Feeling Hungry All the Time? 10 Best Ways to Control Excessive Cravings

Feeling Hungry All the Time? 10 Best Ways to Control Excessive Cravings

Normally, hunger temporarily goes away after eating enough food. However, sometimes, some people may feel hungry even after a filling meal.

Are you one among them?
Do you feel hungry all the time?
Are you craving for food throughout the day?

You are at the right place!

Being a foodie is quite different from constantly craving to eat something. Some people can have an ardent or refined interest in food, while some are always craving for some kind of food to binge on. The latter are those who feel hungry even after eating a good meal.

Why you always feel hungry? Scroll down to find out.

Why Am I Always Hungry?

Why Am I Always Hungry?

Constant hunger can be due to medical conditions, psychological reasons, or lifestyle choices. Here are some of the main causes of being hungry all the time:

1) Meal composition
If you are the one feeling ‘always hungry’ in recent times, it could be due to the nutritional composition of your meal.

Meals that are high in protein and fiber induce greater feelings of fullness than those that are high in carbs or fat. High protein meals promote the release of fullness hormones, such as cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and peptide YY (PYY). And fiber stimulates the release of appetite-suppressing hormones like GLP-1 and PYY.

If you feel hungry even after a meal, try to include more protein- and fiber-rich foods in your diet.

2) Leptin resistance
Leptin hormone is produced by our body’s fat cells. Its primary role is to signal feelings of fullness to your brain. When you eat food, fat content in your body increase, leading to rise in your leptin levels, signaling the brain to eat less and burn more.

Given the way leptin works, people with obesity should naturally limit their food intake. However, their brain becomes resistant to leptin and doesn’t recognize it. This is called Leptin Resistance.

This means that although copious leptin is present in your body, your brain doesn’t recognize it and continues to think that you’re hungry, even after a meal.

Regular exercise, low sugar intake, high fiber intake, and adequate sleep may reduce leptin resistance.

3) Medical conditions
Aside from obesity that leads to leptin resistance, medical conditions such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, pregnancy, overactive thyroid, dehydration, and menopause are some of the reasons why you cannot stop eating.

4) Psychological and lifestyle factors
Apart from the key factors above, several psychological and lifestyle reasons can also make you feel hungry throughout the day.

Some of them are:

  • Distracted eating
  • Eating too fast
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Excessive exercise
  • Sleep-deprived
  • Boredom
  • Alcohol consumption

Do you suffer from some of these symptoms?

Worry not! Hera are some of the best strategies to overcome these causes and take control of your appetite.

10 Best Ways to Control Hunger and Appetite

10 Best Ways to Control Excessive Cravings

1) Know yourself

To curb your food cravings, the first step is to know your body. Consult a doctor to know if you have any hereditary diseases, allergies, or hormonal issues. Find out what triggers your cravings. It could be smell, stress, mood swings, PMS, among others. The more you understand the reason behind mindless eating, the better you can tackle the problem.

2) Break the fast

We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It replenishes your glucose levels, boosts your energy and alertness, and provides essential nutrients required for good health. So, break your overnight fasting with a good, healthy breakfast. This will help you remain sated and control your cravings.

3) It’s tea time

A cup of green tea or coffee can give you an energy boost and suppress your appetite. You can have a cup of coffee or green tea with breakfast, an hour before lunch, an hour after lunch, or in the evening. Your appetite will be suppressed as painlessly as possible.

4) Stay protein-rich!

As said above, foods that are rich in protein and fiber help induce greater feelings of fullness. Protein and fiber take time to digest and keeps you full. Try incorporating protein and fiber in every meal, even snacks.

Foods rich in protein include chicken breast, lean beef, turkey, fish, shrimp, tofu, beans, and legumes. Meanwhile, foods high in fiber are vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

5) Mini meals

Eating smaller meals can help satisfy your appetite as they stabilize blood sugar levels, improve metabolism, and provide nutrients to the body throughout the day. You can have a fruit, a freshly pressed fruit juice, wafers, nuts, or any other healthy snacks.

6) Ditch the junk

Foods that are high in artificial flavoring, salt, and sugar trigger the release of the ‘pleasure’ neurotransmitter, dopamine, making you crave for junk food even more. As these foods have little to no fiber and are high in sugar, your body digests them very quickly, which is why you could eat them all day and not feel full. Ditch junk food and switch to healthier snacking.

7) Add spice!

Add spices to your food as they contribute rich flavor without adding any calories, sugar, or salt. Moreover, spices promote health as they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties.

Add spices like dried herbs, allspice, garlic powder, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, star anise, fenugreek, clove, and fennel seeds.

8) Hungry or thirsty?

It’s very common to confuse thirst for hunger, and you may end up consuming solid foods. As the same part of your brain interprets both hunger and thirst signals, it can often result in mixed messages. So, if you feel hungry between mini and large meals, drink water. Drink a glass of water and wait for a while. Then you will find that you are not hungry but thirsty.

Fitbase app can help you track your water intake.

9) Hit the sack

When you cannot sleep or feel stressed out, the next thing you do to feel better is to eat junk food. Sleep deprivation and stress are directly linked to binge eating disorder. So, whenever you feel anxious, go for a walk, meditate, or talk to a loved one. Try setting a healthy sleep routine to get adequate sleep. Download theFitbaseapp to track your sleep.

10) Love yourself

Overeating, binge eating or eating frequently – all point out to one thing – mental stress. Whether you have a bad day, an upcoming deadline, or feeling guilty about your choices, stressful life events stimulate you to eat to cope with stress.

Eating may provide temporary distraction and comfort, but it doesn’t solve the underlying stress-causing problems. So, it is very important to love yourself, appreciate your choices, and accept the situations.

I know this is tough. But if you start every day on a positive note, it can truly change your entire life.

In conclusion
Feeling hungry all the time is a common problem for many people worldwide. And you are not alone! We are with you!

Download our Health tracker app today! Start now with #Fitbase!

Our fitness and wellness application Fitbase will help you develop healthy eating habits and improve overall health. With the app, you can track your food intake, water intake, sleep duration, body mass index, among others. You can also enroll in live health sessions with elite fitness trainers from across the world. Good Luck!

[Also Read: Features and Benefits of Water Calculator App]

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