6 reasons why you're still hungry on the keto diet (2024)

FAQs

6 reasons why you're still hungry on the keto diet? ›

Ketones have a direct effect on appetite hormones

This hormone is produced in the gut and then travels through the bloodstream to the brain, producing hunger signals and the urge to seek out food (5). The higher your blood levels of grhelin are the hungrier you will feel.

Ketones have a direct effect on appetite hormones

This hormone is produced in the gut and then travels through the bloodstream to the brain, producing hunger signals and the urge to seek out food (5). The higher your blood levels of grhelin are the hungrier you will feel.

Many people report decreased hunger while following a keto diet. The reasons why this happens are still being investigated. However, it's been suggested that this hunger reduction may be due to alterations to your body's hunger hormones, along with an increased intake of proteins ( 13 , 14).

On a keto diet, fat should make up 55–60% of a person's daily intake. If a person does not consume enough fat on a keto diet, they may not feel full. This can lead to snacking and consuming more calories than a person needs, resulting in weight gain. Additionally, fat is an important component of a person's diet.

Even if you are in ketosis, you can still experience cravings and hunger. And when that happens, here are a few tips that can further help reduce them. We know that carbs cause a significant increase in food consumption. Therefore, try further reducing your intake of carbohydrates.

So it's natural to wonder if it's okay to eat before bed on a keto diet, and how eating after 8pm can affect ketosis. The answer is: no, you don't have to avoid eating before bed on keto. What you eat – and more specifically, the macronutrient ratio of your meals – is far more important than when you eat.

Opposite to previous reports that the drive to eat is suppressed while under a ketogenic diet,^{19, 22} we have shown a transitory increase in hunger from baseline up to 3 weeks on a ketogenic VLED, which then disappear and only come back after refeeding (and no ketosis).

So it's important that when you plan snacks and meals on the keto diet, you make sure to include high-protein food options like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Protein will keep hunger at bay and help prevent cravings big time!

Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.

Why am I not in full ketosis? ›

If over 10% of your calories come from carbs, you'll likely have trouble entering nutritional ketosis.

It sounds impossible, but it's not. Yes, you have to cut out most carbs to make this happen. But you also need to increase your nutrition. Keeping an abundance of nutrients in your diet tells your body that it's not starving.

To maximize weight loss on a ketogenic diet, get adequate sleep, reduce stress, be more active and consume whole, nutritious, low-carb foods whenever possible.

Smelly breath is unfortunately a common side effect of the keto diet. If you notice a smell that is fruity or similar to nail polish, thats a sign that your body is in ketosis. To combat the smell, try brushing your teeth, staying hydrating, eating more protein, or just wait it out—it's only temporary.

Following the keto diet for an extended period of time can be difficult, and even some of its top proponents warn against sticking to its strict guidelines. This includes cutting back carbohydrates to 50 grams a day or less, for at least two to three weeks up to six to 12 months, per the National Library of Medicine.

If you don't feel hungry while on a ketogenic diet and your priority is to lose weight, then it's okay to skip meals and wait until you are hungry to eat.

The main reason why many people find that they are not losing weight with keto is that they are eating too many carbs. In order to achieve ketosis, you need to drastically cut back on your carb consumption. However, carbs are tricky and can be hidden in vegetables, sauces, and dressings.

To keep you fuller longer, registered dietitian Abbey Sharp, RD, recommended focusing on high-fiber and high-fat food sources that are also low in carbs. This keeps you satiated fast, she said, since both fat and fiber are very satiating.

Physical Causes

This reduces your incoming supply of glucose. And so blood glucose often dips in the early stages of switching to a Keto lifestyle, leading to a low blood sugar state called hypoglycemia. In turn, hypoglycemia triggers hunger. Sugar withdrawal can also trigger cravings.