Constant hunger can be exhausting.
Do you always feel ravenous, even though you just polished off a tasty meal? Or are you always reaching for the snacks between meals?
If this applies to you, you’re not alone: some people are just more prone to feeling hungry all the time. And while there are occasional medical reasons for this – a thyroid issue, for instance, or being on certain antidepressants that have been linked to increased appetite – for the most part, the culprit is likely your diet or lifestyle, ie something that’s totally out of control.
Here are ten possible reasons why you may be feeling like a bottomless constant hunger pit, along with small tweaks you can make to your lifestyle to keep you feeling satisfied and your weight under control.
1. You’re drinking too much
Need another excuse to cut soda out of your diet? Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are chock full of high-fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to lower levels of satiety, according to a study conducted by Yale University.
2. Your dinner was pre-prepped
Many plastic food and beverage containers contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA.
The Food and Drug Administration says the low levels of BPA we’re exposed to are safe, but studies have shown that BPA can affect our waistlines.
According to a study from 2014, BPA changes the levels of hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control constant hunger and satiety.
A spike in these hormone levels can lead to food cravings, which can in turn lead to weight gain.
3. You didn’t have a big enough breakfast
Your mom was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So a cup of coffee to kickstart your day just isn’t going to do it.
According to a long-term study by University of Cambridge researchers, people who ate just 300 calories for breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more.
The reason: Eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning you have fewer sudden food cravings.
Pro tip: adding protein to your meal by having a side of, say, turkey sausage with your eggs, also helps.
4. You don’t eat enough greens
Leafy greens are high in vitamin K, an insulin-regulating nutrient that helps quash cravings. Guys should get at least 120 micrograms of vitamin K a day, which is equal to about one cup of kale.
5. You don’t drink enough tea
According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who drank one cup of black tea after eating a meal of high-carb foods decreased their blood sugar levels by 10% for a few hours after the meal, which means they stayed full for longer.
Need yet another reason to switch from coffee to tea? A 2017 study from UCLA had similar results, with researchers hypothesizing that sipping on black tea can lead to changes in the gut microbiome that can help with weight loss.
6. You’re not drinking enough water
Dehydration often mimics the feeling of constant hunger. That’s because the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates constant hunger and thirst, can send you mixed messages when you’re super thirsty, leading you to think that you need a snack even though you really just need a glass of water.
If you’ve just eaten a big meal and you still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before grabbing a second helping. You’ll likely find that you don’t really need that extra helping of mashed potatoes after all.
7. You’re bored
Yup, seriously: boredom is a major contributing factor to weight gain. In fact, a 2015 study found a link between susceptibility to boredom and overeating.
To test yourself to see if you’re truly hungry, imagine a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal.
8. You’re hitting up Happy Hour way too often
We already know that alcohol is bad for your waistline. But in addition to being full of empty calories, booze could be tricking your brain into thinking you’re hungry when you’re actually not.
In a 2017 study, researchers fed mice alcohol and found that it triggered specific brain neurons that causes a desire to eat.
That said, since the study was conducted on animals and not on people, scientists are still trying to determine if it has the same effect on humans.
9. You’re stressed as hell
Having an incredibly stressful day at work? That could have a huge impact on your desire to eat (that’s why stress eating is such a thing).
When the day’s worries weigh you down, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause cravings for sugary, fattening or salty foods so you have the fuel to handle whatever threats come your way.
Luckily, you can tackle these cravings by keeping healthy snacks on hand and exercising to reduce anxiety.
10. You spend too much time looking at food porn
All that time ogling fattening foods on Instagram could be the cause of your cravings.
A review of studies from 2016 published in the journal Brain and Cognition posited that food porn on social media could be making us “visually hungry.”
In one study analyzed in the review, researchers found that obese people’s brains reacted more powerfully to food photos, even if they weren’t currently hungry, compared to people who were at a healthy weight.
So if you’re predisposed to wanting that juicy burger, it’s probably not a good idea to look at pictures of it.
One last thing… you should try this 2-minute “after-dinner ritual” that
burns up to 2 pounds of belly fat per day…
“All
this by a 2-minute “after-dinner ritual?” I asked.
I
met an old friend for lunch last month and I was super impressed with how good
she looked.
She
said, “It’s not so much about the “after-dinner ritual”, but more about how it
gives you a regenerative form of deep sleep that is responsible for everything
we need to dramatically increase our fat burning metabolism and improve our
health and appearance.”
Even
though I was skeptical, I’ve been struggling with my weight over the last few
years, so I gave it a shot and watched the same video she did.
Well,
it’s only a couple weeks later and you know what they say about how “you can’t
transform your body overnight”…
They’re
right – it actually took me 16 days to lose 22 pounds.
Now
it’s my girlfriends asking ME what I’M doing differently 💅
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