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There’s nothing wrong with being hungry. That’s our body’s way of telling us it needs more food and fuel to keep being GR8. The problem is when your stomach can’t stop growling, and no matter what you eat or do, those hunger feelings don’t dissipate. The reason you’re always hungry can be because of bad habits, a health issue you’re not aware of, and sometimes because of your medication.
The whole point is to find out when your reasons for always being hungry are cause for concern or time to readjust your eating habits altogether.
You Have Bad Habits
Most of the time, your poor habits are the reason you’re always hungry. When we don’t pay attention to our diet and nutrition practices, it can be easy to make these mistakes. Sometimes, even the foods we believe are healthy are actually making us feel hungry more often.
Lack of Sleep
I can’t emphasize this enough. As someone who formerly lacked sleep by choice, let me tell you, sleeping is vital for your health. Your sleep cycle manages the control of ghrelin, a hormone that’s responsible for your appetite. When you’re sleep-deprived, ghrelin levels are off the charts, and you end up eating everything in the snack cabinet.
Not Drinking Enough Water
When your body is hydrated, it sends a signal. However, it seems we don’t speak the same language our bodies do because we think it’s saying we want more food. Feelings of thirst are easily mistaken by feelings of hunger. So, next time you feel hungry, drink a full glass of water and see how your hunger signals feel after five minutes. If drinking water is not your thing, then try adding more foods packed with water to keep your body hydrated.
Too Much Exercise
You didn’t see this one coming. Everyone tells us we need to exercise all the time, so how come suddenly exercising too much is making us hungry. Well, those who exercise regularly tend to have a faster metabolism, which means you burn calories faster than others, which means your body needs fuel more often. Consider cutting back on the intensity and frequency of your workouts. If that’s not an option, make sure your pre-workout and post-workout foods are enough to fuel your body throughout the day.
Chronic Stress
You don’t need scientific evidence to know this is true. Whenever we’re stressed, our appetite, especially our cravings, go on overdrive. You can blame the stress hormone cortisol for your cravings. When you’re under chronic stress, hormone levels go off the charts, triggering hunger and food cravings. Find ways to control your stress-cravings and your stress levels overall. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, take time to meditate, and find an activity that helps you lower your stress levels.
Overloading on the Wrong Carbs
Not all carbohydrates are bad for you; after all, we need them to fuel our bodies. However, you might be overloading on the wrong kind of carbs, also known as refined carbs. The problem with refined carbs is that they lack fiber. Thus you don’t feel as full after you eat them as you do with complex carbs. Make sure you’re staying away from white foods and trading your refined carbs for whole foods instead.
Not the Right Diet
While your diet is no one else’s business, you might not be on the right diet. If you’re always hungry, that means your chosen diet is not helping your body thrive. Maybe you’re not eating enough protein. If your diet is low in fat, that may also contribute. Eating too many salty foods or following a salt-heavy diet overall can also make you hungrier. Lastly, if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage quite often, that might also be responsible for your uncontrollable hunger.
An Underlying Condition Is the Root Cause
Not everything is your fault. Sometimes uncontrollable hunger is your body’s way of telling you something bad is happening. Many health conditions trigger appetite and can be the reason why you can’t stop eating.
Diabetes
Your body turns sugar into glucose to use it as fuel. Bodies with diabetes can’t do this process, and glucose is sent out through your urine instead of reaching your cells for fuel. When your body lacks the proper fuel to fulfill all the activities you want to do, it keeps signaling your brain to add some fuel to continue.
Thyroid Issues
Your thyroid is the master conductor that tells your body the rate at which each organ of your body works. It controls every hormone in your body, and when it’s overworking, you may suffer from hyperthyroidism. In this case, your hormone imbalance sends mixed signals to your brain all the time. People with thyroid issues might feel extremely thirsty even after drinking a full glass of water.
Low Blood Sugar
Similarly to diabetes, people with low blood sugar have deficient levels of glucose in their system. Hepatitis, kidney issues, and pituitary glands problems can all cause low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia can lead to many symptoms, and overeating is one of them.
Blame Your Medication
Finally, if none of the previous options make sense to you, look at your medications. Many medications list increased appetite as a side effect. The most common medications to ramp up your appetite include antipsychotics, antidepressants, corticosteroids, and anti-seizure medications.
Even medications for diabetes can increase your hunger and appetite. Make sure to read the list of side effects and ask your doctor about the possibility of your medicine making you feel hungry all the time.
What Can You Do?
Excessive hunger is a sign that something is not balanced in your body. If you’re always feeling hungry, make sure you’re looking at your eating habits, and start making some lifestyle changes if needed. However, ask about medications and conditions linked to the increase in appetite.
Lastly, consider the amount of food you’re eating; people who follow a low-calorie diet often don’t get enough food. Ask yourself, can your feelings of hunger be a sign that you’re overeating? Practice mindful eating and be honest with yourself, sooner or later, you’ll find the right balance for you.
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