The ketogenic diet is known for an obvious benefit that no other diet seems to offer. This is the fact that people don’t experience too much hunger while on a keto diet. This means that your cravings are drastically reduced and your weight starts reducing. It also means people may not lose the motivation to stay on the diet for a long time. This makes keto quite a magic diet for people who usually find that they are too fond of food to keep a diet.
Many diets put a lot of stress on people as hunger can lead to frustration and anger. This should be controlled by a keto diet. But if due to some reason, you are still getting very hungry while on keto, this requires some inquiry. In such cases, one the following reason may be the culprit.
Insufficient sleep:
Have you been working late or staying up too long while on Keto? Do you find it hard to fall asleep or have to wake up too early in the morning? Not getting enough sleep while on Keto can be a major reason in making you hungry. When you don’t get enough sleep, the hormone leptin, which is responsible for controlling hunger plummets. Also, a hormone called ghrelin which is supposed to make you feel hungry increases. Therefore physicians suggest you try to clock in at least 8 hours of sleep while on the diet.
Dehydration:
Not drinking enough water while on Keto can make your body very dehydrated. Dehydration has been shown to cause craving in the body for salty food items in various studies. This is because salty foods help preserve water in our body. Therefore ensure that your body is well hydrated at all times.
Stress:
Stress is the culprit in a lot of health issues. It increases cortisol levels in the body that can trigger the feeling of hunger if you remain stressed for a long time. If you think this could be the reason, you may use other methods such as meditation or exercise to lower your stress levels. You can even try talking to friends or family to handle the stress effectively.
Pregnancy:
While on the diet, if you feel excessively hungry even when all of the other factors mentioned above don’t seem to apply to you, it may be because you are pregnant. Pregnancy can rapidly increase your hunger levels whether you are on a Keto diet or not. Take a pregnancy test to check if this is the reason for your hunger. It is not suggested for pregnant women to stay on a Keto diet. Consult a doctor immediately.
Apart from the reason mentioned above, it may be possible that your excess hunger is just because of the fact that your diet is not in the right proportion. Ensure that the balance of proteins and carbs in your diet is right and that you are consuming enough calories every day. In early stages, you may confuse this hunger to be what people refer to as the “keto flu”. Wait a couple of days, consume enough water and salts and see if the situation is remedied. If not consult your nutritionist for further insights.