Jul 14, 20212 min read

Why Am I Not Hungry During Intermittent Fasting?

Why are you not hungry during Intermittent Fasting? After just a few days of properly incorporating Intermittent Fasting, most people will notice that hunger noticeably declines or completely diminishes. What's happening here? Today, we're diving into the details of why you're not hungry while Intermittent Fasting.

Why Are You Not Hungry During Intermittent Fasting?

A few hormonal changes occur while Intermittent Fasting that helps to naturally suppress hunger and increase energy availability.

First, the storing hormone insulin dips down.(1) When insulin is low, this allows the fat burning process, called lipolysis, to turn back on. Lipolysis allows our body to start pulling energy from fat cells and using it to fuel our energy demands. The body can't determine between fat eaten at a meal vs. fat coming from our own fat stores. Our body just sees ample energy supplies in the form of stored fat coming in and therefore down regulates hunger hormones.

In fact, it's been found that Intermittent Fasting specifically results in a reduction of the hunger hormone ghrelin.(2) With reduced hunger hormones and increased energy availability, the natural result is a suppressed appetite during the fasted state.

Related: Leah's Intermittent Fasting and PCOS Journey [50 pound weight loss + OFF medications]

Should You Eat If You're Not Hungry?

If you're looking to use Intermittent Fasting in order to achieve a weight loss goal, it's still incredibly important to get enough nutrients for your body's needs during the eating window. A primary nutrient of concern is protein. Protein causes the release of the satiety hormone peptide YY, making it the most satiating macronutrient. This means it makes you feel the most full for the longest amount of time after a meal.

Protein is also a key nutrient for maintaining (or even BUILDING) muscle mass while losing body fat. This is known as "body recomposition". If you're looking to achieve a weight loss goal, you don't want to lose muscle -- you want to lose fat. Protein is essential for this process.

Therefore pushing your fast too late in the day can leave not enough time to get all of your protein needs in. This is why in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle, it's emphasized to pick an eating window that allows you to fit in 2-3 meals. Otherwise, not getting enough protein can potentially lead to muscle loss, which can simultaneously make it more difficult to lose weight by increasing the insulin resistance potential.

Protein is one important factor when it comes to structuring your break-fast meal for weight loss. However, it's important to make sure you're not loading up on ingredients that will spike the storing hormone insulin. You can get the step-by-step details and recipes with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle HERE.