I keep waiting for the hunger to completely leave with Dr. Bs plan. It hasn't.

I am hungry pretty much all day everyday. Last night I could not wait to got o bed just so I wouldn't have to fight the desire to get something to eat.

Before I started Dr. B's program this started happening. Constant hunger pangs, after eating I was never full. It was like I had the bottomless pit of a stomach and I was fighting to not regain the 40 pounds I had lost.

Now, I am not hungry after my meal immediately. It takes 1-2 hours and then I am watching the clock until I can eat again. Dr B does not recommend snacking for diabetics. Cause the BG needs to come down.

My BG is really not that far up. This morning it started at 109 waking up then was 111 1 hour after breakfast and 109 2 hours after breakfast and now it is 96.

Yet around 10 AM I started being hungry again, I ate ~ 8AM. I had 3 eggs, 3/4 slice of cheese, 1 tbpn of heavy cream and 1.5 serving of Canadian bacon.

The only thing I can do is chew sugar free gum which helps put my focus somewhere else. From what I remember, have to look again, Dr. B doesn't really recommend it to be used on a daily basis as it can increase BG.

And water does nothing for me... I could drink a 20 ounce bottle and still feel hungry.

1/2 hour to go before lunch...this absolutely sucks!

Any ideas? Will this abate to being normal?

It's not typical to be hungry on low carb.
Are you taking any medications? (I had a BP med that made me feel like I couldn't get enough to eat. It was insane. )
Are you eating any foods that would trigger cravings?
Is it true physical hunger? (I ask this because I know I tend to be "hungry" for mental or emotional reason on occasion.)

Are you eating enough calories at each meal?

Dr Westman, who also treats many diabetics, writes "to eat when you are hungry; stop when you are full" with plenty of protein and do not attempt to follow a reduced fat diet. You did have a really good breakfast. If you were a "grazer" before, maybe going to 5 mini-meals a day would be an acceptable interim step if BG stays OK. At your current weight, you may need more time to ease into no snacking at all or may just need to eat more at your meals.

I found an AM & PM bouillon needed for the salt anyway, and/or hot tea helped with hunger between meals. I use many teas, some have a sweet taste from cinnmon, but no added or fake sugars, like Hot Cinnamon Spice tea from Harney & Sons, decaf if caffeine causes BG problems. Regular groceries have similar flavored teas too. Are you doing any walking or other gentle exercise? That can help cravings too. Maybe the hard resistence training you wrote about in another post is making you hungrier? Pay attention to when you are hungry against times working out.

Christina, thanks for your reply,

The only medication I take on occasion through the month is Clariton allergy medicine. Only when I need it because of my liver disease. Got rid of everything else several months ago.

It is literal gut hungry not mental/emotional... I think it is probably excess insulin since I produce a large amount but am insulin resistance.

But for the life of me I don't know what to do about it.

Triggers, I don't know... I have logged everything... Measured everything with a scale... I didn't think there would still be triggers eating as little carb as I am eating.

I had a couple of swigs of diet soda last night because I was craving salt. Swig = mouth fulls. I know they are finding with diet soda people will still have an insulin response. Otherwise I drink water all day, every day.

This morning I changed up my breakfast routine and went from bacon to canadian ham. I noticed the ham tasted a little sweet even though it claimed not to have added stuff in it. I looked at the ingredients it had sugar in it. But the serving side carb was 1 gram.

So, I am not going to eat that anymore. I will let hubby eat that.

I think, I was more full in the morning when I literally ate 5 ozs of flank steak with the scrambled cheese eggs. But it was a 650 calorie breakfast so I was trying to figure out how I could cut it down some.

I switched up my lunch this week (I make one batch for all 5 days). So last week it was 5.33 ounces of steak tips that was marinated in a zesty italian marinade with onions, red pepper and green italian pepper.

All this week, like today, I will have 5.33 ounces of marinated steak tips with 3.67 ounces of green beans. green beans is only 7.34 grams of carbs

Calories is a different story...I am trying to loose weight. So my calorie intake ranges from 1300-2100(2100 is when it is juicy steak night ). On the average day I get 1600-1700. I eat anywhere from 17-25 carbs a day.

I am loosing about 1-2 pounds a week...I am working out 3 times a week doing a 40 minute circuit with weight lifting.

I will try to watch more carefully for triggers. I just can't imagine that all I am able to eat is meat...

I wish I could just not eat or need food... This is a big pain in the rear end.

Can you eat more at your meals?

I agree with Janet. Snack if you're hungry and a meal is a ways off. I think people derail themselves when they get too perfectionistic. Your appetite might just need some time to calm down as your body and chemistry changes.

How about sparkling water instead of of diet soda? The fizz might fill you up, no non-caloric sweetener in it either.

Another thing to think about is the amount of protein you're eating. Protein does stimulate insulin and eating too much might be making you hungrier. I'd stop worrying about calories so much and add more fat, maybe more veggies with more fat on them.

I'm no Dr. B. expert though.

Another thing to try is this: Eat less highly spiced, blander food. I find that when my food is extra delicious, even if it is low carb, I can pack it away like mad.

IMO thats not hunger - that cravings. Logic says that you cannot be properly hungry within such a short time after eating, unless you have worms (Sorry, something my mother used to say to me lol!!!)

I personally would eat smaller portions and allow your stomach to get used to not having so much. Just make sure you eat enough to give yourself the correct nutrients

Jo xxx

You know Janet, I was craving salt last night (I periodically crave don't know why). Maybe I will try some boullian. That is a good thought thanks

I haven't been a grazer for about 2 years now... Before Dr Bs, I developed this routine eat at 10 AM(peanut butter cracker package) then ~ 11:30 AM (steak peppers onions rice) then ~5:00 PM(varied). I would start to be hungry around 2:30PM, which was acceptable because 2.5 hours I can handle. I eat a bigger dinner time meal and was set at night.

But something shifted before I started Dr. Bs plan. And became hungry all the time.

I know I should expect some hunger because I know I am not eating enough to maintain the current weight...

Unfortunately, I am hungry 10-12 hours out of a 16 hour wake day. Sometimes more intense then other times. Last night and today not a good day.

I will watch the working out.. I have a work out tonight and see if it effects it either way.

Try taking an ant-acid, like pepcid or something. When my stomach is producing too much acid, it makes me crazy hungry. Easy enough to try and hey, who knows, it might work to stop that "starving" feeling

Thanks Jo for the response, yeah it is not cravings. I know the difference...IE I am not hungry for specific things. Right now I am just plain old hungry, stomach pit hungry. Where as last night I was starving, and the only craving I had was for salt.

I detoxed 2 years ago from everything soda, snacks, gum, teas, desserts, pasta, breads(for the most part),ect... So I really do know what cravings are. Detoxing wasn't fun.

LOL~worms... Unfortunately, when insulin resistance normal metabolic logic goes out the window It is called excess insulin. I produce high levels of insulin in my body naturally because of insulin resistant. Insulin makes you hungry. My insulin level one time was a 96 normal diabetic range is from 9 - 27. and non diabetic 0-8.

Now that I thinking about, I really wonder if my body has hit a new stage with the insulin and it is less effective and I am producing more than before and thus awful hunger.

Your BMR is about 2000. (calories needed to support basic body functions).
It's been my experience that eating within 200 of my BMR works very well for my body.
A 650 calorie breakfast that's satisfying, might be a better answer for you.
My neighbor is diabetic, and she gets hungry way before I do, even when we eat the same thing. She typically has a boiled egg, a small piece of protein or an oz of nuts to hold her over until the next meal time.

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for chiming in. I will see what I can do about adding more fat and I will watch my protein. Although, I really can't increase veggies all that much with out increasing the carbs.

And unfortunately, I am allergic to diary... So I try to limit that. I can't eat cheese or anything like that for a snack...

Maybe I will try having some romaine lettuce/homemade dressing as a snack. Romain doesn't have a lot of carbs and the dressing has none.

Thanks for that Christina you know I was researching calorie calcs.. And getting such varying results. I didn't think of searching Basal Metabolic Rate. Thank you, That helps me to figure out the calories better.

yesterday I had 1554 calories 18 grams of carbs and 117 grams of protein...

I will research to see if there is a sweet spot.

Anna_LC, thanks for replying you know I am very much allergic to eggs and diary. I still eat them because I am already limited in what I can eat. I will try that and see what happens. Or maybe try to notice when I eat those things if my hunger gets worse. Last night I had chicken with cream cheese sauce.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply it is much appreciated! The last thing I wish to do is gain weight back... It has taken me 2 years to loose the first initial 40 pounds. I regained 5 pounds back cause the hunger. And with Dr. B program I managed to loose the 5 pounds plus an additional 4 pounds.

I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to respond to help me figure this out

I snack on pork rinds, avocado, bacon, stuff like that. I also avoid dairy. I make a coffee creamer out of coconut cream and eggs that is another source of fat. Surprisingly tasty too!


Most of the carbs in things like broccoli and brussel sprouts (low carb veggies) is in fiber. Atkins lets you subtract it out of the count, since you can't digest it. Does Bernstein?

Duck, chicken, goose fat and bacon drippings are great on cooked veggies.