Why am I hungry in the first week of a diet?
The first week often combines real hunger with habit disruption. Your stomach, schedule, food cues, sodium intake, and carbohydrate intake may all be changing at once. If calories drop and food volume is not managed well, hunger is expected.
Scale changes can also be misleading early. Reducing carbs or sodium can lower glycogen and water, making weight drop quickly. Increasing carbs from a previously low-carb diet can do the opposite and raise water weight without fat gain.
Give the plan enough time to reveal the trend, but do not ignore severe hunger. Add lean protein, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, oats, beans, soup, or other high-volume foods before relying on willpower.