10 Reasons Why You’re Always Hungry

Feeling hungry all the time makes it difficult to concentrate on more important things, like paying attention at meetings, finishing projects, or studying for a test. If you’re feeling excessively hungry all the time, it might be due to reasons other than not eating enough. Let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons why you’re inexplicably hungry all the time.

Add A Little Protein

Unless you’re somewhere where you’re literally starving to death, it’s impossible to be protein deficient. However, eating meals low in protein can make you feel hungry. Carbohydrates and fats are easily digested, but proteins aren’t. So if you find yourself feeling unsatisfied by that croissant you had for breakfast, adding an egg or yogurt to your breakfast routine may help you feel full for a longer period of time.

Too Much Sugar

When you eat foods that are filled with sugar and nothing but sugar, your body absorbs that sugar and then there’s nothing left. Swap the cookie or candy for a piece of fruit. The fiber and water in the fruit will fill you up more.

A New Workout Routine

If you’ve recently upped your activity level, first of all, congratulations! Now, your body needs to replenish its supply of glucose (sugar) in order to function properly. Remember in biology class you learned about the “mitochondria: the powerhouse of the cell”? Well, this special cell organelle takes sugar and turns it into energy. Always make sure to refuel after exercising. Choose a nutrient and sugar dense option, like fruit, juices, and smoothies. Whatever you do, don’t let yourself go hungry! This will lead to either binge eating or muscle loss in the long run.

Sleep Deprivation

In order to compensate for a lack of sleep, your body increases food intake. This is because sleep and appetite are closely tied within the endocrine system (this is the body system that controls hormones). There is *some* truth to the sleep diet, after all! 

Low-Fat Diets

Fat is not the bad f-word that you’re supposed to avoid. Your cell membranes and nerve cells are all surrounded by fats. It’s also the macromolecule that has evolved to keep us warm and act as an energy reserve in times of trouble. When you decrease the amount of fat you’re eating, your body thinks it needs to start storing energy, so your brain turns on the hunger. A well balanced meal contains enough proteins and fats to make you feel satiated and keep you that way for a few hours.

Stress Eating

If you eat when you’re stressed, eventually, your body becomes conditioned to look for food anytime stressful situations appear. This makes sense evolutionarily, since stress usually meant famine, back in the day. Our brain doesn’t understand the difference between “it hasn’t rained in  a week and the crops are dying” versus “my boss is insane and has piled 10 projects on me”. Instead of reaching for food for comfort, try going out for a walk or take a short 15 minute break to listen to music.

Dehydration

You might feel hungry when you’re dehydrated for a few reasons. One, water, fills you up by both taking up space in your gastrointestinal tract and helping to maintain blood pressure. Second, people often confuse thirst for hunger. And finally, you might find yourself craving juicy foods such as watermelon, apples, oranges, and other fruits. Before reaching for a snack, try drinking some water first. 

Partying Too Hard

When you overindulge on the booze, your body needs to repair the damage done by the ethanol. Between the hangover and elevated liver enzymes, your body will require more proteins and more energy, so you end up eating more. Anyone who’s ever been deathly hungover knows that the craving for greasy, fatty food is overwhelming. Take it easy on the partying and your cravings may die down a bit too.

Too Many Sugary Drinks

Soft drinks and other sugary drinks go through your system quickly. Once all that sugar has been absorbed, you’ll feel hungry again. Unfortunately, given the high caloric content of these drinks, eating more means increasing your daily calorie intake. This, of course, leads to weight gain. Swap soda or juice for unsweetened, decaffeinated tea or even flavored water. 

Thyroid Issues or Other Medical Conditions

Sometimes, your uncontrollable hunger has nothing to do with will power or lifestyle choice. Hormones drive our urges and cravings. And if you have an undiagnosed thyroid condition, it will make your metabolism go a bit wonky. This includes things like hyperactivity and feeling really hungry all the time. If you think this is the reason for feeling hungry all the time, consult a medical professional.

Reprinted with permission from https://werax.com/10-reasons-why-youre-always-hungry/