomed to feeling hungry between meals and hunger pangs within hours of eating, these challenges will fade away within a week or two of beginning a Keto diet. This occurrence is a reason new ketoers, who make it through the first few weeks, have no problem staying on the diet for the long haul without any problems. The diet changes the way the dieters look at food overall.
That hungry and frustrated feeling most people associate with dieting doesn’t happen on the Keto diet. This is connected to the amount of fat you eat every day, which keeps your body satiated and full. Your body doesn’t crave food it doesn’t need because you don’t experience insulin spikes. The reason this works so well is your body is intended to run on real foods fats and proteins, not sugar and chemically laden processed foods.
These fats and proteins satiate your hunger. You’ve probably had the experience of eating a big bowl of cereal, a plate of salad, or even a banana and still feeling hungry afterward. Blame that on the carbohydrates. On the Standard Western Diet, Americans run on blood sugar (glucose from carbs). Your body doesn’t continually burn fat because it doesn’t have to. Let’s compare your body to a car and the carbs would be regular gas, and fats and proteins would be like the premium grade of gas. Using this metaphor, you can run on carbs (regular fuel), but you going get the performance you’d get from running on premium. Your body is like an engine, and you would want to give it the best fuel money can buy. Carbs burn quickly and leave you with cravings. Fats and proteins are longer lasting. Your body gets everything it needs for daily tasks and keeps you feeling full until the next meal (another fill-up) from them.
The main appetite suppressing food you can eat on the keto diet is eggs. Eggs kick-start your day and keep you feeling satiated longer.
A recent study found breakfast eggs prevents hunger pangs throughout the rest of the day. The trial followed 2 groups of women. One group dined on eggs for breakfast, and the other had a carb-filled breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. Surprisingly, both breakfasts had the exact same number of calories. The subjects kept a food journal about what they ate the remainder of the day and disclosed the extent of their hunger and satisfaction levels throughout the day. The study findings showed the eggs for breakfast group reported feeling more satisfied all day for the rest of their meals than the carb group.
How Does It Work?
Fat and protein foods control your blood sugar and generate a satisfied feeling. Egg yolks also contain nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin that are great for your eyes.
You have probably been told since you were old enough to remember, eggs and red meat are bad for you. You need to forget everything you think you know about a healthy diet! Forget low-fat, no sugar added, 100 calorie packaged foods, and the food pyramid because all those misconceptions are the things that are making this country fatter every year.
Besides fat and protein, many other foods offer a ‘full’ feeling. Americans don’t eat enough vegetables; some of them like broccoli and cauliflower are also known for suppressing appetite. These are bulky fibrous vegetables, both of which trigger that ‘I’m full’ feeling in your stomach. This creates a chemical response that tells your brain, it’s time to stop eating. Anyone that watches daytime TV knows you get the same result from water and psyllium husk fiber. Trust me, broccoli and cauliflower not only provide bulk in your diet, they are essential additions to the Keto diet, which taste a lot better too.
You can try eating small fat/protein balanced meals a several times a day. Many are successful with 3 meals and a snack. Nevertheless, it’s up to you how you to divide up your macros. Just be certain you are eating enough. The goal is weight loss not starvation. You want your body to perform like a car burning premium all day.
Don’t fall into the trap of skipping meals; this causes disturbances in your glucose levels can cause carb cravings. You don’t need that. It’s hard enough to stay away from sugar as it is, without your body telling you that carbs are necessary to your survival.
Carbohydrates let you feel full for a couple of hours, but then your blood sugar crashes, and you feel hungry again. This vicious cycle continues day after day, and every year you get fatter and fatter.
The Keto diet controls your cravings and keeps you full while you simultaneously lose weight.
