To get rid of excess weight and not gain weight, you need to control the volume of portions, and even better, create a menu taking into account the number of calories, as well as the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, proper nutrition, which eliminates uncontrolled overeating, is not easy to adhere to. For some people, this is simply impossible, since immediately after a full meal they feel hungry. To lose weight without the risk of binge eating and without harm to your health, you need to enlist the support of specialists. The Doctor Bormental clinic uses its own patented method of losing weight and maintaining results, with the help of which more than half a million people have already lost weight. Read more about her here.
Availability of food freely available
If food is present in its natural form or only in pictures, it is not surprising that an appetite constantly arises. Such problems are explained by the production of ghrelin after viewing tasty food.
Video
Just look at the sign of a shawarma kiosk and you already want to buy it. To cope with the situation, it is recommended to carry healthy food or a cereal bar with you. If you feel very hungry, consume it and forget about looking at the pictures.
You don't sleep enough
Getting adequate sleep is extremely important for your health. Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of your brain and immune system, and it is associated with a lower risk of developing several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer (6).
In addition, getting enough sleep is a factor in appetite control because it helps regulate ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. Lack of sleep leads to higher levels of ghrelin, which is why you may feel hungry when you're sleep-deprived (7, 8).
In one study, 15 people who were sleep deprived for just one night reported being significantly hungrier and ate a 14% larger meal size compared to the group who slept for eight hours (9).
Getting enough sleep also helps ensure adequate levels of leptin, which is a hormone that promotes satiety (7, 8).
To keep hunger under control, it is generally recommended to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
Summary:
Sleep deprivation is known to cause fluctuations in hunger hormone levels and can encourage a person to eat more.
You're not eating enough fiber
If your diet does not contain fiber, you may feel hungry often. Eating plenty of high-fiber foods is helpful for keeping hunger under control. High-fiber foods slow down the rate of gastric emptying and take longer to digest than low-fiber foods (12, 26).
Additionally, high fiber intake affects the release of appetite-suppressing hormones and the production of short-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to promote satiety (12).
It's important to note that there are different types of fiber. Some of these types of dietary fiber are better than others at keeping you full and preventing hunger. Several studies have found that soluble fiber (dietary fiber that dissolves in water) is more filling than insoluble fiber (27, 28, 29).
Great sources of soluble fiber include foods such as:
A high-fiber diet not only helps reduce hunger, but is also associated with a number of other health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity (30).
To ensure you get enough fiber, choose a diet rich in whole plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.
Summary:
If your diet does not contain fiber, you may find that you are always hungry. This is because fiber plays a role in reducing appetite and making you feel full.
Causes of constant hunger in women
In women, an increased need for food can be triggered by the following factors:
- taking incorrectly selected contraceptive drugs;
- pregnancy;
- PMS.
Many contraceptives are hormonal. They can disrupt hormonal levels, resulting in increased appetite. Typically, a side effect such as excessive appetite appears when a woman starts taking a new drug. Later the condition returns to normal. If, after long-term use, the constant desire to eat does not go away, you need to consult a doctor, get tested for hormones and replace the drug.
Pregnant women often say: “I’m eating for two.” This is true. A developing fetus needs “building material” in the form of useful substances, and it can only get them from the food consumed by the mother.
During pregnancy, the need for food increases for several reasons. Firstly, the body requires more nutrients. Secondly, hormonal changes occur. Thirdly, with toxicosis, there is a desire to eat salty, sweet, sour, etc. It is important to follow a balanced diet, agreed with your doctor.
PMS usually manifests itself as mood swings caused by hormonal surges. But sometimes there is a strong appetite. There is no need to fight it, since it only lasts 2-3 days. If you gain extra pounds during these days, after stabilizing your condition, you can spend one fasting day on low-calorie foods.
Summarize
- Constant hunger is a sign that your body needs more food.
- This is often the result of unbalanced hunger hormones, a condition that can occur for a variety of reasons, including poor diet and certain lifestyle habits.
- You may feel hungry all the time if you don't have enough protein, fiber, or fat in your diet. All these components have properties that promote a feeling of fullness and reduce appetite. Extreme hunger is also a sign of lack of sleep and chronic stress.
- In addition, it is known that some medications and diseases can also cause you to frequently want to chew something.
- If you feel hungry frequently, it may be helpful to evaluate your diet and lifestyle to determine possible causes. Once you've identified the reasons, you can make some changes that can help you feel less hungry.
- Your hunger may also be a sign that you are not eating enough - this can be solved by simply increasing the amount of food you eat.
hunger
Lifestyle
Eating disorders are directly related to a person’s lifestyle. It is worth talking separately about the various options for everyday behavior that lead to a state of insatiable appetite.
Improper sleep patterns
If a person sleeps insufficient hours, leads a nocturnal lifestyle, or has a “floating” daily routine, his hormonal levels are sooner or later disrupted. This leads to a variety of negative consequences, such as depression, chronic fatigue, increased irritability, and a decrease or increase in appetite.
Taking medications
Some types of medications can make you feel hungry. These include hormonal agents, antidepressants, glucocorticosteroids, strong antibiotics, and contraceptives. If the desire to constantly eat began abruptly and simultaneously with the start of taking medication, you should consult a doctor and change the drug.
Diets
Frequent exhausting diets, when a person eats, lead to the body turning on the energy storage mechanism. It constantly requires food in order to store reserves in the form of fat in case a nutritional deficiency arises again. Therefore, people who incorrectly organize the process of losing weight, instead of the desired weight loss, get an uncontrollable appetite, as a result, even more extra pounds.
Stress
When a person is under stress, he may begin to consume food in quantities that are excessive for himself. At the same time, they say that a person eats away his problems. This is especially true for women. The fact is that during stress, depression, and nervous breakdowns, the body produces cartisol. The brain perceives it as a negative signal that needs to be neutralized by serotonin and erdonphins, which have opposite effects on the emotional state. To this end, the hypothalamus signals hunger so that a person begins to eat and enjoy food.
Bad habits
Smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs leads to a decrease in the content of useful substances. To compensate for their deficiency, the body requires additional food. Increased appetite is caused by hormonal imbalance, which often occurs with prolonged abuse of alcohol or drugs.
You drink too much alcohol
Alcohol is well known for its appetite-stimulating effects (43).
Research has shown that alcohol can inhibit hormones (such as leptin) that reduce appetite, especially when consumed before or during meals. For this reason, if you drink too much alcohol, you may feel hungry often (43, 44, 45).
In one study, 12 men who drank 40 ml of alcohol before lunch ended up consuming more than 300 more calories from food than the group who drank only 10 ml. Additionally, those who drank more alcohol consumed 10% more calories throughout the day, compared to the group who drank less. They were also more likely to consume high amounts of high-fat and salty foods (46).
Another study found that 26 people who drank 30 ml of alcohol with a meal consumed 30% more calories compared to a group that avoided alcohol (47).
Not only can alcohol make you hungrier, but it can also impair the part of your brain that controls judgment and self-control. This may make you eat more, no matter how hungry you are (44).
To reduce the hunger-inducing effects of alcohol, it is best to drink it in moderation or avoid it completely (48).
Summary:
Drinking too much alcohol can often make you feel hungry due to its role in reducing the production of hormones that promote satiety.
You're not drinking enough water
Proper hydration is incredibly important to your overall health. Drinking enough water has several health benefits, including being important for improving brain and heart health and optimizing exercise performance. Plus, water keeps your skin and digestive system healthy (21).
Water is also quite good at inducing a feeling of fullness in the stomach, and has the potential to reduce appetite when consumed before meals (22, 23).
In one study, 14 people who drank two cups of water before meals consumed nearly 600 fewer calories than those who didn't drink water (24).
If you don't drink enough water, you may notice that you feel hungry often. It is also known that a feeling of thirst can be mistaken for a feeling of hunger. If you're always hungry, it may be helpful to drink a glass or two of water to see if you're thirsty (23).
To hydrate your body properly, simply drink water when you feel thirsty. Eating plenty of water-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, will also help meet your water needs (25).
Summary:
You can always get hungry if you don't drink enough water. This is due to the fact that it has appetite-reducing properties. It is also possible that you are confusing the feeling of thirst with the feeling of hunger.
You're not eating enough protein
Eating enough protein is important to control your appetite. Protein has hunger-reducing properties that can help you automatically consume fewer calories throughout the day. It plays a role in increasing the production of hormones that signal satiety and reducing levels of hormones that stimulate hunger (1, 2, 3, 4).
Because of these effects, you may feel hungry frequently if you don't eat enough protein.
In one study, 14 overweight men who ate 25% of their calories from protein for 12 weeks experienced a 50% reduction in desire to eat at night compared to the group that consumed less protein (5).
Additionally, people who consumed more protein reported feeling more full throughout the day and having fewer obsessive thoughts about food (5).
Many different foods have high levels of protein, so it's not difficult to have enough in your diet. Including protein foods at every meal can help prevent excessive hunger.
Animal products such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs contain large amounts of protein. It is also found in some dairy products, including milk and yogurt, as well as several plant foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Summary:
Protein plays an important role in appetite control by regulating your hunger hormones. If you don't eat enough protein, you may feel hungry all the time.
How to get rid of increased appetite
Frequent and uncontrolled food consumption will sooner or later lead to excess weight with all the accompanying problems. A specialist will help correct the situation. Patients are usually given the following advice:
- undergo a medical examination;
- give up diets, even light ones, and instead switch to a balanced diet, counting nutrients and calories;
- avoid stressful situations;
- analyze medications taken on a regular basis to see if they may cause increased feelings of hunger;
- adjust sleep patterns;
- Make it a habit to have a full breakfast of healthy, nutritious foods;
- create a meal schedule and stick to it daily;
- Calculate with a nutritionist your ideal ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates;
- remove unnatural, fried, fatty foods from the diet;
- normalize your drinking regime, drink 2 liters of water daily;
- remove foods that stimulate appetite from the diet - apples, sour juices, sauces, alcohol;
- reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods - boiled potatoes and mashed potatoes, boiled or fried mushrooms, bananas, baked goods, dried fruits, nuts;
- Have a light snack in the evening before bed;
- You should not eat store-bought confectionery or drink carbonated drinks (they are not healthy, high in calories, and stimulate appetite)
Skipping meals
The reason for constant hunger may be hidden in the banal skipping of meals. Absence leads to the production of ghrelin in excessive quantities, so a person is always hungry. Even after a full portion is eaten, satiety does not occur - the hormone has already stopped being produced, but has not stopped affecting the hypothalamus.
Practical advice: To cope with overeating after a long gap between meals, you need to wait a while after eating. The hormone ghrelin acts in the human body only for 20 minutes. Therefore, after all the food has been eaten in sufficient quantities, you need to occupy yourself with something for the next 30 minutes. This time will be enough for the brain to send a signal of saturation.
3. You eat too many refined carbohydrates
If you have a question about why you want to eat all the time, one of the reasons may be refined carbohydrates, namely their significant consumption.
Refined carbohydrates have been processed and lack fiber, vitamins and minerals. One of the most popular sources of refined carbohydrates is white flour, which is found in many foods such as baked goods and pasta. Also included in the list of foods containing refined carbohydrates is white rice. Foods such as sodas, candies and baked goods that are made with refined sugars are also considered refined carbohydrates.
Since refined carbohydrates do not contain fiber, your body digests them very quickly. This is the main reason why you feel hungry all the time, since refined carbohydrates do not contribute to a significant feeling of fullness (10).
Additionally, consuming refined carbohydrates can cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar levels. This leads to an increase in insulin levels, the hormone responsible for transporting sugar into your cells (10, 11).
When a lot of insulin is released at once in response to high blood sugar, it begins to quickly remove sugar from the blood, which can lead to a sharp drop in blood sugar (10, 11).
Fluctuating blood sugar levels signal your body that it needs more food, which is another reason why you often feel hungry. Especially if refined carbohydrates are a large part of your diet (10).
What to do if you constantly want to eat? To reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates, simply replace them with healthier whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. These foods are still high in carbohydrates, but they are rich in fiber, which is helpful for keeping hunger under control (12).
Read more about refined carbohydrates, their harm to health and what products they are contained in here - Refined carbohydrates: harm, list of products.
Summary:
Refined carbohydrates lack fiber and cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which are the main reasons why you are constantly hungry.
You are experiencing significant stress
Excessive stress is known to increase appetite. This is mainly due to its effect on increasing levels of cortisol, a hormone that has been shown to promote hunger and food cravings. For this reason, you may find that you are constantly hungry during stressful situations (54, 55, 56, 57).
In one study, 59 women who were stressed consumed more calories throughout the day and consumed significantly sweeter foods, compared with women who were not stressed (57).
Another study compared the eating habits of 350 young girls. Those who had elevated stress levels were more likely to overeat, as opposed to those who had lower stress levels. Girls exposed to significant stress also reported higher needs for unhealthy snacks, such as potato chips and cookies (58).
There are many strategies you can use to reduce your stress levels, such as starting to exercise or practicing deep breathing (59, 60).
Summary:
Excessive stress is the reason why you want to eat all the time. This occurs due to the increase in cortisol levels in the body during times of stress.
Diseases
Increased appetite occurs in some diseases. For example, people with type 2 diabetes experience hunger more than others because they metabolize glucose too quickly. It is converted into glycogen and fat, resulting in the need to replenish its reserves from food.
Recently, doctors often talk about such a disease as bulimia. Unreasonable bouts of gluttony, when you want to eat something almost around the clock, and complete ignorance of problems with excess weight were previously considered simply problems of a person’s character. This condition is now called an eating disorder that requires specialized care.
Increased appetite, along with weakness and nausea, may indicate the presence of a very dangerous disease called hypoglycemia. It is characterized by a strong decrease in blood glucose levels. This disease requires urgent medical attention. In the worst case scenario, the patient may fall into a coma.
Problems with the thyroid gland can also cause constant appetite. The gland is responsible for regulating metabolism and secreting hormones. With hyperthyroidism, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland occurs, which results in accelerated metabolism, low body weight, and a constant feeling of hunger.
There are other, less common diseases that lead to overeating. These include hypergraphia (impaired blood circulation in the brain), acoria (impaired functioning of the hypothalamus), and polyphagia (a tradition that has become an irresistible habit). In the case of polygapia, the situation can reach the point of severe obesity and is often treated by surgical reduction of the stomach.
