Hungry All The Time

[kitgordon]

I am absolutely STARVING all the time. I began noticing this before going gluten-free, but it is much more pronounced now, 2 weeks in. I eat a meal or snack and within 2-3 hours I am so hungry it hurts and cranky and shaky. I eat a pretty fair balance of carbs, fats, protein and fiber, and I'm afraid of gaining huge amounts of weight. Anyone else have this? why? and does it go away?

[Gutsy Girl]

Oh yes, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! I had it BAD during the gluten withdrawal period when I was first starting to go gluten-free and it lasted for about 3-4 weeks I believe. Then, whenever I get glutened or contaminated, that is one of my (many) symptoms and I feel like I'm going to eat my house down and perhaps my neighbor's too!

It's weird because you eat and eat and eat but nothing seems to satisfy. For me, it's not a normal hunger at all. And what's worse sometimes is that I'm so "hungry" and yet I have no apetite. I tend to go one way or the other - either NO apetite or EATING EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN!

I've talked to others who experience the weird hungry thing too. Some suggest that it's because our bodies are so "starved" of actual nutrition because we can't absorb nutrients, so we want to eat in that sense...our bodies are telling us to eat. But we also get sick and react to stuff, so we're almost equally averse to eating. You may want to check and see if your body is deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Cravings are another interesting thing. I find my cravings go one of two ways:

Either the thing I'm craving is something my body really needs for nutrition and I should eat it.

Or (MUCH MORE COMMON) I find that the thing I am craving is absolutely the LAST THING I should eat, such as wheat products, dairy, and now I'm finding that my really intense and constant cravings for tomatoes (no joke!...and I NEVER craved them before!) might actually be tied to another reaction I'm having with some of the nightshade foods.

So, have a "chat" with your body and see what you're craving and try to figure out if you're craving something that's good for you or bad for you given how your body reacts.

You might have to wait to have such a "chat" with your body until it settles down isn't in binge eating mode. I totally understand. Right now you just want anything that will make you feel full.

If you can do protein, that might help. I don't know your diet. I personally really like this stuff called PlantFusion because it's plant protein powder that you put into water or rice milk (whatever milk you use). It's soy, dairy, animal product, gluten, etc free. Kinda expensive. But I stretch it. And I add goat yogurt, rice milk, fruit (especially strawberries and sometimes bananas), etc. It does help fill me up and keep me more satisfied. I use vanilla bean flavor and haven't tried the others, but reviews online preferred the vanilla bean.

Anyways, hope something I said is helpful.

[Northern Celiac]

I am absolutely STARVING all the time. I began noticing this before going gluten-free, but it is much more pronounced now, 2 weeks in. I eat a meal or snack and within 2-3 hours I am so hungry it hurts and cranky and shaky. I eat a pretty fair balance of carbs, fats, protein and fiber, and I'm afraid of gaining huge amounts of weight. Anyone else have this? why? and does it go away?

Hi Kit, I know what you mean but a year ago I was starving. I was close to being hospitalized for malnutrition I was so thin. (6'5" less than 130)My weight is a constant 177lbs I do this by nibbling all the time. My meals are small portions and I make everything from scratch. don't be afraid tho you'll get it figured out

[Mari]

People with intestinal Candida or other yeasts do get intensly hungry but it is the yeast which is begging to be fed and not you. Drs can treat for this with antibiotics but people have more success with herbal programs and diet. Curezone.com has a Candida forum and other forums which might help you understand the problem even if you don't choose alternative self treatment. Some things that have helped me are eating something with hi protein when eating carbohydrates, just walking around or mild exercise which releases sugar from your tissues so may help. I often eat 1/2 fresh grapefruit after meals and this helps.

Cravings are sometimes caused by foods that a person is allergic to or intolerant of. Eliminating some of your favorite foods may find the culpret(s). Look at the Specific Carbohydrate Diet it may uncover some food problems and is nutritious.

[sandsurfgirl]

It goes away. My theory is that you have so much damage to heal your body needs tons of nutrients so it has raw materials to use to heal the damage. I think it lasted about 3 weeks for me.

[kitgordon]

Thanks to everybody who replied. I don't seem to have cravings for specific foods, just actual hunger pangs when it seems to me I shouldn't. Like "feed me something, ANYTHING, NOW!!!" Hoping that it does just stop and doesn't mean food allergies, the thought of giving up more foods right now just seems so overwhelming and unfair! For now I'm just eating when I feel hungry and trying to make healthy choices. I don't seem to be gaining weight in spite of the increased food intake, so the idea that my body just needs the extra nutrients to heal makes sense to me. It is good to know other people have the same issues - this forum is a great resource and comfort.

[sb2178]

Yeah, I was ravenously hungry all the time until my weight came back up to 115 (my normal weight range is 115-125 depending on activity levels). Now am more normal, although I think I need to watch the sugar/refined grains a little more closely...

Took about 3 weeks. My doc was kind of amazed that I gained weight on an elimination diet when I was still having "D" for the first week. Clearly, problem solved.

[Coolclimates]

I feel hungry a lot, too, but have more problems with cravings. I'm constantly craving desserts and carbs. My diet before I was on the gluten-free included a fair amount of these foods but I didn't have such strong cravings then. It is weird because even though I sometimes know I'm full, I still feel "hungry" to try all these new foods, esp. baked goods.

[Shannonlass]

Well here I am 17 weeks gluten-free and I am still starving all the time and putting on weight steadily every week. I was a normal weight to begin with and now I am in real danger of becoming overweight. I must look into this intestinal candida as a possible reason.

[BlueBridie]

I'm finding it really hard to STOP EATING! I've been Gluten free for less than a week, and have been trying so hard to stick to my usual healthy diet minus the gluten. Not happening! I can't stop eating rice crackers! From what I keep seeing, eating protein is the key, but as many know, if you can't eat dairy or gluten, it doesn't leave much, and even less is low fat (

If this constant hunger goes on for 3 weeks, I'm going to be the size of a house in a month!

[i-geek]

I'm finding it really hard to STOP EATING! I've been Gluten free for less than a week, and have been trying so hard to stick to my usual healthy diet minus the gluten. Not happening! I can't stop eating rice crackers! From what I keep seeing, eating protein is the key, but as many know, if you can't eat dairy or gluten, it doesn't leave much, and even less is low fat (

If this constant hunger goes on for 3 weeks, I'm going to be the size of a house in a month!

Do you need to eat low-fat for health reasons (e.g. gall bladder)? If not, try upping your fat intake. I tend toward reactive hypoglycemia and I find that the lower my fat intake (and/or the higher my refined carb intake), the hungrier I get and the more I crave quick calories in the form of starchy carbs. Fat is important for satiety.

[Kelly&Mom]

Eating smaller meals every couple hours is healthier for you, I think. I typically eat breakfast around 6 am and then am starving by 9:30 when I'm at work. I've noticed on weekends I'm busy doing yardwork or whatever and don't get as hungry and sometimes can go until lunchtime. Not sure if being distracted helps? I agree that you probably need to add more protein and fat to your diet. If you can, stock up on things like pickles, veggies, popcorn, all those "free calorie" foods that will give you something to munch on but not add a significant amount of calories. I've been gluten-free for 4 mos. now and lost 5 lbs. quickly and the pounds are slowly coming off (less carbs, fast food options these days ) Goodluck to you.

[Looking for answers]

You may have a vitamin/mineral deficiency from not being able to absorbt he nutrients from your food. I would suggest getting a liquid multi (I take isotonix) twice per day.

[jackay]

I feel hungry a lot, too, but have more problems with cravings. I'm constantly craving desserts and carbs. My diet before I was on the gluten-free included a fair amount of these foods but I didn't have such strong cravings then. It is weird because even though I sometimes know I'm full, I still feel "hungry" to try all these new foods, esp. baked goods.

I found I do just fine when I don't consume sugar. However, when I do, I absolutely crave more. For the past two weeks I was eating gluten free sweets like crazy. I just couldn't make myself stop once I started. I'd get brownies and cookies out of the freezer and eat them frozen. Those were the first two gluten free treats I baked. I finally got them eaten up so they aren't there to haunt me.

I still have bags of candy and won't let myself get started with them. I also bought frozen chocolate covered donuts and blueberry muffins. I ate one of the donuts, which I thought was really good. Hope my willpower keeps me from going after the rest. I'm keeping them in the basement freezer so they aren't quite as tempting. I just may have my grandkids finish them next time they come.

I'm eating fruit blended yogurt right now that has quite a bit of sugar in it. I'm only allowing myself one serving of that a day and sticking to it. For some reason, I don't crave more of that. Once that is finished, it's back to plain yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit and stevia.

I stayed away from all these gluten free goodies for such a long time. I started stocking up for when I added them into my diet. What a mistake. I like you, want to try them all. I first tried one food and when that went O.K. kept adding more. Before I knew it, I was consuming sugar all day long.

By the way, I started feeling sick and after a few days felt worse the more I consumed the sweets. My headaches returned and I felt all over crappy. I knew the sugar was making me sick yet I was drawn to it. What a vicious cycle.

See if you can give up the sweets. Your cravings or appetite may diminish. If you can eat nuts, try a handful of them instead.

[Coolclimates]

That's easier said than done (giving up all sweets). But I'm trying to eat less of them. You are right, though. The more sweets I eat, the more I crave. I have bought boxes of gluten free cookies and such but don't plan on buying any more. The thing is, I am a baker, so I can make much better cookies, cakes, etc myself. I'm just trying not to use too much sugar in those recipes.

I'm almost certain that I have yeast/candida overgrowth. I've suffered from yeast infections (the kind I'd rather not elaborate on, if you know what I mean) since I was 13. I think that my body is overloaded with yeast. I'm constantly craving carbs, too. Esp noodles, muffins, scones, bread, etc.

See if you can give up the sweets. Your cravings or appetite may diminish. If you can eat nuts, try a handful of them instead.

[jackay]

That's easier said than done (giving up all sweets). But I'm trying to eat less of them. You are right, though. The more sweets I eat, the more I crave. I have bought boxes of gluten free cookies and such but don't plan on buying any more. The thing is, I am a baker, so I can make much better cookies, cakes, etc myself. I'm just trying not to use too much sugar in those recipes.

I know it is easier said than done for most people. For me, it seems easier to give them up completely though than trying to limit myself to a healthy amount. If I have the willpower to give up sweets completely, I should be able to limit them. Guess I have to work on that. I do think I went overboard because I had given them up for so many months and then the newness of them was overwhelming.

[MartialArtist]

I feel hungry a lot, too, but have more problems with cravings. I'm constantly craving desserts and carbs. My diet before I was on the gluten-free included a fair amount of these foods but I didn't have such strong cravings then. It is weird because even though I sometimes know I'm full, I still feel "hungry" to try all these new foods, esp. baked goods.

This pretty much sums me up in a nutshell. I'm something like 2-1/2 months gluten free and I just feel like I NEED the carbs (even still). I was a carb eater before, but of course they were all wheat carbs. I can't identically replace all my stuff, so the void is being desired by my mouth (if not the rest of my body) in crazy ways. I've indulged myself somewhat b/c I figure I have to work out how to make things like brownies, muffins, cookies, and breads eventually anyway, but I do need to be careful b/c I find that most gluten-free versions of things (whether homemade or from boxes) are higher in calories and/or fat than their regular counterpart so I can't even eat the same amount of stuff I did before if I don't want to gain weight. It's kinda frustrating, I must admit.

I keep hoping it will go away on its own, but I think eventually it's just going to have to be a mind-over-matter thing that I force upon myself for long enough that the habits break and my body gives up demanding the things.

[miles]

I

[frieze]

That's easier said than done (giving up all sweets). But I'm trying to eat less of them. You are right, though. The more sweets I eat, the more I crave. I have bought boxes of gluten free cookies and such but don't plan on buying any more. The thing is, I am a baker, so I can make much better cookies, cakes, etc myself. I'm just trying not to use too much sugar in those recipes.

I'm almost certain that I have yeast/candida overgrowth. I've suffered from yeast infections (the kind I'd rather not elaborate on, if you know what I mean) since I was 13. I think that my body is overloaded with yeast. I'm constantly craving carbs, too. Esp noodles, muffins, scones, bread, etc.

See if you can give up the sweets. Your cravings or appetite may diminish. If you can eat nuts, try a handful of them instead.

[sickchick]

It's been almost 3 years for me and I still feel the same way-and I wake up starving in the middle of the night. Psyllium helps... a little bit. Keeps your belly feeling full.

Good luck!

xxoo

[BlueBridie]

I found I do just fine when I don't consume sugar. However, when I do, I absolutely crave more. For the past two weeks I was eating gluten free sweets like crazy. I just couldn't make myself stop once I started. I'd get brownies and cookies out of the freezer and eat them frozen. Those were the first two gluten free treats I baked. I finally got them eaten up so they aren't there to haunt me.

I never kept sweets or snack food in the house. My willpower is appalling so I knew if it was there I'd eat it, if it wasn't and I REALLY wanted it, I'd allow myself to walk to the shop and buy something - which was a lot of effort so rarely happened!

The first thing I did when I went gluten free was stock up on sweets and snack because I figured they weren't easily available, and I wanted to try everything... BIG MISTAKE, I couldn't stop myself when I knew they were there!

Several pounds later and with no 'snacks' left in the house, I now have lots of fruit, peanut butter, seeds and nuts, all of which I don't feel the urge to keep on eating ;-) And if I really want a treat, I know I can walk down to the local shop and get some chocolate because that IS STILL in the menu... will I keep chocolate in the house? HELL NO!

[BlueBridie]

This pretty much sums me up in a nutshell. I'm something like 2-1/2 months gluten free and I just feel like I NEED the carbs (even still). I was a carb eater before, but of course they were all wheat carbs. I can't identically replace all my stuff, so the void is being desired by my mouth (if not the rest of my body) in crazy ways. I've indulged myself somewhat b/c I figure I have to work out how to make things like brownies, muffins, cookies, and breads eventually anyway, but I do need to be careful b/c I find that most gluten-free versions of things (whether homemade or from boxes) are higher in calories and/or fat than their regular counterpart so I can't even eat the same amount of stuff I did before if I don't want to gain weight. It's kinda frustrating, I must admit.

I keep hoping it will go away on its own, but I think eventually it's just going to have to be a mind-over-matter thing that I force upon myself for long enough that the habits break and my body gives up demanding the things.

I complained about exactly the same thing! gluten-free goods seem to be higher in fat and calories, so I've been very nervous about putting on weight. I haven't been gluten free for long, but have been eating already put on weight! I asked around this forum a few days ago and got lots of responses saying I should try and limit the processed carbs and eat more protein. Having done the 'low carb' thing several years ago, I remember being really hungry and craving carbs even more, so I didn't think that would work very well for me.

To my surprise, 2 days ago, I cut out most of the processed food and I swear it was almost instant! I had fruit and nuts for breakfast (where I've always had toast) and by lunchtime I didn't even WANT carbs I was actually happy with my tuna salad!

My theory is this; Previously I used carbs to fill me up. gluten-free don't seem to fill that hole like regular carbs, so I would crave and eat more. Therefore it makes sense that if I don't eat them, I won't want MORE of them. The only alternatives to replace carbs are fat, protein, fruit and veg... protein seems to work where the others don't

Giving up carbs may not be something you'll want to consider. I just thought I'd share my experience because I was completely amazed at how quickly I felt better :-)

[Almendra]

I don't know about giving up carbs completely. When your body has to get its energy from just burning fat and protein that can get dangerous. When diabetics' bodies can't process carbs (from lack of insulin) and their bodies burn just fat and protein, a build up of ketones (an acid) can happen, which pretty much poisons the body. Brain power comes from carbs; they are important, though it can be too easy to OVERLOAD on them.

However, nuts have worked for me in curbing appetite. Blue diamond does have some that taste like Mexican food. Smokehouse flavor tastes like bacon to me. There are some with soy/wasabi - BUT THEY ARE NOT GLUTEN FREE last time I checked them. If you want something a little more natural and less salted - then try the whole natural almonds, some pecans, or walnuts.

And I read recently (on a website that I feel may require a other sources to confirm the validity, mind you) that coconut oil inhibits the existence of fungal/yeast type infections. This site also mentioned natural, non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar (recognizable by its cloudy appearance). Of course, yogurt/probiotics can balance the flora and fauna of the digestive systems.

I haven't confirmed this with scientific research yet, but look into it and see what you think. These aren't medicines; they are foods. Incorporating some into your diet if you feel you may have intestinal candida infections seems to be a possibility.

[Looking for answers]

I don't know about giving up carbs completely. When your body has to get its energy from just burning fat and protein that can get dangerous. When diabetics' bodies can't process carbs (from lack of insulin) and their bodies burn just fat and protein, a build up of ketones (an acid) can happen, which pretty much poisons the body. Brain power comes from carbs; they are important, though it can be too easy to OVERLOAD on them.

Just keep in mind veggies, fruit, etc are carbs, they are complex carbs vs. simple carbs found in processed foods.

[sandsurfgirl]

I didn't realize how overly large my appetite was until going gluten free. When I first went through withdrawals I was starving all the time and could gnaw someone's arm off if they got between me and food. It lasted about 3 weeks like I posted earlier on this thread.

It's been 7 months now and my appetite is normalizing. I used to eat 3 pancakes, fruit and an egg for breakfast when I was undiagnosed and still be hungry 2 hours later.

Now I eat scrambled egg whites, half a gluten free pancake and a few bites of fruit and I'm stuffed.

I get uncomfortably full if I eat too much now, where before it took a ton of food to make me uncomfortably full. My body was so malnourished it was screaming FEED ME! all the time.