In this yet another sneak peek draft for the parent manuscript rewrite ~ I decided to add a subchapter within Hunger & Satiety. This will effectively serve as public “pilot” feature article/s to accompany both the completion of the re-brand and entire re-write of the parent manuscript.
Strictly WIP/work-in-progress.
Live-It-Forward, AW.
(Subchapter for “Hunger & Satiety”)
Dealing With Hunger
Here a series of food(s) for thoughts are provided to help readers understand and hopefully able to cope, as they make or contend with ~ dietary & lifestyle changes. Some of these seem downright obvious. But few may exert perplexing reactions, from some people.
Assuming readers are not under any terminal or clinical care condition – “hunger” is something we all eventually learn to live. Learn to adjust. And learn – to compensate as we tinker with our own metabolism, overtime.
To briefly recap, hunger is simply an adaptive signal to scarcity from environmental or psychosocial stimuli.
However, hunger is often confused erroneously with “addiction” and/or “cravings.”. To distinguish these is unfortunately beyond the scope of this chapter as it required venturing beyond approachable basics of the neurochemistry (that which we have covered during this chapter) as well as psychology.
“What causes me to be hungry, and/or anxious?” The importance of finding and establishing Baseline experience(s)
First and foremost, it is entirely natural that upon changes on WOL (way of life) and WOE (way of eating) ~ changes to appetite and/or hunger will happen. This Author (AW) nonetheless presents the following overarching food for thoughts that may yet apply to almost everyone irrespective of “dieting experiences”.
- Beginning dieters and/or those new to the restrictions or exclusion procotol/s.
- Changes of living and/or dietary patterns.
- The choice of foods. And how changes be it quantity and/or quality ~ were introduced or implemented overtime.
- Following from above ~ unreconciled triggers and/or (in)sensitivities.
- Any one of the above, in combination.
The primary goal is to brace for gradual acclimatisations upon dietary and/or living circumstance/s that occur. By maintaining daily journalling nutrition tracking, readers will eventually reach and establish for themselves a “baseline“. This refers to a holistic state where, as days and weeks proceed ~ there are few to no drastic deviations to how one one feel or experience upon maintaining any of the above changes.
This Book never encourages “jumping” from one phase to the next. Rather, it encourages conscientious accounting on every change to one’s existing motions (WOL or WOE). So that each gradual change will bring a new baseline experience that the reader individually (that we shall repeat) ~ individually ~ relates to as uniquely his/her’s.
1. Beginning Dieters / those new to exclusion protocols.
Obviously the bigger the change imposed, so too the magnitude of responsibility accompanying it. Early exposures to nutritional changes be it exclusion and/or re-inclusions will pre-empt some changes, that despite not apparent within days for some individuals, but may manifest later on.
It is never “unusual” for an increase in appetite or overall compulsion, to over-eat.
But what remains necessary, irrespective of ones’ beginning or middle ~ is to continue making time for self-journalling and nutrition tracking. This reinforces self-surveillance and out from it – insight that one can recalls palpably as reference points.
2. Significant change of living circumstances.
These may include a moving or a transition, of one’s living environment. Or perhaps incorporating partial or entirely new fitness training scheduling, intensity, and/or frequency. Whatever the case may be, such a change that affect any existing eating patterns especially those affixed to normalcy of “breakfast, lunch and dinner” likely necessitates extra time to allow acclimatisations.
3. Triggers and sensitivities.
This is extremely variable from individual to individual as any trigger towards over-eating, is largely a set of complex discussions that is likely beyond the scope of This Book. However, what remains do-able under everyone, is to maintain logging of food intakes alongside the journalling. This allows us to reconcile and recite any prior pattern(s); upon any suspecting food item that have compelled (prior) over-eating.
4. Choice of foods and how changes were implemented. Timing, quantity and quality.
This may seem obvious but subconsciously are open for abuse. The balance between discretion (processed foods, packaged incentives) and self-prepared foods) remains a delicate act for the individual to tinker, overtime.
One clear conviction This Author (AW) has had throughout years of (CKD+IF) ~ is that ultra-processed foods (biscuits, snacks, crackers, packaged novelties), in high amounts are destined to be “ultra” indulgent to compel overeating.
These, technically speaking- are somewhat appropriate if one aims to be on a indulgent caloric surplus, for days on end. And presuming of course – that readers are willing to take ownership on whatever happens afterwards.
Processed foods are “processed” to be indulgent in every inconceivable ways. High fats (+) high carbohydrates (+) processed additives. At least from This Author (AW) own awareness and experience, self-prepared foods, even if at times made and prepared to taste , or to reach the same hedonic “impact” on both reward and satiety as the processed equivalent of such a “meal” including overall calories – appear to be more satiety inducing, than their ultra-processed variants.
This is not a clear cut message however, to say that “clean-eating” is the forever “Gospel”. Discretion likely depends on one’s responsibility to atone, once again – to whatever happens afterwards.
“So, What can I do?”
1. Patience.
This is unlikely the most helpful or welcoming. But it is the first (and perhaps the last) recurring message throughout what This Book has had to say, about hunger management. Obviously “patience” here refers to the end outcome. But much depends on the entirety of work-arounds available. That which we are about to discuss on an itemised basis.
2. (Amidst Low Carbohydrate Protocols) Consider cycling various amount of fibre intakes.
“Fibre” is a topic This Author (AW) numerous times reserve with some very ambivalent views. At the very least, its purported gospel surrounding hunger control is at best – inconsistent.
However saving nuanced debates aside, Fibres do have potential utility ~ as merit ~ for minor hunger control.
Especially those amongst very beginnings in the low carbohydrate eating, for at least a first few number of months one should arguably be focused surrounding micronutrients that reside in vegetables.
What This Author (AW) generally recommend is emphasizing fibre intakes from greens (less on supplemental unless clinically prescribed) ~ much in the same manner one measures in terms of their usual “mass” or serving of carbohydrates from (former) pedestrian eating habits. What this effectively means is – one would aim to eat the same “mass” or bulk off the carbohydrate portion; but just entirely substituted – with these fibre food sources.
It is generally encouraged amongst low carbohydrate communities, that at least seven to ten cups of vegetables being the desired minimum intake.
Obviously, if such is served raw ~ that would be more counter-productive than it is conducive due to so much bulk that inevitably stresses the entire gut lining. What This Author (AW) in the past prefer is that of warmed or slightly cooked greens. This translates to a much more digestible experience, despite by no means not entirely un-encumbering.
Of equal importance and one to be aware of is the use of supplemental pysllium husk. This Author (AW) would personally caution that besides from effectively providing indigestible bulk ~ for the sake of adding “bulk” ~ another very legitimate caution is to avoid high intakes with highly fibrous nuts and seeds sources. Particularly nut butters and peanut butters. Excess thirst and dehydration will likely occur so much, that it deters one from eating comfortably. This Author (AW) alone can attest this not once, but of multiple occasions.
2. Stay productive.
Preachy, cliche’d, and certainly easier said than done. However the key here is to seek a “distraction” that is meaningful in its return, and that it speaks value and/or progress.
- Fulfil a hobby or a pursuit, on top of primary vocation.
- Exercise fitness training, amidst the fasting windows.
There is much to be said about exercise and their effects on hunger levels. Many often fear that exercise, in the face of calorie restriction and/or training entirely in a fasted state would predipose a significant increase in hunger. Several studies and research review/s (Deru SL et al. 2023) & ((Martins C. et al 2007) seem interestingly mixed on this regard. Exercise, especially on a fasted state may confer hunger suppressing response by increasing satiety neurotransmitters. Several key among them as discussed in our Chapter Hunger & Satiety are GLP-1, CCK and Peptide YY.
This Author (AW)’s own experience strongly suggested that exercise and/or training, despite an additional stress on top of other daily obligates ~ is a remarkable antidote to restlessness. This is especially apparent on a prolonged intermittent fasts, where bordering towards 30+ hours may, paradoxically ~ manifests some urge to exercise.
There are certainly other ideas to pass the time. Chiefly among them that impacts NEAT (Non Exercise Adaptive Thermogenesis) – is household duties and/or home improvements. Such idea is certainly not novel and have been recently amplified amidst sensational news sites. Although a caution is warranted here as the actual study or experiment to this particular claim have not been able to be found to this very day. While indeed plausible, we must never assume chores alone to suffice as entire replacement of any proper fitness training.
3. Other self-housekeeping
- Hydration ~ is without a doubt a crucially misunderstood requirement that inevitably affects more things one would realize. Implement apple cider vinegar, warm water, with adequate salt intakes. So long as one is not hypersensitive to histamine, some amount is nonetheless crucial as they play a role for alertness and focus. At any stage throughout a fasting window, dehydration, even when one is not thirsty will likely be an issue especially if readers are undergoing fitness training in a completely fasted condition.
- Consider cooking and consuming all feature meals through “Wet” cooking methods, especially savoury with fluids, as opposed to “dry”. This Author (AW) finds that throughout all his years, cooking all savoury meals in a “dry” fashion – that is high temperature cooking with oxidised oils, predipose a much easier way for one to eat in a calorie surplus. However, cooking with “wet” mediums on the other hand, eg. as simple as incorporating /adding water, stocks to main feature protein based dishes induce a far different satiety experience.
- Adequate mineral intakes – once again owing to importances of sodium, magnesium and potassium. The latter (2) should ideally be emphasized in a little extra especially as one progress throughout the more (years down the road) phases of Intermittent Fasting – first as short (16 hours) to then as prolonged (typically no further than <48 hours).
- Upon much longer intermittent fast(s) 36 hours and more – consider implementing sugar free diet soda, but still sprinkling minute amount of salts (sodium and potassium chloride) so long as it is not affecting flavour / palatability too much ~ serves as insurance / peace of mind. This Author (AW) may only speak from experience, that whilst not entirely “appetising” – sugar free sodas, as simply mixed with a little additional apple cider vinegar and/or lemon, on top of non-negotiable sprinkle of salts from time to time – do produce a satiety inducing effect. Potently so at times, that trying to finish the drink itself, were both challenging and/or somewhat demotivating.
4. Of all things – stay researching.
Lastly, there should be no shortage for self-research.
For instance, this belief surrounding “Faster” metabolism as the ultimate gospel and picture of “health” ~ should be met with a dose of skepticism.
Several scientific literatures suggest that RMR or basal metabolism is correlated with higher feelings of hunger (Caudwell P et al. 2013). And this also coincides with theory of “Set Points” (Ganipisetti MV & Bollimunta P 2023). For those unacquainted, the Set Point Theory was firstly derived from a rat study in 1953 (Kennedy GC 1953) which hypothesizes that upon prolonged energy scarcity ~ complex homeostatic regulations are always persistent to preserve fat mass, accordingly to however the body perceived as the prior “set” point. For trivia, it has taken forty (40) years until our entire scientific community have discovered Leptin, as the key hormone that regulates this system.
Beware however that Set Points may be widely confused with “Settling Point“, which is a similar theory. Instead of deriving from biological mechanics ~ it focuses on the environmental and lifestyle factors. The latter is where we are interested through WOE (way of eating) and WOL (Way of Life) amends and workarounds. Albeit only so much that the rest must be held entirely to the individual nuances.
At what “set point” should we be happy with? Is there a magic number? Is there a magic solution to this? How do I/we get there? The answer is always a matter of individual introspection and responsibility for tinkering.
Every Biological response is arguably (and debate-ably) a function, not a detriment. For instance ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation, within the mitochondria apparently corresponds with metabolic rate (Farhana A & Rehman A 2023).
We can debate whether “Metabolic Damage / Dearrangement” or “Starvation Diabetes” is a valid enough of a concern that applies to everyone. However if it is simply because of ~ practicing calorie restriction, or intermittent fasting; both which are natural autonomy(s) that we humans have strived, for millions of years (uncountable, even) ~ then perhaps it is our own excessive fears to such semantics that is more worrying.
The very reason why This Author (AW) have had times witnessing higher fasting glucose, even amidst prolonged fasting, is because he is not hungry. He is not swayed even with the idea of a huge humongous meal. Indeed it has taken years of understanding his own hunger pangs, its patterns from varying magnitudes of stress exposure, and what foods satiate (and which doesn’t), and so on.
Regardless, the entire four (4) tenets of This Book is a learning process that cannot be “taught”. Hunger indeed is at first very uncomfortable, and unsettling. But like exercise ~ it demands a viewpoint, empathy, and self-acceptance ~ unlike anything else in life.
Summary
At some stage, one must willingly face and experience scarcity, alone. Perhaps this loneliness is what prompts a great deal of guilt should “binge” occurs during feeding window.But that ~ is human. After all, we are only human.
Recalling his very first time breaking a near 20 hour fast in May of 2018 ~ it was an experience This Author (AW) concluded as cumulative. What this means – it didn’t happen in just one day. It took many prior years ~ of gradual acclimatising, exclusions and reinclusions. “One day”, becomes day one. And here in 2024 ~ 400+ such days of practice have passed. And still on going
As counterintuitive as this may sound – hunger is a learned phenomenon. Hunger is a learned routine. Hunger is therefore, a learned response. Hunger, for the lack of a better word is a function of nature. It makes sense for us to work with it. And learn within it. Rather than against it.
That concludes another comprehensive sneak peek! Once again, strictly WIP- DRAFT stage only. Live-it-forward, AW.