A little info about me- I am 5'4", started off at 124 and just want to lose about 8 pounds (I am VERY small boned, so my ideal weight of 115 does not look too thin on me). I am on week 3 and have not cheated, and am losing about 1.5 lbs a week. My daily meals look like this: B- IP bar and hot green tea, L- 4 oz fish + veggies, S- IP bar, D- 4 oz fish (or chicken) + veggies, S- IP bar, at least 1/2 my body weight in oz of water a day. If I am super hungry I will boil several eggs and eat the whites only. My question is- is it normal to still have severe cravings for carbs and sugar??? All I read is people saying that their cravings are gone at this point and they feel great. I am hungry ALL DAY and just count the hours until the next meal. No energy, headaches, moody. Is this normal for 3 weeks in?? Could it be because I have less fat to burn and am close to ideal weight? I'm struggling
I am not that close to goal as you are, I do have a couple thoughts. It took me at least 3 weeks before I wasn't hungry. It appears that you could be eating 2 restricted items in a day, unless 2 of the bars is a vanilla crispy square. If you are you could be exceeding the carb level that will keep you in ketosis.
Many others report that when they ate close to goal they get hungry.
Hi, I think you might be right--from my experience doing IP alongside 10-15 co-workers, the ones with very little to lose were very, very hungry. For those of us who started out with a lot to burn, there was a long period of freedom from hunger. The fat burning was well underway so by the time we got to that last 10 lbs, there was hunger but it was tolerable. That last 10lbs seems to be the hardest for all of us.
I would suggest tweaking it, but if it were me, I would probably add some more 'real' protein, or try a choice with more fat. Keeping hunger to a tolerable level is key. Good luck!
Thank you so much! This helps a lot. I have two friends doing it with me- one who does not have a lot to lose and one who does. The one who has more to lose is doing GREAT- not hungry, tons of energy, feels amazing (and is dropping about 5 lbs per week). The one (and me) who do not have as much to lose is really struggling. I appreciate your replies and help! I will keep trucking through and will add a little more real protein.
Yep, like sundove said....
plus the non-scientific lingo version:
When your body has a large fat reserve it 'knows' this and doesn't stress us because there's lots of fuel available. When you are close to goal, your body 'knows' it does not carry the reserve to get you through a very low fuel diet for long and stresses you to up your eating by cravings. Fat & protein (especially fat) will help satiate you. Try to choose whole eggs (the vitamins and fat in the yolks are important) and higher fat meats & fish. Hang in there! I have 3-6 lbs to get back to my goal weight range and yes, I have cravings right now, although mine are generally for old cheese and 90% Lindt chocolate which has a 3:1 fat to carb ratio (perfect for maintenance but not for weight loss).
Liana
I'm an old timer and only post when I think I can really help someone. Spread your veggies out over the course of the day. Eat a salad to fill you up before its time for your next meal. Also, if the bars you are eating have over 9 grams of carbs, they are a restricted item. You should only be eating 1 per day! This could be where your cravings are coming from. Listen to Liana. She knows what she's talking about. Good Luck!
One other thought is to choose from a bit more high calories meat such as pork or beef....the higher fat content should help with the hunger. I am just doing a small weight correction right now (though not in ketosis), and I am VERY hungry. It's hard! Hang in there! With such a small amount of weight to lose, you may even consider the alternative IP protocol if you are still struggling in a few weeks. Honestly, I ended up losing 10 more lbs when I phased off because I think my body was just happy to have MORE calories than what P1 allows for.
I'm thinking the bars may trigger cravings for me. Tried a couple this week for the first time and was really craving all kinds of foods the day after, both times. May just be a coincidence, considering I've only ever had two, but thought I'd mention it.
When I was on P1, I tried to stick with the more foodlike options such as the soups, omelettes, and wildberry yogourt shake rather than the bars or crisps (although crisps weren't a Gluten Free option at the time) simply because for me 'treatlike' food sets me up to crave treats. It's the emotional aspect of it. When my body thinks of treats, it's the stuff that puts the pounds on in the first place - so I really don't want to flip that mental trigger switch if I can avoid it.
Oh gosh I didn't think about the bars being a culprit. My coach is not much help, but I figured she would tell me if I was eating more carbs than I should be with regards to those! I eat- 1 packet of maple oatmeal, 1 krispy bar, and 1 mug cake.
Height: 5'-2" - 41 years old - 2015 Reboot: 165.4/136.0/135
Just a little note- I am a couple of pounds from goal and since I got within the 5# range of goal, my hunger has increased ten-fold. I think this is normal. Although, I am not "craving" anything per se, but I am just ready to eat all day, every day.
F, 39 (was 38 while doing IP), 5'6.5", hypothyroid, and phased off at 145:
I experienced the exact same!
I started at 234 and the first 85 pounds were *relatively* easy - there were bad days of course, but generally the hunger was manageable.
The last 5 were a beast!!!!
I was continuously hungry and started suffering from frequent hypoglycemic episodes (I had a handful over the first 8 months) - and the theory about not having the same fat reserves to draw from makes complete sense.
I fought for about a month and got worried about my overall health - went for some blood work and my doctor advised me to phase off.
Height: 5'-2" - 41 years old - 2015 Reboot: 165.4/136.0/135
Quote:
Originally Posted by hysteria_625
F, 39 (was 38 while doing IP), 5'6.5", hypothyroid, and phased off at 145:
I experienced the exact same!
I started at 234 and the first 85 pounds were *relatively* easy - there were bad days of course, but generally the hunger was manageable.
The last 5 were a beast!!!!
I was continuously hungry and started suffering from frequent hypoglycemic episodes (I had a handful over the first 8 months) - and the theory about not having the same fat reserves to draw from makes complete sense.
I fought for about a month and got worried about my overall health - went for some blood work and my doctor advised me to phase off.
Beth-
did you add an extra packet or anything on hangry days? or did you just white knuckle it?
Week 3 and still craving sugar and carbs
