When a person experiences satiety, it means they’re “satisfied.” Many use this term to refer to feeling full after eating. It also applies that the person will stay full for a while. Feeling full is essential for a low-carb dieter because feeling satisfied means the body won’t crave the bad stuff such as processed foods. Furthermore, the body should want less food overall which makes it easier to lose weight. Many low carb diet studies show that people eat fewer calories even though they aren’t deliberately trying to stop themselves from eating more. The keto diet, which is a low carb diet that focuses on eating food high in fat and low in carbs, helps people eat less, lose weight, and gain energy. There are many more benefits discussed in the Body Reboot book. This diet isn’t too good to be true – imagine eating without overeating and feeling satisfied. What a concept! Let’s learn more about the keto diet and why satiety is a vital part of dieting success.

VeryWell Fit mentions that even though we don’t precisely know the logistics as to why the body feels more satisfied with fat as opposed to carbs (even though a below source begins to explain why), studies show that a high-fat diet equals eating less.

Time and time again, people say that the thing they like best about being on a low-carb diet is not feeling as hungry as before. People say things like “I feel normal around food” and how happy they are to be thinking constantly about food between meals. It is also common to report a sharp reduction in food cravings, another part of satiety.

We don't completely know how low-carb diets cause increased satiety. There is preliminary evidence that reducing carbohydrate in the diet affects some of the chemicals in our bodies that regulate appetite, perhaps in an opposite way of reducing calories. We also know that everything else being equal, when carbohydrates are replaced with fat (but calories stay the same) people are less hungry.(It is also true that everything else staying equal, carbohydrates that are more glycemic also promote more hunger than carbohydrates that are less glycemic.)

Gibson, a professional Washington Post cited in their article, further discusses how the keto diet and burning ketones as opposed to carbohydrates can work to suppress appetite.

On low-carbohydrate eating plans, weight loss usually occurs fairly rapidly at the beginning because instead of using calories from food as fuel, the body uses fat instead. After a few days of low carbohydrate intake, the body starts to release more ketones. Often, people on ketogenic diets also report feeling less hungry, as well.

“Most people would assume that it’s their high protein intake that is causing this appetite suppression,” said Gibson. “That may be contributing, but it doesn't provide an explanation for the low-energy diets, which are actually very low in protein.”

Ketosis might provide a better explanation, Gibson hypothesizes. It is still unknown exactly how ketones might work to suppress appetite. But according to Gibson's research, the association between ketogenic diets and reduced or stable appetite was remarkably consistent among the studies that measured appetite before and during the diet.

The studies also suggested that even moderately restricting carbohydrates can produce a similar effect.

It’s frustrating failing on a diet, and most the time it happens because you always feel hungry! Appetite for Energy says that the keto diet can suppress your appetite a lot, which results in not eating as much! You still get enough nutrients (though, it’s up to you to make sure you make wise eating decisions), but by cutting out the crap, you’ll be feeding your body with foods that it needs to survive and lose weight!

Food cravings are the most frequently cited reason for failing to stick to a diet in studies, so listen up!

The second key reason that ketogenic diets are successful for weight loss is due to the appetite suppressing effect. Appetite suppression is caused by nutritional ketosis and the satiating effects of a higher fat diet.

Being in a state of nutritional ketosis, (where the body starts to burn fat instead of carbohydrate for energy), has been shown to reduce hunger.

When eating a low-carb, high-fat diet, the high-fat content of meals actually slows gastric emptying. This means that food passes through your gut at a slower speed and you feel satiated for longer.

A 2-year study found that a low-carb diet promoted satiety. Those on the low-carb diet were less bothered by hunger than people on the low-fat diet in the study over 2 years.

Are you maintaining your weight?

For those maintaining their weight, it is quite difficult to eat enough calories to actually gain weight. So a low-carb diet is excellent for keeping the weight off once you’ve lost it.

Many people continue to eat this way for this reason, as well as the many health benefits that come with a keto lifestyle such as insulin control, improved cardiovascular factors, and mental clarity.

How does appetite suppression on a ketogenic diet help with weight loss?

Fewer calories are consumed  (compared to a low-fat diet, where you don’t experience a subdued appetite)
The lower calories consumed contribute to weight loss
The mind is not focussed on food all the time

An NCBI study from 2015 analyzed the yearlong results of a low-carbohydrate diet as opposed to a low-fat diet. They found that a high-fat diet has better results than other diets and people report not feeling as hungry.

The relationship between dietary macronutrient composition and appetite is controversial. We examined the effects of a yearlong low-carbohydrate diet compared to a low-fat diet on appetite-related hormones and self-reported change in appetite.

Our conclusions are subject to some limitations. We assessed appetite in a single question and lacked details on a variety of aspects such as hunger and satiety. Ghrelin and peptide YY, but not other appetite-related hormones, were assessed. This clinical trial was not powered to test appetite-related hormones. However, there is excellent statistical power to detect the effects of low-carbohydrate and low-fat dietary interventions on appetite-related hormones, and statistically significant comparisons were detected. Self-reported dietary information may be subject to recall issues; however, we collected dietary data within 24 hours of intake. Dietitians were not blinded to the study hypothesis. To avoid potential differences in dietary counseling due to this, we used specific and detailed scripts for all counseling sessions and trained staff to deliver the scripts without deviation. Dietary sessions for both groups were intermittently observed for consistency by an independent registered dietitian who was not a regular part of the study staff, and all outcome assessors were blinded to the diet group assignment.

There are also several strengths in the present study that lend confidence to these findings. This study includes both appetite-related hormones and a self-reported measurement for appetite. All data were collected by trained and certified staff using rigorous quality control protocols. Also, a substantial proportion of black participants, a group underrepresented in previous trials, were included in the study, which makes the examination of race differences possible. Finally, the completion rate was approximately 80% in both intervention groups.

In summary, this 12-month randomized controlled trial suggests that a low-carbohydrate diet may preserve satiety more than a low-fat diet when undertaken for the purpose of weight loss. Limited evidence from previous studies suggests that low-carbohydrate diets, which tend to be high in both fat and protein, may reduce appetite. The differential patterns noted for appetite-related hormones in our study may in part account for such a potential effect on appetite.

Low Carb Diem says that when you eat high-fat foods that you feel satisfied almost immediately. You also continue to feel satisfied for a while too, which means you’re more likely to lose weight while your body uses fat as its fuel.

Eating the healthiest high fat low carb food prevents hunger. You’ll lose more stored body fat, too.

A low carb diet means you are consuming a lot of fat along with protein. This combination produces a ‘satiating’ effect after meals.

High fat low carb meals help you feel satisfied and fuller for a longer period of time.

A direct effect of longer-lasting fullness is a natural tendency to eat fewer calories overall. And when we restrict calories, we lose more weight.

A ketogenic diet is extra high in fats. When you feed the body fat, it feels satisfied. Almost instantly.

Fats are more nutritionally dense than carbs, take longer to digest and provide a longer-lasting, fuller-feeling effect.

Feeling satisfied certainly can help you reach your weight loss goals, and that all comes from the keto diet. Many think it’s too good to be true but it’s not AND there are many health benefits in addition to losing weight. Want to learn more? You can get a free copy of the Body Reboot book by helping us cover the cost of shipping. Visit this page today and see if there are any copies left and we’ll send a book your way!

Sources: VeryWell Fit, Washington Post, Appetite for Energy, NCBI:“The effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite: A randomized controlled trial” Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular disease, 2015, Low Carb Diem