Why am I hungry all the time?

Do you find there are some days where you can’t get enough food into your belly? Hunger is the way your body tells you it needs food. However, there may be other reasons why you are constantly hungry.

You are not eating enough protein

Protein plays a vital role in appetite control by regulating hunger hormones. Eating protein with each meal or snack, rather than all at once, may help keep appetite steady throughout the day.

You are not getting enough sleep

As you’ve heard me say many times, sleep is essential for our overall health. Sleep regulates ghrelin, our appetite-stimulating hormone. Lack of sleep leads to higher ghrelin levels, which explains why you may feel constantly hungry when tired.

You are eating too many refined carbohydrates

Refined carbs lack fiber and cause blood sugar fluctuations, which are the primary reasons why eating too many of them may leave you feeling hungry.

Your diet is low in fat

Fat plays a role in slowing digestion and increasing the production of fullness-promoting hormones.

You’re not drinking enough water

When you are dehydrated, you will feel hungry. Often we mistake dehydration for hunger and reach for food instead of water.

Your diet lacks fiber

Fiber plays a role in reducing your appetite and keeping you full. High-fiber foods will take longer to digest than low-fiber foods.

You eat while distracted

Eating while distracted makes it difficult for you to recognize feelings of fullness.

You exercise a lot

Individuals who regularly exercise at a high intensity or for extended durations tend to have larger appetites and faster metabolisms. Thus, they may experience frequent hunger.

You drink too much alcohol

Alcohol is well known for its appetite-stimulating effects. Alcohol may inhibit hormones that reduce appetite, such as leptin, especially when consumed before or with meals.

You drink your calories

If you consume many liquid foods, such as smoothies, meal replacement shakes, and soups, you may be hungrier more often than you would be if you ate more solid foods.

One reason for this is that liquids pass through your stomach more quickly than solid foods do. Also, liquid foods do not have the same effects on keeping you full and satisfied as solid foods do. For this reason, you may feel hungry frequently if liquids are a significant part of your diet.

You are over-stressed

Stress increases cortisol levels, a hormone that is known to promote hunger and food cravings. During fight or flight mode, cortisol floods your body, which convinces it to eat, even if you don’t need the calories.

You’re taking medications

Certain medications cause increased appetite as a side effect. In turn, they may cause you to experience frequent hunger.

The most common appetite-inducing medications include antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, corticosteroids, and antiseizure drugs.

You eat too fast

Eating too quickly doesn’t allow your body enough time to recognize fullness, which may promote excessive hunger.  It can take upwards of 20 to 30 minutes for your brain to realize you are full.

You have a medical condition

Medical conditions like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, depression, anxiety and premenstrual syndrome may cause excessive hunger.

If you suspect that you may have one of these conditions, talk with your doctor to receive a proper diagnosis and discuss treatment options.

You are on a calorie-restricted diet

Consuming fewer calories than the body burns can cause the body to produce a hormone called ghrelin, our “hunger hormone.”   A low-calorie diet can increase ghrelin production and cause hunger, even if you have just eaten.

You consume a lot of sugar

A high-sugar diet may cause the body to produce more ghrelin and affect activity in specific brain regions to make a person feel less full.

You are bored

Some people may confuse boredom with hunger, causing them to eat more.

You are going through menopause

A decline in estrogen during menopause may lead to an increased appetite.

You are obese

Leptin is a hormone that tells the brain when the stomach is full. Leptin levels usually rise after a person eats a meal. Overweight or obese individuals may develop leptin resistance, which can make them feel hungry more often.

You Drink Diet Soda

Soda is one of the sugariest foods you can consume. And while you may know sugar makes you crave sugar, artificially sweetened products, and sugar alternatives can ramp up your appetite even more than natural sugar, causing increased calorie consumption over time.

You skip meals

Skipping meals can make you feel hungrier when it’s time to eat.  When you don’t eat, your body can deplete its blood glucose stores, promoting an uptick in the hunger hormone ghrelin, ramping up your appetite.

Your Gut Health Is Off

Unhealthy eating or meals centered on saturated fats and sugars can disrupt your digestive system. As a result, an increase in harmful bacteria in your gut may inhibit the good bacteria from regulating your hunger hormones.