I started working about about a month ago, and started the T-Dawg diet about 3 weeks ago. When I started, I was a hefty 298 lbs. I am not down to 279 lbs. Something I have noticed is that I feel like I have to FORCE myself to eat. I simply find that I am NOT hungry at all.
My typical caloric intake would be as follows:
Breakfast:
3 eggs scrambled
2 pieces of bacon
BIG Glass of water
Snack: Water and handful of mixed nuts
Lunch: Two broiled chicken breasts
2 cups steamed broccoli
MORE WATER
Snack: Water and 5 or 6 slices of beef jerky
Dinner:
Steamed cabbage with smoked sausage and lots of Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning.
Water.
That's a pretty typical day. What I am FINDING is that at breakfast, lunch and dinner I am simply NOT HUNGRY.
I work hard at the gym…and on off days, hit the cardio fairly hard. What gives with the change in hunger and appetite? Is this a common side effect of the T-Dawg due to more fats and proteins in the diet, or am I simply not working myself hard enough at the gym?
I am NOT skipping meals. No matter how I feel, I know that my body needs FUEL to keep going. Am I doing the right thing?
It’s pretty common I think. 1) fat is satiating 2) protein takes a while to digest 3) controlled carb intake means no crazy cravings caused from blood sugar fluctuations. But, it could be a sign of overtraining too.
If you are drinking more water than normal it will make you feel full as it takes up space in your stomach. Also, eating less tends to “un-stretch” your stomach (which was expanded from many large meals during your non diet period). A smaller stomach will fill more easily. Again, one of the main benifits of low carb diets is that you have less cravings and hunger.
It’s caused by the diet. People who go on low carb diets typically get the same sort’ve appetite suppressing effect. It probably has to do with the body using ketones for fuel and low insulin levels. I had a friend who got fairly ill on a ketogenic diet, not because he was intentionally overdieting but because he was never at all hungry and ended up taking in way too few calories for an extended period. Try throwwing a high carb day in once a week as this will not only rev your metabolism up and replenish glycogen but also get your appetite back up for a day or 2.
It’s common for low-carb diets to decrease appetite, this is partly how many Atkins-type diets work even when the dieter is told they can eat unlimited amounts of protein and fat. However, it can’t be entirely attributed to fat being slowly digested because appetite also tends to be suppressed after a few days of complete fasting. Some type of built in adaptation apparently.
Does anyone think that if the amount of calories consumed at breakfast was increased, that Hacksalot would be a little hungrier later in the day due to an elevated metabolism? Or is that just a myth?
Increasing calories at breakfast with the same macronutrient ratios would if anything probably decrease appetite the rest of the day. On the other hand increasing carbos at breakfast would most definitely increase appetite the rest of the day.
I agree with Kelly. I have recently been downing, first thing when I wake up, a 32 ounce glass of my home made recovery drink (10 grams Glutamine, 1 gram MSM, 5 grams creatine and 1/8 of a cap of KOOL AIDE, which is about 40 grams of sugar) And I am starving about 20 minutes later. I think my body uses that sugar before I get out of the shower, because I can eat all day if I do this…On the flip side if I eat 5 eggs and some toast I won’t be hungry again til noon.