too much protein/food cravings

[leilax]

I would like some advice from all the lc experts here: I think I am severely addicted to protein.. I can literally eat a couple pounds of meat a day and still feel hungry. the more protein I eat, the more cravings I have, is that even possible? should I lower my protein intake and replace it with more fat? I do not eat fruit and only rarely consume veggies. If I eat 10 oz of protein or more in one sitting, I am not satisfied and still crave meat. any idea why?

[peanutte]

When you say you are not satisfied, what does that mean, exactly?

Do you still feel physical symptoms of hunger? Do you know what those symptoms are and what they feel like?

It's my understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm mistaken) that excess protein is converted to glucose. If that's the case, maybe it is causing cravings for you. I really have no idea. I'm just trying to figure out how someone can eat the amount you're describing and still feel unsatisfied.

All I can say is: if it's true that the more protein you eat, the more cravings you experience, then yeah, I think you should cut back on it. I hope someone comes along with better advice for you!

[CurlsNCuffs]

Is your stomach full? Or, do you just feel like "that's not what I wanted, I really wanted something else"?

How much weight do you have to lose? Or are you maintaing? How long have you low carbed? Male/female?

[FlyNavyWife]

Definitely cut back and add more fat. See what happens.

[leilax]

hi, thanks for all the replies. I am female, 5'8" 140 trying to lose the last 10 lbs. I just do not feel full after eating a lot of protein, like I could easily eat lb more of meat lol. I get a lot of feelings like the food is just fermenting in stomach, if that makes any sense. I eat mostly turkey, chicken, fish, beef, lamb. I have ate low carb for about 6 years now, started at 18. Usually I eat a lot of nuts/nut butters but stopped because I am severely addicted. I am going to cut back my protein, but what else should I eat? just coconut oil on a spoon? full fat dairy? sorry for all the questions.

[peanutte]

I am female, 5'8" 140 trying to lose the last 10 lbs.

It's none of my business, but my first thought is honey, at 5'8" and 140, why do you feel you need to lose 10 more pounds?

[FlyNavyWife]

Originally Posted by peanutte

It's none of my business, but my first thought is honey, at 5'8" and 140, why do you feel you need to lose 10 more pounds?

Some people have really slight frames and feel better on the lighter end of the spectrum.

I am 5'6" and looked and felt my best at 116 in college when I was taking dance class and walking everywhere.

My older sister is 5'9" and 130 is her "baseline" weight.

Of course some people would look emaciated at that weight/height and would probably not be very healthy... but again, some of us have small frames and are quite chunky in the middle/high end of the "healthy range" for our heights.

[peanutte]

Okay. So setting aside that issue: what does your typical menu look like, leilax? is there a particular plan you're following?

[FlyNavyWife]

Originally Posted by leilax

hi, thanks for all the replies. I am female, 5'8" 140 trying to lose the last 10 lbs. I just do not feel full after eating a lot of protein, like I could easily eat lb more of meat lol. I get a lot of feelings like the food is just fermenting in stomach, if that makes any sense. I eat mostly turkey, chicken, fish, beef, lamb. I have ate low carb for about 6 years now, started at 18. Usually I eat a lot of nuts/nut butters but stopped because I am severely addicted. I am going to cut back my protein, but what else should I eat? just coconut oil on a spoon? full fat dairy? sorry for all the questions.

Cook that protein in FAT. If you're making a turkey burger, cook it in some butter. If you're making fish, top it with bacon grease while it cooks. Try cooking in coconut oil. If you eat veggies smother them in butter. Or instead of steaming, try stir-frying in oil or sauteeing in butter.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking the fat has to be "a side dish" or something... incorporate it into your meat and veggies and you'll be golden.

Also? Two words: Whipped cream.
omg raspberries or strawberries + whipped cream (real kind of course, homemade) + cinnamon = amaaaaaaazing.

[oliveoyl]

There are several versions of the Just-Eat-Lean-Protein diet that show up once in a while. I actually tried one once for about a day and a half. My stomach felt so awful I gave it up quick. I didn't feel hungry but I felt like there was a large boulder in my stomach. Try adding a salad with dressing with oil or mayonnaise in it or a vegetable with butter on it or saute it in olive oil. By the way, 8 ounces of lean meat is really not that much -- you'd be surprised at how few calories you're getting -- that may be why you're hungry!

[peanutte]

8 ounces of lean meat is really not that much

For a woman her size, it is. We're talking protein, not calories.

[2big4mysize]

have you had your body fat measured? with all the excessive protein you have consumed your muscles have grown and you could already be at goal weight from a percent of remaining body fat. I know I didn't look like I weighed 170 pounds when I declred goal but I had less them 15% body fat so I was a goalie even thought the height weight charts and the BMI said I was still overweight.


as a low carber you have a minimum protein need of just your weight divied by 2.2 so at 140 pounds you are talking about 64 grams of protein to meet your glucose needs and your body's growth and repair needs.

Since you are eating way more then this your body is converting that excess protein into glucose for storage as glycogen and when your glycogen storege is full it will be converted to fat for storage so you really do want to cut down your protein intake.

Your food lists have some fatty meats like lamb. Do you eat boneless skinless chicken and turkey? white or dark? is the fish a lean type or a fatty type?

How much fat are you eating? if you are low carb low fat high protein eatting you might want to investigate rabbit starvation to help motivsate you to cut the protein and eat more healthy fats.

You can select fatty cuts of fish poultry and beef to increase your fat intake, eat the skin of the poultry, and add fats in the cooking and plating of your foods.

Activating the stretch receptors of your stomach has nothing to do with feeding your hunger as you could drink a quart of water to activate them and still be hungry cause you took in no nutriants with that water, so don't worry about feeling physically full after eating.

you are looking for physical symptoms of hunger things like being tired, lack of energy, foggy thinking, mentally confused, agitation, feeling light headed, shakey, or dizzy are a few of the more common ones. If you are experiencing any of those an hour after you eat then you need to eat more otherwise you are not hungry just emotionally wanting.

[peanutte]

Thanks, 2big! Great post.

[Kerry]

I'm just wondering why no veggies??? I see you speak of meat so much.. are you eating veggies???

I say cut back on the meat and replace it with a side salad

[Kerry]

oh and are you exercising? and if so how much?

[Looweewoo]

Probably just my soapbox, but you seem to use the words "Protein" and "Meat" interchangeably. This might be leading to some confusion. Protein is a macronutrient, Meat is a food which contains a widely varying proportion of macronutrients.

That being settled, are you really getting too much protein (perhaps from eating too many lean meats), or are you eating fatty meats too? You may be craving fat but then giving your body protein. Protein won't satisfy a fat craving.

Protein can be converted to glucose, but my impression was that it was done at the rate it was needed, not to excess, so that (IIRC) probably won't be causing your cravings. But a lack of fat will - especially Omega3. Dr. Julia Ross devoted a whole chapter to the issue, which you can find in "The Diet Cure". I won't repeat it here.

If this seems to be your problem, eating a wider variety of fatty foods, in the absence of carbs, may solve it. Dark meat fowl instead of white meat, with the skin and cooked in oil. Higher fat beef, not the trimmed "lean" versions. Perhaps even supplements like Krill Oil, Flax Oil and Fish Oil.

[peanutte]

I can literally eat a couple pounds of meat a day and still feel hungry

I thought she made it pretty clear she was talking about meat.

[Looweewoo]

Originally Posted by leilax

I think I am severely addicted to protein.

I thought she made it pretty clear she was talking about protein.


Maybe we should ask her?

[Oriane]

Funny, it has the opposite effect on me. I also crave protein but then when I have it, I feel satisfied. If I have carbs instead, it's a never ending thing---the carbs set off a desire for more, and I am off on a binge.

Everyone's different. I eat a lot of meat, sometimes as much as you mentioned, and I ensure it's nice and fatty, but I love veggies and salads too, I think you need to add them. Your body is probably looking for more fat than you're giving it.

[leilax]

Originally Posted by peanutte

Okay. So setting aside that issue: what does your typical menu look like, leilax? is there a particular plan you're following?

re: the weight, yes I have a tiny frame.
yesterday I ate: m1: 6 oz 93/7 turkey, 1 tbsp coconut oil, was still hungry 40 minutes later so I ate 2 egg yolks
m2: same as the first
m3: 10 oz chicken breast, 1 tbsp coconut oil
m4: 6 oz 93/7 turkey, 1tbsp evoo

though I am trying to note eat nuts, I had 4 brazil nuts and 10 walnuts yesterday. I am not really following a particular plan, just trying to keep carbs to a minimum.

[leilax]

I can't believe how helpful everyone is here, wow thank you all so much.
I think I do have a few issues going on after reading all these very informative posts.

2big4mysize: 64 grams, yikes I am way over that. I do eat a lot of chicken breast and turkey, and the rabbit starvation syndrome is interesting, I have never heard of that before. that could be one of my issues. *physical* signs of hunger, well you are right perhaps at times I am not truly hungry and just looking for something to do or I may not be eating often enough throughout the day. I do think I am converting all this excess meat to glucose, I kind of have a a hyperish feeling after eating all the meat. I used to be a major binge eater with the carbs before going low carb as well, this could be leftover baggage from that.

[Looweewoo]

Do you mean you actually ate the tbsp of CO or did you use it to cook with?

You menu does seem very low in fat, and quite high in protein, as well as low in calories. If you have been doing this for long, I do suspect Rabbit Starvation, one of the symptoms of which is constant cravings for meat. Look it up in wikipedia then have a rib eye.

But expect people to come on telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables to increase your carbs. There is some merit for that, especially in women, but you be the judge.

[leilax]

Originally Posted by Looweewoo

Probably just my soapbox, but you seem to use the words "Protein" and "Meat" interchangeably. This might be leading to some confusion. Protein is a macronutrient, Meat is a food which contains a widely varying proportion of macronutrients.

That being settled, are you really getting too much protein (perhaps from eating too many lean meats), or are you eating fatty meats too? You may be craving fat but then giving your body protein. Protein won't satisfy a fat craving.

Protein can be converted to glucose, but my impression was that it was done at the rate it was needed, not to excess, so that (IIRC) probably won't be causing your cravings. But a lack of fat will - especially Omega3. Dr. Julia Ross devoted a whole chapter to the issue, which you can find in "The Diet Cure". I won't repeat it here.

If this seems to be your problem, eating a wider variety of fatty foods, in the absence of carbs, may solve it. Dark meat fowl instead of white meat, with the skin and cooked in oil. Higher fat beef, not the trimmed "lean" versions. Perhaps even supplements like Krill Oil, Flax Oil and Fish Oil.

thank you for your post I think I could very well be craving the fat but eating protein instead. and sorry if I was unclear about the protein and meat, but I meant meat, thanks for clarifying

[cleochatra]

If you eat that much protein and are still hungry, you need more fat. Atkins induction is only about 35% protein and 60% fat. If you're above that in protein and below that in fat, def eat more fat! Use a free service like ******.com to track your percentages.

[leilax]

Originally Posted by OurLuvsFromAbove

oh and are you exercising? and if so how much?

yes I do exercise, pretty much every day I try to do something. I am really trying to cut down on things like taxing intervals/boot camp work outs because I've read that is not the most brilliant idea when eating reduced carbs, but I do not know if this is true? my problem is I have way more energy the lower my carbs go and have better training sessions in general. I feel better not eating veggies, I am a major over eater of veggies and cannot control myself yet.

[FlyNavyWife]

leilax try more slow cardio like long walks and bike rides... and then weight lifting / resistance training.

[leilax]

Originally Posted by Looweewoo

Do you mean you actually ate the tbsp of CO or did you use it to cook with?

You menu does seem very low in fat, and quite high in protein, as well as low in calories. If you have been doing this for long, I do suspect Rabbit Starvation, one of the symptoms of which is constant cravings for meat. Look it up in wikipedia then have a rib eye.

But expect people to come on telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables to increase your carbs. There is some merit for that, especially in women, but you be the judge.

I added it to the food. I am reading the RSS it does correlate with some of my problems for sure.

[Kerry]

You can eat low carb and exercise... as hard as you would like.. but I would add calories to your diet too..

Since you are not far from goal... as myself also, could I suggest not staying so strict for long, try sticking to something you would be more comfortable with long term... do you plan on never eating veggies again? Do you plan on or are taking a multi vit?
Why not pre measure servings of veggies for your self. And make sure you have your fat with your veggies...

Now more about the exercise, I think I get way better results from my exercise while doing low carb

[metqa]

Eat More FAT!

Have a nice day!

[fawn]

looks like rabbit starvation to me. I'd be hungry on that much protein and very little fat as well. You doing ZC? If so, you need to educate yourself more as to your ultimate lifestyle plan.