Why am I always hungry?

 WELLNESS 

The pandemic, political divisiveness, and social injustice have acted as big markers for 2020—but we also may come to know it as the year of snacking. With many people working from home and dealing with stress, it’s no surprise that the nearby refrigerator is repeatedly beckoning throughout the day.

To address feelings of hunger, McIntyre recommends trying stress-management methods that are unrelated to food, such as prayer, journaling, meditation, deep breathing, exercise, reading, and listening to music.

Since there are so many things that can bring about constant hunger, it’s best to speak with your primary care physician, and, as McIntyre points out, “consult with a registered dietician-nutritionist who can review your medical status and current dietary patterns.”

Why am I always hungry?

Here are 10 possible reasons why you’re always hungry.

Poorly balanced diet

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that around three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is low in vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils—in other words, we’re not getting the nutrition we need. “A diet with meals and/or snacks that are inconsistent and poorly balanced can drive appetite,” 

Certain foods in one’s diet are better at inducing satiety, or the feeling of fullness. He explains, “Foods high in fiber or high in protein seem to decrease further appetite the best. Foods high in fat or unhealthy carbohydrates may stimulate appetite and lead to increased consumption of food.”

To get on the right track,  it’s key to follow a healthy diet and a dietitian can assist.

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep affects hunger hormones, resulting in increased appetite. I can add that poor sleep can cause you to feel hungrier during the day and tends to drive the desire to eat as you struggle through daylight hours feeling fatigued with low energy.

This is where good sleep can pay off. McIntyre suggests aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep each night, avoiding screens for at least one hour prior to bedtime, and using blackout curtains to minimize light.

Undereating

“All too often, I come to find my clients intentionally undereating in the name of weight loss, only to gain weight, thanks to the restrict/binge cycle,” . “You may feel that skipping or skimping on meals throughout the day is a good thing to do to cut down on calorie intake, but if you cut too much, your blood sugar drops, and in response, your body produces and circulates more hunger hormones in order to drive you to seek out and consume food that will re-establish homeostasis and steady your blood sugar levels. It does this as survival mode.”

She adds that if you do in fact need to cut down on calories, a small deficit of no more than 500 calories per day is recommended.

Your medications

Although medications can act as literal lifesavers in many cases, they can also lead to an increased appetite. They do this through numerous mechanisms, including direct appetite stimulation, fluid retention, increasing fat stores, slowing of metabolism, and decreasing exercise.

 “The most common medications that have a stimulatory effect on appetite include antihistamines, antidepressants, steroids, and some antipsychotic medications. To help, consult with your doctor about a potential change in your medications since not every medication in that family of medications induces appetite and weight gain.”

 You should not stop taking these medications without first discussing your concerns with your doctor.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which insulin or insulin activity is lacking, resulting in a reduced amount of glucose or sugar delivery to the cells. “Therefore, the cells are craving glucose,” “Through very complex cell-gut-brain interaction, the cells send a signal to the brain that more sugar is needed to be ingested.”

This can elicit near-constant hunger. To help, consulting with your doctor and treating underlying diabetes.

Related: Tips to prevent diabetes and high blood sugar level

Dehydration

Did you know that when you’re hungry, you actually might be thirsty? Bodily cues for thirst can mimic hunger. , “Therefore, it is important to stay well-hydrated throughout the day when trying to control your appetite.”

Drink anywhere from eight to 16 ounces of water before every meal and snack during the day in addition to fluid intake between and with meals. “This way, when they begin eating, they can be sure they’re responding to true hunger rather than thirst as they enjoy their meal or snack,” .

Pregnancy

A natural reaction to pregnancy is increased appetite. This is your body’s way of ensuring your daily food intake provides enough nutrients to meet your own nutritional needs, plus that of your growing baby in utero.”

Pregnancy-induced appetite stimulation starts as early as the first trimester. The body wants calories and nutrients to feed both the mother and the fetus. Many hormones are released to help induce weight gain during the entire pregnancy.”

Hyperthyroidism

Since hyperthyroidism releases too much thyroid hormone into the body, this leads to the body being hyperactive in energy expenditure, this can stimulate the need for more calories to run all the functions of the body that are in overdrive.

Thyroid hormone is a pivotal hormone for basic metabolism in your body. To help, consult with your doctor to determine a potential treatment.

Trendy diets

Popular diets that center around fasting, or some level of restriction, can cause ravenous hunger. Although they promise quick results, you’ll likely find that these diets will leave you relentlessly hungry.

I find that the majority of people do best when spreading their food intake out evenly throughout the course of the day, so they have a steady intake of nutrients and energy to get them from one regularly scheduled balanced meal to the next. This is a reasonable pattern of eating and supports steady energy and blood sugar control.”

Lack of exercise

If you haven’t been logging your regular miles on the treadmill lately, you may find that you’re hungrier than usual.

Exercise burns calories. Although some evidence shows that aerobic exercise may decrease appetite, the exact mechanism is not fully understood. It is postulated to work by direct interaction with hunger hormones or indirect interaction with dopamine and mood mechanisms. Those individuals that lack exercise do not get this added benefit of hunger suppression. To help, consider an exercise routine.

Long-term stress

Yes, stress eating is absolutely a real thing, and it’s something that many of us have dealt with throughout the pandemic.

The science behind stress eating,  that long-term stress results in the release of the hormone cortisol from the adrenal glands. Cortisol stimulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats in your body for immediate energy.

By doing this, insulin is also released. This combination results in an increase in appetite to maintain blood sugar levels. Eating can increase dopamine, which is believed to be part of the reward mechanism in the brain and stimulates good feelings to combat stress.

But those good vibes won’t last forever. The high from stress eating crashes in a hurry. Instead, getting comfortable with stress instead of reaching for the cookies.