Started work, now hungry ALL THE TIME

Hi all,

Been on Keto less than 2 months and for the most part all was going well and I lost 10lbs. However, I started work again this week after a 5mo maternity leave and things have drastically changed re my appetite. Previously, I was always staying under my macro limits and calories, avg around 1300 a day but now I am constantly HUNGRY and avg around 2000kcal just because I am listening to my body and its not enough!

Before, I would drink Bulletproof coffee for bfast and had lunch after 12pm. Now I can barely get through the morning without eating and lunch has been pushed up to 11am because I cant stop thinking of food and my stomach constantly growls. I continue to drink 128oz of water a day, and the only other change is I am getting less sleep (8+ hours vs now around 6hrs), and I am burning less calories too as I am at a desk and rarely walking around. Previously,  i was walking about 2 miles a day plus weights for 30mins. So I would have expected I'd be hungrier when i worked out! 

Any thoughts on the change to my body? Does Ketosis affect you differently when you use more brain power? I am in a high stress industry so I do know I am working my brain...but this feels so drastic how I need more food now when I am physically doing less. 

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    • Kat H
    • From Chunky & Funky to Fit & Fabulous!
    • Kat_H
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I don't know about the science, but you might want to look at some subliminal music on YouTube - if you can't listen to it during the day, you can listen at night. There are some about intermittent fasting and OMAD (One Meal A Day) that might help you through long stretches without snacking. I have a playlist that I listen to every evening and it has made a big difference!

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    • Darian
    • Darian.1
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I was having the same issue at about the same time into it (2 months or so). One thing that attracted me to Keto was the claims that it made you want to eat less, and one issue I had was I never seemed to be "full" after a meal. I did some research and discovered two things that worked for me. 1: Lean more on the "fats" at dinner time to stay satiated longer. 2: Sip lemon water through the day. Hope this helps.

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    • Bielsabab
    • Bielsabab
    • 3 yrs ago
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    Sometimes when you are hungry your body just needs water. I know I drink more when I am at work.

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    • Derek
    • Derek_S
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I have a quick breakfast quiche(with my coffee with whipping cream awesome) that I eat with two scoop of protein and I am not hungry at all and I was a massive eater. I have bacon and eggs for lunch but if can’t prepare that take another quiche with you.  
     

    The quiche is made on the weekend and broken into six pieces for the week.

     

    After two weeks one scoop of protein was all I needed to stay full. I am never hungry unless you skip a meal. Don’t fall back to old Behavior :)

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  • I have a similar experience, I tend to eat more when I’m working. Mine is stress related so when the stress becomes too much I try to take a few minutes to get away from my desk and either have a conversation with someone or take a quick walk. I know not everyone has this luxury.  I am currently working from home so food is always near. I started having a cup of hot tea in the afternoon which helps and I take a walk around my neighborhood during my lunch time. Food is very important to me, ask my husband. I get hangry when my blood sugars dip low. 

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    • Marosira
    • Marosira
    • 3 yrs ago
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    You mentioned you were in a high stress industry - your brain, and particularly increased heart rate, can definitely increase burned calories. Have you tried moving some protein to the morning-time? A couple of boiled eggs will knock out hunger for me. Alternatively you could have a low-carb protein shake with MCT oil, heavy whipping cream, and Unsweetened Coconut Milk- one really good brand is Protein and Greens by Vega. It's about 600 calories a pop but boy does it fill you up. I've created a recipe in carb manager titled Keto Protein Shake if you decide to try it out. Do you track your burned calories using a fitbit or smart watch? It might be able to track how many calories you're burning due to stress-induced high heart rate. Stress increases Cortisol which could also be making you hungrier. I would definitely try to find a way to manage your stress as well during your off time, and maybe even during your work time! Maybe take 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day and listen to meditation music or a meditation app and meditate, and just take that time to breathe.

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    • Diane52
    • Ask yourself "Whats more important, my right NOT to wear a mask, or the life of a loved one or my neighbor?"
    • Diane52
    • 3 yrs ago
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    Darian  That is awesome advice, Darian. I also found that fats help control hunger. You just don't want to go crazy on them. Only thing I might suggest as it worked for me... was to increase to something a little higher in fat in the mornings, instead of evening, so you can be burning it throughout the day. Try to snack on as much 0g carb veggies as you can throughout the day. Even if you munch on carrot spaghetti or some celery every 5 or 10 mins, just something to say... "Ok tummy, Im feeding you so back off!" Again, Im no expert, but this worked well for me.

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