HUNGER

Because this has to be said, my shower-thought of the day:

I see a lot of people complaining about “hunger” when dieting – “I’m doing a ketogenic diet… why am I hungry? – I read I should not feel hunger on a ketogenic diet”…

Well, let me tell you: Hunger is not necessarily a bad thing.

Guys & Gals: have we become so “cognitive dissonant” and complacent, that we have forgotten that hunger is, in a way, a natural part of the process of any diet that the main focus is fat loss???

Any diet, be it keto or high carb, will eventually make you feel hungry.

Yes, there are “ways” to trick your body and get “distracted” from the hunger signals, but being hungry is NORMAL, NATURAL and most of all, EXPECTED.

There is nothing wrong with you if you experience hunger on keto…. and if you are eating as per the Ketogains macros (from our Ketogains MACRO calculator) – you are likely going to do well.
“Eating more fat” just because you are “hungry” (and because someone told you you should be eating more fat) – UTTERLY defeats the purpose of a fat loss diet (and of course, #context dependent)…. because to lose body fat, you DO require an energy deficit.
What can you do if you are hungry then?


1. Correct Macros. Check your macros are correctly calculated using OUR calculator.

2. Whole Food. Put an emphasis on WHOLE, nutrient dense foods, especially PROTEIN. Shakes are ok, for example, as a way to reach macros… but if you find yourself constantly hungry, you are better off eating chicken breast / beef, etc vs liquid calories.

3. Green Vegetables. Really: do you actually know you can eat almost a kilo of spinach a day, without disrupting keto? Go and look at the NET Carbs:


4. Soups.  Try to increase food volume with liquids. My personal recipe for “egg drop” soup is super nutrient dense and will top any “bullet proof coffee” in ALL ways.


5. Electrolytes and Minerals. A lot of times, hunger is just the way of your body telling you that you are deficient in a nutrient. Your body cannot tell you: “I need sodium” or “I need magnesium” – It will just send a hunger signal, and hope that between whatever you eat, you supply what is missing. So by eating again, nutrient dense, whole foods, you should have this covered.

6. Boredom. Don’t confuse being bored, with being hungry. As Amy Berger said in our recent interview: next time you are “hungry” ask yourself if you would eat a steak and broccoli. If the answer is not, then you are really not hungry.

Also, a good trick to get rid of cravings is to use Apple Cider Vinegar: disolve 1/2 teaspoon with one glass of water and drink it when you have cravings.

Alternatively, eating sour foods such as Dill Pickles does the trick and will kill cravings.

7. Willpower. Yes, I said it. Willpower is also a “muscle” that you have to train. Do you have goals? Well, work for them, because you are not going to wake up one day looking like a fitness model without having put any work IN.

Also, remember that if you need personalized help, KETOGAINS does offer coaching, training, meal plans, both in a personalized or group (boot camp) setting: check here.