When Does The Constant Hunger Go Away?

[River*]

When does the constant hunger go away? I have been gluten free for about 3 months now and still have to eat all through the day? Also, why do we get that constant hunger?

[hermitgirl]

I wondered the same thing. I can tell you that I don't know when it happens, but all of a sudden you will realize that the hunger is gone. I think it is gradual, so we don't really notice it. I wondered the same thing. Give yourself a few more months to heal before you think about it again. Way easier said than done, but it makes the time go faster.

I have now been gluten free since September, and noticed a couple of months ago that the hunger was no longer controlling my life.

Someone else told me that it is our bodies compensating for lack of nutrients, and as you heal your body doesn't need as much.

[Robin63]

Hi, Hope you don't mind my reply. I know what you mean about the hunger. I have been gluten free for 8 months now and it does get better with time. I also experienced dizziness and weakness during the first 6 months. I found that eating more meat and fish helped. I also ate 6 times a day. I would get shakey as if I was having low blood sugars. I think eating more protien helps. Good luck. Hang in there!!!!

[Mother of Jibril]

I've been gluten-free for ten months and I'm happy to say that I no longer have that "starving" feeling Some high-calorie foods that tasted great a few months ago (like a "smoothie" made with a whole can of full-fat coconut milk) are no longer appealing. I'm sure healing has something to do with it. It also helps that I've become used to the gluten-free diet. My house is stocked with plenty of safe food and I can easily shop for more I don't panic wondering where my next meal is going to come from.

[OptimisticMom42]

High carb foods make me hungry. Protein every 6 to 8 hours and low carb veggies are how I keep my blood sugar level and get rid of that constantly hungry beast.

[ang1e0251]

I also tend to be hypoglycemic so I feel like I'm eating constantly. I am eating frequently. I had to stop comparing my food intake compared to other people.

I have to agree that if you're hungry all the time you should adjust your eating until that passes. I would also recommend uping your protein intake quite a bit with meals and snacks. I eat quite of bit of cheese, meats and have added dietary fats as well. This is helping me to lose weight. I cut back drastically on the carbs and cut out 99% of the sugar, my big problem. I have a smoothie every day and I add full fat coconut milk to that. I eat some avocados and quite a lot of nuts.

Your body down the road may decide to level itself out. At that time you'll notice you are more satisfied and can adjust your eating again. Right now is an adjustment period and you need to go with the flow.

[dogle]

When does the constant hunger go away? I have been gluten free for about 3 months now and still have to eat all through the day? Also, why do we get that constant hunger?

My constant hunger has gone away, it took 4 months being COMPLETETLY gluten free. At first I thought I was having having another symptom but then I read it was quite normal since I was starting to absorb nutrents again. I am taking centrum pills. I used to be hungry an hour after having the big daily meals but that has gone away, in fact, I have less amount of food with every meal during the day; my family is impressed since I used to refill my plate everytime I ate.

[SGWhiskers]

At 3 months, I went from eating constantly to being able to move to big meals with frequent snacks. At 5 months, I stopped taking 2 lunch boxes to work. At 7 months, I stopped needing a large breakfast. Now at 9 months, I have juice or protien shake in the AM, a large lunch, 2 afternoon snacks, and a late large dinner. I sip tea all day as well. Any time I get glutened, after the misery wears off 2 weeks later, I get the famished feeling for 4 days or so, then get back to normal.

best wishes. It keeps getting easier and better.

[Candy]

When does the constant hunger go away? I have been gluten free for about 3 months now and still have to eat all through the day? Also, why do we get that constant hunger?

Eat Steak and Potatoes...then popcorn,then fruit--that oughta quench the hunger !!!

[melisap]

It's only been two weeks for me and I thought I must be crazy being hungry all of the time. Good to know it goes away.

[moonlight]

Hi,

My husband had the same problem (constant hunger).

Many people with gluten problem are not very good with "simple(and even complex) carbohydrates" - although most of them are gluten-free. This is probably why you have constant hunger. If you searh online for "Candida" you may get more information. Giving up on simple carbs might be hard at the beginning, but after sometime this constant hunger feeling disappears. Also, the other thing might be "parasites/worms" in your body, they eat the carbs you eat.

[Sulevismom]

HI!

I'm also glad to hear that constant hunger follows with the recovery from celiac disease.

I'm breast feeding a one and a half year old, and I've read that I need carbs for fast energy to produce milk. When I first started the gluten-free diet, about 2.5 months ago, I didn't eat as many carbs, and I felt so famished and sick, spaced out and shaky. Now I'm starting to wonder if adding all these rice cakes and processed gluten-free foods is really necessary after all? Were my initial feelings the regular effects of going gluten free, was it the breast feeding, or was I getting inadvertently glutened and having worse and worse reactions? I just don't know the answers for my case... but still it's good to know that others feel especially hungry.

[GottaSki]

First few weeks of gluten-free one of my first changes was true hunger...I don't think I've been really hungry for a meal in years.

A few weeks after that I became concerned that all the food would result in weight gain...opposite seems to be true...my weight seems to be improving and the dire hunger has subsided a bit...although still eating much more than I ever did before diagnosis. I believe the hunger means my body is actually starting to get something from food and therefore excited to have more!

Very glad to hear the need decreases a bit with time and healing.

[one more mile]

odd my reactions were the opposite. I had always been what I thought was hungry when I ate gluten. the first few months gluten free I had little appetite . But a year later now I am starving. Actually for me I think part of it is that this hunger is a new feeling for me. It feels very different. I have found that it also goes away it I eat a little and then wait.

Nuts help a great deal and I keep some in the car at all times so I am not tempted when out. I actually think I am more normal now then I was the first year. I crave odd things like grapefruit and nuts. As opposed to when I mostly craved things wrapped in plastic and other junk food.

Happily losing a pound or so a month!

[tiredofbeingsickandtired]

I'm taking vitamins, split one pill taking half morning and evening. I'm also taking a probiotic active culture pill 2x a day. If I eat carbs of any kind I always sneak in some kind of protein. My hunger finally subsided, got worse as I had withdrawals... now I eat what I need to get me through the day without the constantly starving feeling.

[Run like an animal]

I just posted this question not knowing there already was a thread on this topic. Thanks to everyone for sharing their personal experience. I'm three months into being gluten and a runner so I'm used to feeling hungry and eating frequently. But now even after a large meal I'm still hungry. I've taken the advice of many and will try all the different approaches to diet. Right now however I'm feeling as though only time will get rid of the desire to continue eating.

[TotalKnowledge]

I have been gluten free for about a month and a half. I did experience a little bit of extra hunger in the beginning, but it doesn't bother me any more. I do eat a little different from most people however. I eat many small meals throughout the day instead of a few large meals.

Six ~300 to ~335 calorie meals in a day = 1800 to 2010 calories per day. When eating like this you don't have as much time to become hungry.

[mysecretcurse]

Mine isn't as bad as it used to be, but I still do get hungry. I think it's just because I love food so much though.

But I'd say after I first began healing the hardcore, crazy hunger lasted maybe.. 6-8 moths or so? I didn't really keep track and like someone else mentioned, it sorta fades away without you noticing it. I put a lot of healthy weight back on too in that time.

[lpellegr]

If you have been substituting a lot of rice-flour based baked goods for what you used to eat, those wear off very quickly and leave you hungry. The only way I stay full is eating as low carb as I can. Back in the day, three big bowls of Cheerios and milk (pre-diagnosis, of course) would only last until 10:30am, but having two eggs instead kept me going until 1 or later. I get the same effect from half a cup of plain yogurt with some fruit and nuts, which I wouldn't have believed would keep me going that long until I tried it. Protein and plants stays with you longer than grains.

[knittygirl1014]

It took me about 4 or 5 months to stop feeling ravenous all the time (even right after eating!) I think what helped for me was to add more soluble fiber and probiotics to my diet. If you can find psyllium fiber, you can mix it right into a glass of juice or some applesauce. It definitely helps you feel fuller. If you don't like the texture of that, try inulin.

I am one of those people who also had to give up dairy, soy and eggs. I find that when I get glutened or eat one of these other foods, the hunger comes back for a little while.