Keto to Whole30 and hungry ALL THE TIME

[Twixt]

Hi all,

I transitioned from 2 months of Keto directly into Whole30 this month. This is my first Whole30 and I was so excited to have fruit and a wide range of veggies again, and to continue working on training myself out of bad eating habits. My body was already accustomed to some of the restrictions (no grains, no alcohol), and my mind was accustomed to restrictions in general (yup, haven't had chocolate since June), so I arrogantly figured the only hard parts would be no dairy, ignoring the impulse to track macros, and not loading up my coffee with some (any) form of sweet deliciousness.

I was wrong. Cutting out dairy was easy, not tracking is as simple as breathing, and it only took two days to start enjoying my coffee with only a splash of compliant nut milk. What I DIDN'T see coming was a constant ache of hunger.

One of the best things about Keto for me was that I was never hungry. My cravings didn't exactly disappear (I'm always in the mood for something sweet. Seriously, always.), but I just forgot to snack. Not exactly a rave review of my abilities at impulse control, but it helped me change my habits. I learned to plan and prepare meals deliberately, which I planned to continue during Whole30 - knowing that cutting out one of my main sources of fat (dairy) would mean I'd have to find it in other places, a week before starting my Whole30, I started replacing butter with oil when I cooked.

My first week was great. I didn't get many serious side effects and knowing my tendency to overdo it, I limited my fruit intake. It was great to reintroduce all the veggies, but my favorites are mostly the ones that are Keto-friendly anyway, so my meals didn't actually change that much. But within days, I noticed that my stomach felt empty ALL THE TIME. Within an hour (usually less) of eating a full meal, my stomach forgets about it. At first I figured it was a transition thing, but I'm on day 18 and still feeling it. In fact, I've started to notice that I'm usually hungrier after I eat than before. Before you jump in: yes, I eat plenty - two months of counting will give anyone a basic understanding of how many calories they're consuming; yes, I'm getting plenty of fiber and healthy fats, though not in the proportions I was getting on Keto; no, my activity level has not changed; and yes, I'm staying hydrated.

All this to ask: Has anyone else done this, and did this happen to them? It's uncomfortable, distracting, and I want it to stop. I'm committed to my 30 days, but it'd be really great if they were comfortable. I'm missing out on prime Tiger Blood, here.

[Anhe]

Not in a round. I ate keto for months (low carb for years). I started to consider changing my diet for several reasons to a more W30 and PHD (Paul Jaminet's diet) style. But before, I tried to up my ratio of protein (more lean protein) and I was always starving, it was so crazy. I need a balance between protein / fat or protein / carbs. If I do a very high fat meal like keto, I'm not hungry. But I discover that if I do a meal with less fat (not low fat, just not as high as keto) but more starch, I'm not hungry either. The problem: so many years of low carbing made me afraid of carbs (potatoes, bananas, etc) or eating too much food (because while keto you don't need too much food to be satiated).

[Angelia]

22 hours ago, Twixt said:

I noticed that my stomach felt empty ALL THE TIME. Within an hour (usually less) of eating a full meal, my stomach forgets about it. At first I figured it was a transition thing, but I'm on day 18 and still feeling it. In fact, I've started to notice that I'm usually hungrier after I eat than before.

I felt and sometimes still feel the very same!  My day 30 was on 9/10, but I'm reintroducing slowly and still doing full W30 on the in between days.  I've had such an inconsistent relationship with food for so long that I'm still learning what is hungry and what is satisfied.  I eat a LARGE amount of meat, a LARGE amount of veggies and an appropriate amount of fats when it's mealtime regardless of how hungry or not I was when I sat down.  And when my plate is empty, sometimes I still feel something that I identify as hungry.  How can this be when I've just consumed SO MUCH?  I've been telling myself that whatever that sensation is, it's NOT hunger.  I busy myself with cleaning up, talking to someone, slowly drinking a cup of tea or glass of Kombucha and then reassess.  Usually after 15-20 minutes that sensation formerly known as hunger is gone and sometimes I'm downright full.  I'm trying to aim for satisfied instead of full, so I make a mental note to have slightly smaller portions next time. 

I'll agree, that's it's... weird, that funny feeling after eating.  But for me, I have to remind myself that just because my stomach (or whatever it is) has a sensation, it does not mean it's hunger.   Maybe it's full and I just can't completely identify it yet?  So basically, I have nothing helpful to add whatsoever  other than to say, Me too!!

[DonnaGail]

I started cooking Whole30 meals about 3 months prior to starting Whole30 which I am doing mostly for my husband to lose weight. I did mine about 3 yrs ago and have maintained my weight. Not wanting to cook every night, I made lots of meals and froze the ones that could freeze or froze the part of the recipe that could freeze or we ate left overs the following night. He told me be has not been hungry yet after two weeks. I have also been creating an Excel spreadsheet to include all compliant foods and where to find them. I have dedicated several pantry shelves and my refrigerator with nothing but compliant foods. It is starting to get so easy to not only do the Whole30 but continue eating healthy foods that contain no sugars. When I go outside house, I always bring snacks with me. I went to an outdoor music venue on Wed. Prior to going in, I rolled up 2 egg and cauliflower crepes (from Costco) with a slice of turkey (from US Wellness Meats) and saerkraut. When I entered the venue, instead of alcohol, I ordered a cup of ice water and added my own shot of cranberry juice (the kind that says no added sugar) and a shot of lemon juice. I felt comfortable hanging out with the other drinkers. I wasn't hungry and had no problem skipping the hot dogs and nachos the venue offered for purchase. It is really about researching and preparing ahead of time.

[Twixt]

On 9/19/2019 at 2:48 PM, Angelia said:

Usually after 15-20 minutes that sensation formerly known as hunger is gone and sometimes I'm downright full.

If this was my experience, it would make sense - the stomach can take a while to understand that it's full. But my experience is backwards to this. Immediately after I eat, I feel full/sated. But an hour or so later, my stomach feels hollow again. I've done the same as you did and have told myself it's not hunger, and found ways to distract myself. But it doesn't go away for me. It's always there, and somehow worse than real hunger. I've caught myself avoiding food because I know it'll make me hungrier.

I'm glad you mentioned Kombucha, though. I've had sauerkraut with my lunch the last few days and it seems to be helping. Coffee helps too, but I can't drink coffee all day. I'll look into adding a 'booch digestif.  

 

On 9/19/2019 at 5:20 AM, Anhe said:

But I discover that if I do a meal with less fat (not low fat, just not as high as keto) but more starch, I'm not hungry either.

Awesome suggestion, thanks. I share the same Keto-based instinct to avoid high-carb foods, but I'm working on it.  It might be that I'm just not getting enough of the right things with my meals.