Why am I hungry all the time
If you can relate to a few of the reasons listed below, feeling hungry all the time might be natural:
1. Less protein in your meal
Protein is the only nutrient that can control your appetite and keep you fuller for a long time. It naturally reduces hunger pangs and increases energy.
Studies show that when you consume adequate protein throughout the day, your body signals fullness and reduces hunger stimulation. So, not adding enough protein to your diet will increase hunger leading to overconsumption.
A case study involving 14 obese men showed significantly reduced late-night cravings with increased protein consumption. 25% of their daily calorie intake consisted of protein. There was one more group that consumed a lesser amount of protein but had more cravings during the test.
2. Less fat in your meal
Not adding brain-boosting healthy fats like nuts and seeds to a hearty meal can make you feel hungry. Healthy fats are directly related to the cognitive thinking of the brain, that is why traditionally ghee was given to kids and scholars for better functioning of the brain. Similar to protein, unsaturated fat can enhance the feeling of fullness. 25% to 30% of our daily caloric requirements must come from fats.
3. Distraction while eating
Have you ever found yourself out of focus during work, while reading a book, or simply zoning out in the middle of a conversation? It happens when we have a lack of focus due to poor lifestyle and diet. We turn to mindless eating and mess up our digestive cycle.
When you are distracted while eating, you do not fully concentrate on the activity. You eat faster, consume more than you should, and tend to feel hungry sooner.
Binge-watching and binge-eating go hand in hand. When you do not follow portion control for your meals and get carried away while watching a series, you might eat more than you should.
If you do not allow your body to absorb a full meal, you will feel hungry soon. Your hunger pangs will tempt you into having unhealthy snacks throughout the day.
Many people consider multi-tasking as a skill. But when it comes to eating, we should avoid other activities. Like any other important task that requires complete attention, eating requires you to put your entire focus.
You must sit at a table to eat your food, concentrate on every bite, and chew thoroughly. When you do so, you fill fuller even while cutting down on calories for portion control.
4. Delay of gratification
Brownie points for finding out the answer to why am I feeling hungry all the time if you are a fast eater. Busy people who cannot use 20 minutes to have a proper meal are 115% more likely to be obese.
When we eat fast, we feel less satiated even after having food in the right or excessive proportion. You will have quicker cravings if you do not allow your digestive system to absorb the food you consume correctly.
Eating slowly allows your mouth to chew every bite mindfully. This is also the first step of digestion where our saliva helps to mix and break the food into a paste-like consistency. It gradually helps you feel fuller with smaller meal portions, and you don’t get hungry soon.
5. Sleep disorders
When you are awake for extended periods, your body will demand food. We can sleep for eight hours without food, but that isn’t easy to maintain when awake and active.
According to The National Sleep Foundation, not sleeping adequately on a particular day can make you consume 300 calories more the following day. The sleeping disorder also leads to stress, anxiety, night sweats, and flushes. When you don’t allow your brain to rest adequately, it promotes cravings for carbohydrates the following day.
6. Medication
The answer to why am I hungry all the time can also be medications. Antipsychotics like olanzapine and clozapine, antiseizure drugs, and corticosteroids make people crave food.
Diabetic people might also be urged to eat more because some medication provokes the feeling. Insulin and thiazolidinediones increase your hunger pangs, but your medical conditions need you to keep them in check.
Why am I always hungry even after eating
If you feel hungry right after eating, your body might be going through medical disorders that require a thorough check-up. Here are some reasons to address immediately:
1. Stress and anxiety
Unhealthy food provides us comfort that helps us manage stressful working hours. Shark Tank fame entrepreneur Ashneer Grover recently lost 15 kilos. He admitted to becoming overweight due to continuous stress eating due to his work schedule.
Working professionals turn to habits like overeating and smoking due to pressure. It is a type of emotional eating where we lose control. Only remedies like mindfulness and meditation can help fight such psychological issues because quitting work is never an option.
2. Dehydration
There are times when we feel hungry, but we are not. Do you know why? It is simply because we need more water throughout the day. Dehydration induces cravings, but we often mistake it for hunger. Your body probably needs fluids, but the hypothalamus confuses you.
Our brain regulates thirst and appetite. When we are thirsty, our hypothalamus tells us to grab a bottle of water. However, we can misinterpret it as hunger and eat something to fill the gap.
3. Depression
There is bound to be a time when you Google how to stop feeling hungry all the time if depression makes you eat a lot. Mental health conditions often want us to deviate from the causes and turn to substances of relief.
The sooner you identify and acknowledge your mental condition, the faster you will find ways to cure it. Food offers comfort during a low phase but leaves a detrimental impact. It is also important to note that anti-depressants and mood stabilizers make you more hungry. So, depression is directly linked with weight gain.
4. Hormonal disorders
Compulsive eating is not just physiological but also hormonal. If you’re constantly feeling hungry during PMS or during your menstrual cycle, your hormones are acting up.
When a menstrual cycle starts, women’s BMR goes up by 9% and makes the body crave for more food. Oestrogen is associated with a decrease in appetite, and it is at the highest during ovulation period. While progesterone is responsible for increase in appetite.
When we are on our periods, there is an increase in the stress hormone of cortisol. The hormone induces sugar cravings and makes us want to have chocolates and ice-creams.
The situation differs from women getting closer to their menopause. The ghrelin hormone stimulates an appetite, while leptin confirms when you are full. These two generally maintain a balance. However, in some cases they react differently.
For example, the ghrelin level goes up during the perimenopausal phase, and you feel more hungry than usual. It becomes difficult for your brain to get signals as your leptin hormone is disrupted.
Menopause causes oestrogen levels to drop and increases appetite. It might also interfere with blood sugar control and increase sweet cravings.
5. Alcoholism
It is common to not figure out the answer to why am I eating so much and not getting full when you are intoxicated. Pre-dinner cocktails and glasses of wine tend to make you feel more hungry after you’ve had a fair share of starters.
Alcohol dehydrates our bodies quickly and makes us think we need food. We need water, but because we are already consuming spirits, our brain makes us crave food.
While we do not recommend drinking, mixing spirits with mixers instead of water is worse. Having alcohol with water replenishes water content in the body and makes you less hungry.
6. Cancer
Does cancer make you hungry all the time? Apart from manageable health disorders, an extreme health condition like cancer can also be the reason for your hunger. Poor appetite or loss of appetite is associated with cancer and treatment. Your body might feel like eating less or not feeling hungry at all. You can also feel extremely full after having small portions of food. In this case, aligning a nutritionist with the doctor treating the patient is most recommended.
How to stop feeling hungry all the time?
If you are facing any of the preventable conditions, lifestyle changes can stop untimely hunger. If you sleep on time, eat nutritious food, and don’t give in to snacking, you will see changes in your body.
Having food at regular intervals helps you have your next meal before your hunger pangs start reacting. It is also why Half Life to Health recommends timely meals in the right proportion.
It is natural to feel hungry when trying to lose weight as you are in a calorie deficit. However, once you complete two weeks of strictness, your body adapts to changes.
If you want to identify reasons why you feel hungry all the time, contact us for complete support. We will address your health problems and recommend the best solutions to help you transform.
If experts in our team identify health disorders that require special care, we will ask you to go through a check-up to know the root cause. However, if it is a preventable and manageable disorder, we will help you fight it and return to healthy eating.